Once a year it seems as if the whole of Rotterdam loves art. And secretly I think it really does: during Art Week Rotterdam. It is - perhaps fitting for February - one of the shortest weeks of the year, with just five days. And by now so much is happening that you would long for a full week. It is of course a week that revolves around the market, around buying and selling work. But I notice that I especially enjoy what happens next. The many initiatives of Joep van Lieshout, for example, in the Merwe4haven. Or the wonderful presentation of The New Current, which not only introduces us to young artists, but also opens up De Spaanse Polder to us as a place of culture. And of course what takes place in the studio buildings: the Ackersdijkstraat, De Wasserij, De Koningsveldestraat, the Ruilstraat and of course the Borgerstraat (stronger every year!).
At the opening of the Borgerstraat I was touched by the words of Olphaert den Otter, who was allowed to open the exhibition. Under the title 'the studio as a marketplace' he talked about the pleasure of visiting the studio, becoming a part of the works in the making. But also about the complicated step between studio and market. Quote: "it is easier to sell umbrellas in the Sahara than art in the Netherlands". And he's right about that, if only umbrellas could also protect you from the sun like umbrellas. With those words in my head I got into a conversation with others about this. In particular, I wondered where this was coming from. Is it praise, as Olphaert suggests? When you see how greedily people spend money on design, I don't think so. Another suggested the perfidious effect of Dutch cultural politics. I don't believe in that either, we're stubborn enough not to let politics dictate everything to us.
I think the word marketplace, which Olphaert started with, offers the key. Could it be that the pond in which artists and art dealers fish has become far too small? That's not because of the average income level of the Dutchman, that's for sure. Never before have we earned so much together, and never before have we spent so much on decorating our house over and over again. Apparently Ikea (to name just one company) succeeds very well in giving our collective the feeling that we can express ourselves individually. And apparently it is only sporadic for artists to do that. That doesn't rhyme. And so when I visit studios I see a lot, sometimes a lot, of work that is not sold and I don't think it's because of the quality.
I think it's possible. I'm sure more people would even like to buy art. I just don't think they know how. Ikea makes it easy to buy things we don't need right away. They know how to make umbrellas out of umbrellas. What are we supposed to do because to get it done?