Dries Depoorter #KIKK17

If it is possible to add poetry and a comic side to private data, then Dries Depoorter has definitely managed to do so.

The first speaker at KIKK17 went in strong, introducing us to some of his projects which fit perfectly under the theme of digital arts. One of them involves comparing the LinkedIn and Tinder profile photos of several persons. Beyond the issue of privacy, he raises philosophical considerations simply by placing two images next to each other. It is impossible not to instantly see which of them is intended for the professional social network and which is destined to raise the profile with a different aim. The same person is clearly presenting themselves completely differently, and we can see two different facets. What if they were reversed? These people would probably not manage to give the same impression, serious and hard-working on the one hand and sexy and adventurous on the other.

Jaywalking leads us back to ourselves: are we potential informers? The principle is simple: the visitor can see several traffic cameras. When a pedestrian crosses on a red light, you can send a screenshot to the nearest police station with just one click. In a poetic frame of mind, there is no doubt that we can always see a philosophical dimension in the Dutch artist's projects. Personally, it reminds me of the lyrics of a Jean-Jacques Goldman song, "Born in 1917": "Would I have been better or worse than those people/Had I been German?"

Even more poetry in Flipside audio: imagine you have a sound connection to the other side of the world. Jack plugs allow you to connect your headphones and listen to what is happening at the other end of the earth. Close your eyes and let your mind wander, travel 20,000 km in a single second.

In other projects you can dare to do something you would never do: butcher a Monet painting, guess to which host (out of three) an Airbnb rental belongs and think about your prejudices, or find out how many people in the world do NOT have a YouTube video and think about the relative importance of likes and comments on social networks.

This year's KIKK17 is getting off to a strong start!