Flemish ingenuity
Toerisme Vlaanderen, Sint-Niklaas (BE), 2023
Flanders harbours a wealth of historic monuments and a rich intellectual heritage. How to turn them into tourism trump cards? In-depth research serves as a starting point.
Intellectual heritage
The Flemish tourism agency, Toerisme Vlaanderen, asked for our help in putting Flanders’ intellectual heritage on the map. We began with the influential work of the cartographer Gerardus Mercator. Three heritage sites are linked to his story: the tide mill and the counts’ tower in Rupelmonde and the Mercatormuseum in Sint-Niklaas. With the museum and third-party experts, we conducted in-depth research on Gerardus Mercator and his intellectual expertise, which led to the concept Vlaams Vernuft (Flemish Ingenuity).
Photography heritage locations: Toerisme Vlaanderen
Knowledge as raw material
Research shows that Mercator was a textbook example of Flemish ingenuity. Not for him the ivory tower: he was a practically minded scholar with an eye for society’s needs. For him, knowledge was raw material. He studied intensively, started his own business, and produced maps and instruments for the maritime industry. His legacy, the Mercator projection, serves as the basis for GPS technology, which gets people where they need to go every day. Mercator’s intellectual expertise – his Vlaams Vernuft – enabled him to do exceptional work in Flanders.
Atlas Cosmographicae, Gerardus Mercator, 1596
From concept to brand story
We used the Vlaams Vernuft concept to develop a brand story starring Gerardus Mercator as the epitome of Flemish ingenuity. This brief text captures the essence of the tale. It helps to guide stakeholders, designers and developers in repurposing historical heritage linked to Mercator and Flemish ingenuity.
Credits
Client
Toerisme VlaanderenConcept development and research
Studio Louter