What a theater: Over het IJ Festival 2015!
Yay! The art project ‘ArtVenture NOMADIC & Daan Colijn’ is part of this years ‘Over het IJ Festival 2015’! Great news! But wait: a festival for location-theater and fine art? To be honest, I had no I idea what this will be about. Who builts all these different theaters just for the festival or do I have to bike through the whole city to make like a bike-theater tour? Not even close.. but at least it is as exciting as 2 first ideas! The adventure begins with a free of charge trip with a ferry from central Amsterdam to Amsterdam Nood to the ‘NDSM Werf’. Welcome in a totally different and hip part of the dutch capital.
Deutsche VersionKlick hier für die deutsche Version!
Everyone can be part of it
The theater festival “Over het IJ Festival 2015” offers artist of different faculties in performance, theater, exhibition and interaction a platform to present their skills in their own specific work field. This appears to happen on totally different, sometimes quiet spectacular stages: hanging, climbing, up in the air or on the water. Theirfor small building countainers are used as mini-stages and artist create in between a totally exciting and special atmosphere. Precisely because of this circumstance the festival is perfect for younger artist to get in touch with festival life, with each other and they have a chance to present their work in front of audience. But also for the visitors the festival creates a perfect opportunity to interact with the artists but also talk after the show about the idea, reasons and things out of an audience point of you. These extra information they maybe can keep in mind for their next projects.
Mostly their are more than just one artist, actor or theatermaker involved in one project in different location all around the terrain around the NDSM Werf. Visitors and theater enthusiasts are invited to discover the whole area and get in touch with each other. Until next Sunday, July 12th, the festival is open daily between 5pm and 11pm and during the weekend from 1pm to 1am. Buy a ticket for a day, a show or a bundle of tickets and enjoy the very special atmosphere if the “Over het IJ Festival 2015”.
Project ArtVenture NOMADIC & Daan Colijn
The art-installation “ArtVenture NOMADIC & Daan Colijn” is an interactive exhibition. Well, but how does it work and how to interact with art pieces? 6 different artist from different faculties in modern art and fine art borrow one art piece each, well chosen by Daan Dolijn – artist number 7, Carolien Wissing and Catherine van Lith. The skill of Daan Colijn is to create out of an idea a very special environment for an individual experience depending the visitors encouter of an art piece. At the Over het IJ festival 2015 this takes place on a really special and typical dutch spot: inside an old, rusty fisher boat of Carolien Wissing. Light, tone and animation coupled with a extra topping of interaction creates for every visitor this unique experience. A unique environment with unique art pieces, simply unique and amazing! But who are these 6 artists? Have a closer look at the folling pictures and text pieces to every single one of them:
The artists and Daan Colijn
I would like to begin, in order I experienced the exhibition, with Karel Goudsblom. As a survival(art)ist and owner of an alternative bakery his art piece ‘without name’ impressed me with his hugh dimension of Ø 170 cm at first and a unique sound scape. The environment leaves it up to you: Voices? Whispering people? Or is this all happening only in my imagination?
I am getting curious and start walking around it. Immidiatly I get captured by a shadow play of something I do not really understand. Iam walking through an old, rusty fisher boat door. Confusion: What is it? A living whale? A living architecture? The art piece ‘Bussola’ by Jennifer Townley is just moving meditatively and totally calm. I got captured for minutes by the beauty of it. Impressing.
To be honest.. I am getting more and more curious about the things I will discover next inside this big, old and rusty ship. Suddenly: voices and a picture painting itself. No wait: it is a projection! I start listening concentrated and try to understand what the projection is doing. Slowly I discover that there must be something behind this projection foil. After entering the room behind it everything comes together like a puzzle just before it is done. My memories of my old medicine time as a nurse and beeing a student of human medicine are coming together. For a short moment the videoinstallation ‘Not to scale at all’ by Kaisu Koski gets me and I understand the human side of beeing a doctor again. Thank you Kaisu Koski.
Still in thoughts I am leaving the room and automatically I step in the dark lightend room opposite the hallway. What is this room about? I am standing in front of a big dark picture/painting/art piece and simply cant identify what that should be about. After some minutes in the dark I am recognizing the hanging headphones. Still wondering what this is about, I am listening to this strange music. I am starting to bite on my thumb. Suddenly everything becomes clear and visible! Thanks to the photo print ‘The war within’ by Alwin Piona coupled with the right music by Peter van der Velde I can finally win my inner war.
I am leaving the backside of the ship in direction entrance/exit. And again.. a surprise: suddenly a disco light starts blinking in a dark room on my left side. What is happening here? I am entering the room and get blended by intense white neon light. Iam shocked what I think to see in the first moment: hanging, dead bodies? Goose Bumps and emotional touched I am starting to understand the art pieces ‘The never ending story’ by Judith Heinsohn.I could have never imagined before that aluminum cement with steel wire can create this impression. Wow!
Are paintings interactive?
And now? That was it with ArtVenture NOMADIC & Daan Colijn. I am still really touched and in thoughts. On my way back to the exit I recognize people coming upstairs. There is more to see! Impressive. On my way downstairs I am entering a big dark room facing shining antlers. I am surprised. I am going closer. What a wonderful painting. It seems to be alive? While discovering the rest of the wall I recognize 2 small stairways into an other room behind the painting filled with ship and engine equipment. And what’s that? A tree is coming out of the hull. Seems like the nature wants to get something back.
I am leaving the room on the other side. Speachless: the same room but the other side of it. The whole wall is covered with beautiful paintings or screens? I am coming closer to the masterpieces by Carolien Wissing. In the middle of the room is a small light. I am stopping exactly underneath is, why else should there be a light? And indeed: something is happening. Yes, it is interactive with wolfs, a person behind a window and amazing light effects. That is what the art of Daan Colijn is about. Well done! This environment is simply stunning and amazing.
A beer with view as a reward
Back outside the ship I am thursty and simply flashed. I really didnt expect this experience. I am buying a beer at the bar of the ship facing the lounge upstairs with a stunning view over the NDSM Werf area, the restaurant Pllek and the crane hotel.
What a day.. What a view.. What an experience!