Although Instagram has only existed for a few years yet, it is has become hard to think of a life without smartphones and sharing photos all the time. Many people know their online contacts better than their own neighbours – without ever meeting them in person. The Vierkantwerpen community bridges this gap by organising Instameetings in Antwerp. We had a short chat with Jarri Van der Haegen, who took the initiative to come together as a group.
Instameet
Jarri: ‘We started Vierkantwerpen as a community for Instagrammers in Antwerp. We found each other in our hobby of photographing everything we see around us. Without the group, I would just be a weirdo with a smartphone but now it is no longer uncomfortable to take so many photos in a public place. The Instameetings are moreover a great opportunity to meet the people I follow online and get in touch with others who are on the same wavelength.
In the Belgian cities Kortrijk and Luik there were already Instagram communities like ours. We honestly thought that it was quite absurd that Antwerp was lagging behind so I brainstormed with a small group of Instagram friends about a concept for our city. The name Vierkantwerpen refers to the square-shaped photos on Instagram. (ed. vierkant is Dutch for square) Because the first users of the hashtag #vierkantwerpen already had thousands of followers amongst them, the tag swiftly spread across Instagram.
If this first meeting turns out to be a success, we would love to set up meetings at buildings where no one else is allowed to take photos of the view. Number one on our list is the roof of the central station. Other ideas are the tower of Den Bell, the apartments at Kiel, and Doel.’
Join #Vierkantwerpen
Join the fun on Instagram by adding #vierkantwerpen to your photos. See you on the next meeting!
Text by Tine Van den Poel - antwerpenstreetstyle.com
Pics by Helen Van den Poel - antwerpenstreetstyle.com
