The Festival…

This year Sorry, Not Sorry took place at Dokken. This area in Gent is a shared space between inhabitants, workers, abandoned buildings and warehouses. Together they are doing great work. There you can find the Dok, BIY Skaters, Bar Bricolage and an area for recreation. And they are also taking care of this community in the best participative way. The festival worked together with them and reunited even more art and creativity around this unexpected location in Gent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community creativity!

The festival also opens space for all the community to create their own piece of art and expose it during the festival days. Each poster was made/represents the citizens of Gent, with a quickly look at it we can see how creative this city is and how diverse the population are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last but not least that is important to highlight are all the efforts of collectives to keep doing the best for artists and to promote the internationalization of their work. Exchanges are more and more common in street art. Promoting artists in different countries is one of the main activities to empower the creative community and to get multilateral and peaceful relationships between different cultures.

 

However, the festival is about urban creativity and the Cultuur Gent promoted it very well. Only one text or post isn’t enough to explain all what I could learn with this amazing team that assume streets are more than just a place to pass by. But instead a place to create a community while promoting the convive between creativity, locals and visitors.

“Live the city” was the perfect expression for those days of Sorry, not Sorry. Artists could create and show their work in public space while the audience could follow the work in progress and interact with all art works and performances that became part of Dokken for two beautiful sunny days. 

 

The dialogue of art and audience can be promoted outside of the museums as well. The art at an unexpected space can bring different dynamics and relationships between locals and public areas. It provokes some kind of reflection about the art and the individual’s life that has the power to change the way the community will understand each other and also will use the open space.

All kind of art is open to interaction with everyone. No need for a special audience to enjoy poetry on the streets. If the creativity is in a reachable place, the population gets involved and the public places get transformed by the atmosphere.  

“Bring me your object and I will build an art work with that.” It was what Anyuta Wiazemsky said to the boat residents at Dokken. She created a dialogue using objects that represent those people and expose it as an art work during the festival.

Other important highlight is the respect of all kind of cultures and nationality that could be seen through the artwork from different artists. Dema with his delicate art and soft talk introduced the diversity at Dok and let his beautiful mark to everyone that could understand or admire his creativity.

The Dokken is about diversity, it is a place that gathers different tribes and lifestyles. There you will find the only indoor skate park in the city. The B.I.Y. Skate Park project took place in an old abandoned warehouse bringing different generations to enjoy the graffiti, the bar, the garden and of course, the skate zone.

B.I.Y. is a democratic space, open for new ideas that promote art and sport for everyone. Ideas that come from locals have the propensity to obtain greater adhesion of the local population. The skate park emerged from the need of the founder of it to have an indoor place to skate during the winter. But B.I.Y. is also a space for exhibition, for graffiti artists painted walls, for shows and diverse events.

This report is about the unique festival Sorry, Not Sorry 2017. As we could see in Gent Yes, You Can Spray. Yes, you can create. Yes, you can skate. Yes, you can dance, and yes, you are welcome to enjoy the unique atmosphere that combines classic and modern styles at the same city.

Warm greetings

Angela Souza 😀

 

Photos Angela Souza > instagram.com/yesyoucanspray/

Cultuur Gent > stad.gent/cultuur-sport-vrije-tijd/cultuur

Festival Sorry, Not Sorry 2017 > sorrynotsorry.gent/home-2017/

Bar Bricolage > facebook.com/BarBricolage/

B.I.Y. Skaters > facebook.com/BIYSKATE/

DOK Gent > facebook.com/DOKgent/

Wallin’ Collective > facebook.com/Wallinofficial/

Topo Copy > topocopy.org/

AuwLa x De Wens > facebook.com/AuwLaGent/

Anyuta Wiazemsky > wiazemsky.eu/

De Bootmannen > facebook.com/debootmannen/

Gijs Vanhee > gijsvanhee.be/

Huascaya > facebook.com/huascaya/

Lies Caeyers > liescaeyers.com/kabinet-oa2fi

Nuno Viegas > nunoviegas.pt/

Sabine Oosterlynck > sofragile.wordpress.com/

Sam Scarpulla > instagram.com/samscarpulla/

Super A > super-a.nl/