As a family of travelling colours, JANNEKE RAAPHORST, IEKELIENE STANGE/SPLITTER SPLATTER and I settled for the months of May and June 2022 for an art residency project in Groningen (NL) where we created our Kamp GRUONINGA exhibition by the invitation of the HET RESORT Art Residency collective.
The Kamp GRUONINGA exhibition is a collective multimedia work Camp installation including as well 3 differents individuals corners with personal works from the 3 artists in residency.
The Kamp island and solstice parade island is a collaboration between Janneke Raaphorst and Joseph Marzolla sharing their sense of shelter by building a camp and by showing video portraits of life before K.G; Joseph as a walking pilgrim, Janneke as a cyberbird nesting in an abandoned greenhouse.
Splitter Splatter guided a ceramics session to create necessary tools for camp and knitted a total bodysuit costume for their performance.
During the finissage on the summer solstice day, the tents were packed up to move them to a secret island. Audience were invited to join the nomadic collective in a « moving out ceremony » guidance and parade to return elements from the show to nature. At sunset, Splitter Splatter joined the festivities for a colourful musical surprise boat appearance.
Upcycling and bushcrafting were key-words. We’ve mostly worked with what we find around us. We’ve spent weeks to collect material such as fabrics, woods, branches in order to gave them a second life. We did handmade dying colours with natural plants, painting, splashing, cutting in order to gave found materials a new shape. We were here to prepare for the celebration of the Summer Solstice on June 21, the longest period of daylight. It also marks the beginning of summer. It’s a celebration of fertility and represents the transition from action to nourishment. We celebrated the nourishing light of the Sun and the light within each of us. The cycle of the Sun represents the cycle of our lives and reflects the natural flow of energy moving inward and outward. We can nurture others, just as the Sun nurtures us.
That particular event was the closing of our residency and our exhibition. This was a gathering festival of celebrations, being back together, reflecting on each other, talking, laugh, dance, eat and many other things. This event involved packing up all together our camp from the indoor exhibition space towards an outdoor festivities island near by the lake. We moved like the summer for a new cycle. Visitors were invited to join the nomadic unit and be part of the collective.
