a sculptors symposium in Holland -
Oost West Forum / East West
Forum
From 1972 to 1982 I had been setting up- and later participating in
a working group of the Dutch Sculptors' Association which was
preparing the 1982 Floriade sculpture exhibition in Amsterdam
- around the Gaasperplas, an artificial lake used for recreational
purposes south-east of Amsterdam. From 1980 to 1981 the idea
grew to invite Japanese sculptors to participate in such a sculpture
exhibition. As this needed more preparation than we had counted
on we decided to first realize the Floriade exhibition and at
the same time start making contacts for a manifestation incorporating
Japanese and Dutch sculpture.
HEFTING, P. H. - Oost West Forum Japans Nederlands Beeldhouwers
Symposium East West Forum Dordrecht, Nederlandse Kring Van Beeldhouwers.
1984, First Edition. (ISBN: 906394019x)
In 1981 I was asked to be the chairman and spokesman of
East West Forum organization.(Oost West Forum, Japanse en
Nederlandse beeldhouwkunst, Dordrecht 1/6 15/7 1983 Voormalig
EMF-terrein, Parallelweg, Dordrecht NL).
One of our members, Gerard Höweler, had participated in sculpture
symposiums in Japan and knew a number of Japanese colleagues.
Being able to work together is one of the most important qualities
a sculptor needs to have - beside the quality of his/her sculpture
of course. So we decided to invite six sculptors from Gerard's
list: Hironori Katagiri, Hiroshi Mikami, Masayuki Nagase, Atsuo
Okamoto, Jiro Sugawara and Takeshi Tanabe - all six sculptors
who had earned their place in the field of art. All were professionals
who had much experience in cooperating with colleagues in various
symposium situations.
To be able to organize such a manifestation
funds have to be found. Besides sponsors, it is inevitable that
subsidies have to be applied for. The Dutch ministry of culture
recognized our initiative and decided to support us financially
- under provision that it would select the sculptors, who would
participate on behalf of the Netherlands. As it is a fact that
the members of the committees which advise the minister of culture,
measure only the quality of the artists' work, they chose
to give us six names of sculptors whom they had selected.
Marinus
Boezem, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Heppe de Moor, Robert O'Brien/Irene
Fortuyn, Dick Postema and Lex Wechgelaar. At that time these
esteemed sculptors were concerned with their own oeuvre.
So there we had it: twelve experienced sculptors
- six of whom were ready, and were used to working together in collaborative
projects and six sculptors who were specialized in presenting
their personal artistic statement individually. The symposium
was to last forty days. The stage was set.
Ariane Polderman, a sculptress from Amersfoort
in the Netherlands, had studied for her profession in Japan and
was approached by us to be our translator and assistant. She
participated in that function during the length of the East
Wes Forum.
A photo report of the East West Forum Symposium by Anna Pool.
Six Japanese and six Dutch renowned artists working together
for forty days in creating a two hectare environmental work
of art in Dordrecht The Netherlands (together with the Dutch
Sculptor's Association)
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