Devotionalia

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Period: 30 November 1996 - 1 January 1997
Location: Stroom Den Haag, Hogewal 1-9, The Hague

Mauricio Dias (Brazil) and Walter Riedweg (Switzerland) came to The Hague to invite Stroom to be the Dutch participant in the international project ‘Devotionalia'. They began in Brazil and planned to end there after a tour of Europe (Geneva, Basel and Lucerne). A project in which they get 12 to 17 year old youngsters to tell of their dreams, wishes and hopes. In Brazil, they worked with children from the ‘favelas', in The Hague they wanted to work with students from secondary schools.
Dias (originally a painter) and Riedweg (music and theater) have been involved with collaborative projects for a number of years in which communication is the central theme rather than representation. They ask themselves what it means to be an artist these days and if the concept of what ‘art' is isn't due for reform. A discussion they would like to stimulate in the art world, while, at the same time, they want to make a statement using art outside of the art world, thus involving it inadvertently with art.

Since we place a great deal of importance on the theme of art and the public realm at Stroom and consequently come in contact with the public on a continually changing basis, we were interested in their proposals.

In The Hague, ‘Devotionalia' not only included the project with the school classes and a presentation at Stroom's Spui location, but also a separate section in the free Stadskrant (local newspaper), Devotionalia information on Stroom's website, an appearance on Middageditie (an afternoon tv news program) of the NOS (Dutch Broadcasting Organization), a series of meetings, lectures and discussions in which politicians, teachers, artists and critics were also invited and a symposium devoted to ‘New Genre Public Art', whose speakers were Mary Jane Jacob (curator, USA), Ursula Biemann (artist, director Shedhalle, Zurich), Catherine Queloz (teacher art academy, Geneva) and Stephan Schmidt-Wulffen (KunstVerein, Hamburg) kunstacademie Genève) en Stephan Schmidt-Wulffen (KunstVerein Hamburg).

Mauricio Dias & Walter Riedweg, in collaboration with Esther Meier-Ringger, Sabrina Lindemann and Maarten Schepers added a new variation in The Hague to their international project. They worked in The Hague with about 130 students from 8 different secondary schools. Dias and Riedweg brought the video recording they had made in the slums of Rio de Janeiro of children telling of their hopes while the artists made impressions of their hands and feet in plaster which was later cast in wax. The Dutch children responded to those videos and went with the artists on bike rides to their favorite places in The Hague. Having arrived there, they talked about it, then a photograph was taken and a video made, and if possible something was also taken with them, for the final presentation at Stroom's exhibition space on the Spui.

Participating schools:
Johan de Witt college, Aloysiuscollege, Hofstadcollege, Thomas More college, Haganum gymnasium, Stevin college, J.C. Pleysierschool, Zandvliet.