13 March -
Glass Studio Leerdam will be turned upside down this spring.
Kenyan glassblowers and artists will be experimenting along with their Dutch colleagues.
Many trials, which will indoubtedly be outrageous, will not make it to the cooling oven.
Instead, they will spectacularly explode like in a wonderful dream.
How the synthesis of Dutch logic and Kenyan creativity has led to new products
for the global market.
At weekends African music will be played every hour and demonstrations
will be given on how to make glass beads.
African food and beverages will be presented during the event.
Arts Collaboratory, Nairobi meets Leerdam
In March three artists and three glassblowers will visit Leerdam for three weeks to experiment in the Glass Studio
of the National Glass Museum. These six Kenyans will work together with alternating Dutch artists and designers. Successively, the designs will be manufactured on a larger scale in Kenya resulting in a remarkable colection of Bushglass that can be sold in Holland or on the international market. Blown to Life is an initiative by Arnout Visser
who has worked with the Kenyan glass studio Kitengala Hot Glass and the National Glass Museum for several years.
The results will be on display as of June as part of one of the seven opening exhibitions of the completely renewed National Glass Museum. Nairobi will also host an exhibition. Participating Kenyan artists have been selected with the help of the Nairobi Kuona Trust. This project is supported by Arts Collaboratory,
Hivos and the DOEN Foundation together with the Mondriaan Foundation.
Kenyan artists:
Jimnah Kimani, Elijah Ogira, Gakunju Kaigwa
Dutch designers/artists:
Alphons ter Avest, Simone van Bakel, Simon Barteling, Jurgen Bey & Rianne Makkink, Eibert Draisma,
Piet Hein Eek, Bernard Heesen, Simon Heijdens, Dick van Hoff, Richard Hutten, Chris Kabel, Joris Laarman, Pieke Bergmans, Maria Roosen, Josja Schepman, Floris Schoonderbeek, Wieki Somers, Arjanne van der Spek, Berend Strik en Arnout Visser (also guest curator)
Kenyan glassblowerss:
Harles Kyalo, Anselm Croze, John Kaloki
Dutch and Czech glassblowers:
Henk Verweij, Marinke van Zandwijk, Marek Effmert, Emil Kovazc.
