The Art Ship

The art ship
The main focus of the Logos Hope ship is to spread bibles in countries where it's hard for people to get their hands on the good book.  This is a cool starting point. 
The main focus for the Art Ship is to spread the message of the gospel thru art all over the globe. This ship has christian artist on it who love to travel and make cool art at the same time. Not only do they get to make art, they also give workshops to share their expertise with other artists, christian or not. They will exhibit in the harbours where the ship is docked and do projects and intercambios with local church communities. There might be a possibility for hotel guests on the ship too, as the ship needs also to generate income.

I am looking for the right connections to start this big dream. I shared it with George Verwer, founder of the Logos ships. This was my letter to him:

Dear George Verwer,

My name is Avantia Damberg. I'm a Caribbean Christian contemporary artist living in Curaçao. I was very inspired and confirmed by a talk you once gave on the Logos Hope ship, when I was working there. It was in 2009 in Guyana. In 1996 I for the first time got introduced to the Logos ships because the Logos II was in Curaçao and I volunteered there. It's then when the seed for reaching out to many nations by ship was planted.

In your talk you mentioned how we could dear to dream really big. Because we have a big God and he has big dreams. He is the one that makes them happen anyways. I have lived in the Netherlands for 15 years where I did 2 studies and worked a bit and when I look back I can see God embroidering my life and it only gets more interesting!

My big dreams are to one day have an art ship with an art ministry: that goes around the world giving art therapy and gives workshops to christian artist worldwide. Not only that: it does art projects in slums and creates new places, we show exhibitions that teach about the Bible to either churches or in galleries, and (christian) artist can apply to join the ship for a short term to join us in these activities and built up their own portfolio and see the world. The tool to reach people for the gospel, is in this case art, to spread the gospel is the main focus.

I myself am an artist that loves to travel and make art while I travel. Most of my ideas I get while I travel too. For example: my work 'Meetingpoint' is being shown in Berlin, Germany and in Oostende, Belgium, and this work is inspired from a Bahamas pastor on the Logos Hope ship that was teaching about the Tabernacle. Making work about God's Word feels very long-term as God's Word itself, when spread, never is in vain.

God has interesting ways of confirming my or rather His dreams. I was already dreaming this, before I got on the ship. Before I went on the Logos Hope, I was working at an audiovisual department of the Dutch Navy. My Dutch boss, who I was working for and told my reason to quit said: ''So you are going to preach the gospel on this ship with books, but you should really have your own art boat and travel the world with your artist friends.''

My mouth dropped to hear my non-believing boss just tell me what my own dream was. I even haven't developed it like that yet in my mind, and there he was saying it!  Like this in continued each time traveling and art was involved: the confirmations continued each time.

Now I am writing you to see if you have any connections where I could find a ship (not as big as the Logo's Hope, but maybe more in the category of the former Doulos). Even if Operation Mobilization is interested to do a ministry like this, since OM already has all the experience and connections

I am praying to see who to share my dream with and who can be part of it. I certainly don't want to do this on my own strength. Only on God's strength and with others to join me. 

see a building on the top, at the right above?

There is also a building in Curacao at the coast of the sea, where large ships temporary park. This building used to be a quarantine hospital a very long time ago. It's a colonial building that has been empty since the 60's. Because of the stigma it has with sickness and death, it never got fixed. With the Logos Hope we parked there as well in 2009 and I walked up to that building. I prayed there for the dreams I have and I had a very exciting and peacefully feeling as if I already got the building! The building is public property. It belongs to everybody. I would love to continue to have it open for the people of this island. The government won't mind if I buy it for 1 symbolic dollar, hence it totally gets restored to it's original state. Which is very pricy of course. 

I envision this building to be the main office of the art ship, I also envision it as a cultural platform for artist-in-residencies, a gallery, an art library and an art cinema. Below I would love it to have a wood and metal workstation.  There is an organic restaurant-café and gallery-shop to generate income and some rooms are rented out for tourists. Everything is ecological and mostly self-made. 

So In this picture, you see a building on top. This is the colonial quarantine hospital with a long history of sickness and death, but also restoration. I would love to see it as a place for restoration again, but with the focus on our relationship with God.

quarantine |ˈkwôrənˌtēn|

nouna state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed : many animals die in quarantine.verb [ trans. ]impose such isolation on (a person, animal, or place); put in quarantine.ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Italian quarantina ‘forty days,’ from quaranta ‘forty.’So, I would love to have this building as a place of isolation in which people that have arrived from elsewhere and have been exposed to a hectic, chasing-of-the-wind life to find rest and peace with God here. Artist who stay here, can stay for 40 days and the themes that they need to approach in their art is always healing, restoration, reconciliation etc.I actually get lot's of ideas for this building, but my calling is to be an artist and so I have this approach. I also want to learn more about the healing ministry, since this is also a desire of my heart. It could be that this building could become a wellness center where massages are given, spa's etc. but also christian counceling.
Finally, I have a blog where i sometimes jot down parts of my dream and I also have my professional website.
Please have a look! and I hope to hear from you in the near future.Lot's of blessings,
Avantia Damberg

In the next blog... the response

The Art Platform dream continues

When I was in the Netherlands I was dreaming to live back in Curaçao for certainly 2 years long, e-v-e-r-y day.
As I was daydreaming, I often saw myself in the old quarantine hospital ruin. I was painting there, using it as my squatted working studio. 
Now I finally live back on the island. I don't have a car yet, so I can't go up there as much as I like, also I already have a studio for 3 months.
But yesterday I just went by foot, my dad's dog joined me. I wanted to go to the quarantine hospital merely to pray. I got happier getting closer and when I was there I was praying all around and in the building. Praying to search if my dream is God's will indeed. But I could conclude that there is no reason why it would not be his will: I just wish for a place where people can get 
- refreshed 
- restored  
- strengthened
- recharged
all by art and film, by christian artists, by the gospel in the shape of art.  That's right: the focus when in it comes down to the purpose of this building is that people can come here to get recharged thru art and get in contact with the gospel, the Word of God and the Truth which will set them free and delivered.

 praying on each side of the building

the building from down the beach

This building was always a place where sick or tired people went to get restoration. This can still be the purpose of this building.
But now the building itself is in need of restoration. It's just a useless old building at this point. It has nothing going on. It's just there.

 bible verses somebody grafittied. 

John 8:32

New International Version (NIV)

³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Who are the people that could use this art platform?
The people of the island of Curacao (for workshops, for a movie, for an art exhibition)
Artists worldwide that come to do an artist-in-residence
Local artists
A church community
Schoolchildren
Tourists
Sailors and workman on the large sea tanks, and drill islands that park there for a while.
Animals, also for healing

How can the art platform generate income for itself?
- by partly rented hotel rooms
- by the cinema
- by the restaurant-terrace in the back
- by the art shop
- by the given workshops
- by the sales of serummats for green roofs
- by it's own bakery
- by friends of the foundation (donations)
- by an animal shelter and medical care
- by a spa and massage place

How can the building reduce it's costs?
- it's own organic garden and herbal for the restaurant, guests and the spa
- it's own turkey and chicken, and local fish for consumption
- buying most locally
- solar panels for energy
- wind mill for energy
- water well (if possible)
- volunteers

view from the right stairs of the building, a large drill island on the left .

The bible verses on the walls, quite a heavy selection! Reeks a bit of a legalistic preaching person

Hebrews 10:26-32

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”^[b]31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2 Timothy 4:2

New International Version (NIV)

² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

John 8:44

New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The next post will be about the Art Ship and later on the reaction of the founder of the Logos ships.

COMPASIÓN

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 


Each time I'm doing an artist-in-residence or being in another place while laying my creative eggs, I choose a word from Col. 3: 12. It's an ungoing process. Already I have Gentleness, Humility and Kindness. In Madrid I chose the word COMPASSION and I made it in Spanish. I will go later in the afternoon, to see if it's still there!

Mission Madrid

Hi folks!
This is the second and last newsletter from Madrid.
Tomorrow I will be making little videoshots during the Serve the City Madrid projects, and Noemi Mena will interview.
We actually made a promotion movie for Serve the City Madrid a month ago. It's this funny stop-motion short that tells the story of how people can make the day of homeless man, just by being nice to him. He also gets encouraged to do nice to others and before he knows, he is off to his brand new job...We shot this short with friends and all the spanish people that participated were willing to make free time and were super enthusiastic. 

