The Bronze-green oak wood* From Landscape to Back Garden

Nature is clearly an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In painting, nature’s grandeur and sublimity disclose metaphors for unparalleled beauty. Nature's inexorable force is seen in a daisy or thistle growing in the cracks of paving or in its ability to overwhelm and destroy, the evidence of which remains visible for millennia. Nature provides us with food and a proven beneficial effect on our mind and health. For some, nature is synonymous with the Alps, while others consider their backyard a rich natural habitat. For centuries, the differentiation between 'Nature' and 'Culture' has been a much discussed and disputed topic. Despite our origins in nature, humans are naturally implicated in the cultural domain, and yet data and algorithms operate organically or in natural swarm-like patterns.

The Limburg anthem, which begins with the words 'Waar in 't bronsgroen eikenhout, 't nachtegaaltje zingt' (Where in the bronze-green oak wood, the nightingale sings) is evidently an ode to the landscape. The anthem recalls traits of the Limburg landscape – attributes formed over years by the natural elements, the peasants, the mines, and later tourism – which are a source of income and inspiration. This same nature is under pressure from, among other things, the loss of biodiversity and the ecological consequences of climate change. The quality of nature is now a social issue in which a multiplicity of issues, such as paving, development, and the use of pesticides, all play a role. Meanwhile, the calls for sustainability, biodiversity, and vertical greenery are increasing. For these reasons, together with you, we want to focus on nature.

Nature Consultation
To complete this exhibition, we request your contributions. Do you have a good story about nature you'd like to share? Do you collect stamps or coins that are about nature? Are you a flower painter with something extraordinary to tell about your interest? Are you a professional or amateur photographer with images that are ideal for this exhibition? Have you worked for years on a herbarium? Do you have a rake with an interesting story behind it; an experimental Super 8 film of microorganisms; a vase with a picture of the Limburg landscape? Are you a designer who has recently delivered an inspiring project associated with nature? Are you conducting research on reusing natural resources?

In short, all stories are welcome. We await your contributions during our weekly Nature Consultations. Together with you and a team of experienced exhibition makers, we shall determine whether your project gets a place in the exhibition. All of our audio-visual resources are available (video projectors, DVD players, flat-screen monitors, etc.). Our graphic designer – Lyanne Polderman – and our construction team are also at the ready to make something beautiful of your exhibition contribution.

A collaboration with the Centre for Environmental and Nature Education (Centrum voor Natuur en Milieu Educatie – CNME)

CNME and Bureau Europa are joining forces to promote awareness of our landscape and urban greenery. What do we consider as nature and who determines what nature actually is? The stories behind our landscape are just as inspiring as how we represent it. What can you add to the understanding and experience of biodiversity and nature? Each week takes on a different approach: vertical greenery, a 'guerrilla seed-bombing' workshop led by Goos Bronkhorst, and inspiring city walks concentrating on sunsets or macro-photography. Together, we bring the stories of the city into the exhibition and vice versa. We shall also develop 'show stories': a workshop in which children create a story inspired by a piece from the exhibition’s collection. These stories will form a separate collection within the exhibition in the form of show-boxes. Combining these elements fuels a growing collection.

Bronze Green Oak Wood shows art works of: 

Erik Andriesse * Ellen Ter Beek * Judith Boer * Nathalie Brans * Ilona van den Brekel * Anne Büscher * Derk Byvanck * Bee Collective * Stefan Cools * Paul Devens * Karel Dicker * Club Donny * Rob Driessen * Titia Eggen * Ton Eyssen * Femke Habets * Roderick Hietbrink * Samah Hijawi * Joep Hinssen * Fran Hoeberger * Hans Gremmen * Esther Janssen * Chris Kabel * Tineke Kambier * Anne Kerstens (archief Philippe Friskorn) * MC Krell * Lisette Laudy * Elke Lutgerink * Dianne van der Maas * Jane McSwiney * Ontwerpers Frontenpark gemeente Maastricht * Désirée Malessa * Mike Moonen * Bo Oudendijk * Karin Peulen * Michiel Poecke * Rademacher & de Vries architecten * Chantal Schijns * Jef Schijns * TAAT * Torsten Uerlings * Raoul Vleugels * Wytske van der Veen * George Vogelaar & Bert Janssen * Joep Vossebeld

Remember to put the exhibition's opening date in your diary: Saturday 1 October, 15:00–17:00. Or rather, the closing date because once complete, the exhibition ends. Installation begins on 1 September, and the one-weekly Nature Consultations are where you can share your work, stories, and projects about nature with us. We look forward to working with you on collecting and manifesting this exhibition.

This exhibition is the result of a collaboration between CNME Maastricht and Bureau Europa, platform architecture and design.

Dates: 1 September - 2 October.
Opening: Saturday 1 October, 15.00-17.00
Dates Nature Consultation: every Thursday from 16.00 until 20.00
Entrance: €1, museumjaarkaarthouders free entrance.
Location: Bureau Europa

image: Lyanne Polderman