Buda’s Wallpaper

Buda’s Wallpaper is Border Buda’s socio-cultural heritage section where we dig into Buda’s past and let stories of yesteryear resonate.

This special zone, on the regional edge between Flanders and Brussels, experienced unbridled expansion during the second industrial revolution. Pioneer Buda became the manufacturer of bolts and screws, from dyes to wallpaper, from stoves to tractors to French family cars.

The daily influx of workers had an immense impact on adjacent neighbourhoods in Haren, Vilvoorde and Machelen. Beer flowed abundantly in the many workers’ pubs. The local vendors did not become poorer as a result; they were at the service of the daily flow of workers. Workers’ houses were erected in and around Buda. One factory had a concert band, another a football club. Once a year there was a fun fair in Buda.

Getting goods and workers to and from Buda was done by rail, and The Port of Brussels grew steadily along. In Buda’s last heyday, cars weren’t only manufactured in the area, via the Vilvoorde viaduct ‘automobiles’ crossed over it. From the 1970s it went downhill, everyone left Buda. Della Bossiers sang about the last glory days in Fleurs de Buda, “de kinderen speelden in het tuintje van de waard nog even de zevensprong”. The old pioneer became a grey colossus in hibernation.

We wish to capture this rich and incredibly varied history of Buda at an accelerated pace, by seizing the last testimonies just before these stories would be irretrievably lost. Heritage enthusiasts and the pillars of local history circles from Vilvoorde, Machelen, Heembeek or Haren search for these last testimonies, by delving into the archives and exploring cellars and attics. The Border Buda artists are immersed in Buda’s history and stories. In this way, Buda’s heritage becomes a breeding ground for the creative process.

First edition of Buda’s Wallpaper

On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2024, we gathered at The Corner (formerly In de Hesp). With the help of old photos and footage, former residents and workers of the many factories, we brought Buda back to life for a while. We conversed about Buda, we collected stories, the pleasant trivia. We made Buda sparkle. Guided walks allowed visitors to discover both Buda’s past and present, as well as a brief glimpse of the future. As the Border Buda project also opened an exhibition throughout the area that same weekend, these walks integrated the artworks as well. Both curators and artists were immersed in Buda’s history over the past months; thus, the research into Buda’s heritage became an important source of inspiration for the creative process.

Buda a brief history

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