Adventures in Belgium: Ghent Arrival

I arrived in Ghent on April 24th, met by visual poet/Krikriian/Zaoem co-organizer Helen White. After a bumpy wander to the hotel (dragging my suitcase over cobblestone), Helen and I took a tram downtown this Flemish city to find dinner on a boat-turned-restaurant. For the uninitiated (read: me), Ghent's a maze of canals, dollhouse architecture, chocolateries, and curving streets; I was instantly charmed despite directional confusion.

While checking the vegetarian status of numerous menu options, polypoet/Krikriian/Zaoem co-organizer "Dr." Jelle "Meander" arrived to dazzle us with overlong fiscally inclined Flemish vocabulary. Dinner proved to be the first of a string of delicious meals; Ghent was kind to this vegetarian.

Jelle and Helen gave me a night tour of the city after dinner (including Helen's favourite tree), which included a surprise stop at The Logos Foundation. A tetrahedron-shaped concert hall, Logos was founded by Godfried-Willem Raes and Moniek Darge. I had a love-at-first-sight experience upon entering this space: robotic orchestra. I could barely keep my eyes in my sockets. After a few pictures, it was agreed I should return the following day to have a wee tour of the facility.

And so, after a peaceful sleep, that's what I did! I met with local composers Kristof Lauwers and Sebastian Bradt (who both work with Logos) and had an excellent introduction to their music and magic. I filmed a little of the instruments at work, as well as a brief interview with Kristof where he tells me some instruments' pet names. Clips below.

The Zaoem Festival had not begun yet, and I'd already met four fascinating people with whom I'd like to spend more time and collaborate. Ahhh, Ghent!