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VISUAL

Everything in museums, galleries, on roundabouts and village squares, and hanging over sofas. And Marina Abramovic

Anfield's best pasties work against degradation. (Lessons from Manchester, episode 4, the Liverpool edition)

There is something incredibly cosy about it. While outside the storm is howling through deserted, boarded-up shopping streets full of demolished mini houses, baking pasties against the malady. But so it does work. On the side of The Kop, the most famous stand at the Anfield stadium on Liverpool's Oakfield Road, Dutch artist Jeanne van Heeswijk established a neighbourhood cooperative in 2012, when megalomaniacal urban renewal plans... 

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'Naked violin in search of a bow' - Maarten van Rossem opens 'Moesmania' in style. (with sound recording)

'All that remains for me to say is that I think it is a fantastic painting and that I find it downright criminal that the Heineken family is unwilling to display the painting in a public place. It shows what an incredible thug the Heineken family is.' Dixit Maarten van Rossem at the end of his speech at the... 

Read More "'Naked violin in search of a bow' - Maarten van Rossem opens 'Moesmania' in style. (with sound recording)

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... 

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

Ready or not: Forum Groningen is open, but is it for everyone?

Controversial and an eyesore for many: Forum Groningen. It has occupied minds considerably over the past few years. On Friday 29 November, the cultural centre in Groningen was finally opened to the general public. Interest in Forum is certainly there, as the counter already stood at 50,000 visitors on Tuesday morning. The prestige project that has cost the Groninger quite a few taxpayers' pennies... 

Read More "Ready or not: Forum Groningen is open, but is it for everyone?

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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'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.... 

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

World-famous 'brooding work' - why Monet's water lilies and wisteria are still so special

Formerly considered three times nothing, today the paintings of water lilies and wisteria are the most famous canvases by French painter Claude Monet. We visited his gardens in Giverny and took a look through the eyes of the master. https://youtu.be/dfbUOdDe3Lk Mugs and socks When you think of the painter Claude Monet, the first thoughts probably go to his colourful... 

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PODCAST! Why so modest? Modest Fashion celebrates exuberant covering as a new fashion trend.

Since a still-famous, superbly dressed theatre deity declared me unfit for a future in his theatre in 1991 because of my shabby wardrobe, things have never really worked out between me and fashion, although these days my wife guards me from making too big a mistake. Not a very good starting point for a report on a fashion exhibition in Schiedam, but go ahead.... 

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Why youth is the future and fake art does not lead to real art at Theatre Festival Boulevard.

Bossche Theatre Artemis is, after International Theatre Amsterdam, the best theatre company in the Netherlands. The company owes this to an illustrious past (Pauline Mol!!) and to Jetse Batelaan. This director recently received the prestigious Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale for his disruptive oeuvre. This consists largely of performances in which children take power, without... 

Read More "Why youth is the future and fake art does not lead to real art at Theatre Festival Boulevard.

At last. Interest groups arts and creative industries seek collaboration

It is actually a footnote in the press release that lobby organisation Kunsten '92 sent out into the world today. But, as always with footnotes, it did contain the most important news. Because Kunsten 92, the club in which organisations in the arts sector polder, is "exploring cooperation" with the Creative Industry Federation. The latter is the Arts '92 of everything that is also culture and creativity,... 

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Groninger Museum presents Daan Roosegaarde's Presence; where the visitor makes the exhibition

Before walking into Daan Roosegaarde's new exhibition, I read the following: "Touching? Yes, please!" I take another good look at the sign, because you don't usually associate those words with a museum visit. At Daan Roosegaarde's exhibition Presence, however, it is a prerequisite. The artist wants you to touch and experience his art. For me, that was easier 

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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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From now on, mandatory for every theatre talk: a blank sheet of paper.

If a Nobel Prize for brilliant innovative festival ideas is established, the first may be awarded to whoever came up with the solution to 'the festival conversation' yesterday. You know, that ever-necessary conversation with the important guest or guests. At a table. On chairs. On television, such a setting is already problematic, live in a theatre usually lethal. A currently anonymous... 

