Belgium’s chocolatiers showcase Easter artistry

BRUSSELS (Reuters) — The 40 leading patisserie chefs and chocolatiers in Belgium came together to showcase artisanal chocolate with Easter egg-themed edible artworks in the country's capital on Wednesday.

Bel’Oeuf is an initiative by Belgian chocolatier Marc Ducobu in collaboration with Carlo Ferrigno, the manager of Hotel Amigo, a luxury hotel near the Brussels town hall in the historic Gothic Grand-Place square.

The fourth annual event's theme was "fun in movement," with sculptures in the shape of rocket ⁠ships, carriages, and hot-air balloons, some taking up to 25 hours to complete and using up to 18 kilograms of chocolate.

"Chocolate in a way, it's a ⁠medium that you can sculpt with," said Michael Lewis-Anderson, a British-Belgian pastry chef who baked the wedding anniversary cake for Belgian King Philippe.

“All of a sudden, all these chocolate makers become artists.

And that's what's great about it,” he said after setting up his own creation, “L’Uovo in Carrozza: The Coached Egg,” featuring Humpty Dumpty on a carriage atop an Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired chessboard.

“And you can eat it,” he added.

Belgium, a country of nearly 12 million, is famous around the world ⁠for its culinary products such as waffles, beers, and, of course, chocolate.

The exhibition will be open until April 8, and admissions ⁠and art sales will be donated to ⁠Televie, a Belgian cancer research organization.

Each artwork is on sale for 900 euros ($1,050) and the centerpiece, "The First Movement," a work by famous pastry chef Christophe Morel, will be auctioned off for a price beginning at 1,500 euros.

For ⁠Pierre Marcolini, award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier, the ⁠event is ⁠a chance for Belgian artisans to gain visibility for their work and demonstrate their creativity.

"I think people need to move beyond the idea that chocolate — or Belgian chocolate — is just pralines," he said. "It can be something else; it can be works of art."