As the world of international exhibitions came to a grinding halt at the very onset of the pandemic, we, a closely knit Belgian team of international stand builders, ever on the road, ever on a plane, suddenly found ourselves grounded in a shrunken world of self-isolation. Some in Antwerp, one in Luxembourg, one in Dubai…

Through the enforced pause we all took stock, reassessed priorities and recalibrated. So, 2 got married (long overdue), 1 moved to a new country, and 1 grew a beard and relished the out-doors (a re-discovery).

Obviously, with travel restrictions in place, there were very little honeymoon options for the newly-weds, so only Luxembourg came in view (you need good eyes for that. It’s tiny!).

Reunited at last under one sky in very hard conditions (-10°c degrees, snow and champagne), stargazing and toasting, we soon recalled these unforgettable outdoor moments that made an impression on us as children. The magic of fire-pit roasts in the Ardennes for one, the fairy tale of spending summers in a in Scandinavian cottage for the other. A tent blown away in the dunes….

The fantasy of simplicity, possibility and self-determination.