Read More "From now on, mandatory for every theatre talk: a blank sheet of paper.

Pipi Longstocking rules in Zwolle. (Why everyone who cares about learning should go to Festival Woest)

Put 15 or so bouncy balls from the first grade of primary VMBO in an antique cabin of a few square metres and you can be sure there will be a hundred of them. Music they will make and they themselves had thought it should be about a forest. Protoon's accompanist is going to arrange that for them. There are pads ready,... 

Read More "Pipi Longstocking rules in Zwolle. (Why everyone who cares about learning should go to Festival Woest)

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... 

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

In the greatest spectacle, ultimately the smallest detail touches your heart (which is why The Head and The Load had to be the royal opening of the Holland Festival).

Some stories are too big to tell. Too big, but no less important or true for that. Like the story of the millions of Africans who died in World War I in the service of the warring factions there: Britain, France, Italy and Germany. No one knew that last story. At least, nobody I knew knew about it, and neither did I myself. It... 

Read More "In the greatest spectacle, ultimately the smallest detail touches your heart (which is why The Head and The Load had to be the royal opening of the Holland Festival).

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... 

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

CLASH is an ode to art

Art at a music festival often degenerates into decoration, but that certainly does not apply to Groningen's CLASH. 'We don't want art to be left out of the programming, but rather to be given full attention. We think it deserves that,' says organiser Milou de Boer. Fifty per cent of CLASH's programming budget goes to the arts, and that was too... 

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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.

Sex sells, originality does not. Once again, two museums go out of their way to celebrate nudity.

When we don't have fresh, current posts on the site for a while, our 'most-read posts' list on the right always changes dramatically. Within two days, all stories are trending that include the words 'nude', 'nude' or 'sex'. After all, sex sells. If you like clicks from rutting men, at least. Unfortunately, this particular target group does not read much cultural news. But attention is... 

Read More "Sex sells, originality does not. Once again, two museums go out of their way to celebrate nudity.
TivoliVredenburg during construction. Photo: Wijbrand Schaap

Without TivoliVredenburg, the improvement of the Utrecht station area would have come to nothing.

There is an artist café in Utrecht that few Utrechters know about. And I don't mean Theatercafé De Bastaard, where by now a whole generation of actors, filmmakers and writers come from, but the artists' foyer of TivoliVredenburg. I've eaten and hung out there a few times, as an embedded reporter of De Nacht van de Poëzie, when it's very late into... 

Read More "Without TivoliVredenburg, the improvement of the Utrecht station area would have come to nothing.

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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On Bergen and Delden, Greg Nottrot and the lost million: Culture Press' Best Listened To podcast.

Linda Huijsmans and Wijbrand Schaap catch you up in a good half hour on the backgrounds of the larger Culture Press News of the past few weeks. It's a bit more about the nude/nude situation in the arts, but of course it's also about money, that million that was drilled through the nose of performing artists by a row in the board of the Social... 

Read More "On Bergen and Delden, Greg Nottrot and the lost million: Culture Press' Best Listened To podcast.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"; Chihuly's glass masterpieces dominate the Groninger Museum

According to those in the know, he is a master of glass creations: Dale Chihuly. Dynamic, colourful and fascinating. It is not just glass art, but installation art. The world-famous American artist's works are a feast for the eyes. Sensations of light and colour. Although the name may not ring a bell right away for most people, there is a good chance... 

Read More ""Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"; Chihuly's glass masterpieces dominate the Groninger Museum

GLOW. Eindhoven light art festival seeks depth for the masses

From the corner next to the revolving doors to the outside, he has a great view of the north hall of De Heuvel. The luxury indoor shopping centre in Eindhoven's city centre is bathed in golden glow, while subterranean rumbling sounds from speakers. Above the heads of the crowd, bright light of all colours shines, reflected off bent mirrored plates. Edward Dams has just... 

Read More "GLOW. Eindhoven light art festival seeks depth for the masses

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