Main Facts and Data

Chris Christoffels, from Hasselt in Limburg, and his long-time partner José Roland, from Naast-lez-Soignies in Hainault, have together developed a resolutely interactive approach to the arts that combines music, the visual arts and multimedia.

The universe they have created is very much their own.

At a very early age, Chris Christoffels was already set on a musical and artistic path long before his studies in music theory and piano at the Stedelijke Academy of Hasselt, and before singing as soloist both in Belgium and abroad with the choirs of Sint-Jozefs College. Not even a degree in International Law from the University of Leuven was able to divert him from his real passion – research-based composition and interpretation. To further develop his musical talents, he founded the TALKIEO and THINKNTALK studio-laboratories offering high-tech services to disc, cinema, television and radio. Surrounded by a team of professionals, he developed original creations mixing traditional references and contemporary research.

Their advertising work was awarded several international prizes, including the Cannes Advertising Festival’s first Golden Lion to a Belgian work - for a spot on SPA water. He also composed EXCELLENSIS, the Belgian hymn for the Olympic Games in Atlanta

After fine arts studies in Mons and Brussels, José Roland taught at the art school Erg (School of Graphic Research, Brussels) and was press officer for the Instituts Saint-Luc, Brussels. His career as a visual artist took off in 1981 with a first exhibition to be followed by ten others, including CARNETS DE DESSINS (Iselp Brussels), LE RÊVE DU CORPS (BBL Namur), DANS LES CHAMBRES NOIRES (L’Autre Musée, Brussels), PARABOLES (Le Bâteau Ivre, Redu), CLARTÉS À FEYRERE (Clarus, Brussels), TRANSFIGURÉS (Tête d’Or, Brussels), LES HOMMES DE FEUILLES (BBL, Mons), and LA CHANSON DE ROLAND (Ancre Rouge, Vilvorde).

For the 1982 Critics Union prize (UCC) awarded to David Lynch’s Elephant Man, his painting SAINT-MICHEL was presented to the film’s producer, Mel Brooks. His POSTCARD (“Grand Verre”), designed for Brussels’ Grand Place, was central in the film “This is not Brussels” (1984) by Benoit Lamy, part of the European TV series “The Cultural Capitals of Europe”.

José Roland exhibited no less than 40 SAINTE-VICTOIRE (Zeuxis Studio Brussels) loosely inspired by Cézanne, which he produced jointly with one of his private students. The unit of paintings was acquired by the French Community of Belgium and exhibited in the conference rooms of Charles Picqué, Minister of Culture at the time. He also illustrated a cover on Turin of Sabena’s inflight magazine, Passport.

Again with Chris Christoffels, he has presented a number of multimedia creations, including DANSE D’IMAGES/ HOMMAGE À MAURICE BÉJART (2000) featuring an exhibition at Brussels’ Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert of drawings done during classes and rehearsals of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, as well as a video concert at Brussels’ opera house La Monnaie. Their BÉJART EN MOUVEMENTS (2003) was shown at La Maison du Spectacle/La Bellone and at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels.

MISSA BREVIS in 2002 was a multimedia creation of sacred music and light installation for the Brussels’ Cathedral and Conservatory. It partipated at the Festival Grande Musica in Chiesa, Rome, in 2005.

Followed BlueShell in 2004. Music and installation for string quartet created at the Contemporary Music Festival Émergence.

Also in 2004 WAY OUT THESEUS, an installation-chamber opera at the Centre Culturel d’Uccle in Brussels, was a development of the MINOTAROT, a game of tarot cards invented by José Roland and historian Gilbert Ducarme, inspired by Greek mythology.