door: MisjaB
Translator, publisher, and gallery owner
Years ago she looked out, together with her husband, for a large building in Amsterdam. Large enough to live, but also to work and with enough space for a gallery. Eventually, they found a building to their liking in Antwerp. In the meantime, they have found an even more suitable building in the Jewish neighborhood of this city and here they run their publishing company Voetnoot publishers and Galerie Baudelaire. Anneke Pijnappel (1949): “We have remained Dutch, but are residents of Antwerp. The Belgians seem to be a little more formal in their dealings, somewhat more distant. You are not invited to someone’s home so quickly as in the Netherlands. Belgians often do not know their neighbors either. Nevertheless, we like to live here and the distance is no problem for our Dutch clients.”
Baudelaire
“I divide my time between translating, the publishing house and the gallery. One of the first books that I translated from French was the book Salon 1859 by Baudelaire. Meanwhile, we have done many special translations, among which Fotolexicon (9 parts) the history of Dutch photography. We are not a commercial publishing house, but for sure we are professional. When we go to Paris, we always visit the grave of Baudelaire. He is buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse. There are always notes and fresh flowers on his grave. We always take a copy of ‘Hommage à Baudelaire‘ with us. When we publish a ‘new’ Baudelaire, we also include a copy of this. We leave the books on his grave. Of course, we capture this scene photographically. On a return visit, the books have always disappeared … ”
My style
“My love for clothes stems from my youth. My father was a fabric wholesaler and my mother a modiste. My sister and I were always allowed to choose the fabrics ourselves, after which my mother made the clothes. We have always been ahead of fashion for at least half a year. My mother is still alive, she is now 96, but still dressed well. I like to buy clothes of good quality, sometimes new, but I also combine this with second hand clothes. In Antwerp I like to go to Annexe by Anne Van Dyck. She sells vintage clothing, hats, shoes and jewellery. Designer clothes are so well made and of beautiful fabrics. This really appeals to me. I really like black and white and black and red combinations. With this sweater with different colour areas I can combine a lot.”
Jewelry
“I love jewelry as artwork, such as various designs by Ruudt Peters, Nel Linsen and Herman Hermsen. The chain I am wearing today is made by Ineke Otte, an artist from Zeeland. I do not have a favorite designer, although in general, I can appreciate the designs by Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier. ”
“My clothes last me a long time, with a new pantyhose an outfit looks different again. These shoes are by &Other Stories”. When I asked her about her style, and whether she gets commented about it, Anneke said: “Yes, quite often; people (usually women, but occasionally also men) sometimes approach me on the street or in the supermarket spontaneously and say: “You do look beautiful!” and then sometimes they add (to my surprise and especially in Belgium): “That is daring!”, a remark that I do not understand … And some artists or art lovers sometimes tell me that I am reminding them of a portrait by the German painter Otto Dix. Tips voor Antwerpen
Tips for Antwerp
“There was no kitchen in our first house in Antwerp, so we went out for dinner every night. We cook more often now, but it is still one of our favorite restaurants and we are love to go there: Restaurant Marché-Couverts / Lange Koepoortstraat 11 / Antwerp / French cuisine. Open: Wednesday and Thursday: 12-18 hours; Friday and Saturday: 12-20 hours; Sunday: 12-16 hours; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Bakery Kleinblatt / Provinciestraat 206 / Antwerp / Jewish bakery and pastry shop. I specially mention their delicious cheesecake. Open: Sunday to Friday: 6-18.30 hours; closed on Saturday
Modern antiquarian bookshop Demian / Hendrik Conscienceplein 16-18 / Antwerp / specialized in literature, books on art, philosophy, and avant-garde. Open: Monday to Saturday: 10.30 am-6.30 pm
Vintage and second-hand clothing: Annexe 39 (Anne Van Dyck), Wolstraat 34 / Antwerp / clothing, hats, shoes, and jewelry. Open: Wednesday to Saturday: 13-18
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