Nieuwe Grond is an annual international symposium/festival about leading artistry, organized by Walter Maas Huis and Treaty of Utrecht. Nieuwe Grond is a growing and sustainable network from artists who want to reach beyond their normal practice, who feel curiosity and urgency for cultural interventions out of the ordinary. Nieuwe Grond seeks for new forms for artists to present their work and to have a different role in society. There’s an urge for artists to create and give form, to create their own context. By discussion, by their activities and actions and by organizing, together with university and art schools, artists co-host and moderate Nieuwe Grond. Central question is: ,,How can your art form an artistic intervention in other domains in society?”

On this weblog you’ll find information about the development of Nieuwe Grond and information and discussion about leading artistry and artistic intervention.


Exposition LOCALISMS at Museum De Paviljoens, Almere

on April 15, 2008 in Events.
on April 15, 2008

LOCALISMS is a new exhibition at museum de Paviljoens in Almere. An exhibition that focuses on the poetry in the street, the discovery of the (urban) landscape, unnoticed sounds, the investigative look, archives of image and sound, wanderlust and world travellers. With work of Enough Room for Space a.o.

Letter to Ronald Plasterk, minister of Cultural Affairs. by Paul Oomen

on April 10, 2008 in General and Research.
on April 10, 2008

In this letter, composer and artistic entrepeneur Paul Oomen writes down his worries concerning the new government policy for arts and the artists’ role in it.

“Being an artist is a free choice. The hard reality is that you have to be able to survive from your work on the long term. Artists don’t have to engage in the market. But if they can’t make ends meet from creations that they find worthy themselves, there is the choice to for instance start painting cows because there is a market for it” (Plasterk in: NRC Handelsblad, 27th of March 2008)

Please feel free to react on his letter.

‘Eerste Hulp in O.’ 25 en 26 april, Oostende

on April 2, 2008 in Events.
on April 2, 2008

Twee dagen voor jonge makers in Oostende

Hoe je weg te vinden in de podiumjungle? Op vrijdag 25 en zaterdag 26 april is het verzamelen geblazen in Oostende voor jonge makers en al wie hen wil gidsen.

A conversation with Henk Slager, lector MaHKU

on April 2, 2008 in General and Research.
on April 2, 2008

There’s a growing urge for artists to reflect on their work and to create their own context. Art has to master its domain and to deliver its own production of knowledge.
Still, a lot of artists don’t use their creativity in the presentation of their work. A power point presentation doesn’t fit anymore, the artist has to look for different forms.

Artur Zmijewski on new exposition in Montevideo, Amsterdam

on April 2, 2008 in Events.
on April 2, 2008

Artur Zmijewski, one of the prominent guests of Nieuwe Grond last September, shows his speech-making film Them again on the exposition Territorial Phantom. In Them, which was also shown at the latest Documenta, Zmijewski sharpens the discussion about how far art can and may go.