East West (Oost West) Forum Dordrecht Holland

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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 in their studios.

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 West 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)

organization: East West Forum working group of the Dutch Sculptors' Association 1981-1983