joie de vivre | The Silo

Facebook and other social media sites are blocking masterpieces of “nude” art from Rubens, Bruegel, Van Eyck and others. In an open letter, several top European Museums are asking social networks to reconsider their policy. Facebook has been in the spotlight recently for blocking content including some parts of the United States Constitution and other historical documents and multimedia content.

Artistic censorship continues to pursue Peter Paul Rubens. In the 17th century, the Flemish Baroque painter was asked by the Catholic Church to paint camouflaging ‘loincloths’ over certain body parts of his Venus figures. Nowadays, social media networks, including Facebook, go one step further. All breasts, buttocks and cherubs painted by artists such as Rubens are banned on these platforms. ‘Bots’ on Facebook use artificial intelligence to screen for nudity, but do not make a distinction between pornographic images or nudity in art. Flanders – the perfect place to enjoy the Flemish Masters in all their glory – is denouncing this artistic censorship in a playful manner. At the Rubens House, ‘nudity viewers’ with a Facebook account were blocked from viewing nudity by a group of “social media police agents”.

The Flemish Masters are best experienced in Flanders, the number one destination for art lovers. After all, this is where Rubens, Bruegel and Van Eyck lived and worked. Their work can often be found still hanging in the very same places for which they were made. “We want to promote this unique experience,” says Peter De Wilde, CEO of VISITFLANDERS. “Our Flemish Masters attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Flanders each year and we are proud of this achievement.

With our multi-year program focusing on Rubens, Bruegel and Van Eyck, which was launched in 2018, we are aiming for three million visitors by the end of 2020. At the moment it is not possible for us to promote our unique cultural heritage via one of the most popular social media networks. Our art is categorized as being indecent and sometimes even pornographic. This is such a shame as it restricts the promotion of our Flemish Masters.”

Eve detail Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck

The agency in charge of promoting tourism in Flanders, Belgium explains that they have invested 30 million US dollars in 2018 to improve the experience of cultural travelers visiting that region, especially in cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. Now they can’t promote some of those museums due to restrictive policies applied by some online social networks.

‘We are for it and not against it’ is what the people of Flanders say. Peter De Wilde explains, “Social media and art have a lot in common. Art brings people together. Social media brings people together, and our Flemish Masters too. This is why we want to enter into discussions with Facebook so that we can use this platform as one way in which to make our art visible. Surely it’s not that difficult to differentiate between cultural heritage and gratuitous nudity?”

VISITFLANDERS position is supported by several top museums in Belgium and around Europe. In an open letter, the institutions ask Mark Zuckerberg to revise Facebook’s policy related to art, culture and heritage. Click here to read the open letter.

“We tried various channels to bring this matter to Facebook’s attention. Unfortunately nobody listened,” De Wilde explains. Flanders hopes the comedy video produced in Rubens’s House will facilitate a discussion to solve the issue and allow users to view this content that is present in encyclopedias and elementary school grade text books. “Flanders is a unique art destination. But because we are naturally modest in Flanders, we do not shout out about it often enough. This stunt enables us to make our presence felt and also honor the spirit of Pieter Paul Rubens. He was an artistic rebel who was not afraid of engaging in social debate. There’s no finer tribute to honor our Flemish Master than by taking up the battle against unnecessary artistic censorship.” For the Silo, Marcos Stupenengo.

About the Flemish Masters.
For over 250 years, from the 15th to long into the 17th century, Flanders was a figurehead for fine arts in Western Europe and the source of inspiration for well-known art movements of the time, such as the Flemish primitives, the Renaissance and the Baroque. Artists were known for their craftsmanship, creativity and technical innovations and they transformed the prosperous and urbanized Flanders into one of the most refined cultural regions with their impressive artistic and architectural creations.

