Poem Booth Captivates at Leipzig Buchmesse as Part of Dutch Delegation

From March 21st to 24th, 2024, the Leipzig Buchmesse was a hub of literary innovation, marked by the presence of the Netherlands and Flanders as the guest countries. Among the highlights was VOUW's Poem Booth, an interactive installation at the Messegelände and Schaubühne Lindenfels. Under the theme 'Alles außer flach,' the Dutch delegation showcased interdisciplinary projects. The Poem Booth, developed by VOUW founders Mingus Vogel and Justus Bruns, uses artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, to create instant poetic portraits. Visitors press a button, and the AI composes a unique poem based on its 'view', shareable via QR code. Poet Maarten Inghels was brought on to fine-tune the AI's poetic output. This year's Buchmesse served as the German premiere of the Poem Booth, establishing numerous connections and showcasing the potential of poetry in the age of technology.

— Mingus Vogel