About The Letters Project
In 2022-2023, KIOSK together with the research group Ghent, playing field of the visual arts (1957-1987), will focus on letters from or to people from Ghent, or concerning the Ghent art scene. The letters are selected for their content, but also for their form.
For a whole year, the group will present a different letter every week in KIOSK, and will highlight its context or the questions it raises. During these presentations, the letter (or a facsimile) will be shown, possibly with other artefacts that are mentioned or that can clarify its meaning.
Ghent, playing field of the visual arts (1957-1987) consists of Naninga Lens, Sofie Frederix, Wouter De Vleeschouwer, Koen Brams and Godart Bakkers. For The Letters Project the group is reinforced by Simon Delobel and some guests.
“Please don’t think I’m going to write every day, because I have a strong aversion to what people call: correspondence.” The agitation with which Paul Snoek (1933-1981) opens his letter to Paul De Ryck (1913-1956) immediately sets its overall tone. The painter-poet not solely writes to De Ryck to have some encouraging words during his retake exams in August, or another pair of eyes on the manuscript of his second collection Noodbrug. As a young poet, Snoek also wants to express his opinion on a number of literary magazines in Flanders.
Thanks to: Godart Bakkers, Paul Schietekat, Yves T’Sjoen, Daniëlle Palmans (Letterenhuis), Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent, Naninga Lens, Wouter De Vleeschouwer, Simon Delobel and Koen Brams