At the Belgian Comics Art Museum From 1 June until 3 September 2017 ASTERIX IN BELGIUM A playful exhibition about the northern Gauls One fine day, at the height of their career, Goscinny and Uderzo decided to tell the story of Asterix’ adventures among the Belgians, after already putting him through some laugh-out- loud moments on his travels half-way across Europe. Without ever taking a mocking tone, the two authors take ever such a cheeky pleasure in exploring the customs and traditions of this country, for which they feel great affection. After all, they both started their career in Belgium some 25 years earlier (1951). Julius Caesar’s famous quote in ‘The Gallic Wars’, which features in the frontispiece of this album: “Of all the Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest enemies I have ever faced.” , forms the crux of the story. Of course, this statement really irritates the life out of the inhabitants of a little Gallic village in Armorica, populated by indomitable Gauls. To pay homage to this ‘historical’ work of art, in which Nervians and Menapians end up battling side by side, and in which we witness the birth of Brussels and courier services, waterzooi and French fries, the Comics Art Museum has designed a particularly playful exhibition that gives everyone the opportunity to gauge the extent of their Belgian-ness… The Belgian Comic Strip Center - Museum Brussels Rue des Sables 20 - 1000 Brussels (Belgium) Open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. Tel.: + 32 (0)2 219 19 80 – www.comicscenter.net - [email protected]Press info: Willem De Graeve: [email protected]- +32 (0)2 210 04 33 Press images: www.comicscenter.net/en/press, login: comics + password: smurfs
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At the Belgian Comics Art Museum From 1 June until 3 September 2017
ASTERIX IN BELGIUM
A playful exhibition about the northern Gauls
One fine day, at the height of their career, Goscinny and Uderzo decided to tell the story of
Asterix’ adventures among the Belgians, after already putting him through some laugh-out-
loud moments on his travels half-way across Europe. Without ever taking a mocking tone,
the two authors take ever such a cheeky pleasure in exploring the customs and traditions of
this country, for which they feel great affection. After all, they both started their career in
Belgium some 25 years earlier (1951).
Julius Caesar’s famous quote in ‘The Gallic Wars’, which features in the frontispiece of this
album: “Of all the Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest enemies I have ever faced.” , forms
the crux of the story. Of course, this statement really irritates the life out of the inhabitants
of a little Gallic village in Armorica, populated by indomitable Gauls. To pay homage to this
‘historical’ work of art, in which Nervians and Menapians end up battling side by side, and in
which we witness the birth of Brussels and courier services, waterzooi and French fries, the
Comics Art Museum has designed a particularly playful exhibition that gives everyone the
opportunity to gauge the extent of their Belgian-ness…
The Belgian Comic Strip Center - Museum Brussels Rue des Sables 20 - 1000 Brussels (Belgium)
Open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. Tel.: + 32 (0)2 219 19 80 – www.comicscenter.net - [email protected]
Press info: Willem De Graeve: [email protected] - +32 (0)2 210 04 33
An exhibition organised by the Belgian Comics Art Museum.
With the assistance of the publishing house Albert-René
With the support of the Brussels-Capital Region, Visit Brussels, Thalys, Léonidas and Parc Astérix.
Curator: Mélanie Andrieu
Texts: Mélanie Andrieu - Jean Auquier Iconography : Mélanie Andrieu and the Publishing House Albert-René
Production : Les filles du bout du couloir Scenography: Jean Serneels
Translations: Philotrans
Proofreading: Marie-Aude Piavaux and Tine Anthoni Graphics: Pierre Saysouk
Enlargements: Sadocolor Audiovisuals: Manuel Fernandez Vazquez
Technical Installations: Jean Serneels and Belgian Comics Art Museum staff Communication: Willem De Graeve, Valérie Constant
The Belgian Comics Art Museum expresses its sincere thanks to the Éditions Albert René team for their assistance and commitment, particularly Baptiste Cazaux, Dionen Clauteaux, Perrine Dubois, and Régis Brebent, as well as Nathanaël Arnould (INA), Carine Picaud (BNF), and everyone who has contributed to this exhibition.
www.comicscenter.net
www.asterix.com
Press info: Willem De Graeve: [email protected] - +32 (0)2 210 04 33
The local Brassica (Brussels sprouts), proudly served up by Cauliflowa, are also an
example of one of Belgium’s gastronomic dishes. This new hybrid cabbage is said to have
been created by the people from Saint-Gilles around the mid-17th century. This crop has
earned them the nick-name of ‘Kuulkappers’ (cabbage cutters).
