One more time and then it’s done: DIEP presents the final exhibition VillaStories in city villa De Lindenhof. In this way, the art center reflects on the rich history and many stories of the striking building in the center of Emmen.
“I think it’s fine if people come in with some confusion,” laughs exhibition maker Bastiaan van den Berg. “We have quite a confusing work of art in the window. A chair full of garden cushions and next to it a historical photo that makes you think, what kind of exhibition is this? Is it heritage? Is it art?”
The villa has been through a lot over the years. It was built around 1935 by then councilor Roelof Zegering-Hadders. During the Second World War the building was occupied by a Wehrmacht general and more recently the program was used for many years All animals count by presenter Loretta Schrijver recorded in the conservatory of the villa. What started as a home is now an art space.
“The design of the exhibition is how a story is constructed. There is a time, a place, characters, a central conflict or struggle. All these stories come together through all kinds of different works of art in this exhibition,” says Van den Berg.
For example, an old candlestick belonging to the Nazi general stands opposite a new candlestick that symbolizes the reception of evacuees in the villa. Behind it hangs a brown cloth with the words ‘Ikke Ikke Ikke and the rest can die’ in an old German font. Van den Berg: “It’s about the fact that the dark side is often the most dominant and loudest and the light is modest. We ask the question, which side do you look at and which stories do you want to tell?”
Another conflict is the handling of animals. For example, a chair filled with a few hedgehogs, a raccoon, and a squirrel are watching the animal programs. From Loretta Schrijver’s old program to the newer one Real life in the Zoo. “In this case, the animals look at us, how we treat them,” says the creator.
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