From 14th to 17th of March, This Is Antwerp will host a four day bootcamp in our Belgian port city. Discover Antwerp Through Experience (D.A.T.E.) will investigate how creative entrepreneurs shape the city and the city shapes them. With D.A.T.E.Lab being the apotheoses of the week. This Is Antwerp looked for and found 13 participants (the Antwerp 13) to discover the city, its creative scene and meet their local counterparts. We asked our Locals to research the Antwerp 13, so we can introduce them to you. Today, we present you Oonagh Murphy, Luca Ponticelli, Ryan Leech and Marta Vargas.
I'm still mind-blown after reading about . As an arts manager, writer and lecturer, she finds herself at the crossroad between the art world and the digital universe, linking the two together with a smile on her face. I am so excited that I will be able to talk to her about curating, digital strategy and audience development! (Yes, I'm a bit of a digi-nerd and I love it.) She travels around the world, finding out how emerging technologies can be used by cultural organizations.
Since Antwerp is pretty much the cultural capital of Belgium with top-notch cultural institutions in both performance and visual arts, a bunch of young creative people and a lot of technological knowhow, Oonagh will surely have a blast and fit right in.
The first word that comes to mind when describing is... drum roll ... cool.Based in London, Luca works as a communication designer, focusing on luxury and social innovation. This dude has a razor sharp eye for graphic design and at the same time has a poetic documentary style of photography. Which is a great combo.
Luckily the city of Antwerp has many faces, ranging from the poetic flow of the river Scheldt to the luxurious district Zuid, and he'll be able to encounter them all. Keep your eyes wide open, Luca!
As one of the masterminds behind , the record label and clothing brand, Ryan Leech is no stranger to urban culture. The music, the clothes, the imagery and the writings: Ryan knows how to develop not just a brand but an entire lifestyle.
Lucky Ryan, 'cause Antwerp has a flourishing nightlife scene with its own visual codes and language. I'm sure he's gonna want to lose himself in the Antwerp night and meet the people that shape it.
Something you've probably noticed while travelling: foreigners notice things in a country that a local takes for granted. That's exactly what happens when you look at the of . This graphic designer / photographer moved from Barcelona to Stockholm and captures the beauty of Sweden in her bright visual style.She's part of the design team of Spotify plus she has launched the printed magazine Deriva. Busy boss lady!
She'll definitely feel at home in our very photogenic harbour city. Add our ultra high density of graphic designers per square metre and you can count on a captivating dialogue. Let's see what her fresh eyes will spot in our city!
:: Cinema Zuid / FOMU :: 2000 Antwerp :: 14-17/03/2016
Text by Vincent Van Reusel
Pics by This Is Antwerp