I have to say that during my entire stay in Madrid so far, not one single setback has occurred. Except for one: I accidentally dropped my laptop and the screen broke (again). Although I was devastated, it's just a laptop, and I remembered a preaching from a pastor in the International Baptist Church saying: also at setbacks praise God! For He does turn all the bad situations into opportunities. It's an exercise though, it doesn't come naturally to us to praise God when uncool things happen.
Starting the day with God led me to many encounters with the people of the neighborhood.
One day as I was sitting on the bench reading a chapter out of 'Walking with Gay Friends' (highly recommended!) a man approached me and introduced himself. He said he is a Gipsy and had had a Dutch mother. He started singing beautiful flamenco songs to me, one entitled 'Flaca' meaning 'skinny'. He saw how my nail-polish was all worn off and he said: "I'll go home and get you some nail polish remover. I'll be right back, give me 20 minutes.''
He did return with the nail-polish remover and a whole beauty box with nailpolish and he polished my nails dark purple, to my choice. 'But,'he said, 'the middle finger you should give another color, in case you meet rude people, you can give them a very subtle hint'. Also another gipsy joined us, his name is Louis. Louis made me choose of colored paper and then he made me paper flowers. During the process he said: Remember the thought you have while I make this. Afterwards he told me to close my eyes and choose a parfum as he sprayed to different kind of scents on my hands. I chose a parfum which he sprayed on the flower he made and he gave it to me. 'Now, go to my facebook page PapelFlores and write down the thought you have'.
I spend the entire afternoon with these gipsy men, as they sang and we ate sunflowerseeds and tamarind juice, to celebrate the Caribbean. They invited me to go to the beach in Valencia, which I politely declined.

I also met an old man with superlong white hair and a beard like Santa Claus. But he was very tall and skinny. He didn't speak. He wrote down his thoughts and referred to himself in the plural form. We had a very interesting conversation, he has some interesting wisdom and we shared a very nice self made lunch together, including saliva as we shared 1 calebas cup with chai tea, that afternoon. I felt so Jesus-like. But each time I brought the subject to God or Jesus, he reacted very angry (although not with words, but with body language). He was very busy rejecting God and I'm afraid something terrible happened to him that he blames God for and won't speak again. However, he was referring his hatred with bible texts and such. Being so busy hating God is also a good thing,  ánd reading the Bible, cause he is busy with God still. I shared this encounter with Kelly and he had tried to have conversations with him too, but the man always reacted very aggresive towards him. Which must be spiritual battle, because Kelly here is one of the most humble caring people walking these Malasañan dog-peed streets I know.
I continued to meet René, the guy who felt sharing whatever was on his heart every time we met. His friend has a drug addiction and gives him also financial problems. I would just listen and pray for him, which he highly appreciated. The next thing was to introduce him to Kelly and April, so they can continue this friendship. They are looking forward to that.
Meeting people went all automatically some days. Just sitting on a terrace with potential missionaries from the US who came to ask Kelly questions (for God called them to Burgos, the north of Spain) led to 2 Americans joining our table and later on also 2 Indonesian girls. In the end I was with one American girl who is from Austin, Texas and the two Indonesian girls of which one is also an artist. We went out that night to dance reggae and next thing I know I met the coolest reggae band on a personal level ever. With some people you just know the friendship is long-term, although you met very shortly. That's how it felt with Seedee (Senegal) Seb, Lif, Fred and Leo (France), Matt (UK) and Xavi (Spain), who all live in the south of Spain, Almería. These guys were very dedicated to their music and very laid back and friendly. Of course this is very normal attitude in the reggae scene, and I wish their type of kindness was also so automatic in the christian scene.

Meanwhile back in Madrid it is very nice to be connecting and catching up with the Spanish friends I already have, like Noemi, Ana and Nuria. I am also learning a lot about church planting  and mission from Kelly from Decoupage. I guess I do feel called to start a similar group in Curacao. I have friends there who each time I go back ask me: Is the Zolder coming to Curacao? Yes? Will you start the Zolder here? To which I always react like: whah? me?! who am I to start a church. I have totally other ideas for Curacao (see previous posts), but then again: why not? and how about a home church with an art ministry focus?? Involving my christian art friends, Operation Mobilisation, the art and reggae scene... Hmm, something is brewing here...

