- Home |
- Festival |
- ESNS Art
ESNS Art
During the upcoming edition of ESNS, there will again be plenty to see and experience in the city. Besides music and gigs, there is also a great offer when it comes to visual art, under the name ESNS Art. Together with Kunstpunt Groningen, we will place two temporary works of art in the city centre of Groningen. Vera Artdivision and Kunstlievend Genootschap Pictura will be unpacking the European Poster Explosion (EPEX), and there will be much more.
ESNS x Kunstpunt Groningen
For several years now, ESNS and Kunstpunt Groningen have been joining forces for ESNS Art, an initiative aimed at surprising festival-goers with art by local artists. This year, we’ve invited artist Koos Buist to reflect on the potential future. The result is his striking installation O Denneboom, a piece you simply can’t miss in the heart of the city during the vibrant ESNS festival. Through this work, Buist explores the complex relationship between humanity and nature, holding up a mirror to our interaction with the natural world. The installation will be open for free viewing on January 16th and 17th, 2025, at the Grote Markt during ESNS.
O Denneboom - Koos Buist
For ESNS, Koos Buist has created a unique artwork, O Denneboom, which will be prominently displayed in front of the town hall. With this piece, Buist addresses contemporary issues, using the festival as a platform to raise awareness in a playful way about how we relate to and shape nature. How do we, as humans, position ourselves in relation to nature, and how do we manipulate it to our own ends? And how is this reflected in our daily lives?
Buist uses the Christmas tree as a symbol of nature and our interaction with it—a living organism with roots in ancient myths and a festive presence in our homes during the dark winter months. Through his installation, Buist adds another layer of story to the life of these trees.
Free Workshop for Children – January 17th at the Grote Markt
Grote Markt
In collaboration with 11- to 12-year-old students from IKC Borgman Oosterpoort, Buist explored nature and its hidden wonders, discussing not only what we can see but also what lies beneath the surface. What will the future of nature look like, and what is hidden underground? The students' reflections are incorporated into the artwork, and together with Buist, they created mystical creatures from the roots of Christmas trees. These "nature spirits" will be displayed during ESNS at Kunstpunt's pop-up location in the former Vapiano building.
There will also be a crafting session for all ages, in partnership with Talent van Hier, on Friday, January 17th, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. At a tent set up on the Grote Markt, children, parents, and passersby can participate in building these mystical root creatures. Koos Buist will host a workshop where participants can construct these mystical beings using tree roots, string, stones, feathers, reeds, clay, and twigs. As an expert in creating figures from found materials, Koos will guide participants through the process and help them get started. This collaborative activity will spark conversations about how humans interact with and use nature.
O Denneboom is an artwork by Koos Buist, commissioned by ESNS and Kunstpunt Groningen. ESNS Art is supported by the Mondriaan Fund.
Photo: Niels Meijer
De Nieuwe Editie
De Nieuwe Editie is a platform that supports emerging talent in Groningen and spotlights the art scene. Its aim? To give local artists a stage and make art accessible to everyone. De Nieuwe Editie brings art to surprising places in the city, often in combination with a café or restaurant, so that visitors can experience art in a new way.
Everything De Nieuwe Editie presents comes from Groningen artists. The platform experiments with the concept of a Nomad Gallery: a travelling gallery where art merges with other creative disciplines and constantly changes location. The highlight? Letting visitors fall in love with a work of art and letting them buy that one special piece. This not only supports the artist, but also contributes to further development.
During the Eurosonic Noorderslag Festival, De Nieuwe Editie is part of the collaboration between ESNS X NOORD X MINERVA at location Minerva Zuiderdiep. This location is entirely dedicated to talent from the North.
Want to know more? Visit De Nieuwe Editie webpage for upcoming editions or follow the platform on Instagram.
Photo: Calluna Denkers
The European Poster Explosion in cooperation with Vera Artdivision and Kunstlievend Genootschap Pictura
Pictura, Sint Walburgstraat 1, Groningen
During The Eurosonic/Noorderslag festival make sure to drop by The European Poster Explosion and check out some amazing silkscreen posters, art prints and other merchandise from all around Europe.
In total there are more than 15 European designers and studios from different countries on display at EPEX: Joris Diks (NL), Zellerluoid (ES), Jj Farfante (IT), Mara Piccione (NL), Clockwork Pictures (IT), Spiegelsaal (DE), Phillip Janta (DE), Thomas Perrodin (CH), Carlo Vivary (DE), Kim Hunnersen (NL), Falk Schwalbe (DE), Simon Marchner (DE), Rommie Schilstra (NL) and VERA Art Division (NL).
Upstairs in the gallery space there will be an exhibition and market circled around the gigposter. All posters are original pieces of art and created in collaboration with the musicians and concert halls. Most of them are for sale, so grab this unique chance to get a signed and affordable limited edition silkscreen of your favourite band or artist!
The European Poster Explosion is an initiative by The VERA Artdivision & Kunstlievend Genootschap Pictura and an official part of ESNS.
