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Atousa Bandeh
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- 17 June till 18 November 2018
- Drents Museum
On display in Kunst in De Nieuwe Kolk
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June 19, 2018 marks the opening of the special exhibition History as a Poem by Atousa Bandeh (1968) in KINK (Kunst in De Nieuwe Kolk). On view in the galleries of the Drents Museum are diverse contemporary works of art. The show of the poetic work of the Iranian-Dutch artist in KINK is particularly exceptional because it runs parallel with the major archaeological exhibition Iran – Cradle of Civilisation in the Drents Museum. History as a Poem is a story in itself, and admission is free from 19 June to 18 November 2018.
Atousa Bandeh’s History as a Poem features large, richly coloured paintings. Everyday objects often circle around young girls, who look you straight in the eyes. In several videos and a film Atousa Bandeh reports on a journey to or an attempt to buy land in her native country. Her most recent paintings, in a large format, no longer include people, but rather collapsing buildings, construction cranes or other objects. At the root of all these works are Atousa Bandeh’s personal experiences. In addition to memories, fears, loss of identity and poetry play a major role in her art.
Poetic videos
Atousa Bandeh lived in Iran until her nineteenth year, when she fled from the Iraq-Iran War. After a long and treacherous journey she ended up in a village in Groningen, in a landscape without mountains, something she just could not fathom. She worked out such elementary experiences in several videos exploring her relationship with Iran. The videos are not activist in nature, but rather deeply moving, poetic reflections of reality. A poignant example is Man’s Cry: an installation with videos of four different cities in the world. The images do not feature the well-known tourist attractions, but zoom in on the loneliness of harsh reality.
Young girls and macho men
In large drawings Atousa Bandeh combines images of her memories of life in Iran with everyday objects that are symbolic of the underlying events. While the drawings are colourful and dream-like, threatening elements are also concealed in them. Often taking centre stage is a young girl who hides in a peach tree with parrots, or walks through the sand wearing a pink angel dress. That the girl’s world is not as cheerful as the colours suggest is clear from a barbed wire fence, or macho men threatening her innocence.
History in poetic form
The title of the exhibition History as a Poem is a curious concept for someone who experiences the time in which she lives as quite the opposite: Atousa Bandeh perceives the world as a pragmatic reality with little room for emotions and poetry. In her current paintings, intimate, personal experiences have made way for greater themes. However, no matter how universal these works may seem, their essence is still about the place of an individual and their feelings in a broader context. And about the importance of being able to share that experience.
Atousa Bandeh
Atousa Bandeh has lived in the Netherlands for thirty years. After studying at the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen, she attended the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. Her videos from the 2000s have been shown at festivals throughout the world. Her drawings and paintings are less known; a good reason for the Drents Museum to spotlight this work in KINK.
KINK is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, in De Nieuwe Kolk, Weiersstraat 1, Assen.
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Most of the museum is easily accessible for people with reduced mobility. Most floors are accessible by elevator and there are wheelchair-accessible toilets. The museum has free wheelchairs, walkers and folding stools for anyone who wants to use them. Unfortunately, part of the monumental section of the museum is less accessible.
Because of the number of wheelchairs and walkers being limited, you can reserve them via +31 (0)592 - 377 773.
More information about the accessibility of the building can be found here.
Supervisors (on presentation of a public transport companion card) and registered assistance and guide dogs are of course very welcome and can enter the museum free of charge.
The Drents Museum always has a number of changing exhibitions and also a rich collection of our own. Our own collection is currently mainly in the depot due to the renovation. That is why our archeology collection (including Pesse canoe, The Yde girl and the other peat bodies), the Drenthe history collection, Art around 1900 and contemporary realism cannot be seen at this moment. We expect Labyrinthia to open sometime in 2024. Click here for an overview of current exhibitions.
More and more objects can be found online. Learn all about your favorite object or discover new treasures!
Registered assistance or guide dogs are welcome in the museum, other pets are not.
Bar Brasserie Pingo can be found in the heart of the old museum section. Pingo's opening hours are the same as the museum, from Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Here you can drink coffee and eat cake, however meal salads, sandwiches and appetizers are also on the menu.