Kunsttour 2007: New Media and Artistic Innovation in Maastricht

Bright pink brochures in hand, thousands of people roamed the streets of Maastricht on May 26th, 27th, and 28th, with only one thing on their minds: modern art! It was the weekend of the 8th annual Kunsttour (ArtTour), and Maastrichters young and old alike enjoyed the displays of cutting-edge art exhibited all around our city. The types of art were diverse, including contemporary art, design, and new media art, but those attending the ArtTour had at least one thing in common: a genuine appreciation for artistic innovation.

Although the forecast called for rain that weekend, the questionable weather certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. According to staff estimates, around 8,000 to 10,000 people came out for this year’s ArtTour, from Maastricht and the surrounding area as well as nearby cities like Liège (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany).

In fact, ArtTour organizers say that attendance has been increasing steadily over the years, and that this year was the most well attended yet. ArtTour promotional materials state that for its first year, only 2,000 people participated compared to this year’s much larger estimate. Saturday seemed the busiest day of the Tour, with traffic backed up mid-day trying to park in the city center, but Sunday and Monday saw crowds of people exploring the Tour, too.

The ArtTour visitors fit no single profile: everyone from families, students, to older couples were out and about in the different galleries. The Tour was quite accessible to all, as there was no admission fee to browse the various displays. ArtTour organizers said they believe that during the Kunsttour everybody should be able to come and visit all that is going on. This philosophy certainly seems like part of what keeps the ArtTour popular among all ages.

The ArtTour developed from several smaller “open studio” events throughout the late 1990s and officially began in 1999, with its mandate to showcase artists working and living in the Limburg area. Organizers said the ArtTour aims to present the work of Maastricht artists to the general public, and to give an impression of what is going on in the Maastricht art scene. This year, about 150 artists in 56 different galleries, art shows, and even private homes participated in the Tour, composing seven different tours all around Maastricht city and its suburbs. The exhibitions furthest away from Maastricht’s city center were reachable by the free ArtTour bus, which traveled to various galleries in the suburbs around Maastricht.

This year, there were several new events and artists in particular that added an exciting flavour to the Tour. The Urban Myths New Media project, “a meeting point and platform for artists and institutions in Maastricht, South Limburg, and Aachen that are interested in new media art” according to promotional materials, concluded their year-long program during the ArtTour.

To commemorate the event, ArtTour organizers invited a prominent Dutch new media duo, Ookoi, to join the Urban Myths New Media Lab, where various artists and media professionals research and examine the role of new media within the realm of visual arts. For the opening and the three days of the ArtTour, Ookoi, which is based in Amsterdam and Paris, set up their new media working space in the Art Garage on Capucijnenstraat. Here, they showed their work entitled “leve ookoi,” a Dutch expression that translates to “viva ookoi,” which included the première of their 1024 DVD, (http://1024.soundblog.net), a seven-hour live transmission of “Radio Raudio”, and the live production of a series of “Raudio clips.” Promotional materials described the duo’s work as “foremost a play with time and space, and therefore with identity: Between here and there, between then and when.”

Also special to the Tour was the How Do U Tube festival held at Lumière Cinema, which explored the relationship between film and digital media, in the form of YouTube, the popular website where anyone can upload their own videos to the site.

Maastricht University students Britt Lennartz, Harm Hofmans, Jan Bieseman, and MengMeng Chen planned and coordinated the festival for their Media Culture master’s thesis, with input from Lumière, Urban Myths new media artists, and other Media Culture students. During the day, the festival included looped videos projected on Lumière screens, which explored why people use YouTube and the types of media produced on YouTube. Computers were also available for participants to explore the YouTube site. At night, the festival had a few special events, including a video showing on “Urban Exploring” and an academic presentation on how digital media is changing the visual medium itself.

Britt Lennartz explained how the Media Culture class had investigated how to make academic research relevant and interesting to a non-academic public. “We’ve had so many positive reactions,” the student organizer said. “We succeeded in making the online YouTube communities accessible … we enjoyed working on it and it was just great to see how our plans were realized and positively reviewed.”

In fact, the U Tube festival was such a success that the student organizers were asked to make several subsequent presentations on the topic of digital media. They’ll be giving a workshop at the “Do It Yourself festival” on June 14th at the Landbouwbelang, Biesenwal 3 in Maastricht. “Since everyone can be a journalist on YouTube, this medium is an outspoken example of d.i.y,” explains Britt.

Foreign exchange students endorsed the generally positive reviews organizers said the ArtTour garnered. Letitia Robson, an American exchange student at University College Maastricht, appreciated the open-minded nature of the Tour’s exhibits, and the fact that the Tour is respected enough to attract a dedicated following. The galleries included in the Urban Myths New Media project “made me realize what a powerful force media can be…it’s relatively easy to communicate sophisticated ideas to a lot of people!” she exclaimed. Elissa Vinnik, another American exchange student studying at UCM, echoed Letitia’s enthusiasm. “The exhibits were really thought-provoking. I especially found the themes of time and deterioration at the Marres gallery interesting,” she said.

Although explanations of the art were rarely offered in English, Sara Mora, a Spanish student at Maastricht University, commented that the gallery owners and artists were very helpful in interpreting the exhibits for her group of friends. “They were so friendly - it was a great experience!” she remarked.

After an exciting, diverse, and very successful ArtTour 2007, organizers and participants alike look forward to another three days of contemporary art next year. Bert Lemmens, head organizer of the Tour, summed up the general feeling quite well: “A new year, a new Kunsttour! Absolutely! But first … we need a good rest!”

By Jessica Mowles

Jessica Mowles regularly studies political science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. During this past semester, she studied gender and development at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and is now studying at Maastricht’s Center for European Studies until June.

More information: KunstTour website