‘You have to be surprised in all the hustle and bustle.’ Ron Ritzerfeld of SIGN talks about what the art initiative aims to do with the works at Noorderzon: ‘They should provide a certain stillness in all the bustling goings-on, but they should also be alienating. That suits our style: we are always looking for people who make alienating things.’ The five artists who appeared to line up with this SIGN signature include Dan Geesin, Harma Heikens, Lorenzo Quintanilla, Philippe Wolthuis and Dieke Venema. All live and work here, which is convenient and aligns nicely with Noorderzon's preference to offer northern artists a platform.
However, finding artists who met all the requirements was still no easy task, Ritzerfeld says: ‘There are simply not that many young Groningen artists who create large, monumental works that are also suitable for outdoor use.’ But it succeeded, with a wide variety of images to boot: from a hysterical hot dog and a pedestal with a melting sculpture to a beached submarine and two thousand pounds of kneaded concrete — these are the visual tastemakers from Noorderzon as well as rest points in the frenzy, wanting nothing more than to be admired. The works are scattered throughout Noorderplantsoen, ready to surprise you throughout the festival, from northern sunrise to sunset. And everywhere in between!
Noorderzon runs from Thursday, 20 August to Sunday, 30 August, 2015 and admission is free. Read more about SIGN's sculptural interventions in Noorderplantsoen on the Noorderzon website.
The SIGN foundation withdrew all sculptures from the Noorderzon theatre festival on 25 August 2015. This is in response to the controversy surrounding the work of artist Harma Heikens.