Antwerp, city and port, a centuries-old cauldron of creativity where art and culture are woven into our DNA. Looking back over the history of Antwerp it is hard to deny that

this old lady has always had a thing about culture. Painting, printing, map-making, literature, tapestry-making ... all formed part of our tradition. As an international port city this not only brought economic prosperity for its citizens but also created a flourishing creative scene that spread the name and fame of Antwerp far beyond our national borders. The port as a gateway with an open view of the world and the encounters with other cultures brought people, ideas, knowledge and art together in a heady brew.

Today in 2017 the situation is no different: Antwerp is a lively city with a rich cultural life, a platform for contemporary art. The city is and always has been a magnet for artists, fashion designers, musicians and others ... a rich breeding ground of creative talent.Antwerp is unthinkable without its port, but equally the port is unimaginable without its city. CONNECTION is the basis on which we as a port city and community work to assure the basis of social support for the port. Connection between the city/region and the port, connection between a sustainable economy and a sustainable way of life ... And in the way that we seek to achieve this, connect/connection is the key concept. We organise a whole series of events with one main objective, namely to give our fellow citizens plenty of opportunities to become acquainted with “their” port in an entertaining way and to find out more about it. We have also translated this objective physically into an “ambassador’s residence” in the form of the MAS Port Pavilion, where the door is always open to anyone who wants to find out more, as a gateway to the port and the docklands. We also pursue this objective through an extensive sponsorship programme based on the three main foundations of art/culture, sport and volunteer associations. We invest in structures, organisations and events. In other words, we invest in people. Here we give you an impression of what we do, and why we do it. What is the involvement of the port when it comes to art and culture? Our context is this city and its region, together with our stakeholders, continuing to build on what was and is, on a strong historical foundation but also looking forward, towards the future. And the question posed by Antwerp Capital of Culture 1993 is equally relevant in 2017: Can art save the world?

Port of ARTwerp

Art and Cultural involvement of the PortESPO Award 2017

When Antwerp Port Authority announced an architectural competition for a new Port House this was the start of a great new chapter. The new headquarters had to provide a place for us to work but also to symbolise the links between past and present, between Antwerp and the rest of the world.

The location for the new Port House was also symbolic, on the border between city and port, on a site already occupied by a replica of an early Hansa building. This replica is a copy of the Hansa house R which was built in 1564 as a combined residence and warehouse for the northern German league of merchants but was destroyed by fire in 1893. The site of that original Hansa house, on the “Eilandje” (little island) area between the Bonaparte dock and the Willem dock, is now occupied by the MAS Museum Aan de Stroom, thus bringing the connection full circle.

But to get back to our Port House. It had to offer top-flight contemporary architecture while preserving the Hansa house (now a listed monument). It also had to provide an international meeting place. The Port Authority wanted its new headquarters to be iconic both for the city and for the surrounding region, a thing of beauty

Port House as a work of art

in itself and a gateway to the port. The design by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid eventually emerged as the winner of the international competition. Not only did the proposed structure fully incorporate the listed Hansa house while preserving its character, but also the jury was particularly impressed by the daring design. With its astonishing structure the Port House is a wonderful example of continuity in the centuries-old dialogue between the city and its river. The all-glass superstructure of the new building sails majestically above the historic building underneath, forming a unique landmark that is also innovative and sustainable.

The new Port House is also meant to be an open house, welcoming to foreign visitors and local citizens alike. Just six months after it was opened the 10,000th visitor was welcomed in appropriate style. Indeed the building seems to exercise a powerful attraction, leaving no-one unmoved. The guided visits are constantly being expanded to meet the growing demand, and in the meantime the numerous requests for events, visits and receptions by national and international companies, port-related or otherwise, show that the “open house” idea is more than successful.

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As already mentioned, sponsorship is one of the most important means of making connections with society. In some cases we are the main sponsor, while we have also supported various other organisations and voluntary associations for many years now. We additionally organise events together with other stakeholders, or we offer material support to make their organisation possible. We sponsor art and culture with a big “C” but also small, local events. While we pay attention to one-off initiatives, our contribution is long-term and structural. But what does this mean on the ground?

Imagine that you as an ESPO jury member or visitor come to Antwerp this summer, looking to soak up the art and culture while experiencing the involvement of the Port Authority and port community in the cultural life of the city and the region.

You naturally choose the Port House 1 as your starting point, offering as it does the perfect combination of economic port activity set in an architectural jewel. In the atrium you can already start to appreciate the scale of the port and the city in the form of the gigantic aerial photograph 2 spread over the floor.

We then take you to the “Eilandje” 3 neighbourhood where the Port Authority used to have its offices. This is the ideal location to become acquainted with part of our heritage. In a short walk there is much to see and experience, introducing you to various aspects of the city and the port. This former docklands area has now been returned to the city. We as the Port Authority first invested in redeveloping this site with the oldest docks, making it into a lively neighbourhood where people like to hang out. In and around the docks you will find five statues based on the work of Eugeen van Mieghem, the waterfront artist who concentrated on the river and its port. These include among others “The Emigrant,” “The Little Dock Girl” and “Wiske” 4.

