C-MINE | A former coal mine X Design


When being invited for a design tour along various smaller towns in Limburg… I had no idea what to expect but this tour was more I could have wished for and I really enjoyed to learn more about this part of Belgium and it’s industrial past. On our first day we visited C-Mine in Genk, a former coal mine that closed in 1986 and in 2005 became a creative centre where respect for the industrial past goes hand in hand with contemporary artistic activity.


We had a tour around the centre and visited the C-mine designcentrum where designers are given a stage to showcase their work. The ‘Beyond Food and Design‘ exhibition (open till January 31st 2016) shows various design and installations around four themes that have their origins in the region’s history and initiate a special correlation between food and design.


A metal staircase brought us through underground passages along original installations to experience what it is like to be a mine worker and we had a great view from one of the 60 meter high pits. 

Later that evening we returned to C-Mine where we had dinner along several designers at the  the temporary restaurant Mmmama, where five mama’s with different cultural backgrounds prepared several authentic dishes showing their food culture preparing the recepis from their mothers and grandmothers. 

In the afternoon we also visited ceramist Pieter Stockmans for who Linde Hermans created several dishes and I thought it was really nice to see her work back in the restaurant and to eat from the plates she designed. The connection between the several designers and places we visited was something I really loved about this tour. Also most designers really seemed to support each others work and I will highlight some of them in some other posts later. 


Limburg design tour was organized by& Cosmosie | #limblogdesigntour
 pictures 1-5 ©vosgesparis | 6-8 ©
Renaat Nijs | 9-13 ©vosgesparis