Discover Eindhoven, The Netherlands in this catalogue of creative happenings
Flux-s photo documentary Part IISome more stuff that filled The Dossier files these last 3 days: check out the second part of the Flux-s photo documentary.
Zimmer Frei or Fiesta del Sol … which country is Eindhoven in?Why is it interesting that a significant Dutch village in the south of Holland should have two very different festivals with foreign names take place over the one weekend? What do these events say about the self-image of this post-industrial town? Why does this big village have to borrow holiday references to give itself credibility? Where is Eindhoven really; who is it? Where does the real character of Eindhoven “happen” and who makes it happen?
“The future is black”When people are passionate, you can’t help but feel passionate for them, or try to see what it is they are passionate about. Today I went to see a Baltan Laboratories presentation by three such passionate guest speakers. Director of Baltan Laboratories, Angela Plohman, opened by explaining the nature of the organisation: a 2 year pilot program of an art and media lab whose activities include residences and workshops, exploring what the lab of the future might be. Today’s session would be on “copylefting” and the results of the EMF Orchestra workshop which was run earlier today by Wendy Van Wynsberghe and Peter Westenberg from Constant in Brussels. But first we listened to how Julien Ottavi, from APO33 in Nantes, listens to the world around us, and about his electromagnetic spectrum research.
Exceptional human beingsFrom my perch on the restaurant terrace at the Van Abbe museum this afternoon, I spy Matylda; a tiny neat figure in white and grey, bustling through the glass atrium. From that distance we instinctively wave at each other – vigorously. She comes out onto the deck and rushes towards me, a friend of hers, Fabian, in tow. Never before have I met a complete stranger who kisses me three times and greets me warmly, like an old friend.
Siphoning identity – Sue WilliamsonI had the esteemed honour of meeting South African artist and writer, Sue Williamson at an MU lecture this evening. The purpose of her talk was to give context to the current exhibition at MU, … For Those Who Live in It – ‘it’ being possibly “a globalised metropolis”, “a cutting edge art scene” or “a context existing in dynamic tension with the effects of politics, economics, culture and history,” according to the exhibition notes. What does it mean to be young/black/white/gay/straight/an artist today, in South Africa? What does it mean for South Africans or for anyone else who wants to know? An intimate group of 30 very engaged audience members drank in the images and stories that Sue proffered.
I am not an illustrator“If I look back, the drawings have become more detailed. Not focused on the dog anymore, but on his surroundings. The only things you can alter are if his eye is pointing up or down, or moving his tail. If you want to give a message about what you’re drawing, it comes from the environment. So he’s actually been getting smaller and smaller as I’ve gone on.” Patray Lui, not an illustrator.