We start in the Sint-Felix warehouse L , a restored 19-century building that conjures up the atmosphere of that era. Formerly used to store coffee, grain, cheese and tobacco, it now houses the port and city archives. These include a huge image bank of more than 70,000 digitised photographs, many of them featuring the port. The atmospheric pictures from past centuries bring the old docklands and the warehouse area 3 to life. Some of the old maps that are conserved here are truly astonishing. For instance, a unique map of the Scheldt made in 1505 is 5.5 metres long, making it the largest Flemish pictorial map from the beginning of the 16th century.

While the paper memory of the city and port is housed in the Felix Archive, a great deal of the material memory and heritage can be found a stone’s throw away in the MAS Museum 6. As Port Authority and one of the founding fathers this museum is particularly dear to us. This “warehouse for art and history” is directly in line with the Port House, on the site of the original Hansa house whose replica forms the lower part of our new home. Designed by the firm of Neutelings Riedijk Architects, like the Port House this building is more than just a workplace, it is a true city landmark. The structure of the building resembles a stack of containers, in a clear reference to the surrounding port activity.

Continuing the maritime theme, the sixth floor of the museum is entirely given over to Antwerp as a major international port and its maritime heritage 7. The presentation is innovative and stimulating. The exhibits are not placed haphazardly beside one another but are connected in a dynamic scenography. They are not just informative, they tell a story. They appeal to the imagination, as actors in a constantly changing scenery. Visitors are additionally stimulated by the music of the in-house composer Erich Sleichem or the work of a contemporary artist in residence. The “smell boxes” on the international port floor not

only tickle the nostrils but also tell us about the products that pass through the port of Antwerp.And now you must of course go up onto the panorama roof in order to catch some fresh air and to admire the city and the port spread out below you. Left the city, right the port and ... the Port House.

Back down at ground level you are just a few steps away from the Port Museum in the Bonaparte dock where the focus is on maritime heritage, with museum ships and old dock vessels and cranes 8. Old vessels sail past at set times, enabling visitors to become acquainted with the water-borne life of past centuries. This Port Museum in turn fits in perfectly with the Water Plan which the city has drawn up in consultation with the stakeholders and which is now being further developed.

TIME FOR THE MODERN PORT?Turning from the historical to the contemporary, the MAS Port Pavilion 9 at the foot of the MAS Museum is the ideal place to start, built by the Port Authority as the “ambassador’s residence” of the port. The 360° surround screen A puts you right in the middle of the bustling activity of this major international port of the 21st century. Touchscreens in the backrests of the seats tell you more about what you have just seen. All this digital information becomes tangible in the various brochures, cycling maps and walking maps that are available for visitors. And of course staff members are constantly at hand to answer any questions you may have. The Port Pavilion is also the natural meeting place for the numerous events organised by the city or the port, whether the Museum Night or the Tall Ships Races B, or the start of the various professional cycling races including the Havenpijl race … the Port Pavilion is always “the place to be.”

TAKE A STROLL ALONG THE SCHELDTIf you wander along the Scheldt you will find the world’s largest collection of dock cranes C, hardy old ladies who have served their time and have now been presented to the MAS Museum by the Port Authority. A little farther along you will come to the Red Star Line Museum D, a warehouse full of the hopes and dreams of the emigrants who passed through here on their way to a better life in the New World. In the former processing sheds of this legendary shipping line you will walk in the footsteps of people who might have been your own ancestors. In these times of forced migration the subject matter is as relevant as ever.

In the meantime you will have picked up sand on your shoes from the many roadworks now in progress to give the Scheldt quays a complete new look. Glance over the dry docks E and the water and your eye is drawn once more to the Port House. Here too work is due to start shortly, this time on the largest series of historical

Sponsor of possibilities

A day in “Port of ARTwerp”

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dry docks. As the Port Authority we are also giving this part of the old docklands back to the city as the last link between the city and the modern port. On the one hand you have the dry docks and old workshops that form the setting for a maritime heritage site, and on the other the Scheldt with space for a large new city park.

LAYERED SPONSORINGSo, more than enough to fill a single day, and you’ve still only visited the Eilandje neighbourhood. But our support for art and cultural life in Antwerp and its region is spread wider than that. For example, we support the Middelheim Sculpture Park F with 215 sculptures and artworks by established masters such as Auguste Rodin, Rik Wouters and Henry Moore alongside more contemporary work by Juan Muñoz, Franz West and Panamarenko. This oasis of peace and beauty is a rare pearl.

Smaller and more local museums such as the Polder Museum, the De Reede Museum and others can call upon annual contributions by the Port Authority to help them in their work. Other examples include the Ter Vesten Cultural Centre in Beveren on the Left bank of the Scheldt, as well as the Roma Theatre G in Borgerhout. Originally the “Roma Cinema” this old, majestic theatre helped to shape the cinematographic history of the city of Antwerp. It was also a variety theatre with spectacle shows and theatre presentations, as well as hosting gala balls and award ceremonies. Many hands make light work: after standing empty for 20 years the theatre was restored with the help of many volunteers, and now the “palace around the corner” is once again a place of popular culture where everybody can find entertainment at a democratic price. More than enough reason for the Port Authority to support this sustainable cultural project. The “can do” mentality of the many volunteers and the eager contribution of the theatre to the cultural life of the community are qualities which we as a port and as a port authority like to see mirrored in ourselves.

