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HERITAGE

Why measuring leads to knowing less and measuring even more. On the futility of trend reports and indices

They have learned something at Boekman. The foundation, which since this year has had the honour of managing the culture index, understands that trend graphs say precious little. We have observed this several times on this site, and the researchers now confirm this wholeheartedly. So this year the club is doing things differently. For the past few months, sixty wise men and women have been... 

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Drenthe landscape fascinates and enchants in Barbizon of the North

With the storm of publicity, Vincent van Gogh's 'Weeds Burning Farmer' (1883) seems to be the star of the new exhibition Barbizon of the North - The Discovery of the Drenthe Landscape 1850-1950. The centrepiece of the exhibition, as befits a good diva, is still some time away. It is 'fashionably late'. However, a spot has already been reserved. The... 

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After the budget debate, the performing arts sector will have to be even more patient. Until spring.

The culture sector will have to be patient for a while yet. Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven had no intention of changing any of her policies on Monday 18 November, during the discussion of the culture budget in the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Culture. Despite a fairly widely supported desire, especially from the opposition, to do something about the 8.6 million cut in the... 

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'Library has no respect for artists!' Sale of works from Art Loan against sore leg Amersfoort art world.

This weekend, gallery owner Henk Logman discovered to his horror that artworks from the Amersfoort Art Loan were being offered for sale on a Belgian auction site. On his facebook page, he reports: 'The extraordinary thing about the whole thing is that the now still living artists were not informed of this. I would at least have expected that to have happened.... 

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European Cultural Foundation seeks new imagination on anniversary.

'Nothing can make up for the past. But the real, enduring power of the past lies in how it affects our present and our future. What we can do is shape a future history in which we consciously and determinedly carry with us only the best of our past.' Not keep rooting, but cognitive behavioural therapy for the whole of Europe, you might... 

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'Too much arbitrariness in heritage law'. Pechtold committee wants us to take our cultural heritage seriously.

We treat our cultural heritage too casually. This is evident from the report 'Reserved and Involved', presented on Monday 30 September, drawn up by the Pechtold committee at the request of minister Van Engelshoven. In 110 pages (with pictures), it says that the current design of the Heritage Act leads to arbitrariness and uncertainty. This means that unsavoury situations like... 

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'Art tax cuts and a cultural fund will be created as an incentive for homeowners to invest in works of art.' (How we think the throne speech should have read)

Members of the States General, This year about 72 years ago we had the first Holland Festival. After years of enslavement and tyranny, hope for a better future literally came from above, in the form of Maria Callas. Eyewitnesses who saw the lights in the Stadsschouwburg turn red that day would never forget that image. 72 years later, it seems... 

Read More "'Art tax cuts and a cultural fund will be created as an incentive for homeowners to invest in works of art.' (How we think the throne speech should have read)

 'You know, why we used to call it The Golden Age?' Why new stories need old words.

The puppets will dance, the turnips are cooked and the shit has hit the fan. The Amsterdam Museum is replacing 'Golden Age' with the neutral '17th century'. A typical example of oikophobic repopulation and politically correct language purification, or a useful adaptation to a changing zeitgeist? Time will tell, but explosive it is. For me, it raises questions. That... 

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Culture Council advisory committee chairman steps down: 'Nobody checks state museums anymore'

Wim Hupperetz, director of Amsterdam's Allard Pierson, has resigned his position as chairman of the museums and heritage advisory committee to the Council for Culture. In protest, he says, against the irresponsible way in which the minister is now implementing the Culture Council's advice. 'If this continues, we will soon be giving millions of euros to a few... 

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'When you bring back the songs, you bring back the people, you bring back everything'. Why Amsterdam Roots should be proud of coming Jeremy Dutcher.

28-year-old Jeremy Dutcher is a sensation. With his reinterpretation of native songs by Canadian Indians, he won the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy last year; names like Arcade Fire, Feist and Kaytranada preceded him. Amsterdam Roots Festival is now bringing award-winning Canadian musician Jeremy Dutcher to the Netherlands for a performance at the Bimhuis on 10 July 2019. When... 

Read More "'When you bring back the songs, you bring back the people, you bring back everything'. Why Amsterdam Roots should be proud of coming Jeremy Dutcher.

These painters had to shape the identity of their country. Drents museum shows result of 19th century pursuit of Italian nation-state.

Antonio Mancini, Lorenzo Delleani and Fillippo Palizzi, who does not know these influential Italian painters? Apparently a lot of people don't. Don't feel guilty, even for many art historians the names don't ring a bell. This is in contrast to Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Bernini and Titian. These artists need little introduction: Italian art, culture and identity are usually drawn from... 

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Why you should come see 'Struggle! 100 Years of Women's Suffrage' should come and see it

In the struggle for women's suffrage, the 'ordinary' housewife from Ten Boer in Groningen played just as vital a role as the widely praised Aletta Jacobs. She too walked in demonstrations, appeared in her grandmother's costume during protests and sewed a banner for the movement in her kitchen or living room. Like her peers from the rest of the Netherlands, she fought... 

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Vacancy general director deBuren

The Flemish-Dutch House deBuren promotes cultural and social cooperation and exchange between Flanders and the Netherlands by presenting, producing, inspiring and connecting. Spearheads of deBuren are Flemish-Dutch cooperation, talent development and diversity. As a house of culture and debate, we offer an extensive programme with 150 public activities a year and various cultural productions and projects. deBuren covers many... 

