Over the past two decades, Dieter Van Den Storm has worked at the intersection of journalism, design, and cultural institutions. After starting as a writer on architecture and design, he moved into organizational and curatorial roles in the field, including a long involvement with the Interieur Biennale and collaborations with industry partners such as Vitra. Since 2020, he has been Communication and Creative Director at MAD Brussels, where he oversees the institution’s communication and public program while supporting designers based in Brussels.
You recently marked your fifth anniversary at MAD Brussels.
Yes, we celebrated it two weeks ago. Time has really flown by. What makes it remarkable is that I started at MAD Brussels in the middle of Covid. It was a strange moment for everyone, but also a moment of crisis for institutions like ours. I’ve always seen these kinds of periods as a blank page—moments where you can rethink things and start again.
For commercial fairs and creative organizations, it was a very difficult time. But I felt that instead of waiting for stability to return, it was better to jump in and see what could be done. For me personally, it was also a significant shift. I stopped all my freelance activities when I joined MAD Brussels—no more PR work, no more writing. The only thing I still do occasionally is moderate talks or participate in panels. That’s something I enjoy and it’s easy to combine with my role here.
Has your position changed since you joined?
No, the role itself has stayed the same. I’m the Communication and Creative Director. MAD Brussels has a fairly flat organizational structure.
One of the structural changes we implemented when I started was simplifying the hierarchy. By flattening the structure, we made the team more agile and collaborative. For a small team, that makes a big difference.
MAD Brussels is largely publicly funded. Has that model evolved?
It’s still mostly public funding—about ninety percent—from the city and the region of Brussels. We have started working with some private partners as well, but sponsorship in the creative sector is still relatively new in Belgium. Unlike in some other countries, it’s not yet part of the culture to support public creative institutions through private funding. But we’re gradually developing those relationships. And we ‘re open to new partnerships if anybody would be interested.
What does your day-to-day work at MAD Brussels involve?
My role has two main components: communication and the creative program. On the communication side, I work with a small team responsible for everything from general public communication to professional B2B outreach. That includes website, social media, and other platforms, but also communication directed toward designers, companies, and industry professionals. The creative side is broader. It involves everything related to MAD’s public image and programming: exhibitions, conferences, talks, and workshops. These activities are meant to reach a wider audience, not only professionals in the industry.
How many exhibitions do you typically organize?
At the moment we organize around three exhibitions per year. In the past there were more, but production costs have increased significantly. Instead of doing many short exhibitions, we decided to focus on fewer shows that stay open longer. That way more people have the opportunity to see them.
But exhibitions are only one part of what we do. We also run residency studios that rotate every two years, and projects like the MAD Parcours, which takes place in November and involves around fifty locations across Brussels. Then there are international activities—we participate in events in Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, and London—and initiatives like the Belgian Fashion Awards.
MAD Brussels supports both design and fashion. How do you balance those fields?
Historically, MAD Brussels was often perceived as more fashion-oriented. When I arrived, I brought a strong design background, so naturally we introduced more design into the program. Today I would say the balance is roughly fifty-fifty. In exhibitions it might even lean slightly more toward design.
For example, this year we have two design-focused exhibitions and one major fashion exhibition. The summer show focuses on stylism—the stylists working behind the scenes in fashion. On the design side we are soon opening Home Sweet Home, an exhibition centered on birdhouses, and later this year we will present a project related to the twenty designers of the year, a price that was launched in Belgium in 2006, together with the magazines Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend. On the business side, fashion still has a slightly stronger presence, but the gap has narrowed.
The Belgian design landscape has changed a lot in recent years. How do you see it today?
It has evolved significantly. When the Interieur Biennale stopped, many people wondered whether Belgium would still have a strong design platform. But other initiatives emerged.
There is Ceramic Brussels, which focuses on designers working with ceramics. There’s also Collectible, which operates somewhere between art and design and has become a very international event [Ed. note: March 12-15, 2026]. These are different kinds of platforms than the industrial design fairs we used to know, but they reflect the way the field itself has changed.
Twenty years ago, the typical Belgian designer was a classically trained industrial designer working with manufacturers—often abroad, since Belgium has relatively little industry. Italy was the main destination, sometimes Scandinavia as well.
