Vince (30) and Thjeu (34) Donders from Tilburg built a special work of art using old oil drums, jerry cans and steel pipes that can be seen during the Bosch Parade. For months they worked together on their ‘floating oil factory’. “I do the technology and my brother came up with the story. We do this as a team,” says Thjeu from the boat.
During the Bosch Parade, a procession of nineteen works of art sails through the waters of Den Bosch. In the Garden of Earthly Delights, a ‘colorful breeding ground’ near the Citadel, the participants work on their artistic craft.
“It was quite a challenge.”
It is the first time that brothers Vince and Thjeu participate. Thjeu fastens the last threads and tightens the last screws: “It was quite a challenge, because neither of us have built a boat before. We worked on it day and night. To be able to do this with my brother is very special.”
The boat is made of garbage: a bathtub, a computer case, an office chair, security cameras and fire extinguishers. “They’re all things we use every day,” says Vince. “Those things get thrown away when we don’t use them anymore or when they’re broken. I think that’s a shame. That’s why I wanted to reuse all that stuff and make one new device that works again.”
They gathered the things together. Thjeu works in construction and regularly took old building materials such as wood and iron with him. “When I saw something, I took a picture and messaged my brother if he wanted it for our project,” he says. “But there are also things of our own in there. For example, the bathtub. It was in a house where I lived.”
“During the Bosch Parade, actors are on the boat looking for the last oil in the world”
Thjeu does the technique and Vince came up with the story. He finds drilling platforms and oil refineries very interesting. That inspired the Tilburger. “I see the artwork as a floating oil factory,” says Vince. “During the Bosch Parade, actors are on the boat looking for the last remnants of oil in the world. They pump oil and turn the knobs.”
Thjeu still has to tinker with the technology, because the old lawnmower engine that ensures that the boat sails sometimes cuts out. “I hope I can solve that problem before the parade starts. We have worked on the boat for a long time and have already received a lot of nice reactions, but something can always go wrong. I find that very exciting.”
The floating oil factory, together with eighteen other works of art, sails through the Dommel from Thursday to Sunday during the Bosch Parade.