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On the other side of the North Sea, it works: the national 'City of Culture'. Time to take it seriously in the Netherlands too.

Hull. Who knows that city? I only from hearsay. A boat sails there, and by train you can get there in just under nine hours. For those of us with flying shame. And it's in Yorkshire, which we know from Monty Python. But beyond that? I've been wiser since Wednesday 27 March, thanks in part to a promotional party it... 

Read More "On the other side of the North Sea, it works: the national 'City of Culture'. Time to take it seriously in the Netherlands too.

An app won't get you there. Why the minister should make archiving all arts mandatory

The heritage sector is not the sexiest sector of the Dutch cultural world. Even though nude exhibitions are flying around your ears this season, you're more likely to think of obscure museums, monuments, stamp collections, old stuff. This is how it happened that the Digital Heritage Netherlands Foundation could exist for almost 25 years without anyone in the 'more popular' arts (stage, film, literature)... 

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The Netherlands has a cruel history. This is how Theatre Group Alum makes it palpable in '1619, make it short'.

Never knew I would feel a tear welling up for the fate of a 17th century Council Pensionary. Yet that happened on Friday 21 December, at the premiere of '1619, make it short...'. With this final volume, author Erik Snel puts a crown on his trilogy on the Eighty Years' War. Was volume 1 (1600, battle of Nieuwpoort) mainly a cheerful accumulation of... 

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With the Drents Museum back in time to forgotten Nubia- Land of the Black Pharaohs

When one thinks of pharaohs, one quickly thinks of Egypt, the land of pyramids and the Nile. However, south of Egypt - in the Nile region of present-day Sudan - kings and pharaohs also ruled. This area was called Nubia. For a long time, this culture and society was portrayed as a colony of Egypt. Unjustly so. The new exhibition Nubia- Land of the... 

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Cultural sector on expedition to Zero Waste: A prelude to a circular cultural sector

Eight cultural institutions started the first Zero Waste Expedition Culture this year. During this expedition, the first steps were taken in terms of waste separation and waste prevention. The Maaspoort in Venlo, Kunstlinie Almere Flevoland, Luxor Theatre Rotterdam, Museon, Paradiso, Tivoli/Vredenburg, the Zuiderzeemuseum and the Van Abbemuseum are the frontrunners in the expedition, setting an example for their... 

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Launch community platform 'Workshop Waterlines'

The province of Utrecht has launched the community platform 'Werkplaats Waterlinies'. This initiative of the Pact of Ruigenhoek is open to anyone working on the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, Stelling van Amsterdam and other waterlinies. It is a place where you can exchange inspiration, knowledge and ideas, as well as present projects, collaborate and experiment. In short, a place where new connections arise and collectively... 

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PODCAST! We, Man. Frank Westerman's fascinating latest book uncovers our own unexpected history

Once upon a time, someone was the first. The first to walk upright, to use his front legs for something other than walking. But who was that, and what did the first human focus on? Frank Westerman takes on that question in his latest book. In a fascinating journey that starts in Leiden, and ends in Flores, or maybe actually in the Mediterranean.... 

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Sharp rise in volunteering in Dutch museums #fairpractice

The chances of being helped in a museum by someone standing there unpaid, purely for her fun, have increased considerably in recent years. This is especially true for museum shops, museum cafés and cloakrooms - in short, anything related to commercial activities and operations. This is evident from a closer examination of the rather jubilant 2017 figures, which the Museum Association... 

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'Without screws, the (art) world collapses. Welcome to the empire of the 'Screw King' of southern German Künzelsau

Manufacturing screws and collecting art is on the face of it like Max Verstappen to Leonardo da Vinci. German billionaire Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Reinhold Würth, owner of Europe's largest fastener and assembly equipment company, has a total of 10 art museums in Europe and four art annexes in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Spain. No art cathedrals... 

Read More "'Without screws, the (art) world collapses. Welcome to the empire of the 'Screw King' of southern German Künzelsau

The Basel Miracle: "YES!" the petty people said en masse by referendum in 1967 to the purchase of two expensive Picassos.

This is an extraordinary story about crowdfunding avant la lettre and an urban 'bourgeoisie' that for once does not vote by refendum against throwing money at modern art. In Switzerland, no less. Kunstmuseum Basel made a small, fine, penetrating exhibition about it, still on show until 18 August, 2018. Ideal for a stopover on the way to Italy. If you do have a moment... 

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Walking around a bazaar full of exclusive merchandise: new exhibition at Drents Museum on Iran as the cradle of civilisation

The feeling of walking around in a bazaar straight out of one of the fairy tales of a thousand - and - one nights. Your eyes feast; colourful Persian carpets, atmospheric lanterns and exclusive 'merchandise'. With the new exhibition Iran- Cradle of Civilisation, the Drents Museum takes visitors to one of the oldest civilisations in the world. For the... 

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100 years of De Ploeg at the Groninger Museum: a visual treat

With its colourful exhibition Avant-garde in Groningen. De Ploeg 1918-1928, the Groninger Museum (unofficially) kicks off the year of De Ploeg. On 5 June 2018, it will be 100 years since a number of young Groningen artists set themselves apart from the established (art) order with their collective De Ploeg broke new ground. "Because there wasn't much to do in Groningen... 

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