The name of waterzooi, which Goscinny amusingly links to Waterloo, means ‘boiling
water’ in Dutch. It refers to a stew-like dish that originates from Ghent, based on chicken,
fish, and vegetables, the stock of which is thickened with cream or butter to make the sauce.
11. Asterix or a Vision of Europe
Asterix and his friends regularly go travelling, which gives the authors plenty of
opportunity to caricaturise cultural stereotypes, always with a great sense of humour and
sensitivity. The reader will easily notice this, for example, in the customs and traditions of
the country, its geography and language, or in the physical appearance, the behaviour, the
clothing or perhaps the names of the characters.
Gaul
True to the image of Asterix, the Gauls are presented as ingenious, fun, friendly, but
they may also be overly touchy, rude or irritable. The series also features several local
characteristics. Paris (Lutetia) is portrayed as the city of the arts, of love, fashion and night-
life. Auvergne (Arverne) is the region of spa health treatments, blue cheese and the grating
accent of old men. Provence matches the Marseille as described by Marcel Pagnol, a
famous French film director. As such, Massilia is the city of excess, bouillabaisse and
petanque. The authors poke fun at its accent. The Corsicans and their island are
stereotyped to the extreme. Corsicans are proud, overly touchy, stoic, and are prone to
siestas and ancestral feuds. The mountainous island is covered in oaks, sweet chestnut trees
and shrubland, wild boar, cheese, and dry stone houses. The other regions of Gaul are
portrayed in a more anecdotal way. Armorica (modern Brittany) is the region of standing
stones. Nicae (Nice) is famous for its ‘Gaullish Riviera’, its beaches, tourists and its ‘salade
nicaesoice’. Burdigala (Bordeaux) is described with its ‘place des Quinconces’ and its wine.
In Basque country, populated by mountain people, the speciality is Basque chicken. Other
towns are often mentioned because of their culinary specialities: Tolosa (Toulouse) for its
sausage, Aginum (Agen) for its prunes, Camaracum (Cambrai) for its bêtises, or
Durocortorum (Reims) for its sparkling wine in amphora.
The Other Countries of Modern-day Europe
The Goths (Germanic) are cruel warriors living outside of the Roman world.
Expressing themselves in Gothic writing, they love torture and dream of conquests. Bald-
headed and dressed in animal skins, they wear horned helmets with a spearhead and arm
themselves with battle axes.
The Britons (from the United Kingdom) grow large moustaches, drink barley beer
and eat boiled meat with mint sauce. Other peculiarities, they take a break during the battle
at the time of hot water, they do not fight at the weekend, and their language is back to
front! They are elegant and wear tweed trousers, they are polite and impassive. (Great)
Britain, country of fog and rain, is also the country of golf and beautiful lawns, double-decker
chariots and rugby.
The Normans, the imaginary ancestors of the Vikings (who appeared a few
centuries later), men of the North, are proud and terrifying. These sailor warriors aboard
their longships fear nothing and have dreadful gods (Odin, Thor). They drink their national
drink in the skulls of their vanquished enemies and eat veal cutlets in a cream sauce.
Helvetia is described as the country of banks and safes (said to be burglar-proof),
mountains and cheese fondue. The country is neutral and supports the underdog. The
Helvete wears green breeches, and a small hat with a feather, and also equips himself with
a bow and arrow. Some Helvetes even specialise in yodeling. The Helvetes are sometimes
slow, and are obsessive about cleanliness and accuracy. Their speciality is cuckoos and
watchmaking!
Hispania is a hot country, and it is famous for its festivals based around druid
processions, its tourism tradition, the flamenco, gypsies, bullfighting, and cooking in oil! The
Iberians are proud and dignified, they drink barley beer, and their sentences are
punctuated with the interjection ‘olé’! They wear typical dress (black trousers, a red top, and
a small golden-coloured waistcoat), they carry large swords and wear helmets decorated
with bull horns, the country’s national animal.
BELGIAN COMICS ART MUSEUM
An accomplished attraction located in the heart of Brussels, the Comics Art Museum has been honouring the creators and heroes of the 9th Art for more than 25 years. The regularly renewed permanent exhibitions and a diversified programme of temporary exhibitions enable visitors to discover the countless aspects of comics art. Tintin and the Smurfs lead the way towards further adventures, an encounter with a world where creativity has no limits. Enhanced by an exceptional Art Nouveau home designed by Victor Horta, the Comics Art Museum is just as much a tribute to the pioneers as a glimpse of contemporary comics art.