Today, many designers produce their own work. They manage communication through their own channels, often using social media very effectively. They sell directly, sometimes in limited editions. There’s also a stronger connection to craftsmanship. It’s a very different ecosystem.
That must require institutions like MAD Brussels to constantly adapt.
Yes, adaptability is essential. But adaptation doesn’t necessarily mean replacing one thing with another—it often means adding layers.
For example, social media didn’t replace traditional communication channels; it added new ones. In design, we see something similar: collectible design exists alongside industrial design rather than replacing it.
For us as an organization, that makes things more interesting. We need to understand these different layers and support designers accordingly.
How does that play out in practice, for example in international events?
A good example is our decision this year not to go to Milan for the first time in fifteen years. Instead, we’ll participate in 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen under the Belgium is Design banner, together with partners from Flanders (Flanders District of Creativity) and Wallonia (WBDM).
The market in Copenhagen is very professional and commercially oriented. Designers there are expected to present finished products rather than prototypes. So, our selection reflects that—we’re bringing companies and designers who are ready for export and have the capacity to meet demand.
In Milan we often presented younger designers with prototypes, focusing more on visibility and experimentation. Copenhagen requires a different strategy.
MAD Brussels is a Brussels-based institution. How does that influence your programming?
Our business programs—coaching, expert sessions, and so on—are reserved for Brussels-based designers or companies. The only requirement is that their VAT number is registered in Brussels. That’s because our funding comes from the region and the city.
For exhibitions, however, I wanted to broaden the scope. Brussels will always be the foundation: there will always be Brussels-based designers involved, and if we do a solo exhibition, it will most of the time feature a Brussels designer or at least a designer with a Brussels link. But for group exhibitions I prefer a more international perspective.
For instance, in the upcoming birdhouse exhibition we invited around eighty designers, about twenty of whom are Belgian. Others include figures like Kiki van Eijk, Sabine Marcelis, and Philippe Malouin. Bringing these voices together makes the exhibitions richer and positions Brussels as a meeting point within the international design scene.
Let’s talk about your own path. How did you first enter the design world?
My studies were actually in languages—German and English—for two years, before I switched to communication and journalism. My first job was in television as a journalist.
At the same time, I started writing for De Standaard in my spare time. I quickly specialized in design, architecture, and interior architecture. That’s how the people at Interieur first became aware of me. They invited me for a meeting, and that conversation eventually led to my involvement with the Biennale.
At first, I thought I would only write about design. But once I began working with the fair, I discovered the organizational side of the field—curating exhibitions, coordinating projects, collaborating directly with designers. That opened a completely new dimension for me.
You were involved with Interieur for quite a long time.
Yes, about fifteen years. I started in 2005 and worked on the Biennales until the final edition in 2018. We were even preparing the 2020 edition when everything stopped. Looking back, those years were an incredible learning experience. They allowed me to build an international network and understand the industry from many perspectives.
And Brussels has always been your base?
Yes. I was born in Uccle and grew up in Brussels, although my family lived in Dilbeek. I’ve now lived in the city for about twenty-five years—first in Molenbeek and now in the city centre.
Brussels still gives me a lot of energy. It’s culturally rich and very easy to navigate socially—you meet people constantly, whether at exhibitions, cafés, concerts, or restaurants. That sense of openness is something I value a lot.
At the same time, the city faces real challenges. Over the past few years, visible poverty and homelessness have increased, especially in the centre. It’s confronting. You see it every day, sometimes literally outside your door. I hope the new government will address these issues because they affect the quality of life for everyone.
Despite that, you remain deeply connected to the city.
Absolutely. Brussels is not a perfect city—it’s sometimes chaotic, sometimes rough around the edges—but that openness also creates freedom. There’s space here for experimentation and for younger generations to develop their ideas. You see it in the art scene, in fashion, and increasingly in design. There’s a certain underground energy that gives Brussels its character. And when the sun comes out, everyone spills into the streets and terraces. It’s a special atmosphere.
For me, that combination—the imperfections and the possibilities—is exactly what makes Brussels such an interesting place to work and live.
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Dieter is one of the 73 locals who has generously contributed to our city guide 'Brussels by locals' by sharing his favourite spots in town.
Interview: Sisse Bro
Photography: Stephanie De Smet