Official opening: Wednesday 15 January at 16:00
Live music: Saturday 18 January, 13:30 + 15:00 Them Dirty Dimes
The European Poster Explosion is opened 15 - 18 January at Pictura, opening hours: 13:00 – 18:00
TALENT VAN HIER
TALENT VAN HIER is an initiative to increase the visibility of Groningen talent in the disciplines of visual arts, performing arts, literature and pop culture. This is done by providing additional presentation platforms at festivals, venues and cultural institutions.
Grand Theatre Groningen is initiator and coordinator from its role as Cultural Pillar Talent for the Municipality of Groningen, collaborating with various cultural organisations in the municipality of Groningen.
The talents within the visual arts discipline will be presented during ESNS at the institutions Sign, NP3, Het Resort, Kunstpunt and Noorderlicht. The presentations consist of various works of art and performances in which the theme ties in with ESNS.
Het Resort
De Sint Jan, Nieuwe Sint Jansstraat 35, Groningen
The Resort hosts a breakfast and wellness. Take a break from too much partying, beer and music. The public can come for breakfast and Groningen artist Igor Bobeldijk will pamper the visitors.
The performative breakfast buffet will be served by robots controlled remotely by operators. On their operator desk, they see the audience from the robots' perspective. The operators each control a serving robot that dispenses a delicious and nutritious breakfast.
Adriaan Bon aka Soft Man live on keyboard, provides the music. The music: ambient sci-fi wellness, will be a mix between background music with occasional impulse or movement. When the robots are not active, they can move freely with the music.
18 januari 11.00 - 18.00.
SIGN
SIGN, Winschoterkade 10, 9711 EA Groningen
On view at Sign is the project Longing, which begins on 18 January. For this exhibition, young artists Dakota Magdalena Mokhammad, Muzzamil Hussain, Sofiia Dubyna, Jaasir Linger will create new work on site in the form of monumental murals, large wall constellations, 2d (textile) works, paper collages, complemented by subtle 3D elements on walls or ceilings, drawings and paintings directly on the walls.
On the same day, the exhibition comes to life with a 1-day event HYPERTROVE. HYPERTROVE presents critical pop culture/music-related performances related to the topic of Longing and adds a dynamic layer to the exhibition.
HyperTrove explores themes of identity and self-perception, exploring self-representation in contemporary media; concepts that resonate with Longing and the Eurosonic Noorderslag festival.
NP3 x Ra'fat Ali x Katie Ceekay
NP3 | RE: Search Gallery
NP3 presents Ra'fat Ali and Katie Ceekay. They are the current LABitat artists at NP3 | RE:Search:Gallery, where they are working on the next step in their artistic research. During Talent van Hier, they will present their latest developments to the public.
Katie approaches art as a verb, putting the stimulation of discussion and debate above the material. She positions herself at the intersection of community building and political intervention.
Questioning the elements of film, Ra'fat explores the structures of his own identity and the confusion he faces outside his home city, away from his native language, Arabic.
For Talent van Hier, Katie marks the transition from the first steps in building a creative coalition of Northern artists to taking the first intervention actions. Ra'fat presents a new installation, based on a key moment from his current film project, taking his research further.
18 januari tussen 13.00 - 17.00 Hofstraat 21, Groningen
Noorderlicht x Franc Archive
Noorderlicht, Akerkhof
How are algorithms manipulating the news? In his installation Breaking the News, Franc Archive uses headlines taken directly from mainstream media and manipulates photographs to create a different narrative, delivering sharp socio-political commentary. The installation contains more than a hundred generative news items displayed on screens suspended from scaffolding. The work powerfully illustrates how algorithms determine what we do and do not see, and raises questions about the reliability of news in the digital realm and on social media.
Breaking the News is part of the Noorderlicht exhibition Pixel Perceptions, but especially for Talent from Here, Franc Archive gives a live performance where he shares his screen with the audience and manipulates the news in real time. Using AI, he generates voices that he adds to the headlines, creating an overwhelming soundscape that completes the experience.
Can you actually believe your own eyes and ears?
18 januari van 14.00 - 17.00 in de Akerk Groningen (toegang €6,-, studenten €4,50)
The World of Music Video - Forum
Generations have grown up with it: the music video. Fifty years after the launch of the first modern music video, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Forum Groningen opens a unique exhibition celebrating the history and artistic power of this medium. The World of Music Video takes you on a journey through inspiring and groundbreaking music videos from around the world. Featuring iconic classics like Queens Bohemian Rhapsody and Michael Jackson's Thriller to modern masterpieces like Billie Eilish's Bad Guy and The Carters' APESHIT. The exhibition can be seen in Groningen from Saturday 14 December 2024 to Sunday 18 May 2025.
ESNS festival visitors and delegates will receive a €5 discount on an admission ticket to the exhibition on presentation of their ESNS wristband.
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, 1975, Verenigd Koninkrijk © Universal Music Group
The European Music Platform.
