Belgium’s National Day !
Let’s approach this in an unexpected way…
In 2016, Unizo organised a competition for a handmade promotional gift: ‘Belgian Beauty’. An opportunity that Inge-Lise wasn’t about to pass up !
Ceci n’est pas une Lampe’ is the perfect marriage between the Belgian master Magritte – who created an absurd and humorous world through the combination of everyday and surreal elements – and bika’s mastery in the creation of handmade candles – and always up for a bit of humour.
Everything in ‘Ceci n’est pas une Lampe’ has been carefully thought out. The absurd element of the red electrical wire, which, combined with the black push button and the yellow flame, reveals the Belgian tricolour. The packaging, printed in the ‘Belgian Numberplate’ typeface. The flagpole on the side of the wrapper, which references Marcel Broodthaers (another renowned Belgian artist). An accompanying text in the three official languages of Belgium (Dutch, French and German), supplemented with English. And, of course, the slogan ‘Ceci n’est pas…’, which appears as a sticker on the candle, can be considered part of our Belgian cultural heritage. A perfect combination of craftsmanship, creativity, Belgian design and an original tribute to our country.
Our entry took third place. Over 300 were sold. The candle is no longer in production, but if you’re interested, that could still change !
Ceci n'est pas une lampe