Perro Feo: “On the 9th of October was our first meeting as a group. We traveled together to kunsthuis SYB to what would be our home for the next two days. After a small introduction to Ellen de Haan (co-director het resort) and Gisanne Hendriks (co-coordinator midseason) and the program that we would follow, the giving of our souvenirs (that hit straight-up into our nostalgia) we started the tabletop roleplaying game by Tom K Kemp: ‘After The Maestro’. An incredibly engaging game about the functioning of the entire body system after ‘the ruler of everything’ leaves forever. The representatives of the different systems that control the body attend a meeting in which they will discuss how they will continue making the bodywork without the maestro. After deciding how they will make decisions, the first challenge is to tell the rest of the body the following news:

–– Communicate the situation that just happened

–– Propose from now on the new ways of making the body function

Each participant was given a different group to represent. The nervous system, couriers, ministry of external affairs, non-human specimens, resources, brain, etc. With a voting arrangement and several discussions, the team has to agree with what will the decision for the body be from now on. How will they deal with thematics like inclusion, expansion, well-being, unity, retribution, corruption, etc.

The game, besides being extremely immersive, is also deeply political. Which both deepens the mutual relationships of the participants and confronts them personally with their political/moral beliefs.

It was an incredible ice-breaker to get to know who are we going to work with for the next weeks. Get a grasp of the true intentions within, the behaviors towards problems, the contradictions with ourselves and others.

The capability of everyone to fully immerse in it, plus the good mediation of Kemp, made the first day an enormous slap in the face with reality and excitement for what will come in the future for us.”

After the Maestro is a tabletop roleplaying game by Tom K Kemp set within an ‘anthropomorphised anatomy’ – a depiction of the inner human body as a vast industrialised city, sustained by microscopic workers analogous to cells and microbes. The game's narrative takes place during the aftermath of a successful emancipation within the inner body, where the ‘Maestro’, or organising, vital force of the body, has been deposed. In this sudden absence of biological hierarchy,  players will take on the role of different anatomical systems within the body, and must negotiate, collude and problem solve their way through a series of existential crises.

Through collaborative storytelling and ludic mechanics, each session of the game generates a new narrative of anatomical and social re-organisation, complicating and estranging common body-politic metaphors into an unpredictable tale of emancipatory body-horror.

S.R. Niekoop: “Day 2. The day to introduce ourselves. The question of the day seemed to be; where does the work belong and how to create that space. Who is the one in charge of this? We had great support (by Anna-Rosja Haveman, Vanessa van ‘t Hoogt and Josine Sibum Siderius) which led to discussion on these post academy questions. Maybe we were all de-academizing ourselves and re-claiming our own identities with our own set of rules and values; to justify our actions. We ended with a sharp note; maybe there was a false sense of hierarchy within the practice, embrace the naif child and maybe let that one be in charge for once.”

Art historian Anna-Rosja Haveman (1993) works as a writer, presenter and curator. Her current research focuses on landscape as a critical material of art in light of ecological crises.

Vanessa van 't Hoogt is an art historian, working as a researcher, teacher, presenter, curator and writer. Her current research includes teaching collections of art academies (e.g. Rijksakademie Amsterdam) and the relationship between art and medicine, mainly in medicine education in the past and present.

Josine Sibum Siderius is director of Kunsthuis SYB. Kunsthuis SYB is a residency: an open, hospitable home and workplace in Beetsterzwaag, in the province of Fryslân, for contemporary artists and curators.

Laila Saber Rodriguez: “We were introduced to writing artist statements. Anna-Rosja Haverman explained what an artist statement is, what it should include and how to make it best reflect our very complex practices. We needed to bring our short text to critique one another in a very constructive and enlightening way. I learned that it’s okay not to mention absolutely everything, but hold onto the foundation: the what, why and how. An artists’ practice is in a journey, it changes, fluctuates and flows, and so should the statement.

We later revised a bunch of different artists’ websites to revise various examples of statements. Some were short, some were too ambiguous, some were a CV, some were playful - this helped us position our own voice to find the best approach to writing.

My favorite part was writing 10 words about my colleagues’ practices in 2 minutes. It was so interesting to see what words popped up among all of us, or what associations others had about your work. I think this helped us find words to our practices that perhaps we didn’t have beforehand; so when we write, we use words that the viewer most probably associates with.