Being in Madrid has been a lot about the people and their stories. I have this also re-occurring in the drawings I made here. Together with Chris I spread my drawings guerilla style. I was very happy to be able to exhibit my paper installation cloud during the Sofa Underground (an underground living-room concert organised by Chris and Gloria, changing living rooms each time in the city) It's a nice concept: you make a list, and everyone wants to be on that list. But it's a limited number, so then people want to be part of it even more. Nice idea for ArtSpace50, which also has underground aspects. 

people could write down their wishes, desires and new starts

of the Single Cloud series

I am also glad to have met Miguel from espacia Islandia. He has an art space where he organizes micro artists-in-residences of 2 hours and gives a 2 euro grant :) The space was beautiful to exhibit my drawings in, and make once again the one single cloud. The cloud refers actually to God and that with Him there is a new fresh start after a very dry season. And then he pours blessings abundantly. If you see just one single cloud in the sky, remember this. And be ready to be blessed in a crazy abundant way.

Miguel is an architect/artist and has studied in Rotterdam, so he has fond memories of Holland and was happy to host me in his art space. I will be taking his drawing workshops just before my return to Amsterdam. Decoupage community that invited me over here, has also learned from me, as I have from them. They also desire to have more encounters with their random neighbors, of all sorts. They also learned about being pro-active and self-initiating when it comes to being a professional artist, but still knowing that God is the true manager and provider of work.

during one of the microResidencia's we went with the community Decoupage

I have had a super blessed time here and God's presence was with me 24/7 as he gave me rest (Exodus 33:14). A great part of this I have you to thank for, your good will, prayers and financial help has made it a carefree stay in Madrid, without all kind of struggles or setbacks. It was merely about God's presence, and me calling on to his presence for each day, and the peace he gave me. As he told Moses:

 ''My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest''

I am also very inspired to continue with installations and guerilla art. I will take this new inputs with me to Amsterdam. I see you all soon again in the near future! thank you for reading.

in Him,
Avantia

A.I.R Madrid

Hi guys!

Here is an update of already 3 weeks in Madrid! At first as I arrived, you can imagine, I'm immediately falling in love with the neighborhood Malasaña. Everything is just around the corner. The grocery shop, the 1 euro shop, the post office etc. I walk everything and as much as I can and get pleasantly lost every day. I take photo's, as a way of collecting, of streets and houses. Today I decided to collect the artificial flowers i keep seeing on the floor and start a new collection for possible work. I have a lovely apartment all for myself where I do my drawings, but I also have a favourite square where i sit and draw buildings called Plaza Dos de Mayo. When I arrived I started drawing right away and I want to draw at least one drawing a day, but that's not happening in the second week already. That's because social life is also catching up here! Also: I want to draw with content, something meaningful. So I started placing God in the center on day 1 and that took effect right away: God gives me something to draw about if I start and end the day with Him, awesome. It gives meaning, cause now I feel I'm on to something, together with God and that's exciting. The drawings are in that way prayers or discoveries with Him.

Decoupage I met Chris and Gloria, Kelly and April and their 3 kids, and the other members of the community Decoupage: Paz, a Spanish girl who lives a street away, Adriana, a lady from Colombia who is of course very warm, enjoys hugging type of person, and Alejandra and Johnny, a Colombian/Spanish couple, all supernice folks. The theme they are discussing is homosexuality. We are all reading a chapter a week from a book called Walking with Gay Friends, by Alex Tylee. As Christians in general we haven't pulled it off so well how to deal with this theme towards homosexuals or towards Christian homosexuals. The author of this book is a lesbian christian. The community feels like the art community back in Amsterdam: we eat together, pray together and after discus a theme. But before that we go to the Plaza 2 de Mayo (square) where we pray for the neighborhood on the spot. The rest of the week is not necessarily about connecting with people and eventually pull them into the Decoupage group to expand the community, but it's the other way around: the connecting happens where the people already are. Seeing each other regularly at the park, cafe, club etc. This is for me a new approach I'm learning from. Kelly Crull has introduced me to the neighborhood by taking walks and showing me all what's going on here, while giving me also historical and demographic background information. Last weekend he took me to the community garden where I had a nice talk pulling out weeds, until my violent hey fever forced me to leave the place.

