SCAPE 2006 eZINE no: 7

Dag. Alles Goed?

Art in public space has long held an important place in Dutch culture. Since 1951 the “percentageregeling” (percentage regulation) has stipulated that 0.5 to 2 percent of the construction costs of all government buildings in the Netherlands had to be allocated to visual art. The “Publieke Kunst in Nederland” on-line national public art database www.kunstenpubliekeruimte.nl/ contains 400 different public works created from 1970 to the present, arousing continued discussion on the nature of Public Art and the activity of art in public space. Suffice to say the Dutch take art in public space very seriously indeed. This issue we look at the Dutch presence in SCAPE 2006 through Ping Pong Country and Influenza/A Little Movement.

The participation of Dutch artists has been made possible by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the Mondriaan Foundation, two organisations to whom we are extremely grateful. The Royal Netherlands Embassy is profiled in this issue.

Ping Pong Country has also been made possible with the support of the University of Canterbury’s School of Fine Arts and The SOFA Support Trust. The Public are invited to use the Ping Pong Country environment out of gallery hours. To book the space for Saturday nights throughout SCAPE 2006, please contact: SOFA, the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts Gallery at The Arts Centre on: 365 0192

For more information click on www.scapebiennial.org.nz

Gauw tot ziens. Een goede dag verder!

Andrew Paul Wood

Editor, eSCAPE

ARTISTS PROFILE: DUTCH TREAT

Remco Schuurbiers and Bijan Dawallu are the Dutch/German duo responsible for Ping Pong Country. The work is “a kind of nomadic social sculpture/public happening” combining installation, performance, socialising, country music and audience-participation ping pong, and has appeared at various Berlin clubs and international art festivals since 2001.

For SCAPE 2006, Ping Pong Country launched with two evening events on the opening weekend, reconstructing the SOFA Gallery into a travelling saloon using available materials, suitcases and deck chairs, all of which draw on received American culture, Berlin practice and New Zealand materiality. Apparently the artists found a lot of suitcases in Christchurch’s recycled refuse stores – which probably says a lot about New Zealand wanderlust. Upon entering, the visitor is initiated into the Ping Pong Culture, German style.

Remco Schuurbiers studied photography, image and sound at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Conservatory at The Hague. He is a photographer and video artist and curator/organiser of the Club Transmediale Festival in Berlin. Bijan Dawallu studied visual communication at the University of Arts, Berlin and works as both an artist and a graphic designer.

In Jeroen Jongeleen’s Influenza/A Little Movement graffiti stencils and stickers of a walking hand are attached onto inner-city Christchurch walls. You will see them everywhere if you keep a sharp eye on this urban treasure trail. Each hand is a little intervention in public space. In a video work at Christchurch Art Gallery, these individual hands resolve into an animated sequence.

SPONSOR PROFILE: ROYAL NETHERLANDS EMBASSY

The Royal Netherlands Embassy in Wellington, with the assistance of the Mondriaan Foundation, is pleased to participate in SCAPE 2006 in helping to bring Jeroen Jongeleen, and Remco Schuurbiers & Bijan Dawallu (Ping Pong Country) to Christchurch as part of our mission to foster cultural relations between our two countries and to provide a broad range of information about the Netherlands to New Zealanders.

The Netherlands has a long history of celebrating diversity, embracing community and exploring the latest developments in art in the public sphere.

SCAPE 2006 is ample evidence that New Zealanders share those goals and ideals. We congratulate SCAPE and the people of Christchurch on the success of this Biennial of Art in Public Space.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Wellington

SPONSOR PROFILE: UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS

As one of the premier art schools in New Zealand and a part of Christchurch's community, the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts is proud to be involved in SCAPE 2006. The School of Fine Arts was established in 1882 and is the longest established art school in New Zealand, one of the oldest in the English speaking world. Throughout its history many of New Zealand's leading artists have either taught at the school or have been pupils. A number of former and current students have participated in SCAPE in various ways over the years.

The School's SOFA Gallery provides a distinctive public space for the University of Canterbury to stage a diverse range of arts and cultural programmes through exhibitions, performances and events for the promotion, education and enjoyment of the arts by the University and the wider Canterbury communities. We are delighted that SOFA is hosting Ping Pong Country by Remco Schuurbiers and Bijan Dawallu.

Professor Desmond Rochfort

Head of School

University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts.