German-Dutch art project ‘Textmachine’ opens
On Wednesday, May 20, the Textmachine was officially unveiled on the Markt Bocholt, in front of the old town hall. Bocholt’s Deputy Mayor Gudrun Koppers presided over the opening of this unique art project. Among those in attendance were artist Karo Kollwitz, Mayor Anton Stapelkamp, and various participants in the project.
The Textmachine is a cross-border art project in which twenty-three authors living in the municipalities of Bocholt and Aalten have recorded their own texts. Among them are the two mayors, Christian Mangen and Anton Stapelkamp. The submissions are as diverse as the participants themselves. They include stories, poems, songs, and personal texts.
Participants
About 50 submissions were received, 23 of which were incorporated into the artwork. The following contributions can be heard: Christoph Blumentrath with “Love Letter to a Colorful Flag,” Laura Bramhoff with “Borders,” Gerda Brethouwer with “Joop’s Flying Di,” Anke Burger with “Memory,” Maria Bußkamp with “Hoppnunk,” Uwe Czimmek with "Summer Haiku - It’s Summer," Class 4c of the C-Dülmer School with "Untitled," Iris Dumoulin with "The Country Road," Jochen Freund with "City, Country, River," Ankh Gussinklo with "80 Years of Freedom at a Glance," Bert Helmink with "ElsQQ and the Q", Hans Keuper with "This Land", Elena Kock with "Summer Days", Karo Kollwitz with "Poetry Machine", Gerrit Maalderink with "Letter from My Gold", Judith Nothnagel with "Shadow Play - Changing World", Rocco Ostermann with "Here You Are", Christian Mangen with “Lebenslauf,” Katja Perrecci with “Untitled,” Harald Richer with “Good Neighbors,” Alice Spoelder with “Gnome in Bredevoort,” Anton Stapelkamp with “Aalten’s Anthem,” Louis Veldhuis with “With My Dog,” and Silke Vogten with “Slugs and Idiots.”
Street art
According to artist Karo Kollwitz, words and poetry are all around us, but you have to pay attention to them. This installation makes that visible. This is also reflected in the way the Textmachine works. The art installation, shaped like a cloud, is mounted on a lamppost and consists of 23 buttons. Behind each button is a different recording. Visitors can press a button themselves and listen to the various voices and stories from the region. The texts are deliberately not played loudly in public spaces, especially at night, so as not to disturb nearby residents. Anyone who wants to listen must really stop for a moment, press a button, and listen attentively.
Also showing in Aalten starting in late July
Through the Textmachine, Bocholt and the municipality of Aalten are once again collaborating on a cross-border cultural project.
The Textmachine will remain on display on the Markt Bocholt until the end of July. After that, the artwork will be moved to Aalten, where it will be installed on a lamppost in front of the National Hiding Place Museum. An official opening ceremony will also be held in Aalten at a later date.
About the Textmachine
Since 2006, the installation has been on display at various locations, including Hamburg, Zurich, and Helsinki. The artwork was created by artist Karo Kollwitz. She graduated from the Bauhaus University in Weimar and the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig and exhibits her large-scale installations and objects internationally. The installation brings together stories, voices, and experiences from residents of both municipalities and demonstrates how art, culture, and stories can connect people.
This project is made possible in part by