Meeting new people I keep running into René who lives in the area i like to sit and draw at the Plaza 2 de Mayo. He is an American with most family in Panamá, and he travels and lives here and there. He has two funny Jack Russel dogs always with him. He shared his concern for his housemate and friend who is hooked on cocaine and wasting hundreds of euros per week, also the rent. Would be nice to connect him to Decoupage or other christian friends I'm meeting here. (I still work like that ;)

One day I locked myself out and I had to get a copy of the keys at a friend of the girl's apartment i'm staying in. This girl Maria is such an open and nice person and we were just talking and talking that she almost forgot to give me the keys. I might invite her for something too, but she already suggested to have coffee in June. Also one day, late on a Saturday, on my way back home, I passed a catholic church that was open at 2 am in the morning on a very busy square where all the Spanish were partying the weekend. I walked in, curious, about how late it was open. A friendly girl told me all about how they just were open so people could have a quiet time and pray. And so I told her what I am doing here and she prayed for me and was very excited that we both wanted to share about God's love to others. We were saying how much we have the same God, same Son and same Holy Spirit and how He works thru us. I could grab a folded colored paper with a bible text inside and open it at home (as a fortune cookie message kind-of-thing). The verse is in Jeremiah 29:13: If you seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. Me buscarán y me encontrarán, cuando me busquen de todo corazón.  

Guerilla art
I'm doing 3 things here: spreading my drawings in an guerilla art way, exhibiting work where possible and doing an drawing event during a 2 day concert of the music band of Chris Peterson. The drawings I make, I copy and spread as gifts thru jars or in big ziplock bags and leave them behind on benches or on walls for people to take with. Guerilla art works excellent for christian artist: you spread your message, anonymously and as a gift in the environment that you would like to influence. Anonymously: The glory goes to God and it's just about planting a seed at that instant. I am reading a book about this that inspired me alot: The Guerilla Art Kit by Keri Smith. A lot of her ideas i have actually been doing since years.

I also once as I am working a lot in cafés (no internet at home) was in a art café and I asked the owner if I could exhibit. She pulled out her agenda and said: yes, i have a spot in March 2013. Well, I'm not that long in Madrid (or AM I...?) so I suggested if I could screen my animations since they also have a screen. She agreed ant the 2nd of June I get to show my animations in the heart of this neighborhood. Great! Besides that I'm making a promotional short movie for Serve the City Madrid and all friends (the new ones and the old ones) are involved in the making of. It's very short notice but very much fun to do. I'll post the end result as soon as it's done. Tomorrow I'll give a workshop 'Praying in Colors' to the Decoupage group, this is also something new for me, so I'm happy to get more into this way of praying. Decoupage is very interested in the art ministry as a whole, as it's not happening anywhere in Spain yet. Finances I reached 95% of the target raised money for my stay here in Madrid and calculated that I spend like a 80 euro per week on daily expenses if I watch it. So that's just 40 euro more then budgeted. Because the social life takes merely place outside in cafes and restaurants, my wallet fills up quickly with receipts :) Any support is still possible (A.M.A Damberg ING Bank 9242014) til end of June.

Thank you for all sorts of support an prayers so far! I feel super blessed where I am at because of you. your servant artist reporting from Madrid, Avantia

AIM = artists in mission

I have worked on the Logos Hope ship for a couple of months and when I met the founder, George Verwer, I was totally inspired. My dream to have a sailing boat one day is very old. It's so old i forget about this dream even. Before I went on the ship I told my boss at the Dutch Navy that I would go work on a ship, and anyways, my contract ended too and it was not going to be prolonged since they were cutting costs. Job agency workers are let go first. I explained him about the ship, he knows I'm Christian. But then he said something that shocked me: well, you are an artist. instead of working on this ship, you should have your own artist ship and go around the world sharing the gospel with other artists. I couldn't believe was I was hearing out of the mouth of my non-believing boss. But God can speak thru anyone. If He did, i'm not sure, but it felt like this boss just formulated a lingering dream I have had and gave it shape. Then when I started to work on the ship, there were many more 'confirmations' of this desire. And to top it off George Verwer spoke exactly about this: big dreams are the opportunities God is looking for: he is BIG so he wants to do BIG, thru us. Normally as a person you think: oh, it's too big, i need to be a millionaire. Or oh, it's too much fun to actually be possible. But it's really a matter of praying for it and going along trusting, and see how God makes things happen. First God prepares you. He doesn't want you to get into something you can't handle. He doesn't want you to get burnt out for example. Things must go in a good balance. Then He prompts you to take steps, so He can direct those. See, it's God's big plan, so all the honor goes to Him too. So you can't say that you did it. George Verwer is the founder of the Logos Ships but he won't get tired to mentioned that it's actually all God's doing. I wouldn't want it any other way. But my dream for the art platform in Curacao is getting more and more shape! Yes, I don't want to do it by myself, I want to do it with a group of christian artist who are or want to get on fire for the Lord in their artistic profession. I would love to have the platform for artists-in-residencies to get training in how to preach/heal/listen/prophesy/inspire/bring people closer to Jesus thru their art. Those are basically all things from the Holy Spirit. There are many christian conferences and such. But are there also many christian AIR's? The Bible is such an endless source to make art about, it's crazy. Example: I'm working on an art installation about the book of Ezekiel and there is so much to work with. But also i like it because it's for me the most exciting way to dig in and study the Word, by afterwards pour what I've learned and experienced into an art form. It's what a pastor does with his or her teachings. i've gotta sleep next blog soon

