Unlike many other cities, Ghent’s street art legacy developed from the bottom-up, rooted in the passion of local artists and their connections to international artists whom they invited to paint.
Like street art, the exploration of abandoned places (a.k.a. urbex) is a great way to connect with like-minded people while travelling. It’s a passion that, over the years, has definitely allowed me to delve deeper than the touristic surface of a destination.
It’s just great to bring new people into the mix. New people bring new energy to the group and share new stories that will inspire both old and new participants.
The loudest, hard-to-ignore new participants of IBUG Festival 2018 were the self-proclaimed Latin Mafia gang.
Debussy said music is all about “the silence between the notes”.
In between IBUG 2017 and an uncertain conversion -perhaps into arts and crafts workshops, artists’ studios or a farmers’ market– the VEB Spezialmaschinenfabrik is packed with silence.
“Luca has just booked his ticket to Chemnitz” announced Nnamari, putting her phone away and looking up into our amused eyes. Wasp Elder, Helen Bur and Kenneth Letsoin were just as delighted as me: our IBUG gang was coming back together and we were all so excited about that!
This is one of the most exciting moments of the summer!
I’ve just received a bunch of photos of the abandoned factory where IBUG Festival 2018 will take place.
It’s a former needle and blanket factory called NAPLAFA, located in Chemnitz (West-Saxony).