Galerie van Dam (NL)
Garage VenckenExpected end time: 18:00 hour
Galerie van Dam, Heerlen
Exhibition and round-table discussion on studio policy in Heerlen.
Around a quarter of a century ago, seven artists were forced to leave the former VW garage Vencken on the Heesberg; the garage building had to make way for flats. The seven artists who had moved in four years earlier were Ivon Drummen, Leida Wieland, Romy Finke, Henriette Ederveen, Remy Vervloet, Theo Lenssen and Hans Keuls. These were four years that the artists involved look back on with great fondness. After clearing out the studios, Romy Finke said at the time in *De Limburger*: “This is the most beautiful studio we’ve ever had.”
During Cultura Nova, Galerie van Dam is bringing Garage Vencken back to life in a collaborative exhibition featuring work by Leida Wieland, Romy Finke, Ivon Drummen, Theo Lenssen and Hans Keuls. In the Spiegeltent, we explore the question of how we can recreate valuable spaces such as Garage Vencken. Since the garage was demolished in 2004, the artists who worked there have been working independently or outside the city limits, whilst they would have preferred to remain in the city in a space that fosters creativity. We will engage in dialogue with policymakers and other cultural stakeholders about the future of affordable, shared workspaces and the strengthening of the artistic (creative) infrastructure in Heerlen.
With a musical performance and many guests, we are bringing the Garage Vencken studio space back to life.
The exhibition can be viewed during Cultura Nova at Galerie van Dam at the times listed below:
Sunday 30 August and Sunday 6 September from 12.00 to 17.00.
Monday 31 August from 12.00 to 18.00.
Tuesday 1st to Friday 4th September from 10.00 to 18.00.
Saturday 5 September from 10.00 to 17.00.
GALERIE VAN DAM, HEERLEN
