Whenever I read hacking I spontaneously think of Angelina Jolie, I think Russian 16-something year old whiz kids with laptops attacking government officials and for the BE readers I am also reminded of Red Attack. As an on-line minded fool hacking is automatically associated with the digital part of life for me.

On the other hand there also is cultural hacking and that’s what Electrified is all about. Throughout April, May & June several artists will be taking over public space in Ghent [Belgium], turning the city into one hackerspace for themselves.

Video introduction for Electrified 02, sad enough only available in Dutch.

So, just as two years back S.M.A.K. and the Vooruit Arts Centre join forces. Not to cross over to the dark-side, but in an effort to hack the city of Ghent. This time the second take-over focusses on artists who hack public spaces on the crossroads of several directions in the visual arts. At the same time it will expose the friction between the areas where the two institutions operate: the S.M.A.K. in contemporary art and the Vooruit in media art, sound and performance art.

I will spare you from the further official lingo, but know that everything will be presented in the S.M.A.K. (where the main exhibition will be held) and the Vooruit. For all other information needs I refer to their site!

Now Astrid was so kind to think of us at OOTB and asked if I would like to be an ambassador for the project. Being a fancy word and all I was honored. You know how that goes Well, I guess my first point on the agenda (cause that is what ambassadors do, they make an agenda for themselves) was to tell you what it is all about. Mission accomplished I guess.

Electrified 02 will kick-off on Friday the 3rd of April and continue on through May & June. I already regret I will not be able to make it for the opening night but I also heard they will host a Girl Geek Dinner on the 9th of May! Looks promising to say the least as Roberta Gigante, a young Italian artist (who currently resides in Brussels) will be doing some crazy stuff with the resonance frequencies of  huge metal pipes. Seems she will be incorporating them into an instrument called “OrganOOn”. Setting will be the Ghent harbour for this one time event. Who knows it might be the first BGGD I attend if someone asks me to tag along Do not really want to miss out on it to say the least.

So keep you eyes open when strolling through Ghent the coming months I guess. Out.

[twitter hashtag for this hacking frenzy is #HPS]

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Tagged: #HPS, BGGD, Brussels Girl Geek Dinner, electrified, electrified 02, Gent, Ghent, hackerspace, hacking public space, organoon, roberta gigante, S.M.A.K, SMAK, Vooruit