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04/25/2005: "NatuurkunstDrenthe" by Adri AC de Fluiter

To translate into NatureartDrenthe. We worked hard to realise a permanent location for art-in-nature in our province: Drenthe (www.drenthe.nl). This province is one with very less people ( if you know that the Netherlands is one of the much crowded places on earth), only about 300.000 but with much nature and the only province of our country with prehistoric stone-monuments called Hunebeds. In earlier days this part of Holland was covered with hayfields, sand-dunes and a big part of it was a moor. The biggest on of Europe I think. Around 1870 people did dried up the moor digging out the peat. The famous Dutch artist was working here for a short period of time in the beginning of the twentieth century. The idea for a more permanent place for art-in-nature did start with two other projects and now we start a new foundation ( Stichting Natuurkunst Drenthe) and found a location just behind the open air museum Ellert&Brammert in the small village Schoonoord.

(www.ellertenbrammert.nl).
A beautifull place with forest, hayfields, walking trails and some small ponds. In the middle you find a authentic glacier hole. After doing this we had to find funding and at this moment we can say that the first art-in-nature symposium on this location will start on the 19th of May.
Artist from the Netherlands, Bulgary, Belgium, Norway, Estonia , Germany, France and Ire are already selected with a very interesting variety of projects, all based on the legend of Ellert en Brammert. Two giant outlaws rubbing and killing people on the same location where at the moment the museum exists. In some weeks more information of the project can be found on the website

www.natuurkunstdrenthe.nl.

I'm sure that this first exhibition will have a good success and it will be the start for a range of years to organise on this same location every year such a symposium and exhibition. On that moment it will be the first permanent art-in-nature location in the Netherlands and it will contribute to the understanding between artists and their audience. Not only the real art lovers but also inhabitants of the region. They will visit day by day the forest near their houses and follow the building of the art projects. NatuurkunstDrenthe is open all day from sunset till sundown. It is closing at the first of November 2005. Directly after that date we start the activities for 2006, 2007 and beyond.

When you like to have more information please send a mail to defluiter@planet.nl. I'm Adri A.C. de Fluiter. Artist/curator. When you are enthusiast about this idea send a mail to this people of the government which are involved in this project and are in charge for art. It are mr. Hans Schaap j.schaap@drenthe.nl ( in charge for the Province Drenthe www.drenthe.nl ) and mr. Peter Snijders psnijders@coevorden.nl ( in charge for the town Coevorden www.coevorden.nl)

Replies: 1 Comment

on Monday, April 25th, Paul said

Im not entireley convinced that 'understanding between artists and their audience'is neccasarily what its cracked up to be,and the names of Ellert and Brammert,arent familiar atall,and Ive spoken before here about my concerns about art in nature,I wonder what the local wildlife population thinks of it,anyway I hope if nothing else that the birds are able to build their nests in the 'artworks,and other creatures find the same artworks beneficial,but somehow along with housing development and industrial projects,and artists events,putting lumps in nature often plastic,not really adding to the enviroment atall,and worse inconveniancing the beings that live in forests and woods and anywhere where people arent,I doubt it.Still cant let a few birds stand in our way can we,or trees.