How did I get here?

Away from the market

Process

My current work is focused on spiritual contemplation. I am fascinated by Old Master art and want to figure out how to achieve such deep emotional effects through digital means (such as, but not limited by, Virtual Reality). The umbrella for this project is Cathedral-in-the-Clouds . But Cricoterie is also an important project.In the analog world I study classical guitar and viola da gamba. I hope to be able to work up the courage one day to share some of my playing with you.The videogames I created with Tale of Tales: 8, The Endless Forest, The Graveyard, The Path, Fatale, Vanitas, Bientôt l'été, Luxuria Superbia and Sunset. Ask me about them and I may never shut up!I have devoted 12 years of my life trying to create artistic videogames with Tale of Tales , a studio I run out of Ghent, Belgium, with my partner Auriea Harvey . Our goal has always been to create beautiful interactive things for people. That was the case when we were making net.art with Entropy8Zuper! , and it will continue to be now that we have moved away from games Throughout our involvement with videogames we have continuously attempted to “make games for people who don’t play games.” We wanted to use videogames as a mature medium and work with subject matter and form that could be appreciated by anyone, whether they’re familiar with games or not. After a decade or so we realized that this plan wasn’t working.Only gamers play games. That was true ten years ago. And it remains true today. So it was time to move on.Which is where you come in.The kind of research and creation I want to do is impossible within a commercial sphere. While I am deeply concerned with accessibility and clarity, I cannot be sidetracked by demands and expectations of consumers.I now aim to support my research and production through non-commercial funding from art grants, crowd sourcing and generous patrons such as you.It’s uncanny how commerce has penetrated our daily lives and how little creation is being done without commercial ties. It has become almost impossible to imagine what people would create if their livelihood didn't depend on it. No need to say I’m very excited to see what will happen thanks to your support!Since my goals are rather ambitions, I cannot give you finished products yet. Not often, anyway. But I do want to share all of my thinking and progress with you. Hopefully some of it will inspire you - I have a relentlessly optimistic faith in the power of beauty and creation. For this purpose I maintain a development blog and I regularly post here to keep you abreast of what's going on in my head and heart. My Patreon backers are always the first to hear about anything happening at Tale of Tales and Song of Songs. And the first I listen to. So don't be shy!