Who will soon be able to show off the meter-high statue of Vincent van Gogh? Vincent travels to his birthplace Nuenen in Brabant, where the Van Gogh Village Museum wants him as an eye-catcher. Or will the great Vincent return to Drenthe, where they now also want him as a ‘calling card’.
Eelco Bügel from Blow-Up Industry in Groningen, maker of the spray-on Styrofoam statue, can in any case choose from both of these candidates. Although the interest in Drenthe is still early, and that from Nuenen is much older and more serious. The museum immediately contacted Bügel last summer, when the life-size Vincent was still ‘under construction’.
The statue stood at the head of the Vaart in Assen for several months. For 25,000 euros, Bügel was once again allowed to create the showpiece for an exhibition in the Drents Museum, this time about Van Gogh. Last month, Vincent was taken back to the Blow-Up Industry workshop in Groningen, awaiting his final destination. And it could very well be located in our province, namely in the three places where the famous painter lived.
Marketing Drenthe, the Drenthe Recreation Board, the province and the municipalities of Hoogeveen, Coevorden and Emmen want to ‘continually tell’ the story about the painter and his stay in Drenthe. And they would prefer ‘something tangible to go with it’, as project leader Elizabeth Stoit previously stated. This then gave rise to the idea of having Vincent’s statue travel around Hoogeveen, Veenoord/Nieuw-Amsterdam and Zweeloo, the three most important places where Vincent visited.
Elizabeth Stoit does not want to say much about it at the moment, but she confirms the interest in Drenthe in the great Van Gogh. “It is indeed an idea. We also have to consult with the relevant municipalities to see whether something like this is possible in terms of the permit.” In the meantime, they also have to negotiate the price with Blow-Up Industry. Nuenen has already made an offer. And Bügel ‘wants a good price’.
“As an entrepreneur, I of course have to think about my business interests, although I am quite prepared to adjust the price slightly in the interest of Drenthe. Because if the statue remains in Drenthe permanently, then that is the best thing. I I am an Assenaar myself, what could be better than keeping the image in your own province.”
At the end of this week, Bügel hopes to receive ‘hom or roe’ from the Drenthe club. Project leader Stoit moderates the speed somewhat. “We are making progress, that’s for sure, but we are dependent on a number of other parties who also have to think about it and indicate whether it is all possible,” referring to the three municipalities involved where the statue should be installed on a rotating basis. to stand.
For more Van Gogh experiences in Drenthe – where the painter stayed for three months from September 11, 1883 – 200,000 euros are available annually until 2027. The municipalities, province, Recreation Board and Marketing Drenthe contribute to this. It remains to be seen whether they would be willing to spend several tens of thousands of euros on the statue.