ARTS HOLLAND MAGAZINE
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places and countries elsewhere in the world. Those ties buoy up Holland’s position in the international arts. The researchers in Rotterdam also examined the visibility of different countries at international art events. It turned out that in the period from 1980 to 2010, no less than 40% of the artists sent by Holland to biennales came from abroad. Apparently we are not so attached to ‘Dutch Art’ if ‘Art from Holland’ can tell a better
Holland is a great starting point for an international career story internationally. Marlene Dumas is just as dear to us as Atelier van Lieshout; Steve McQueen is not called a ‘black British artist’ here but an ‘Amsterdam- and London-based artist’; and the fact that one of Holland’s representatives for a Venice Biennale has since returned to his native Mexico will not keep us from selecting talented international residents here for other national presentations, or including them in overviews of activities abroad that come from Holland. The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and, to a certain extent, France are considered centres of the international art world, with New York, Berlin, London and Paris functioning as magnets. And they will not soon lose that position, because what happens there does not go unnoticed. Or it does, but then it’s not worth mentioning – they say. Seldom will you catch a leading institute in one of those art Valhallas spontaneously knowing what is happening in art outside those centres. Luckily, the Dutch are traders, references well used to operating across borders, and with so many foreign - Territorial factors in a globa artists in this little country and lised art world? The Visibility of other gatekeepers who are related Countries in International Conto the Dutch art world and in- temporary Art Events by Femke ternational events in one way or van Hest, Erasmus University another, the whole world comes Rotterdam, 2012 - Nederlandse kunst in de within reach just the same. And the masterly work by Willem de wereld 1980 – 2010, valedicKooning hangs in the Stedelijk tory lecture by Ton Bevers at Museum in good and internation- Erasmus University Rotterdam, 7 December 2012 ally famous company. Go see it!
More to Explore Visit the Stedelijk Museum and see Willem de Kooning’s Rosy-Fingered Dawn at Louse Point in the permanent collection. stedelijk.nl The Rijksakademie organizes RijksakademieOPEN each year in November, opening the studios of its resident artists. rijksakademie.nl This year’s artist to represent Holland at the Venice Biennale is the internationally acclaimed Mark Manders. venicebiennale.nl
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