The work boldly asserts “ceci n’est pas une pipe” (“This is not a pipe”) underneath an image of pipe. The street will be named, just as boldly, “Ceci n’est pas une rue” (“This is not a street”).
René Magritte, ‘La Trahison des images’ (The Treachery of Images), 1928–29
The street will be one of many renamed in 2020. In fact, nearly 1,400 nominated street names have been adopted by the municipality following a rebranding of a former industrial district. The process involved internet polls, expert input and council votes.
Many of the new street names are whimsical or poetic, no doubt an effort to showcase the quirky and creative streak Brussels is known for. The municipality has also showcased the achievements of the country’s important women, with pioneering filmmaker Chantal Akerman and Belgium’s first female doctor, Isala Van Diest, both being immortalized via street signs.
