A poem is written to be read, to be felt, and to distill a personal meaning from it. But what if you could also see a poem?
This year, Cross Comix asked two visual artists with contrasting styles to interpret two poems by Maxime Garcia Diaz, from her new collection “Het Netwerk Moet Gebouwd Worden” (The Network Must Be Built, 2025). One did so in an abstract way, using forms, lines, and images of a cosmic origin that read like a meditative experience. The other depicted a period in his own life in which he was caught in a daily cycle of hedonism and subsequent self-reproach. They sent each other these interpretations, and responded with one last visual poem.
What do you see when you read the poems and the visual interpretations?
In the exhibition you can see the result of the image translations next to the poems (in Dutch and English). You can see no less than four translations per poem: one in Dutch, one in English, one by Zach, and one by Hilal.
In the presentation on Saturday, Hilal and Zach talk about their way of working. Maxime contributes via a connection from the US. Actor Marlotte Frowijn gives her own interpretation to the poems.
Artists
Maxime Garcia Diaz
Maxime Garcia Diaz writes poetry and prose in Dutch and English. She studied at the University of Amsterdam and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In 2019, she won the Dutch National…
Maker
Maxime Garcia Diaz
Maxime Garcia Diaz writes poetry and prose in Dutch and English. She studied at the University of Amsterdam and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In 2019, she won the Dutch National Poetry Slam Championship and was selected for the deBuren Paris residency. In 2020, her chapbook Artificielle was published by the label Marktcorruptie. Her debut collection Het is warm in de hivemind was published by De Bezige Bij in 2021 and was awarded the 2022 C. Buddingh’ Prize for Best Poetry Debut.
In 2023, she contributed to the short film Center, ring, mall by Mateo Vega, which was selected for the International Film Festival Rotterdam and New Directors/New Films (MoMA-Lincoln Center). In 2024, the Spanish translation of her debut collection Hace calor en la colmena(translated by Catalina Cepernic) was published by the Argentine publisher Eloisa Cartonera. In November 2025, Het netwerk moet bouwen worden and The network must be built were published by De Bezige Bij. Het netwerk moet bouwen worden was nominated for the Herman de Coninck Prize 2026.
In her work, Hilal Uzuner (1999) explores the multifaceted nature of life between different cultures. Drawing on her Dutch-Turkish background, she works with heritage, religion, and identity, often through rituals…
Maker
Hilal Uzuner
In her work, Hilal Uzuner (1999) explores the multifaceted nature of life between different cultures. Drawing on her Dutch-Turkish background, she works with heritage, religion, and identity, often through rituals and memories from which stories emerge or which she has inherited.
Zach Danson is a Dutch illustrator living in Barcelona. He creates zines, embroidery, small sculptures and comics. He primarily depicts hedonistic scenes, characterized by a lot of crosshatchwork and great…
Maker
Zach Danson
Zach Danson is a Dutch illustrator living in Barcelona. He creates zines, embroidery, small sculptures and comics. He primarily depicts hedonistic scenes, characterized by a lot of crosshatchwork and great detail. Zach works mainly with a classic black ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil. For Cross Comix, Zach is collaborating with artist Hilal Uzuner to visualize two poems by Maxime Garcia Diaz. He is seizing this opportunity to work with a number of new materials.
