Edwin Stolk ☰

Thought-experiment:
The sound of Coöp. Dairy
"De Venen"

Nov.- Dec. 2014

This artistic sound work was realized during a residency in the end of 2014 at Foundation KIK (Art in Kolderveen) and part of the temporary studio program of the Mondriaan Fund. Foundation KiK was situated in former Coop. Dairy 'De Venen' that was closed halfway the nineties because of economic scaling. Today people live and work there in nine private apartments. Many former employees lived nearby.

The aim of this artistic sound work was to collaborate with broad (often local) expertise and reconstruct a sound plan for this factory. The leading question was: are we able to bring back the sounds of the past in the industrial heritage of today? This attempt supplied us the necessary position to investigate the consequences of this attempt  and generated meaning over the current use of industrial heritage.

As an artist I was the initiator of this artistic sound work but its research and outcome was highly depending on the participation of 'shareholders'. People who liked to invest their time and knowledge for this particular cause. This project could be seen as a thought-experiment, it considered some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences.

The final stage of this research through sound was presented for approximately 30 minutes on 21st Dec. at 5 pm., a large audience experienced the confrontation between industrial sounds of the past presented in the the private homes of people who live and work their today.

Here is a blog with reports on the meetings: www.zuivelfabriekdevenen.tumblr.com

As part of this artistic sound work and to contextualize this experiment I constituted a group show with works by 14 artists that was shown throughout the factory over the period of two months. The theme and title of this show was: Thought-experiment. For more information about the group show you can visit this website: www.gedachte-experiment.tumblr.com

Thought-experiment: The sound of Coöp. Dairy 'De Venen' was mentioned in the following press:

Meppeler Courant
RTV Drenthe: tv | radio
Trendbeheer
Tubelight written by Judith Spijksma

Thought-experiment: The sound of Coöp. Dairy 'De Venen' was a cooperative sound work and realized with the generous support of Mondriaan Fund, Foundation KiK (Art in Kolderveen) with special thanks to: Pim Trooster, Ingeborg Sturre, Meilof Koster, the volunteers of KiK, Annette Lubbers, Michiel de Boer (sound technician), BOEi, De Historische Vereniging Nijeveen, with special thanks to: Lourens Schipper, Arend Thissingh, former employees of dairy 'De Venen', with special thanks to: Aaltje Pals, Gerard Lutke and his wife, Frans Stoker, Dhr Jelsma, Geert Bouwknecht, Albert Manden, Ron Oosterveen, Rouveen Kaasspecialiteiten with special thanks to: Justin Koster, inhabitants of Coop. Dairy 'De Venen' with special thanks to: Aart Oostergetel, Loes Heebink, Hillie en Arend Kikkert, Oene van der Zee, Gerard Schulenberg, Steven van der Gaauw, artists in the exhibition thought-experiment: Arjan Brentjes, Chaja Hertog & Nir Nadler, Erik Sep, Floris Kaayk, Giorgi Tabatadze, Hristina Tasheva, Klaas Jonkman, Krijn de Koning, Marieke Coppens, Marijn Ottenhof, Nina Glockner, Norman Beierle, Sil Krol, RTV Drenthe, Kringloopwinkel Meppel, Kringloopwinkel De Kring Meppel, Stichting Kringloop Zwolle Zuid, Kringloop Nieuwe Veerallee Zwolle, Bertus Roodhof, Stina v/d Ploeg.

Best regards, Edwin Stolk.

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