It's really built on a very simple premise: a piano is placed in the middle of town and anybody who wants to play it, can. The charm of this city seems to be on an endless flow, I hear you.
Swiss piano player Julian Layn playing the 8th piano in the 123-Piano project in the middle of Korenmarkt, one of the busiest spots in town. Project 123-Piano started when the Ghent musician Frederik Sioen saw in Paris some hobby pianists while waiting for the train in Gare Montparnasse. Sioen then contacted the city of Ghent to coordinate the project, and it was launched in August 14, 2013 (1). It aims "to bring people together through live music and spontaneous reactions" (2).
Aside from making the piano public, each were also transformed into a work of art in collaboration with artists such as Stanislas Lahaut, Avin Khaki, Klaas Bulluynck and Seba Daley who were given full freedom to decide on the design. Results vary from glassblowing overflight windows to old cars (1). Until the 28th of September, 2013 in these seven locations around town: Stadshal, Pierkespark, Sint-Pieters Station, Piramuide, Gravensteen, Dok, passersby are free to go behind the keys and play (2). That's right, anytime, any day, no restrictions.
Hashtags #123piano #pianoSH #pianoDOK #pianoPP #pianoSTP #pianoPM #pianoGS are available on Twitter and Instagram (3).
In the pathway in between the library (bibliotheek) and the city's administrative office. #pianoDOK Under the roof of the city's most recent and most controversial structure, the Stadshal. #pianoSH
A similar project,
Play Me, I'm yours by the British artist Luke Jerram has been making
the piano available in public places since 2008. It has
far toured in 35 cities around the world and currently plays in Nebraska and Cleveland in the US (4). Sources:
(1) http://www.cobra.be/cm/cobra/muziek/130814-sa-123piano-gent
(2) http://www.123-piano.be/3-2-1-en-we-zijn-live/
(3) http://www.123-piano.be/media/123-piano_map.pdf
(4)
http://www.streetpianos.com/