This summer, we warmly invite you to a special series of gatherings in which we will reflect, read, and lay the foundations for the ritual work that will unfold in the coming months.

In February, Carlos Noronha Feio was an artist-in-residence at the Kunstfort. For Contested Desires, Constructive Dialogues (CDCD), he participated in a residency in the Netherlands, organized by H401, Creative Court, and Kunstfort Vijfhuizen. During his residency, the idea emerged for a cyclical artwork on the fortress island. In his work around the theme of healing, he focuses on the meanings of language, a people, the construction of cultures, and on cultural creolization: a dynamic process of ongoing evolution, exchange, and cross-pollination, as well as the exploration of the concept of otherness. This summer, we take the first step in realizing his work: an installation with tulips, a symbol deeply woven into Dutch cultural identity, but not of Dutch origin. His work serves as a poetic starting point for this summer edition, which he hopes to deepen during a future visit to the fort.

Inspired by these ideas and the changing of the seasons, we begin with two evenings of a book club, followed by collective moments in which we prepare the site where his work will be installed.

Book Club & Reflection
(Languages: English and Dutch)
Thursdays, July 31 & August 7 | 16:30 – 18:00
During these evenings, we will explore The Nation of the Plants by Stefano Mancuso, an inspiring book that challenges us to see intelligence, cooperation, and time in new ways. Each session consists of three parts:
Book Discussion – 45 minutes of collective reflection on (parts of) the book
Tea Break – 15 minutes of informal exchange
Introduction to the Ritual – 30 minutes of context and conversation about the project to unfold in the coming months

Session 1 (July 31):
What can we, as a species, learn from the collective behavior of plants?
We will link these insights to marking the physical location of the ritual.
Session 2 (August 7):
How do we relate to cyclical time – and how does this differ from the plant world?
We will delve into the cyclical nature of the project itself and how we might step into it.

Preparing & Marking the Site
(Languages: English and Dutch)
Sundays, August 3 & 10 | 15:30 – 17:00
On these days, we will come together to prepare and mark the site for the ritual. This may include light physical work, but above all, it is a moment of togetherness and alignment with the environment and one another.

If you would like to join, let us know by emailing info@kunstfort.nl!

Everyone is welcome, even if you haven’t (fully) read the book. Together, we’ll make this summer a meaningful beginning of the next ritual season.

For more information about Contested Desires, Constructive Dialogue click here.