11/2/2016 0 Comments Art Rotterdam
However, I wasn't here as a tourist. I had one thing in mind: Art Rotterdam. The sixteenth edition of one of the most famous art fairs in Europe and stated to be "the most important place to discover young art" by director of the show, Fons Hof. Not only does the fair hold a refreshing interest in up-coming artists with a section dedicated to 'New Art', it also houses a huge range of works from painting to photography to sculpture to projection. Supported by oversized sandwiches, wine and tasty muffins it was an entire days adventure with more left over to see. The art begins before you even enter the building with installations by Leonard van Munster (a golden hill rising from the waters of the lake) and Ryan Mendoza (an entire house uprooted and reassigned to guard the entrance of the event with eerie tones emerging from the video hidden inside). Not to mention the building itself: a surreal white factory that appears to be all windows with Dali-esque legs reaching across to join the neighbouring building. Couple that with a line of vintage buses hopping back and forth to other Art Week events and you have an anxious buzz of creativity hit you before you even set foot in the door. As for the Fair itself a day simply wasn't enough to see everything for a careful thinker like me. But I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of talents, colour, ideas, arguments and humour all thrown about in one place. If you are looking for traditional aesthetics you're in the wrong place but if you want a vibrant clash of skill and modern concept you'll feel at home. Despite the term 'Fair', Art Rotterdam did well to seem without bias despite the split between young artist and students (aka. The poor) and elderly enthusiasts (aka. The Rich). The clear line between ages and intentions were laughably blatant but all were welcomed equally by the fair, galleries and artists. The collection followed no single theme unlike the Venice Biennale of 2015 which received so much grief for its direct social and political content, but served something for everyone from traditional Japanese puppeteer work to a ball wrapped in a hose pipe, from skilful photography to a smashed mirror with a legal document to void the buyer of any bad luck.
The playful collection was segregated into gallery spaces which provided the visiting artist not only a factory of inspiration but an overview of a huge selection of both Dutch and International galleries - leaving me with a list of artists to research but also of galleries which could one day support my work - one can always hope.
0 Comments
On top of this the atmosphere and meaning of these photo's can vary widely depending on artistic decisions such as the format and exposure of the below window.
In England we see 1cm of snow and BAM - the schools are closed and the adults grumble about the dangers just in time for their children to race out of the door sledge (or heavy duty bin bag) in hand. The excitement is required due to the rarity of this short-lived event. The snow is slush within a few hours despite the continued enthusiasm of the children sliding down the now mud bank…
This year my dedication to "experiencing the Dutch festivities" was rewarded with not just the usual splattering of snow but four days of code red winter weather! I was amazed to see the Dutch continuing to cycle through the newly laid snow, fighting their way to work despite the freezing winds. However, then the ice set in and with a temperature of -5 recorded to feel like -10 we were granted three days in by safety of the fire. The roads became ice rinks and adults slip-slided past the skating youngsters to panic buy necessities at the local supermarket. I managed to take a few photos of this winter wonderland before retiring to the comfort of my heated apartment… 10/12/2015 0 Comments Artistic OptimismI just had to share this graffiti on the window of a Minerva classroom. For an optimist it is always good weather and now here in Minerva and over these beautiful dutch buildings - out of this window at least - it really always is.
The weather has been crazy since arriving in the Netherlands - beautiful sunshine followed by harsh down-pours and now the mist has set in. Not quite brave enough to tackle the cold and damp I recorded the scene from the safety of my window ledge...
Armed with little knowledge of what to expect but a polite (if uncertain), "Het spijt me. Ik sprek Engels.?" I hit the streets for a bit of photographic exploration. I soon realised this little Northern town is anything but dull with the bright colours of markets and fairground persuading me into the centre. An area signified by the intricate towers of impressive cathedrals that stand guard at each end, flanked by rows upon rows of bikes, a metal congregation gathered for the cathedral's long cancelled service.
|