Iepen mienskip-
In hetzelfde schuitje / In the same boat
During a boat trip on the canals through Leeuwarden with
artists from Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, Zimbabwe and
Germany, we talked about the term “iepen Mienskip”.
Through the conversation, it became clear that we as
human beings are connected by our common needs
and desires and we all face the same challenges and
therefore we are “all in the same boat”, “In hetzelfde schuitje”.
It does matter to us, if our neighbor does not feel well, or if
refugees in the Mediterranean drown on the run, because that
also has consequences for our contemplative life and for
our own well-being.
Inspired by this impression, I began to fold boat-like bodies
of rubber and paint them with thin paint. Boats also play a
central role in the resulting paintings, be it children’s figures,
who look at the floating boats as missed opportunities, or
drawn boats that float in the picture as brittle bodies.
The boat stands as a metaphor for the fragile existence of man and the environment, but also for the conviction of the power of solidarity and mutual acting for a better world.
Martina van de Gey June 13, 2018