In the same spirit of writing words for others’ practices, here are 10 words about this workshop: analysis, questions, inside & outside, personal, productive, psychoanalysis, theoretical, deconstructing, friends, and mirror.”

(1/2 - MORNING)

Robert Ronquillo: “On 28 October, we came together from different corners of the Netherlands for an expedition in Amsterdam. On arrival at the Warmoesstraat we met Eva Susova, who gave us access next to the well-known W139 to a kind of 'hofje', which was in fact more of a secret alley –A kind of microcosm within the building block, where people live and work.

Eva brought us together in the spacious studio called the Jacuzzi, a space that arose from the merging of several choreographers into a collective. Here we were welcomed with hot coffee and tea and the usual small talk about housing issues and beautiful roundabouts.

Soon we were introduced to Eva, getting to know her better in her artistic journey. After which we were invited to participate in her movement / voice practice. Exercises that had emerged from her own practice and had been adapted for the Midseason Resorters.

We sought comfort within the space on colourful socks and grey moving blankets. In comfortable positions, we practised breathing exercises and explored sensory stimuli from parts of the body that are easily forgotten in everyday life. In the following phase, we used our vocal cords to produce sounds from the inner body in response to each other. It reverberated through the ears as post-modern sounds from an ensemble of primary vocals.

In the next segment, we participated in an interplay with a partner by bending, pulling, pushing and dragging each other's bodies to desired positions and movements of the body or limbs. In the last segment of the movement exercise, we played the roles of the oracle and the writer. While Eva was reading a piece of poetry through the PA speakers, the oracle moved through the space with the idea of the partner's art practice. The writer tried to read this in a form of automatic writing.

After the physical exercises with Eva Susova, we went to the neighbouring art book shop called Sans Serriffe. Where we were greeted by Pieter Verbeke, a co-founder. Sans Serriffe is an intimate looking bookstore where space and room are made for exhibition and open discussion.

An enrichment of physical applications and being surrounded by colourful literature made this expedition a successful adventure.”

(2/2 - AFTERNOON)

Hans-Hannah: part 2, The field trip. Leaving the hidden garden of jacuzzi behind, following our path to San Serriffe. When you open the door, you enter into a calm world with tons of different perspectives, all being told through written language. Pieter takes us into the history of the place, how San Serriffe is way more than just a bookstore. We find ourselves in a corridor full of cultural organizations, if we pass another corner we enter W139. An artist run exhibition space. With at the moment an exhibition where all artists find themselves in the in between, and embody this position as a political one. A diverse inspiring exhibition in a place that rests on a long political history. Unfortunately, they are financially having a hard time at the moment. But full passion Nadia tells us about the history and the relationship they have with the neighborhood community. Everybody wants to prevent this creative and cultural area to fall apart. Our last stop is the Rijksakademie’s exhibition of its 150 years anniversary. Here we encounter another strong community of artists, that over the past had to fight for the existence of the place and the importance of art. While we drink a beer, and talk, the evening falls. Thanks to everyone for this inspiring day.

eva susova obtained her MA in Fine Arts at Sandberg Institute, her BA in Choreography at the SNDO at Amsterdam University of Arts. She works as an artist, a choreographer, a performer, and an educator. Her work investigates the politics of the body, movement, voice- the corporeality, through the production of experiences. These experiences often allude to imaginative and speculative fiction, represented in forms of audio, live performance, video, text and other.  Her research is dedicated to the multiplicity of the (female) voice, the volumes of voice, and modes of softening structures. Her work is necessarily and consciously in a dialogical practice with the intersectional feminist discourse.

eva is a co-founder of Jacuzzi, an artist-run space at the crossroads of performance, visual arts, and time-based media in Amsterdam

Jesse van Epenhuijsen: This time the digital meeting was led by Gisanne. Throughout the project we had discussed all kinds of topics regarding professional artisthood. This time we would talk about something that almost all artists have to deal with at some point in their career: project plans.

Prior to this meeting we all went out to look for open calls, funds and other things you might encounter as an artist.

While we all work as artists, our practices are all different in one way or another. This makes writing such a tricky thing: we all have to fit in a the same box. It still fascinated me how each had their own way of filling emptiness. Some brought sketches, others brought theoretic texts and some had already achieved in finding funding. It made me really appreciate to see how others are thinking, not only in spoken words, but also in written ones.