But culture comes in many forms and traditions. The Beveren Festivities H or the Goose Chase I (officially recognised as cultural heritage) are cultural events that bring people together, forging connections between the port and the local population.

Those who like music will regularly see the Port Authority’s sponsorship flag outside their favourite events. In addition to concerts these include the Middelheim Jazz Festival J, one of the highlights of the summer music season. This two-day event is held annually in the green environs of the Den Brandt Park, across the street (literally) from the Middelheim Museum and Park.

But we have yet to come to the spoken word. Each year Antwerp has an official “city poet”. Some of them such as Peter Holvoet Hanssen and Joke van Leeuwen take the port as their source of inspiration. There are poems to the boat that provides guided tours of the docks K, and the new London bridge has a poem

engraved underneath it. Now, people waiting while the bridge is open to let ships pass can reflect on the poem by Stijn Vranken L which becomes visible when the bridge is raised.Words and pictures are united in the art books that we offer as business presents, thus helping to showcase the cultural and artistic riches of our city. These may feature the work of Van Mieghem, the Antwerp port painter par excellence, or Panamarenko, Antwerp’s quirky contemporary artist who magically expresses his imagination in the form of submarines or aeroplanes, sometimes robust and sometimes delicate, but always with an eerie beauty that recalls childhood dreams.

The advantage of words and pictures is that they can take many forms that appeal to specific groups. To mark the opening of the Kieldrecht lock we invited a popular strip comic artist to produce a comic strip. This free gesture was particularly appreciated by the young people. The Open Days organised in and around the new lock before it was filled with water proved to be a great hit with the general public M. The mural painted on the lock walls N by a graffiti artist at the invitation of the Port Authority gave the event even more colour and sparkle. This is also our gift to the ship’s crews who pass through the lock and to the dockers who work in the surrounding area.

But a sustainable port also means a sustainable quality of the environment, with limited pollution, good roads, greenery, nature conservation areas and artworks. This is something we don’t do alone. Many of the companies in the port have contributed to this effort, such as ITC Rubis with a wonderful photographic exhibition along one of the cycle routes O, or Katoen Natie with a work by a renowned contemporary sculptor in front of its headquarters.

Sometimes, however, a contribution can be made by providing information or facilitating it. The port regularly acts as a location for art photographers or for film and television projects P. Practical assistance, introductions, providing locations and suggestions are just as useful for the people behind the camera.

Thus art, nautical heritage, the maritime museum, cultural events, modern art, future education, music, sea scouts, a revamped science class, sport, leisure activities for seafarers, an open and welcoming port … all these are part of our way of connecting. “The Messenger” by Ossip Zakine in the middle of the port at the Zandvliet lock says it all: the port of Antwerp = the port of ARTwerp.

On 15 May 2017 port alderman Marc van Peel opened an exhibition of painting, photography, textiles and jewellery in the Port House atrium. Meanwhile on Zaha Hadid Square in front of the building a podium stands waiting for a series of artists. The list of artistic spirits has been supplemented with “known” names: not famous people, but colleagues with whom we work, a small selection of the 1580 employees who contribute to the life of the Port Authority.

“Talent on Board” gives them a podium for their work, as it appears that our company has quite a lot of artistic talent among its own ranks. Now they have their own in-house podium. The initiative has been a great success, and many of our own employees were surprised and delighted. Our port alderman was also impressed and immediately announced a new initiative to take this idea farther.

“We will develop collaborative arrangements with museums and galleries in Antwerp. Art should have a permanent place in such a public attraction as the new Port House,” he declared.

The port area may be a centre of industrial activity, but this 12,000 hectare site is more than just a workplace for some 61,000 people and companies. It also includes many natural areas, recreational facilities, sites of cultural and historical significance, cycling tracks and walking paths, visitor centres

and even whole villages where people live and work. To make these recreational facilities and areas of natural beauty more accessible to a greater number of people, the Port Authority has joined forces with various other stakeholders to develop the “Havenland” initiative.

Indeed there is much to experience in an area that spans various towns and cities, not to mention two provinces, with the river Scheldt as the vital artery that links them all. “Havenland” is the response to the growing demand for a unifying platform for visitor reception and recreation in and around the port area. By developing a strong brand we seek to combine existing and

Havenland – another view of the port

future initiatives concerning cultural heritage, nature conservation, culture, sport and economic activity, all under the same clearly identifiable flag.

“Havenland” aims first and foremost to be a clear “shop sign” not only for local residents but also for Flemish, Belgian and international visitors. Offering visitors a single point of contact will make it possible to provide them with information and tempt them to make a visit, but without overshadowing the existing range of already strong brands in the area.

Naturally our Port House has a major role to play in this initiative as one of the most important gateways to “Havenland.”

Talent on Board