An art trip to New York, with Silvia Russel. By Judy van Blaricon

A few weeks ago I went with Silvia Russel on a trip for borough(ed) stories-  I wasn’t to sure about this goal, or what it meant. But I really wanted to find out how a fellow-artist would ‘do New York’. I had never done that. And I like to share some here.

I live in Amsterdam, the city in which my father met my mother. He came from Indiana. He had travelled the world searching for something, and he found many things. For some reason the urge to leave must have been strong, cause he didn’t like to fly. He’d avoid the plane if possible. So when he wanted to introduce his future wife to his parents, he took the boat from Rotterdam to New York. All this I had to think of, jogging along the Hudson; all that is made possible 400 years ago, and how we shape current reality.

I met Silvia Russel at a Dutch network called Bites and Business. We liked each others ideas and doings. So when I heard about her plan, I asked if I could come too. This was fine, if I would to join the project”. I would bring reflections on the project in a constant flow. As well as do some thorough documentation. We both thought this a very good idea. That I am actually American could help too. ( like our own version of NY400.) Three days later we were on the plane. Work to do.

I asked if there was a plan. Borough(ed) stories- is the name of a book of her work, and it was going to be launched. Silvia’s gallery organized it for within two weeks, so she wanted to visit the gallery and check out how things were going.
The gallery turned out te be very nice. LMAKprojects.  and it is represented by a a great women (who happens to be Dutch.) Silvia also wanted to return to Bed Stuyvesant. For whom this name doesn’t ring a bell (despite famous connections as Spike Lee and notorious B.I.G ) : Bedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in the central portion of New York city, USA, borough of Brooklyn.

Silvia has lived there some time ago. I guess that already is a sign that Bed Stuy was going upscale, and cappuccino, curry and Char-donnay already had mostly elbowed out crack in smalls’ old stamping grounds (not my line).

This process of upscale is also referred to as gentrification:  the change in an urban area associated with the movement of more affluent individuals into a lower-class area. Interesting maybe, but much more if you read insights on this of a Bed Stuy blogger, who quotes the artist Banksy.

I joined the first day but it didn’t work for me. I felt guilty. A useless and typical Dutch reaction. Silvia however, went every day. She helped to distribute packages of food (a.o) and listened to the stories of the people she met. This exchange is important. I could very much relate to the stories she shared. I did my work from Manhattan. We talked a lot. In a week or so the date of the launch was set with it’s perfect location: Participants Inc. at the Lower East side. Very good place for many insights on the topic.

It all worked out very well. For me, here the documentation stops. The stories I can’t tell you. They have become drawings by now.

It could be the book is still available at the Dutch museum for modern art, Het Stedelijk Museum. In september Silvia Russel will exhibit in New York at the White Box with Towing the Line, Drawing Space: 40 Contemporary Dutch Artists Defining the Moment in Holland. I have a a great time, am truly grateful for the opportunity, and glad I took it too. Off to the next creative journey, which can take us anywere!

About the author
Judy van Blaricon is  born in the Netherlands, in 1969.
Own company in online communication; heyjude.info
Studies art at the Rietveld Academie; Dogtime.

About the Artist
Silvia Russel is born in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1969
Visual Artist http://www.silviarussel.com/index.html Works and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

By Renny Ramakers

I am writing this blog while working on the last preparations for Pioneers of Change. These last moments are as usual full of tensions. We have disagreements with the graphic designers, who think that we are making too many changes in the texts, with the risk of destroying their precise design. They are right, with so many parties involved in the process and people on holidays, changes after changes came.

We will try to get our signage system placed on the island without disturbing their rules and regulations. We want a huge bill board, shouting: LAND! It should be the first thing you see when arriving by boat.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed… We asked the designer of the VIP room, which is furnished with Droog pieces,  to change his beautiful design. The balloons he envisioned hanging from the ceiling turned out to be not a good idea because we just heard from one of our team members that she is allergic to latex. Yesterday we rejected the designer’s alternative, again very charming, but not environmentally sound. We feel we are driving him crazy, but we are convinced that he will come with another beautiful solution.