Because the real question really is how to convey your thought which’d normally be easy when talking to one another. What does truly matter to you?

Gisanne Hendriks works as a  co-coordinator at het resort for the Midseason program.

Gisanne Hendriks (1989) works as a Coordinator at Kunsthuis SYB in Beetsterzwaag. She also works as a curator, coordinator, and fundraiser for various art projects in the north of the Netherlands. In 2014 she obtained her bachelor's degree in Design at Minerva Art Academy in Groningen, and in 2021, her master's degree in Curatorial Studies at the University of Groningen. She lives in Leeuwarden, Friesland.

S.R. Niekoop & Jesse van Epenhuijsen: “We were invited to go on a cultural bike tour through the city of Groningen. On this cloudy and grey Saturday, we started our adventure at Het resort.

To warm up we were welcomed by Bart Nijstad who introduced us to himself and his practice.

He shared a lot, but the moral of the story was; even though you have a terrible graduation show and don’t know what to do afterwards, you can still win awards as an artist and even be the judge for these awards.

It was a great starting point to then continue our journey to gallery Block C where Koen Taselaar had a book presentation. With free cake and carrots! Afterwards we cycled to NP3’s M0Bi i where Zwaan Ipema gave us a quick presentation about the show and the vision of the space.

We continued to our second last stop to have the (not so) secret exhibition location reveal! Spoiler alert: dress warm and beprepared to break the ice! *wink*.

After a quick fries 'n cola break we cycled to our last stop; Moshpit of Creation. Hugo showed us their amazing space and talked about the studio situation in Groningen. Especially how important it is that artists collectivize themselves in order to express their needs for affordable studio space

We all left with a great impression. It was obvious to us that Groningen is truly there for young and emerging artists. Which was warming and promising to experience.

See you soon!”

Bart Nijstad “In my drawings, comics and video's everyday subjects play an important role. The environments I create and the topics I raise are sober and Dutch. With recognizable motifs I try to create a familiar world. This world can be a bedroom, a small town and its inhabitants or the interior of a train.

In addition to the subjects and environments in my work that depict the real world, there are dream sequences or alienating events. Thus it may happen that in my work a person standing in a bathroom is shown. A seemingly normal event. However when followed by a scene where the person falls down and lays helpless on the bathroom-floor while his face is melting, it starts getting weird. At this point I play with the fundament of the created structure. This is what it is all about, leaving the viewer curious and confused.”

Hans-Hannah: “20 January; Today was a day in which the door to new worlds and possibilities opened. In the morning we gathered at het resort. Together with Esther de Graaf we moved into everybody’s ideas and gatherings. What is your role within this exhibition, how does your work relate to the other and how can it be explosive. How to make an impact in a space that already has so many appealing entities. A dream world unfolded with tons of possibilities.

In the afternoon we had a meeting planned to figure out to what extent dreams can become reality. Therefore we went to Kardinge. My first encounter with the space. Before today, I got to know the space through an online folder with pictures and videos. Which made me get lost over and over again. Today all the footage came together. An enormous, almost frightening space but at the same time inspiring, exciting and full of imaginary possibilities. That will be even more moving when we can work in the space together! Thank you all! <3”

Laila Saber Rodriquez: “The session "Online Presence" was very fun and extremely interesting because we all really dove into what sort of traces we leave for people to see and read through and what that meant. We questioned what it meant to be present in the digital realm as artists; what we share becomes a foundation of what other’s experience of our work, personality, and practice. In the first half we dissected existing websites that we each brought and explained what it worked and what didn’t and why. We reviewed those different websites from practicing artists and designers that we thought would shed a light on what sort of things we, as a navigators look at, and in this way, be useful for us to think of when we make our own website. The second half, we dissected each-other’s websites, while the person whom the website belonged to was not visible and could not speak, only listen to what the rest had to say. This experience proved to be very effective in that the subject was an outside listener, tuning into what is immediately experienced by the outsider eye, and perhaps becoming one themselves. In this way, becoming one own’s critic. The feedback became very clear and inspiring because it was exactly what was missing and needed to make the website/online presence even better. We learned a lot about one another and now it is clear to us what we should look for and include when It comes to building an online presence. ”