WELCOME TO VIERNULVIER
AT DE VOORUIT

As an art institution, VIERNULVIER makes a distinction between its activities and De Vooruit, the location where it operates and where it receives its visitors. The monument on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat will keep its name, but VIERNULVIER is much more than just De Vooruit. Our summer programme is diverse in scope, with dance, performance, debate, music and nightlife activities, spread across various locations in Ghent, as well as places further afield, like Ostend (Theater Aan Zee) and Northern Italy (Santarcangelo Festival). 

“Making a distinction between building and activities is not a new concept: take the Bourla at the Toneelhuis in Antwerp, for example, or Compagnie Cecilia at De Expeditie in Ghent. It also allows us to communicate more clearly about our programme ‘outside’ De Vooruit – at other locations in Ghent and beyond.”

This division also emphasises our role as a platform. VIERNULVIER is not the only organisation that programmes events and activities at De Vooruit. Every day we collaborate with other cultural organisations, schools, artists, social welfare organisations, companies, etc. It will now be easier for these organisations to communicate clearly about their activities at De Vooruit. 

WHY VIERNULVIER?

Dozens of names were considered. But none that got us all excited. We started to wonder whether a suitable name could be found at all. This question led us to a term familiar to anyone who has ever searched for something unfindable on the internet: the error code ‘404’ (page not found).

Being figuratively confronted with this error code is what ultimately sparked the idea for our new name. VIERNULVIER marks the end of a long search and the beginning of something new. With this name, we’re giving a nod to the past while looking positively towards the future. VIERNULVIER – a number – is free of baggage: it does not refer to any particular memory, building, party or history. As VIERNULVIER, we once again have all the space we need to give substance to our brand.

“As VIERNULVIER, we look at the past with humour and self-reflection. In this way, we are drawing strength from this difficult search. VIERNULVIER means: keep searching, keep trying. The name also refers to our continuous search, as an art institution, for our place in the city and in the world.”