The Harbor of Action and Research at Sea

Exhibition: Harbor of Action and Research, July 24-August 16, 2020 Open on Friday to Sunday
Between 2pm and 6pm
At Corridor Project Space , Veemkade 574, Amsterdam

FOR DUTCH PRESS DOWNLOAD HERE.

The Harbor of Action and Research at Sea

The Harbor of Action and Research at Sea is an initiative by Idées Clandestines in which Olivier Delebecque, Suzanne Bernhardt, Alonso Vazquez and Aude Mgba unfold the topic of contemporary oceanic migration in relation to the sailing history of the Netherlands.

Harbor of Action and Research at Sea departs from a forgotten and illegal Dutch narrative of sailing migration: The Engelandvaarders. This was the name given to the Dutch who tried to reach England and freedom during World War II. In September 1941, two brothers, Han and Willem Peteri, escaped from the occupied Netherlands in a self-built folding sailing-canoe, leaving from Katwijk aan Zee to reach England 5 days later. In 2020, the artists wonder: what can such a sailing passage reveal regarding the concept of Freedom of Movement?

Passage:

The construction of the boat is based on cheap and easy to find local materials. The design is inspired by coastal outriggers that are used mostly by fishermen from the equatorial zone. Those outriggers are constantly evolving and link together local knowledge with contemporary materials in order to optimize their sailing performances. The exhibition will reflect the design and construction of a prototype adapted to the weather condition of Northern Seas. It will be easy to transport and assemble since we attend to perform different sailing passages along the Dutch coast and the North Sea. This boat will be later exhibited as a tool of reflection; challenging our perception of landscape, borders and the concept of clandestinity within the European region.

Crew:

The curator of this project is Aude Mgba, an independent curator based in Amsterdam who was recently a participant of the De Appel 2018/19 Curatorial Programme. She is co- curator of Sonsbeek 20- 24, an international contemporary art exhibition in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Olivier Delebecque graduated from the Master of Film at the Film Academy Amsterdam and his practice explores the relation between documentary film and visual arts. His work is based on symbolic journeys and potential voyages. Suzanne Bernhardt graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam with a focus on social sculpture. Just like the border between land and water, she hopes to create flexible and fluid situations in which we can explore new routes for our routines. Alonso Vazquez is a sound artist who graduated from the Studio for Immediate Spaces at Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam. His recent sound explorations dive between deep-long underwater field recordings and ambient sounds inspired by oceanic wild-life. He is the founder of Øceanic Sound Art a global community with a base in the outskirts of Vigo (ES).

Idees Clandestines

Idées Clandestines is run by Olivier Delebecque and Suzanne Bernhardt, and aims to support and develop artist’s talent with a special focus on interdisciplinary public space, and works with local community. By making exhibitions, performances, workshops, happenings and research, they enable artists to connect their practice to a local context.

Each season, Corridor Project Space focuses on one main theme that is explored through a series of exhibitions. Frozen Time attempts to explore our current societal obsession with time. Invited artists approach the theme through different angles and practices, leading us to think about solidarity, economy, and boundaries formed by and through time. Corridor Project Space is kindly supported by Gemeente Amsterdam.

Due to COVID-19, a maximum of 10 visitors are allowed at a time. It is not necessary to make a reservation, but if you want assure a spot, you can email: ideesclandestines@gmail.com