We are negotiating with New York catering companies because we have the feeling that they are overcharging us. We have to arrange extra toilets because we expect 700 people to attend our VIP opening. Security rules oblige us to fence our space during the opening and have the audience checked for their age. Now we have to design wristbands that they can wear as proof of being over 21. That’s all because we are serving delicious cocktails.

Our two sweet interns, we call them Tom & Jerry,  are stuffing the invitations in the envelopes while watching a movie.  I hope that can be sent out today because they proceed very slowly. Tomorrow the last shipment will leave the country and the team will fly over next week, surely to what will be an exciting event.

And at the other side of the ocean our New York team is busy having the houses cleaned and preparing all electrical matters. Sixty different second hand chairs for the Open Talks house are waiting to be painted. We really did not want to ship a lot of stuff and rely as much as possible on old furniture to be found in New York. I was a bit worried about being able to find so many of them. But our New York producer did!
Our New York team also found 15 elderly people, eager to serve food and drinks in our Go Slow house, A tough job to spot elderly people living in elderly people’s homes that actually look like elderly people are supposed to look and not like those botoxed and facelifted old girls so common in the U.S.  But we have got them! And they will serve you slowly but attentively.

It’s no wonder two weeks time before the event, that the moment is full of scary excitement, when bringing together so many parties and bridging two continents. I can’t wait to be on Governors Island, to see the results and to hear all the reactions of the visitors.

About the author
Renny Ramakers conceived and curated Pioneers of Change, and is art critic and co-founder and director of Droog, the conceptual design company which was set up in 1993. She organizes design exhibitions, is member of the jury of various design prizes and is giving lectures and workshops worldwide. Ramakers took part in governmental advisory boards, amongst others as a member of the Council of Culture (1995-2001). As an art critic, Ramakers wrote for international magazines, books and catalogues and published several books under her own name.

ALSO READ: Pioneers of Change: A Sneak Preview

By Terts Brinkhoff

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams is the heart of the New Island Festival, where people get together, eat, drink, and from there on find their way to all the performances and exhibits the festival has to offer. At night we return to the boulevard to party, dance, dream.

No dreams without broken dreams.

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams is shaped after the encampment the Dutch pioneers built here on Governors Island four hundred years ago. To them, this was the new island.

Now, the New Island returns. With us, everybody can be a pioneer, is a pioneer, and will be treated like one.

Chef André Amaro serves typical Dutch food on an enormous 400 foot long table, together with Miss Rockaway Armada from New York. In the afternoon, there are performances for kids; in the evening there are ten short performances by young and adventurous dance companies, a highly exclusive opera/dinner experience of the Veenfabriek, Iris de Hond on her Flying Grand, and virtual art by PIPS:lab.

Everything takes place around, and even on top of the giant table. Around ten o’ clock, the music- and dance program kicks off with pop diva Ellen ten Damme,  the legendary Living Jukebox, and the Silent Disco, the most unusual dance party you’ve ever seen.

The Newest Island of New York, virtually undiscovered.
For all those pioneers out there: come discover the ‘nieuw’ New York with us!

About the author
New Island Festival comes to New York under the artistic leadership of Terts Brinkhoff(1952) , together with Joop Mulder (Oerol Festival). Terts Brinkhoff is the creator of the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which he founded in 1984, and has since grown into one of the most important arts festivals in Europe. In 1990, he renamed the festival Parade. Today, it is the only traveling theatre and music festival in the world. Terts dropped out of vocational school and bought a tractor in 1973.  He began organizing mobile arts events wherever there was space.  A few years later, he bought a circus tent and before long, he was on the road, pulling performances with him.

