Two weeks ago, we hosted the finissage of the exhibition programme of “If only we could master miracles”.
The event started with a live-sound performance by Justin Bennett in the poterne. Equipped with two large speakers, radio-waves Justin captured from the ether filled the fort and enveloped the audience. The performance was connected to his exhibited work which explored the deepest man-made hole ever. Following a little interview with Justin, our director, Rabiaâ Benhlahbib, shared some opening reflections on the human drive to understand and master ecological and cosmic phenomena—the central theme of the exhibition.
Guests were then invited to take their last opportunity to explore the exhibition. Annabel Quick presented a new interactive installation created especially for the finissage. Using heat imaging technology, she offered visitors a chance to experience the heat and moisture emitted by their bodies at any given moment. This work ties into her research on the climatic conditions required for art conservation and the role of fish glue in that process.
The crowd later gathered in room 26, where Suzette Bousema and Carina van der Veen engaged in a conversation about their collaboration on ancient ice cores that reveal climate secrets. Carina, an analyst and engineer at the ice core archive at Utrecht University, has devoted her career to studying these invaluable climate records. Following the discussion, Suzette and designer Wilfred Kalf added the final two months of air samples to the Contemporary Air Archive. This project stems from Suzette’s monthly visits to the Scheveningen coast, where she captures the sea breeze in delicate glass sculptures—preserving vital atmospheric data in response to climate change. Wilfred designed the special filing cabinets.
The day concluded with a cozy borrel in the poterne, complete with warm soup and snacks.
We would like to thank everyone for coming and participating!