Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. (walk-in 09.30) to 5 p.m. with drinks afterwards
Location: Agora, Lelystad (500 meters from Station Lelystad Centrum)
Cost: € 75,- * p.p. including lunch, students € 25,- on presentation of a valid student card

Order a ticket

On October 3, 2024, the supporting program of Land Art Lives will come together during an international conference in the Agora Theater in Lelystad. We will start the day with several international speakers. In the afternoon, parallel working sessions on the future of land art will take place. The day will be moderated by Meta Knol. In addition to the program, there is plenty of opportunity to meet and delve further into reading and archival material.

Speakers

Humberto Moro of the Dia Art Foundation (United States) will give a lecture on the ways Dia manages iconic land art works in America and how they deal with current developments there. Afterwards, Anja Novak of the University of Amsterdam will discuss with him the Dia Art approach in the context of Flevoland. Britta Peters of Urbane Künste Ruhr (Germany) has years of experience at Skulptur Projekte Münster and talks about her programmatic approach in the Ruhr area. Lisa Le Feuvre of Holt/Smithson Foundation (United States) will join her in conversation after the event.

Afternoon sessions

Following this inspiring input, participants will engage in afternoon discussions. Various topics and questions will be discussed in five parallel sessions. What is the specific dynamic between land art and the public, and is there, in response to the major spatial task facing the Netherlands, reason for new land art? Three special guests will participate in each session, including Marjolijn Dijkman (visual artist and initiator of Enough Room for Space), Orlando Maaike Gouwenberg (Sonsbeek Foundation), Benno Tempel (Museum Kröller Müller), Simone Vermaat (RCE), Mieke Conijn (IJsselbiennale), Lydia Beerkens (SRAL) and many others.

Complete program

The complete conference program with all speakers, workshops and activities and time schedule will follow in September. Sign up for the Land Art Lives newsletter Land Art Lives newsletter to stay informed about new program features and reports.

* Are you unable to pay the regular price? Contact us and we'll find a solution.

Afternoon program: Five sessions led by Reframing Studio

Language: English and Dutch. During sessions with international participants, the main portion will be conducted in English, though separate Dutch discussion groups will also be available.

During the afternoon program, we will engage in discussions with all participants. Drawing inspiration from the morning's two keynote lectures and the outcomes of the preliminary program, we will explore five key themes related to the future of land art. Our goal is to gather insights and inspiration to help shape future policy for land art in Flevoland and across the Netherlands.

#1 Updating land art

How can a land art collection be more aligned with the present? While many land art works have gained permanent status, the movement's ideas are inherently more flexible and transient. How can we open up land art to new narratives, media, and creators without resorting to the creation of new large-scale works?

With:

• Orlando Maaike Gouwenberg (Sonsbeek)
• Alex Hodby (Yorkshire Sculpture Park)
• Marijke Lukowics (Emscherkunstweg)
• Humberto Moro (Dia Art Foundation)

This session, among other topics, builds on the pre-program session Claiming Land for Art, Claiming Land through Art, which examined the relationship between land art and colonialism.

#2 Preserving land art

Land art is not isolated from the museum, but it is often situated in more open spaces and within a broader environmental context. The level of care and precision found in sculpture gardens is often unavailable in public spaces. These artworks are affected by people, animals, plants, mushrooms, fungi, and even the soil itself. This increased “assault” on artworks can also present opportunities for creative solutions. How do we preserve land art, incorporate new heritage perspectives, and adapt to the challenges of climate change?

With:

• Benno Tempel (Kröller-Müller Museum)
• Simone Vermaat (Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency)
• Lydia Beerkens (Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg)
• Anne Reenders (Land Art Lives)

This session also connects to the pre-program meeting Art in Public Space through a Heritage Lens, which mapped out the various forces impacting land art works.

#3 Land art and the public

Land art is often located outside museum walls, creating a different dynamic with the public. Its connection to public art makes the movement more accessible and, in a way, legitimizes it as a “public good.” At the same time, the art world attributes a unique value to land art. How can we find and engage audiences for land art, and are there opportunities to foster new forms of public involvement?

With:

• Mieke Conijn (IJssel Biennial)
• Suzanne Sanders (Gemene Grond)
• Rubiah Balsem (project lead at ZAMU)
• Vincent de Boer (Stroom Den Haag)

This session also connects to the pre-program meeting that focused on Park in the Water by Vito Acconci Studio in The Hague. In that session, the method of emotion networking was applied to better understand the audience's relationship with this artwork.

Knowledge about land art

Land art bridges multiple disciplines—art, heritage, nature, landscape, and spatial planning—while occupying a niche within each. As a result, the knowledge accumulated about it is not centrally accessible. Just as the artworks are often located in remote areas, the information, expertise, and networks surrounding land art are similarly dispersed. How can we consolidate relevant knowledge and maintain ongoing exchange? Does this situation present opportunities for new, alternative methods of knowledge gathering?

With:

· Patricia de Vries (Lectorate Art & Spatial Praxis)

· Rianne Makkink (Studio Makkink & Bey)

· Lisa Le Feuvre (Holt/Smithson Foundation)

· Anja Novak (University of Amsterdam)

This session also connects to From Dawn till Dusk: an online encounter between two earthworks by Robert Smithson, featured in the pre-program. In that session, contemporary media were employed to forge connections across time and place.

#5 The spatial future

When and where is there room for new land art? It may not seem like a favorable time for large-scale art commissions, yet land art is uniquely positioned to address pressing issues such as climate change, food and energy transitions, and national land use. In terms of spatial planning, the Netherlands is set to undergo significant transformations in the near future. Are there developments or opportunities within this context that could offer new possibilities?

With:

• Marjolijn Dijkman (artist)
• Johannes Hedinger (Land Art Safiental)
• Britta Peters (Urbane Künste Ruhr)
• Anne-Marie van der Weide (Mecanoo)

This session also connects to the Flevolab Tour from the pre-program, where we explored several locations in Flevoland that are of substantive interest for a potential artwork.

Timetable

The exact schedule for the day will follow on Sept. 19.

Stay informed

Want to stay informed about Land Art Lives? Sign up for the Land Art Lives newsletter and we will send you updates and reports from the pre-programs and the conference. After October 3, Land Art Lives website will continue to exist as a platform for land art. New activities are planned in 2025.

* Can't manage to pay the regular price? Contact us and we will find a solution