About Peter Paul Rubens, master of female nudity.
Rubens is the best-known Flemish Master. This Baroque painter, illustrator and diplomat was one of the most celebrated artists of the 17th century. He exerted a particularly strong influence. He was a master of color, composition and painting techniques and also an expert in painting female nudity. His nude figures – which often refer to mythical beings – appear extremely lifelike, made from flesh and blood, with a fair amount of cellulite and with all kinds of body shapes visibly on display.

About Antwerp, the home of the Flemish Baroque movement.
Lonely Planet selected the best cities to visit in 2018 and included Antwerp in its top 10. According to the travel guide, Antwerp is one of Europe’s best kept secrets. And there is certainly plenty to see and do there in 2018. The “Antwerp Baroque 2018. Rubens inspires” festival shows you the finest places in Antwerp: www.antwerpbaroque2018.be

When your best friend moves into their new luxury residence say like these ones in Montreal, you may want to consider giving a high tech device for your housewarming gift. These new-fangled gizmos can really spice up any home, but they’re especially suitable for high end houses and condo units. Take a look at our suggestions for the new homeowner:

Smart Smoke Alarm and Detector. Surely your buddy has fire insurance, but a smoke detector is still a sensible precaution. What sets this apart is that it’s rather more advanced than other models. You need a model to detect carbon monoxide and also send alerts to your Wi-Fi devices.
Smart Home Security Camera and Alarm System. This is another smart device, which for luxury homes isn’t really foolish at all. Get them a wide angle camera with infrared, and it should be tied in to an alarm system that sends warnings and video straight to your smartphone. So you can make sure that you’re alerted when someone approaches your home, and you can get video evidence too.
Programmable Coffee Machine. This is great for mornings when your buddy wants to have a cup of java right after they wake up. If it’s a smart coffee machine, then your buddy can have it start making coffee right before the alarm goes off so there’s no waiting for the caffeine.

4. Automatic Pet Feeder. Again this is another smart option, and this time you have a feeder that sets up automatic feedings. If you want, you can also set it up and have it feed your pooch or kitty while you’re at work.

5. Smart Weighing Scale. Everything’s smart these days, and that even includes a weighing scale. Ordinarily, it may not be polite to give a weighing scale even to a friend, since it may seem like you’re saying that they’re getting fat. But they may not think that weigh when you get them this version.

You can find one with a minimalist design and it can come with smart features too. This can track weight, calculate body fat, and perhaps even measure the pulse wave velocity. It should be compatible with a smartphone since it’s normally controlled through an app.

Shower Speaker. Some people turn on their smartphones in the shower to get some music, but a waterproof shower speaker works better. The sound isn’t just nicer, but the waterproofing should help it last long. A device like this usually connects to a smartphone through Bluetooth. If you like listening to baseball radio broadcasts, you may want to get a speaker with FM radio.
Wi-Fi Range Extender. Many luxury homes have huge floor spaces, and the Wi-Fi may not be strong enough if your buddies like to hang out in the garage or backyard. Thick walls can also block Wi-Fi signals. But with this device, everyone at home can go online wirelessly.
3D Nightlights. This may be marketed towards kids, but plenty of adults are intrigued by them too. These are disks that emit lights that look like 3D images, though they’re actually 2D. This can show designs like Ironman’s mask, Star Wars vehicles, or even Sanrio characters.
Smart Thermostat. Try the one from Nest that was designed by the same person who created the shape of the iPod. It doesn’t just look cool, but it learns to automatically schedule and control your temperature. It turns itself off when no one’s home, and it starts heating or cooling your house when you’re on your way home.

10. Digital Art Frame. You know how your monitor can display cool wallpapers? You can have a frame that can do that too. It can display fine art or supermodels, depending on what images are saved in your smartphone.

Lots of these items are smart devices, and they’re all high tech. Get them for your buddy as the best housewarming gifts for luxury homes. For the Silo, Dimitry Karloff.

Featured image- The $6 million Penthouse on the 12th and 14th floors of the Residences Ritz-Carlton Montreal.

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