Kulter. #21
Performances & Workshops by Gloria Holwerda-Williams
A SINT YOU WANT: SINTERKLAAS IN THE 21st CENTURY
Performance & Workshops by Gloria Holwerda-Williams @ Kulter. #21 | 28th Nov., 4th & 5th Dec. 2010
hieronder bericht in het Nederlands
As part of A Sint You Want: Sinterklaas in the 21nd Century, artist G. Holwerda-Williams will engage in a public performance on Sunday, November 28th, beginning at 16:00 at Kulter. around Amsterdam West. As part of this art project, the artist will also create drawings and Kleur Boeken (coloring books).
A Sint You Want: Sinterklaas in the 21nd Century
Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet- A Dutch Tradition in Holland: Sinterklaas traditionally arrives by boat in the Netherlands from Spain in the third week of November to give presents to children and often adults too, on the 5th of December.
Sint (Saint Nicholas) is depicted as an elderly, white mustached and long bearded, white man, who is accompanied by one or more characters called "Zwarte Pieten".
Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) has historically been described as:
- an orphan who was freed from slavery by Sinterklaas and spent his life to serve Sint in thanks
- a chimney sweep (who doesn't bathe?), a white guy (who doesn't bathe?) whose skin is darkened by soot, which he picks up from diving down the chimney delivering gifts to children
- a devil, who was defeated by Sinterklaas and enslaved to do his biddings
Sinterklaas is characterized by his costume (the 'tabberd'), religious regalia, and regal behavior. Zwarte Piet (with black curly hair, large golden hoop earrings and exaggeratedly painted thick red lips) is mostly played by white men or women, who don black-face paint, dress in 16th century Spanish costume, and behave in a buffoonish manner.
Gloria Holwerda-Williams
Gloria Holwerda-Williams is a Brooklyn, NY born visual artist, poet, writer, and vocalist with the music group Kanipchen-Fit: www.myspace.com/kanipchenfit. Her art work includes, sculpture, indoor/outdoor installations, and two-dimensional works. She uses natural and manufactured materials, embroidery, photographs and computers in fabricating her works. Solo exhibitions at Delicatessen in Amsterdam (2010), Diesel gallery in Brooklyn, NY (2005) and at Galerie Art-Contact in Karlsruhe, Germany (1990). Her work has been in group exhibitions including; Brooklyn Bridge Park (NY), Islip Art Museum (E. Islip, NY) Socrates Sculpture Park (LIC, NY), Exit Art (NYC), Ronald Feldman Fine Arts (NYC),The Drawing Center (NY), the Bronx Museum of the Arts (NY) and in Baltimore, New Orleans, Detroit, Holland and Germany. Her work will also be exhibited in Arkansas and Georgia in 2010, and in Nashville in 2011 in the U.S.A.. She received an MFA from University of Michigan and a BFA with honors from the School of Visual Arts in NY in the U.S.. She has been a professor for art at the School of Art + Design at State University of New York' Purchase College and The Cooper Union', School of Art, taught art, poetry composition/performance poetry, and writing for educational arts organizations including residencies in public schools in New York.
Workshops
Dec, 4e- SINTERKLAAS and PIET RE(AD)DRESS is a 2 uur workshop where participants will create a new look and a new wardrobe for Sinterklaas and the hardworking Piets. Using drawing and collage, put a new spin on the old guys.
Dec. 5e- FLIP THE SCRIPT for SINTERKLAAS is 2 uur workshop where participants create poems in "Sinterklaasgedicht" tradition and rewrite traditional songs for Sinterklass and Piet. Participants can work individually or in groups to create their writings. All writings will be performed by participants at end of workshop.
Please contact julie@kulter.nl if you are interested in participating in workshop(s)
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Nederlandse versie:
Als onderdeel van A Sint You Want: Sinterklaas in the 21st century geeft kunstenaar G. Holwerda-Williams een publieke performance, op zondag 28 november, vanaf 16:00 uur in Kulter, en in de omliggende buurt in Amsterdam-West. Eveneens bestaat dit kunstproject uit door de kunstenaar vervaardigde tekeningen en kleurboeken.
Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet - Een Nederlandse traditie: Sinterklaas arriveert traditiegetrouw met de boot uit Spanje in Nederland, rond de derde week van november, om kadootjes uit te delen aan kinderen en soms ook volwassenen, op 5 december.
Sint (Nikolaas) wordt afgeschilderd als een oude, blanke man met zilvergrijze snor en baard, die wordt vergezeld door een of meer figuren, Zwarte Pieten genaamd.
Zwarte Piet wordt historisch omschreven als:
- een wees, die door Sinterklaas uit de slavernij werd bevrijd en in dank zijn leven als knecht spendeert
- een van oorsprong blanke schoorsteenveger (die zich nooit wast?), wiens huid zwart is geworden van het op en neer klimmen door de schoorsteen, om de kinderen hun pakjes te bezorgen
- een duivel, die door Sinterklaas werd overwonnen, en als straf tot zijn knecht werd gemaakt
Sinterklaas is te herkennen aan zijn kostuum (de tabberd), religieuze accessoires en gedistingeerde houding. Zwarte Piet (met krullend zwart haar, gouden oorringen, en overdreven dikke rode lippen) wordt meestal gespeeld door blanke mannen of vrouwen, met zwarte verf op hun gezicht, gekleed in een soort Spaanse uitdossing uit de 16e eeuw, die zich als onnozele clowns gedragen.
