paulbongerrickvermeu

Three volume publication documenting the exhibition Sonsbeek '71 held in and around Park Sonsbeek. Book produced as graduation projects by Paul Bonger and Rick Vermeulen at art school in Rotterdam, now know as Willem de Kooning Academy. Introduction by Bonger and Vermeulen.
"The tripartite catalogue Sonskeek [sp] '72 arose from the notes and photos we made of a project that we executed during the period November '71 - June '72.

What was the starting point of the project?

Of all the Sonsbeek exhibitions in '49- '52- ’55- '59 and '66 one could or one can find back all the sculptures; although not in the original place, in the park, they are to be seen somewhere.

Yet the transiency of the projects and objects as exposed during the manifestation 'Sonsbeek buiten de perken' for us was a reason to trace back what happened to these projects and objects. Doing this we considered ourselves as visitors who came after the closing of the manifestation. We visited the original place of the object/project, made photographs and described it and did so with the present place as well. E.g. from the gigantic wedge by Ronald Bladen at the place in park Sonsbeek hardly anything could be found, except a slight difference in colour of the pavement.

The wedge itself we discovered in pieces against the wall of a shed of a firm in Arnhem.

Most of the projects and objects we also found back in totally different state: at rubbish dumps, on heaps of scrap- iron, dismantled and packed in boxes, in peoples homes on the cupboard. In some cases nothing was to be found back.

We sent a stencil to the 35 filmmakers asking them to send a photo and a description of the present place of their films.

Description and photo were their part in our project, the original place always being the place at the lawn where in a tent the films have been shown, during the manifestation.

From some filmers we didn‘t get an answer within a certain period, then the second card is dropped out.

Some artists played a part by the publication they got in one of both Sonsbeek cataloques. When their project had a relation with a location, we visited it and made a photo, if not, we reproduced the concerning pages out of the cataloques. The definite form of the three booklets as they now appear, is the result of collecting and combining the 360 cards; on one side a photo, on the other side the description.

We thank everyone who helped us to realize this project." -- Paul Bonger and Rick Vermeulen from book's English introduction.… (mehr)