‘Discarded Bouquet’ exhibition by Glasbak Siersteenlaan
About this activity.
From February 1st to 28th, 2026, Glasbak Siersteenlaan, a notorious litter spot in Vinkhuizen, will exhibit an embroidery on black cotton, ‘Discarded Bouquet’, at the window gallery De Prachtvink at the Vinkhuizen shopping center, Platinalaan 505a, 9743 GZ Groningen.
‘Discarded Bouquet’ is a multicolored embroidery in a simple wooden frame measuring 37.5 x 20 cm. The embroiderer and the year of manufacture are unknown. Embroidery, the practice of decorating fabrics with colored yarn, has a long history in the Netherlands. Until well into the 20th century, needlework and embroidery were part of the curriculum for girls. At school, they embroidered samplers based on patterns and used their skills to decorate items like napkins and tablecloths.
Around 1960, embroidery kits became commercially available. These kits contained a pre-printed pattern with an image—often based on a famous painting—cords, a piece of canvas or cotton, an embroidery needle, and a thread card. It was an ideal, relaxing pastime for thousands of women, and sometimes men as well. The major supplier of embroidery kits was Naaldwerk Lanarte company from Leeuwarden. The embroideries were framed and decorated Dutch homes in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, fashion began to change. Girls were no longer taught embroidery at school. Embroidery disappeared from the walls. Around the turn of the century, the older embroiderers began to fade away, and their handiwork disappeared into the trash or the thrift store. In 2005, artist Rob Scholte began a project in which he purchased embroideries and exhibited the backs, a tribute to all those thousands of hours of home-made work. Embroidery has made a bit of a comeback in the 2020s. Lanarte is now based in Belgium. An embroidery kit is called in modern Dutch a ‘stitch kit’.
The embroidery on display was likely created in the 1960s and depicts a composition of wildflowers. It appears the work has hung in the sun for many years. The original pigments have faded considerably. This gives the work a unique charm.
The Siersteenlaan glass recycling bin is one of the dirtiest places in Vinkhuizen. Every day, rubbish such as vomited pizzas, polystyrene, broken pans, cat litter with feces, shards of glass, moldy bread, frying fat, damaged ceramics, and broken toys is dumped around the glass recycling bins, waste bin, and paper containers. Among this negative side of consumer society, there are sometimes surprising items, such as a piece of embroidery. The glass recycling bin was built where the Rainbow Church once stood. The first glass and paper recycling bins were installed in 2002. The bin battery was completely replaced in 2018 and expanded a few years ago. Unfortunately, the habit of fly tipping hasn't decreased.
Raamgalerie De Prachtvink.
Raamgalerie De Prachtvink is een 24-uurs galerie aan Platinalaan 505a bij Winkelcentrum Vinkhuizen. De galerie heeft als specialiteit internationale mail art.
Location.
Raamgalerie De Prachtvink
Platinalaan 505
9743GZ Groningen
tel 050-2302991
prachtvink.blogspot.com/