ENGLISH. Inspirational Venice
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PASTELPAINTINGS, mixed media on paper
 Detail: circulation of the Blue, 100 x 125cm
Have a look at photo gallery: The waters of Venice
GREEN ART PROJECT, THE WATERS OF VENICE. About Venice and its environmental issues.
With my artproject
I managed to attrack the attention of the Culture Sector of UNESCO based
at the World Heritage Centre in Paris. Yaël Thomas quote: 'We acknowledge
the quality of your project, which gives special emphasis to environmental
issues through art'. And saying that my art project is very interesting
!!
Because I have been deeply connected to nature for
years this has been reflected in my new serie. During my visits to Venice, the
floating sea-weeds, the colors of the Lagoon and the many Islands around the
city captured my attention and where inspiring for the serie ‘The waters of Venice’. Its not
the ancient city but the influences of nature and the atmosphere of
the waters around this city I gave form. At my first visit to
Venice, taking a boat trip, I noticed close tot the central station
lines on the wall with marks about the danger of the rising waters through the
years and what's going to happen without interference. The lines were kept
in my subconsious mind. …A second
Atlantis..?
These study-trips to Venice weren't visits coming
out of the blue. At seventeen I went for the first time for a
study-trip to Italy admiring the many Renaissance artists like Michelangelo,
Botticelli and more. They where later of great influences in my artistic
career. Several years ago I studied the daily life of the inhabitants during
the Settecento learning more about the history and artists like Veronese
and Tiepolo. Its known that the Netherlands is a country far below
sea-level and having over the ages a controlled water-management to
protect our landscapes and historical cities. And even in the also
touristic Amsterdam the water circulation is controled and the waters in the
famous canals are of rather good quality and full of fishing birds.
When I was
in Venice in 2018 dispite the blue-green colors, the murky and cloudy waters
where opaque, I was wondering if there was still some fish swimming around. The
Italian government has 20 years ago commissioned the building of a dam in the
lagoon but for many years the constructions are capped. And after years in use
Autumn 2019 again when the flud came along, by surprise it worked and
failed again this year. But what will it be like when the expectations are
towards the end of this century, a rising sea level with one or worse perhaps
two meters..?
In the Lagoon and canals of Venice, there are many
boats with odor and noise pollution while you try to enjoy your consumption and
the view on the quay. Corona restrictions and the lockdowns made some changes
in awareness and thinking. But still it seems that all the beauty of this
historical city disappears because of nuisance and neglect. Venice
with its important ancient and contemporary artists, architecture and history
needs renovations if its to remain visible for later generation.
By chance I connected with Venice Art
Factory last year, they make a beautiful venue available for
having a future solo-show. But partnerships and funding are needed for having the opportunity with this Green
Art Project to invite interested audience, sharing ideas, seeking solutions, enjoying the art
show and develop new green art projects.
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 The wells of Venice, 100 x 140cm
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