theft

I dream everyday of starting a new life in Curacao.

I plan to return in the end of 2012 and before I arrive in Curacao i plan to make a journey around the globe.
As I am traveling, the possessions i want to take to Curacao with me (not much, but still) are being shipped to Curacao, so that when I arrive my stuff is there and I can send them to a new apartment :)
I am looking for a job in the meantime, a part time job to be able to pay for monthly costs (like food, rent, phone, internet). Also i will start a foundation.
But for the foundation and the art platform I write about in this blog, I don't want to do this alone.

I want to do this with people in my foundation and or with other people who have the same heart for art and God.

Also I notice that I don't want to do something so intensive that it steels the time I need to be with God. I know that I can be with God while doing work. But I also know when it is not the case. I want to prevent this from happening over and over again :)

Because of this I keep searching for God's will and I hope that He will be the one that will do the planning as it says in
Psalm 32:8 (NLT) "The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Restore

The Quarantine Hospital as I mentioned before, was a place where people came after a looong trip on the ocean, weather the future looked bright after that, or the future was much worse.
The current status people had in the previous centuries was sickness, and this building was to recover. The last official purpose of the building was that it was a hospital for leprosy patients. After that the building was sometimes used for parties, or for those who thought it was beautiful and romantic, for a wedding. But it is beautiful, and romantic.
I would love to return this building to it's glory and continue the aspect of recovery. But recovery, not with medical care, but with art, film ,food and rest.

I would love for it to stay a public domain.
I picture this building having on the ground floor: a exhibition space, a terrace behind and a little library where the books reach the ceiling.
The art exhibition space is part of the Artist-in-Residence of the building.
3 times a year both an Caribbean and foreign artist are invited to come and make their work.
Not only artists are invited, also architects, garden architects, illustrators and designers.
The terrace in the back is where breakfast, lunches and dinners take place. People are also welcome to come and have lunch or dinner, but the terrace is inherent to the other activities that take place. The breakfast, lunches and dinners are organic and biological foods.
It is possible to host parties there and bands can come and play entertaining music.
The library is an art library: it has art history books, contemporary art books, art books from all the different parts in the world, from Islamic art till the art of the Brazilian tribe in the Amazons. Also all type of design books, magazines, and dvd's are there to view or borrow.

The new quarantine hospital should be as some kind of retreat center, where new energy for creating is there without any pressure. It could be a place for rest, to unwind your mind.
In the next blog I will tell about my dreams for the basement of the building..

the quarantaine hospital

One big dream I have, is to have a cultural art platform on Curacao.
I already have chosen the location, the building.
I already know what should happen in this platform.

The building however, used to be an old hospital built in the 18th century, an old ruin from colonial times.
The history is that sailors came there to restore to health. But a lot of them died anyway. They were infested with the typical diseases sailors used to get back in those days.
The building also had people from Africa there to restore their strength from the most horrible trip ever: the crossing of the Atlantic ocean in those horrible slave-ships.
The people that did survive the crossing over, are real survivors. The survive-gene runs in all their descendants today. They came to this building to regain strength before they got sold. The slave trade was dominated by Jewish salesmen.
Thirdly the hospital was also for lepers. And so this was a very contagious deadly disease, or so people thought back in those days. This is what kept people away from this building for decades: disease and death. And over all: the spirits of the deceased that are hunting the building.

