Although strengthened by a picnic at the MAS Rooftop, it was clearly visible that we reached day 3 of the extensive D.A.T.E. program. I met the Antwerp 13 in their natural habitat for a tour around a new breeding-pond for the young and creative minds in Antwerp: PARIS TEXAS. The Parisian Nathalie Wolberg and the Texan Tim Stokes (PARIS + TEXAS, how convenient) launched this remarkable but most of all memorable art gallery and studio.
The place is extremely diverse, as are the people in it today. The photo fanatics Luca Ponticelli, Marta Vargas and graphical artist Pawel Nolbert probably took much better shots than me with their eye for detail and design. Storytellers and travel writers Nana Hagel and Shirin Mirachor could grace these photos with poetic storylines and they could all benefit from Margot van der Krogt´s know-how of bringing creative people together.
Ryan Leech will definitely buy the place when he made his fortune with his own clothing brand and record label and Nabil Nadifi already knew some friends that would be interested to showcase their work at . Oonagh Murphy, a creative facilitator who combines art with the digital universe got Tim Stokes curious when telling him about the UK project OwnArt and world traveller and editor of `We Heart´ Alicja McCarthy wondered if his artworks `piss people off´.
Out of the ordinary foodie Anna Küfner and industrial designer Hagar Elazari complete this party of colourful creators of our artistic future .To summarise: this is an extremely Diverse, Artistic, Talented, Entrepreneurial group.
PARIS TEXAS is an architectural gem situated in an historic building in Antwerp´s city centre. Sunlight falls through the greenhouse-like ceiling on the somewhat sinister artworks of newborn babies, blindfolded teddy bears and statues of Napoleon mixed up with Michelangelo´s David.
We start off our tour in one of the two galleries. But because Nathalie and Tim won´t call it a gallery, we won´t call it a tour. They journey (sounds much better when we visit France, America and Belgium in just one hour) starts in one of the exposition areas where young artists can display their work and where the owners hope to have created a new platform for photo-shoots, meetings and events. However the real excitement starts when we see their own studio.
We gather underneath the greenhouse-like ceiling, specially designed for Tim and Nathalie and look at the immense transformation that the place went through. It took them nearly 3 years to reach this result but it is worth every hour. Nathalie´s feeling for architecture and Tim´s extraordinary art unified in the colourful PARIS TEXAS. Photos on the wall show the place where Nathalie lived in Paris and Ryan wondered why she ever left. “That net”, pointing at the photo picturing a net that is used as a hammock for an entire group of people, “was that in your house?” “We met because of that net.” Tim interrupted. “I love that net!”
The Really Really Affordable Art Fair initiative was received by the Antwerp 13 with a big smile. Finally a place that sells art for people like me. Too bad for many of the D.A.T.E.ables that they will have returned home when it starts.
Viewing the personal living area of Tim and Nathalie, we wondered if their home is always so neat and tidy? A perfect balance between vintage and modern, floating cushions and a relaxing pit in front of their TV are just a couple of reasons why we all want to live here.
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Text and pics by Tom Peters