the big silence

Even though they suffocate they won't protest. One of the worst affected areas is the WIshi neighbourhood. You can smell all kinds of nastyness. People are ill, die. But there is no tradition in protest on Curacao. You might have a brother or an inlaw that works for the refinery. You don't want to be a troublemaker. Even when your life is as badly affected as it is.

not to like

Social control is strong.
Even liking on Facebook is considered risky. SO people read, but hardly ever give a thumbs up. Cultural tradition is much more about keeping the peace. Pleasing. This makes it very easy to keep a bad thing like unlimited emssion of dangerous stuff going..

Protest for clean air

Saturday 12 spetember a protest aginst pollutionn was organized. We and a few hundred fellow demonstraters marched along the highway next to the ISLA refinerey.

Not only ISLA pollutes

Although the protest most of the times concentrates on ISLA this is not the only polluter here. Next to the refinery the energy plant is also billowing smoke. But this makes it all the more urgent action must be tkane now by the government.

working

preparing the seminar that is planned for the end of september. In this seminar we will try to introduce the students how to relate to current affairs as an artist. A point of view that is more that of a witness than being the center of a personal world.

working

Bart is working on protest and embroidery. An intruiging combination that shows much promise...

Kurá is Cour

As well several interesting linguistic things became clear. When an estate was build it had a courtyard. On this houses for personal and children where added. That's where the word Kura comes from: Cour, the french word for Courtyard.

Jacob Gelt Dekker

A special initiative was taken by mr Jacob Gelt Dekker, who came to Willemstad , saw the dilapitated inner city and decided to make a change. He bought up many small plots of land and created Kurá Hulanda, a partially authentic partly newly build resort in the center of town. As well he introduced art and made the Afrika Museum. A mural depicts the former squatters.

New New

Mr Anko van der Woude is a firm believer in contemporary building. So when a new housing project was planned it was very important that it both fitted but as well had the hallmarks of the time it was build in. The result is modern but 'authentic'. Details like the floor to ceiling shutter windows immediately tell it is a modern day building. Something like this is only possible in a concrete building..

Monumenten Otra Banda

Tijdens de uiterst boeiende rondleiding door architect Anko van der Woude (iedere donderdag van 17.15 -19.00, vertrek vanaf Brionplein) werden een aantal punten heel helder. Zonder monumentenzorg was er nu geen historische binnenstad meer.
Er is nog 300 miljoen gulden aan achterstallig onderhoud.

Omgaan met het nieuwe

Wanneer de Nederlanders gaan bouwen op Curacao doen ze wat ze al kunnen: dezelfde huizen als in Middelburg verschijnen ook hier. Het duurt eeuwen (!!!) voordat de bouwstijl wordt aangepast aan het klimaat ter plaatse. Puntdaken, schuiframen en zolders blijven allemaal in tact en maken zo het Hollandse huis heet en onaangenaam.

Muurkanker en familietwist

Omdat bakstenen weinig voor handen waren werden muren opgetrokken uit koraalsteen en afgepleisterd. Dat leidt tot 'muurkanker': het aanwezig zout doet de verf bladderen. Grotere bedreiging vormen de erfeniskwesties: veel als monument aangemerkte huizen vervallen omdat de erven het niet eens worden over de verdeleing of de bestemming...

authentic

what is authentic curacao? Hard question. Both landsc ape and use of th eisland have changed dramatically during the last centuries. Once there were natives, later the dutch brought many nationalities to the island. Commerce such as the refinery and lately tourism have made a huge impact on the scenery and identity.

souvenirs

So what to take as an original, authentic lasting memory of the island? In galerie Alma Blou there is a great selection. Like this little bag made of newspaper..

Infinite Island

Tirzo Martha 2005,

Tirzo Martha is one of the founders of IBB. My work is an existential analysis of our contemporary Caribbean societies—societies that are still afraid to free themselves from the burden created in the past. It’s about the material fiction that coexists with the spiritual reality. We are experiencing a transitory existence in our transitory societies that gives birth to my transitory works.

Welcome to paradise,

Tony Monsanto, 2008

“My work incorporates contemporary issues, like environmental and social subjects, dealing with the complexity of our Caribbean identity and reality. Migration of our people to the economical centers causes a brain drain and stagnation of our economy. Some, as a reaction to the demands of the harsh reality, seek mental support in the mythical world of anesral African religions. While the stereotype images combine clear blue waters, sandy beaches, palm trees, cool cocktails, tanned bodies, drum beating musicians, carnival parades and attractive dancers into a picture postcard view of the Caribbean, the population is struggling with unemployment, low income, political indecision as part of post-colonialism, as well as drug, gambling and alcohol addiction.” (Tony Monsanto1946-2014)

work has started

today working in the studio. Many ideas already going back and forth..

art is....

In the process of preparing our seminar we are faced with the big questions: Art is.... Giving testimony is the first of our central themes.

ISLA emission output very high

The emission output by oil refinery ISLA last month was very high. Far exceeding european standards. Probably causing immediate health risks. What is done to curb this? Well, nothing.

http://www.versgeperst.com/nieuws/270010/opnieuw-recordmetingen-uitstoot-isla.html

protesters divided

Close or regulate? This is the question that divides the island. Closing means cleaning up and changing the use of the vast 600 acre plot. Regulating is placing filters and changing the production process to a more people and environmentally safe one. Both require money and determination

our beach

there are certain places where locals hang out in the weekend: Knipa, kleine Knipa, de laguna. These places are natural beaches that don't charge anything for entering. You come early, bring lots of food and family and spend the day eating, talking and the occasional dip in the water.

their beach

Professional beaches are created for tourists. They have entertainment, food and sunbeds. Often possibilities for diving or other sea sports. Many of them are part of a hotel. If you're not a hotel guest you have to pay for use of the beach. The one depicted above is unusal because it also shows lots of art.

hulk loses arms

By injecting syntol in his muscles this guy went from, nerd to hulk. Not really though because it wasn't musle but scar tissue. And he almost lost his arms because of lack of circulation...

follow you're dream

if it is a good dream, you can make it real!
this wish for christmas was on the ISLA plant where every year a big christmas do is held.

La Cruz & Helwegen in Curacao Mueseum

With a big installation La Cruz & Helwegen pay hommage to Curacaoan culture. The relation of LaCruz with his homested is one of both love and hate. Loving the amiety among the poor and hating the selfserving people in power.

Blik House

For the past ten years they documented the disappearance of a certain type of house, the blikhouses, constructed by labourers with reclaimed wood and cladded with cans.

Fantastic sea, bars, beach, entertainment. perfect for a summer holiday.
Some beaches are open free of charge later in the afternoon.

need we say more.... The absolute resort feeling..

Bussiness

The island's legal system supports a wide variety of corporate structures and is a popular corporate haven. Curaçao is considered a tax haven yet it adheres to the EU Code of Conduct against harmful tax practices.

ISLA

holiday card commenting on the refinery ISLA. Founded by SHELL in 1918 it is now now Curacao owned but rented to Venezuela state company Petróleos de Venezuela.

www.bvibeacon.com/1/index.php/news-articles-2/1936-june-4-2015/business-june-4-2015/6887-chinese-eying-investment-in-curacao-refinery

space

Curacao has plans to construct a spaceport or a launching base for rockets carrying tourists into space.

http://www.holiday-in-space.com/spaceexpeditioncuraao.htm