I know that a lot of Dutch people are interested in this building. To make it a restaurant or hotel. None of them got it so far. This is why: it's from the island, it belongs to the government and the people.
And that's how it should stay.
The Dutch who fell in love with this building, just like I did, all seek for themselves, their intentions in the direction of what they can GET from this building: i like the building and see myself owning it and making a living with a restaurant or hotel.
It's a nice thought, but it doesn't GIVE or add anything to the people of the island. We already have hotels and restaurants, even way too many.
We should have more buildings that are public to everyone. For everyone to be part of, to participate in, to use and live in. For people to explore new thoughts and feelings within themselves. Free access, like a public library. To learn in, to create in, to explore with, to develop. Art and culture. A platform.
This building. This area.

Write them down

Then the LORD replied:

“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[b] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it[c] will certainly come
and will not delay.

KINDNESS

Yes, it was great fun in this place all the way into the north of Finland, but not quite Lapland yet. The forest made impression, the artist were laid back and friendly. Nature and art goes well together. Hence my next word: KINDNESS from Colossians 3:12
check out the website of Mustarinda http://www.mustarinda.fi/

Back to Tallinn

Nobody gave me a ride as I was trying to hitch hike to Voru.
So I took the bus, and from there went to Tartu, where I got my ticket to Tallinn.
It was all by all a very pleasant ride and I got to see the landscape of Estonia. Which is very relaxing.

a weekend full of Finland

I was pleasantly surprised: with a daytrip ticket it costs like 32 euro to go to Helsinki, and that in just an hour and a half. So this was a nice opportunity to see Helsinki and visit my friends from Finland there who I graduated with.

For some reason my creditcard didn't work on the website to book the ticket. As I got to the port the ticket was 20 euro more. Boo. Anyway, here we go. I was sitting at a table with some shy finnish girls, a bit older Cosmo-girl and a couple who went outside to smoke every 5 minutes. The guy was a bit tipsy so started to chat. He never heard of the language Papiamentu before. He kept saying Papiamentuuuu, he loved it. We exchanged info cause he wanted to learn this language, (haha, until the moment he is sober again). He used to be a marine or work on the sea, but now wants to be with his wife as much as he can. He bought me a drink and insisted that I used his mobile phone to tell my friend we're 8 minutes late. You see, you can make finnish friends on the Linda line just as fast as the ferry itself.

My friend was really happy to see me again. It has been a long time indeed. Another reason she was so happy is that she was very much in love. We took the bus to this other art house in the country, just like Sanna, but this one was a 8 hour ride from Helsinki. But longer. She said her class mates would start drinking around noon. But they didn't. Nobody got drunk (yet). People just like me where constantly dozing off. The ride was pleasant. I had no idea i could sleep so much on a bus comfortably like
that.

2 little rendeer did not realise they were on a dangerous highway.

We arrived at the spot. There were a lot of speeches, i had no idea Finnish people talk that much, and the mosquitoes were feasting on the people. You see, we thought we came there to party, but it was the other way around. We were the reason for the mosquitoes to party.

There was a wonderful diner made for us and I liked the exposition. The place made the art works come out in a way more relaxed and free. I don't know how to explain. But that's how it felt. Relaxed art works.
I had a real wood sauna. It was a nice way to connect with the other women who were there. The sauna was wonderful. It was like the one I had in Belarus, but there they call it banja. Which is bathing in papiamentuuuu.

We danced all night long on baltic and romanian gypsy music. But the night didn't come. The sun stayed with us not to miss a minute of the party.





The next day we explored the oldest forest of Europe for a second time. The first time one older artist got the urge to thank God for the trees. So people drank to that (wodka, what else? Nespresso coffee?!)

I enjoyed the forest a lot, as long as the mosquitos allowed us to be there. The ones of Curacao are not even THAT hungry.
The bus had some technical difficulties. Seemed that the car battery was dead. After a couple of hours it was back to life and we took off. But the trip back was not nice at all. I was also very bored but couldn't sleep. I had made friends to chat with on the way back. Again friends to add, haha. Funny detail is that one of the friends friend is having an expo in the E.K.K.M near the port in Tallin.

Mustarinda is also inspiring me alot for the art platform I want to start :)
Art in Mustarinda


Cool local refreshment designs :) and delicious too, not too sweet, just perfect