The Low Countries. Jaargang 14
(2006)– [tijdschrift] The Low Countries[p. 266] | |
Cultural PolicyForever Curious
| |
[p. 267] | |
bitions. It organises its own symposia and debates and issues its own publications.1. Two very interesting initiatives are the Art Purchase Scheme and the Prize for the Encouragement of Cultural Diversity. The Art Purchase Scheme enables less well-off people with an interest in art to purchase works of art. By means of this scheme individuals can buy works of art from some 150 galleries on credit. The Prize for the Encouragement of Cultural Diversity consists of a grant of 500,000 euros. The award is given to the museum of modern art that has come up with the best project on the theme of cultural diversity. The Mondriaan Foundation works closely with other Dutch funds that promote Dutch art forms, in the broad sense of the term, in other countries. That is not an unnecessary luxury, for on more than one occasion the Netherlands international cultural policy has been criticised for a lack of coherence and vision. Moreover, the context in which this policy has to operate is extremely complex. As Gitta Luiten, director of the Mondriaan Foundation, remarks in All that Dutch2., in the Netherlands as elsewhere globalisation has led to an intensified drive for a sense of individual identity. But for Dutch art this has meant having to deal with increasing provincialism and running the risk of losing touch with international developments in art. So the need for international reflection has seldom been so great as now. This concealed paradox gives rise to fascinating discussions. For Gitta Luiten, one of the key words is curiosity. The Netherlands must be curious about what is going on beyond its frontiers and, as it were, enter into a permanent dialogue with foreign art. This is the only way in which Dutch developments can be set in the much-needed international context.
Hans Vanacker Translated by Sheila M. Dale
Mondriaan Foundation: Jacob Obrechtstraat 56, 1071 kn Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel.: + 31 20 676 20 32 / Fax: + 31 20 676 20 36 www. mondriaanfoundation.nl |
|