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A few days ago, someone asked me how I felt about fashion being oft-ridiculed as a frivolous and superficial subject to analyse. It was a couple of days after I had had a heated discussion with an old teacher, who insisted there are only two subjects worth writing about: politics and economics.

For all the flat, paved riding Flanders offers, its most famous cycling comes on the cobbles and hills of the classic cycle race the Tour of Flanders. Held last month among the normal dirt-caked bicyclists and raging fanfare, you will find a quieter time of it now for your own ride.

Flemish artist Jef Geys has been selected to represent Belgium in the Belgian Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Quadra Medicinale is a multi-disciplinary project in which four of Geys’ acquaintances who live in large cities in different countries each searched for 12 wild plants that grow in the street. The result is made up of descriptions, photographs, maps and artistic interpretations of the plants. The project emphasises survival in a metropolis, as well as latent sources of knowledge. The Venice Biennale is one of the best known and most prestigious cultural and arts festivals in the world. Belgium was the first to build a pavilion for the biennial in 1907. Now 29 countries have a special pavilion to showcase their own talent at the biennial.

Herman Daems has been confirmed as the new chairman of Fortis Bank. He will take office after the bank has been taken over by BNP Paribas. Currently the chairman of the board of investment company Gimv and professor of strategic management at the Catholic University of Leuven, Daems also chairs the government’s corporate governance committee.