More than 150 students experience their very first days at the art academy practically in the middle of nowhere. 'Camping Minerva' takes place near Elp in Drenthe. Three days of immersion in art, and in each other's presence. We were there and asked four first-year students from the direction of autonomous visual art about their expectations, dreams and sources of inspiration. “I have often tried to master Dumas's way of painting, but with moderate success.”
BERBER VAN DER VEER, 19 YEARS OLD
Berber, despite being camping, has her eyeliner on tight. She hopes to learn many different techniques at the Groningen art academy. “There is so much to discover, and I want to find something that really suits me. Fortunately, you get that freedom at the academy. At the moment I mainly draw a lot.” The work of Marlene Dumas is a source of inspiration for her: "I have often tried to master her way of painting, with moderate success." Berber not only expects to gain a lot of knowledge, but also looks forward to getting to know many new people.
DANIEL ALSINA-SANTOS, 20 YEARS OLD
Daniel previously completed the Art & Design course at Noorderpoort College, a ROC in Groningen. Now he is going to study autonomous visual arts. “No, I haven't learned enough yet. I expect to learn a lot more. About new materials, but also things in myself.” He realizes that things will fail in that too. “I shoot a lot analog and I draw a lot. But I'm looking forward to trying other things and maybe creating a sculpture.” Daniel does not yet have a clear picture of what his life will look like in a year. “I'm sure I'll have seen a lot in a year,” he says, “but maybe by then I'll want to do something completely different. Design, for example.”
INGRID IN DER MAUR, 45 YEARS OLD
Ingrid is the oldest of the class of first-year students. She's come a long way before she got to art school. “In high school, I liked crafts and drawing the most.” Part of Ingrid's family was artistic, but an art education was out of the question. After the social academy, a job in the financial sector followed. Yet again and again the desire to make art surfaced. Ingrid started painting again and even exhibited. In the end she decided to go to the art academy. What does she expect from the coming years? “I expect to gain a lot of knowledge of materials and techniques. I want to learn to take risks and keep discovering.” Her sources of inspiration are Henri Matisse, Jean Tinguely, and Maartje van Korstanje. She hopes to one day grow that big. “International fame, portraying major issues and thus reaching a large audience are my dreams.”
BAS VAN DELDEN, 21 YEARS OLD
Why Bas is going to do the art academy? “Creativity is in you. If you love something, you can choose to continue doing it and make it your profession. then you must be at the art academy.” Bas expects that he will get to know many materials and techniques, but he also knows that it goes further than that. “You learn to think about art in a philosophical way. That you have to be critical and skeptical, stubborn even.” When we ask him where he will be in a year, he smiles and says he doesn't think that far ahead. “The intention is that I get my propaedeutic certificate. It's all still in the early stages. I will also focus on sports. I now run five kilometers in under twenty minutes. Maybe that will improve in a year.”