Invisible Middelburg
The arts, which always take the
exchange of ideas as a point of depar
ture, are specifically well suited to give
this debate an inspiring impulse. In this
debate, global developments are translated
into the Dutch situation, for which Mid
delburg serves as an excellent location,
bearing in mind its consciously developed
image.
The artists and architects participating
in this manifestation approach authen
ticity from different viewpoints, giving
Fafade 2012 its pluriform character, and
resulting in a platform on which charged
notions such as 'fake' and 'imitation'
can be duly discussed. This in no way
disallows us from simply becoming mes
merized and enchanted by the artists'
installations.
In addition to the installations, the
event offers lectures, movies, symposia,
guided tours and an architectural con
vention. Several Middelburg municipal
institutions are involved with related activ
ities. The municipal cooperation is further
strengthened by cross-border cooperation
with Flemish institutions such as Netwerk
centrum voor hedendaagse kunst (Network
for contemporary art, Aalst) and Be-Part,
platform voor actuele kunst (Be-Part, plat
form for contemporary art, Waregem).
These organizations have created their
own exhibitions within the same theme.
The broad and varied program of
Fafade 2012 has been made possible
through the support of multiple govern
ment agencies, and public and private
funds, in both the Netherlands and Flan
ders. Furthermore, numerous companies
in Zeeland have made their knowledge
and resources freely available for the
event, and the Zeeuws Tijdschrift is show
ing its support with the publication of this
Fafade 2012 catalogue.
Kathrin Ginsberg and Thorn Schaar director
and coordinator of visual arts at CBK Zeeland
Paul van der Velde editor-in-chief of the
Zeeuws Tijdschrift.
The planned museum for contemporary
art never materialised; only a copper plate
remains as a reminder. In a resolution
dated 13 September 1995 the City Council
of Middelburg decided not to build the
museum, which had been designed by the
famous Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck.
On the pavement beneath the Graan-
beurs on the Damplein is a copper plate
imprinted with the name of the architect
and the numbers 13/IX, in reference to
the date that sealed the fate of a building
that will forever remain just an idea. This
imagined museum is an example of a city
never built; a fictitious city only existing
in the collective memory.
A city is much more than what is
physically perceptible. This is true for
Middelburg, as it is for all cities that have
developed throughout the ages. We only
see the constructed exterior of a city; a
fa£ade concealing its history, mentality,
and soul. Yet how does the perceptible
city relate to its unseen world behind the
fa£ade? And can any city be authentic if
so much remains invisible? The artists
contributing to Fagade 2012 pose these
questions. Their installations in the public
spaces of the city will not only reveal the
hidden realities of the urban society, they
will also unveil something of the soul that
is obscured by the architecture of those
public spaces.
Authenticity
Fagade 2012 aims to stimulate thought
and discussion about the city and its
architecture. It takes as its point of depar
ture the idea that not one city is as it
appears, or as it presents itself. Middel
burg, with its history dating back to the
Middle Ages, is no exception. A city is
the outcome of the times in which it was
built, demolished, destroyed and rebuilt,
and always according to the demands and
fashion of those moments. So, what does
it mean to call a city 'authentic'? What is
authenticity as such? The term is as com
plex and open to interpretation as is the
concept of a 'city', to which we are link
ing it in this context. If used in a legal
framework, authenticity means that a
deed has been registered by a notary, and
is administratively correct. When used
by an art historian it has a much wider
connotation and means that an object has
not been falsified, which is not indicative
of its beauty or value. But, in philosophy,
authenticity signifies something that
comes from within, brought about by the
human will, as opposed to having been
caused by circumstances. This is what we
mean here when referring to the authen
ticity of a city.
Even though a city is impacted by (nat
ural) disasters in the course of time, it is
foremost a man-made construction influ
enced by the changing wants and needs
throughout the years. This means that if
we now, in the year 2012, consider a city's
authenticity, we are in fact making a state
ment about our relationship with the city
in which we live; the city we consider to
be safe and comfortable, and in line with
our ideals. This is, incidentally, something
completely other than originality, with
which authenticity is often confused. Both
authenticity and originality are considered
ideals in our western culture. However,
whereas an unoriginal copy is regarded
as inferior, authenticity as a concept is
not judgmental. This would be altogether
useless, because one could never speak of
one authentic world, just as there is no one
exclusive truth.
A man-made city
Armed with the theme authenticity,
Fagade 2012 aims to broaden the horizon
of the city's inhabitants and visitors, so
as to deepen their understanding of the
reality of Middelburg. There is a lot we
see, but there is even more which we do
not see. An invisible memory shimmers
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