• program: 24 May – 11 July
• public event: 11 July, 15:00 – 18:00 @ Vin Natuur (Oude Kijk in het Jatstraat 66, Groningen)

Pilot (formerly midseason) has begun!

This year, through our open call, we selected: Pum van de Koppel, Danute Līva, Ilya Lindhout, Baroeg Mulder, Jemin Kim, and Indira de Boer.

These six participants will take part in a program focused on strengthening their professional practice. They will be coached by artists and institutions to explore a variety of perspectives and working methods within the field. The program concludes with a site-specific project week, culminating in a public event on July 11. More details to follow!

the program

• May 24: kick-off & teambuilding
  w/ Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir (artist S08E01)
• May 25: field trip to Terug naar het begin

Ilya Lindhout: “From ball games to eierballen! We kicked off the pilot program at het resort hq with a good cup of coffee and a slice of buttered knol’s koek. Followed by a uniforming class photo, we were ready to meet each other through a liking/disliking stoelendans, loooong humsss of mmmmmm-s and oooof-s, singing 13 times (f3) “be in confusion”, throwing balls!, silent walks, and teeny tiny bar interventions at De Souffleur – all led by Hildur Elísa Jónsdóttir. The second day we squeezed our bikes into the Arriva train to go back to the beginning. Departing from Appingedam to Oosterwijterweld, we enjoyed some countryside smells and views in between. VELD collectief welcomed us in the Mariakerk with tea, seeds and symbiose. Inspiring us to end our day with a site-specific performance at the graveyard of the small church: remembering the art practices of our current resorted loved ones ;-) (Baroeg → Jemin → Ilya → Danute → Indira → Pum →).”

• May 30: presenting and reflecting
  w/ Anouk van Klaveren & Dewi Bekker (artists and co-founders of Das Leben am Haverkamp)
• May 31: artist statements
  w/ Artun Alaska Arasli (artist, writer, curator and researcher / S06E01)

Jemin Kim: “On a sunny day with summer just around the corner, six artists set off on a journey to The Hague and Amsterdam.. The Friday morning began at Das Leben Am Haverkamp, where artists Dewi and Anouk welcomed the group. Each participant brought along 1–3 objects that could indirectly represent their practice. Taking turns, the artists used these objects to talk about their work, exploring its meaning, methods, and possibilities together.

The next destination was 1646, a gallery in The Hague. In the sun-drenched courtyard, the artists met the gallery’s directors Clara and Johan, who shared valuable insights on applying to residencies and artist programmes. After an energising round of questions and answers, the visit ended with a tour of the current exhibition. The remainder of the day was spent visiting the studios of Pum and Baroeg.

On Saturday morning, the group gathered early in Amsterdam. There, they met artist, writer, curator, and researcher Artun, who welcomed them into his studio for a session on writing artist bios and statements. The session — lasting nearly five hours — was shaped around questions from Artun about the person’s artistic identity. Each artist then wrote a short statement for the person in focus, drafting their reflections within ten minutes. One by one, the group read their texts aloud, with the featured artist listening and collecting words and phrases that resonated. This thoughtful exchange became a shared act of reflection and care.

The day concluded with a visit to De Ateliers, where the group enjoyed a huge exhibition together. With that, the second week of the PILOT programme came to a close.”

• June 12: feedback sessions
  w/ Hilde De Bruijn (artistic leader Into Nature)
  and location visit concluding event @ Vin Natuur
• June 13: personal career development and online presence talks
  w/ Gerdy Geersink (organizational psychologist) and Michiel Teeuw (artist, designer, researcher / participant midseason ‘22)

Baroeg Mulder: “This trip to Groningen was a calm one. We began with individual conversations with Hilde De Bruijn at the headquarters of Het Resort. One by one, the participants trickled into Groningen for their meetings. After all the talks were finished, we found a spot in a city park where, over drinks and a bite of octopus, we exchanged our insights. We ended the day with a glass of wine at Vin Natuur, where founder Vincent told us about the history of the building and the origins of his wine shop and bar. I personally climbed down into the cellar via a ladder.

On Friday, some of us started the day with one-on-one conversations with career coach Gerdy Geersink. I haven’t had my session yet, so I can’t say much about that. Before starting the final part of the day’s program, we biked to the Hoornsemeer for a refreshing swim. For the rest of the afternoon, Michiel Teeuw presented a wide range of websites, and through an exercise, we analyzed whether and how our own websites align with the core values we associate with our work. Later, we’re heading to Belgium — someone else will be reporting on that!”