By John Dunkelgrün.
The Hague is not just the international city of law and justice but also a real hub for the visual arts.
We have several world class museums and a surprisingly number of good local ones. But a special attraction is the annual open air sculpture exposition on the Lange Voorhout, easily the most beautiful promenade in The Netherlands.
Lately this exposition has been organised by “Beelden aan Zee”, that wonderful sculpture museum near the Scheveningen boulevard. Its director, Professor Jan Teeuwisse has combined these outdoor expositions with a matching one in the museum itself.
This has proven to be a very successful formula, especially with the “one-country themes” he has chosen in the last few years. After focussing on China, Russia and Flanders, the theme this year is contemporary sculpture from Brazil.
The talented young free-lance curator Ms. Carolyn H. Drake has brought together works from a representative group of important contemporary Brazilian artists. She chose existing works as well as new works especially made for this exposition.
The exposition has works from as early as the 1970’s and makes reference to Brazilian movements such as Neo-Concretism and Tropicaliá from the 1950’s and 60’s to show the origins and development of modern sculpture in Brasil
“Beleza” in Brasil means not just beauty, but it can have many meanings, all variations of good, all right, glad to see you, etc. Like many things in Brasil, the word is sort of a façade. Few countries put so much emphasis on outward appearances as Brasil. This manifests itself in an extreme interest in beauty of the body, clothing, architecture etc.
Consumerism is rampant whether people can afford it or not. An almost bankrupt government spends billions on the Olympic Games and local governments are equally exuberant. Whenever a city gets a new mayor, everything changes, from the city emblem onwards. The country may be on hard times, but buildings are going up like mushrooms. There is a strong feeling of “short-termness”, here today, gone tomorrow, that inspired the work of Marcius Galan, among others.
Today’s artists as everywhere reflect the trends and occurrences of Brasil today as well as significant global trends and concerns. And so it is with this exhibition. There is work that toys with consumerism by Cildo Meireles and Marcelo Cidade and there is art that pricks fake façades by using materials that look like something totally different.
Brasil is a big country with a huge and multiracial population. It is a vibrant and multi-facetted country. This has a distinct and recognisable influence on its many artists.
Ms. Drake has battled financial and bureaucratic hurdles in order to bring together an exciting collection of works that can be enjoyed on many levels. Casual observers can take pleasure in just looking at the sculptures and installations.
For the truly interested there will be guided tours on the Lange Voorhout and in the museum, which will give the participants more insight into the background and the meaning of the works.
But exclusive for readers of Diplomat Magazine, there will be a tour guided by Ms. Drake herself on Tuesday, June 21st at 11 am. This free (except for the museum entrance) tour will be limited to 30 people, so please register quickly at diploevents@gmail.com
The tour will start in the museum and continue on the Lange Voorhout on the Kneuterdijk side. There is an excellent direct tram (#1) that will take you directly there from the museum.
Brasil, Beleza?!
Lange Voorhout, Den Haag 26 May ~ 21 August
Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen 26 May ~ 2 October