ALSO READ: ‘NEW ISLAND FESTIVAL: A SNEAK PREVIEW’

By Hans Pieter Herman & Ira Siff

How to describe an unforgettable wedding day. It was the best of days. Only a few months ago we heard about the search for 5 same-sex couples to be married by the Mayor of Amsterdam during Gay Pride in Holland, as part of  I do. I amsterdam. We’re happy to say that we are one of the 5 couples that got selected!

It truly was an unbelievable experience. 560.000 People stood alongside the canals celebrating a sunshine filled day while we were on the wedding boat during canal pride with Job Cohen, Mayor of Amsterdam, joining us into the bonds of matrimony.
The organization did an amazing job in making the event very special for all of the 5 couples getting married.

In the end the whole I do I do team really succeeded in making it possible that our wedding felt individual and special to us as a couple. During our ceremony when Ira broke the glass according to Jewish tradition thousands of people cheered and it was a very emotional and heartfelt experience.

Luckily we did find shoes in time that made us feel secure on the boat and confident enough not having to be ambulanced by boat  to the hospital with pieces of glass in Ira’s foot. Pictures and comments were sent all over the world in newspaper articles and through TV correspondence in numerous countries. Hopefully it will give lot’s of governments that still do not value human rights a chance to reconsider their discriminatory policy about their tax paying citizens that just happened to be born gay.

We spent our 10 day honeymoon in Umbria, Italy and just yesterday we had to say goodbye since Ira left for New York to go home while Hans lives in Amsterdam and is about to leave for the Ukraine to work. Even now, when we do not even know when we will have the time or money to travel towards spending time with each other again, we do know that our now legally bound love will keep us together for ever.

About the authors
Hans Pieter Herman is a Dutch freelance opera and concert singer who lives in Amsterdam where he also teaches voice. Ira Siff is a New Yorker who directs opera, performs, teaches voice, writes about opera and is Weekly Commentator on the Metropolitan Opera Broadcast. Hans and Ira met in New York and fell in love in 2006. Beside their love for each other and each others cities they share a deep love for Italy where they will spend their honeymoon.

The New York Times’ article on I do. I amsterdam.

By Hans Pieter Herman & Ira Siff

Only a few months ago we heard about the search for 5 same-sex couples to be married by the Mayor of Amsterdam during Gay Pride in Holland, as part of  I do. I amsterdam. We’re happy to say that we are one of the 5 couples that got selected! After receiving multiple congratulations from friends and family it left us with less than two months to arrange this wedding.

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The ceremonial part is all in the great care of the city of Amsterdam, run by a special “I do, I do” team. But invitations, flowers, photographer, dinner, honeymoon, suits, rings, almost everything still needed to be arranged in less than two months and since we’re both working away from home this summer, it was quite a challenge. Luckily, everything is more or less under control now. Friends and family are getting plane tickets and hotel rooms are being booked.

However, we still need to find shoes.

Shoes are always an important aspect of a major event but since the whole day will be spent on a boat with 200.000 people standing alongside the canals witnessing the ceremony and hearing the actual I do’s over the speakers, one does not want to slip and fall into the water.

We are overwhelmed by the daily response and positive reactions from everyone we encounter. Two people being celebrated by thousands and their union being honored by a government - tying the knot, like billions did before them, just because they can’t live without their love for one another. One would almost think that gay rights are no longer an issue in this world. Of course we know this is not the case and thus it feels great to be able to show everybody, including thousands of still oppressed people in the world, desperately fighting for their human rights, that things are changing.

 
About the authors
Hans Pieter Herman is a Dutch freelance opera and concert singer who lives in Amsterdam where he also teaches voice. Ira Siff is a New Yorker who directs opera, performs, teaches voice, writes about opera and is Weekly Commentator on the Metropolitan Opera Broadcast. Hans and Ira met in New York and fell in love in 2006. Beside their love for each other and each others cities they share a deep love for Italy where they will spend their honeymoon. Check back with NY400 in August to read all about their wedding during Amsterdam’s Gay Pride!

The New York Times’ article on I do. I amsterdam.