20/01/2006 Coming home from the Russian Avant Garde, I rudely got reminded of the boredom of the complicated welfare state I live in: contemporary propaganda from the regional Flemish Commission, the one mainly responsible for culture and education.
Gravely uninspired postcards and an overall styling that tries very hard to imitate the house style for a local branch of German Forrest Guards from the 90's.
And what did they do to the proud Flemish Lion, they made him so small!
So that's it, after 5 centuries or so -apparently the Arabs taught us the use of animals in heraldry- the lion is on its way out, but would this Arian tooth paste teen be our new totem?
No, it has to be these incomplete circles with the unfriendly symbols in them,
they are on each and every document.
So my cultural identity here is represented by unclosed circles with pointy things in them and text that runs uphill.
No complaining though, as long as they keep spending the money allowing for all those concerts and dance performances that make this city more international than its size would allow.
Lang Lebe der neue Deutsche Wald Stiel.