[Oberlist] Fwd: Van Abbemuseum presents Be(com)ing Dutch

[stefan rusu]

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From: e-Flux <info la mailer.e-flux.com>
Date: Fri, May 23, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Subject: Van Abbemuseum presents Be(com)ing Dutch
To: suhebator la gmail.com






May 23, 2008

   <http://www.e-flux.com>



*Van Abbemuseum*   <http://www.vanabbemuseum.nl>





*Be(com)ing Dutch - the exhibition*
24 May - 14 September 2008


 *Van Abbemuseum*
Bilderdijklaan 10
Eindhoven - The Netherlands

http://www.becomingdutch.com
http://www.vanabbemuseum.nl



 *Be(com)ing Dutch is a highly innovative exhibition

The exhibition is part of a large-scale project that has evolved over two
years focussing on identity, diversity and nationality and which takes the
Netherlands as its case study. In those two years, Charles Esche (director)
and Annie Fletcher (curator) have been talking with artists, intellectuals,
politicians and the people of Eindhoven to find possible answers to complex
questions. What does the notion of 'Being Dutch' or 'Becoming Dutch' mean or
encapsulate in the 21st century? What does national identity mean in a time
of global migration? These topical and pressing questions are playing on
many people's minds. More than 35 Dutch and international artists, 21 of
whom created new work especially for the event, respond to the question of
what it means to live in the Netherlands. The project is unusual because it
takes on an outright political and social subject and translates it into
artistic terms.

Be(com)ing Dutch in the Museum*
The Be(com)ing Dutch exhibition is composed of three sections: the imagined
past, present and future.

The *Imagined Past* presents for example, work by renowned artists such as
Daan Van Golden, Ed van der Elsken, Johan van der Keuken and Gerrit Dekker,
their work addresses travel, cosmopolitanism and cultural diversity. An
exploration of cultural and colonial relations between the Netherlands and
Indonesia is seen in Wendelien van Oldenborgh's new film installation, *No
False Echoes*. Abdellatif Benfaidoul's work studies multiculturalism in the
Netherlands and shows how Moroccan culture influences Dutch culture.
'Recruiting Identities' is a search through existing visual material,
revealing the way in which guest workers were selected to come to the
Netherlands and evaluating the criteria which were used.

The *Imagined Present* considers contemporary reality. Italian artist Mario
Rizzi followed the Dutch 'civic integration' process from close quarters for
five months to produce the film *Congratulations*, and a sound piece by
Lebanese artist Rana Hamadeh investigates the different reactions to, and
interpretations of, her work in the Netherlands and Beirut. With a
collection of more than 100 passports from all over the world Tintin Wulia
has created a compelling work composed of a worldly palette
of colours.

For the *Imagined Future*, ideas of what is yet to come are developed by
artists in speculative and innovative ways. The Indonesian artist Agung
Kurniawan guides the visitor into *the Museum of Misunderstandings*; a large
installation intended to unveil current absurdities and miscommunication
regarding cultural prejudices and traditional cultural artefacts. Surasi
Kusolwong devises an elaborate installation which fuses all kinds of
cultural heritages and art works. He thus proposes new ways to enjoy the
museum and its 'cultural classics'

*Be(com)ing Dutch* in the City
*Art Beyond the Walls* is the umbrella title for several performances being
staged in the city. Internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker Phil
Collins devised the public project *Free Fotolab*, inviting all Eindhoven's
inhabitants to have their old 35mm negatives developed for free at a
photography shop opposite the museum, thereby aiming to show the hidden
images of Eindhoven, its inhabitants and their personal lives. The artists
Bik Van der Pol are organizing the performance event *Close Encounters* in
the Evoluon, in an attempt to challenge different communities and
generations to join forces thereby asking wether a collective mental
willpower is able to create a substantial feat
of strength.

*Participating artists*
Petra Bauer, Abdellatif Benfaidoul, Bik Van der Pol, Michael Blum, Libia
Castro/ Ólafur Ólafsson, Phil Collins, Carla Cruz, Gerrit Dekker, Erwin van
Doorn, Ronen Eidelman, Ed van der Elsken, Hadassah Emmerich, Alexandra
Ferreira, Daan van Golden, Rana Hamadeh, Nicoline van Harskamp, Alicia
Herrero, Hans van Houwelingen, Johan van der Keuken, Annette Krauss, Agung
Kurniawan, Surasi Kusolwong, Toos Nijssen, Ahmet Ögüt, Wendelien van
Oldenborgh, Ilya Rabinovich, Mario Rizzi, Mounira Al Solh, Fiona Tan, Oguz
Tatari, Alite Thijsen, Lidwien van de Ven, Tintin Wulia, Bettina Wind.

*Be(com)ing Dutch*
The *Be(com)ing Dutch* project was launched in January 2007 with *The
Gatherings*, a weekend of talks, debates, art projects and presentations.
The second phase of the project was staged in late 2007: the *Eindhoven
Caucus*. Over a period of four weeks there were intensive discussions and
lectures among and by thinkers and artists from all over the world.

The Mondriaan Foundation awarded its 2006 Development Prize for Cultural
Diversity to the Van Abbemuseum for the Be(com)ing Dutch project.

T +31 (0)40 238 10 00
F +31 (0)40 246 06 80
info la vanabbemuseum.nl

http://www.becomingdutch.com
http://www.vanabbemuseum.nl











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