Various artists
Proeftuin Twente: Mobile Laboratories

In 2003 and 2004 mobile laboratories were placed in Twente’s 14 districts. In these laboratories, artists of varying disciplines spent one month researching the cultural identity of certain locations in accordance with predetermined themes tailored to each separate district.

Laboratorium TUBBERGEN: Frank Bezemer (TUBBERGEN Laboratory)
During his stay in Tubbergen, Frank Bezemer noted that the wandering network of sandy paths that had once existed here, had now disappeared. Fences, barbed wire and sheds now hide the landscape. The artist proposed to redivide the public and privately-owned spaces surrounding Tubbergen and to make ‘ribboned parks’ along the sandy paths and rivers that would additionally serve as ‘ecological life lines’. To this end he organized a walk and made a ‘landmark’ out of iron ore that the hikers could add to.

Laboratorium HELLENDOORN: Ida van der Lee (HELLENDOORN Laboratory)
Ida van der Lee based her mobile laboratory, which is located in the district of Hellendoorn, on a metaphor, namely, Hellendoorn as a family of individual town centers. Van der Lee set out to make a thorough investigation of this ‘Hellendoorn family’ in an observation unit where she additionally received residents and specialists. As a conclusion to her project, Van der Lee made a ‘diagnosis’ of Hellendoorn’s identity, which she translated into an installation and a narrative.

Laboratorium ALMELO: Cor Trompetter (ALMELO Laboratory)
Historian Cor Trompetter investigated the identity of Almelo. He focused on its historical growth as well as on the relevance that Almelo’s past identity has on the present. The relationship between the town and its surrounding countryside – unique to Almelo – remains a central theme in his three historical narratives.

Laboratorium BORNE: Natasha Gerson (BORNE Laboratory)
Writer Natasha Gerson went to Borne in search of vacant areas, the so-called ‘liminal space’ of this district. With ‘liminal space’ (a combination of ‘limited’ and ‘minimal’ termed by urban philosopher, Robin Brouwers) Gerson refers to the naturally undeveloped areas of the past that elicited a sense of freedom.

Laboratorium WIERDEN: Jord den Hollander (WIERDEN Laboratory)
Following his stay, Jord den Hollander organized a ‘Sound Safari’ through Wierden’s landscape. The changes in the landscape, such as the transition from agricultural to recreational land and the desire to maintain the ‘original’ landscape, both represent focal points in Hollander’s investigation.

Laboratorium RIJSSEN-HOLTEN: Roderik Rodenburg (RIJSSEN-HOLTEN Laboratory)
For the Rijssen/Holten district, video artist Roderik Rodenburg made a documentary based on the premise 'what binds us?’. In the documentary he visualizes the specific character of each town by zooming in on the lives of its residents.

Laboratorium TWENTERAND: Andrea Stultiens (TWENTERAND Laboratory)
Andrea Stultiens similarly opted for a visual essay. In a series of photographs she shows how residents of Twenterand give a strange twist to the historical rudiments of their district.

Laboratorium DINKELLAND: Korrie Besems (DINKELLAND Laboratory)
Korrie Besems focused on the sages, rituals and folk traditions of Dinkelland and reported her findings with the help of texts and photographs. Based on her findings she made ten proposals.

Laboratorium HOF VAN TWENTE: Hans Eijkelboom en Peter Spaans (HOF VAN TWENTE Laboratory)
In their own personal fashion, Hans Eijkelboom and Peter Spaans investigated the cultural identity of the Hof van Twente (Twente’s Court) in relation to the theme ‘industrial development: rural estates, art and industry’. The changes that landscape is subject to and the dilemmas that play a part in this form the focal points of this - purely visual - investigation.

Laboratorium ENSCHEDE: Maurer United Architects (ENSCHEDE Laboratory)
In this investigation Maurer United Architects (MUA) emphasize the topics of ‘modern entertainment’ and ‘industrial development’ as well as the identity of the city of Enschede.

Laboratorium HAAKSBERGEN: Sietse van der Hoek (HAAKSBERGEN Laboratory)
Roaming through the Haaksbergen district and conversing with its residents roused the curiosity of writer/journalist/landscape historian Sietse van der Hoek. Based on his investigation, he wrote the story, 'ZICHZELF GENOEG - op de erven van Haaksbergen’ (ONESELF ENOUGH – on the Haaksbergen estates) which features illustrations by Geert Voskamp.

Laboratorium LOSSER: Bob Braine (LOSSER Laboratory)
Losser’s identity is not only found in its soil. However by comparing it to the rest of the Netherlands or even the rest of Twente, it seems that Losser does indeed have a unique and ‘unDutch’ soil. Proeftuin Twente approached Bob Braine to study Losser’s geology for the period of one month. His object of study included the - in Dutch terms unique - quarry of Staring, the equally unique clay pit containing blue sea clay situated near to the historical brickyard and the location between the old sandstone formation and the much younger lateral moraine, which features a meandering stream, in itself a rarity in present-day Holland.

Laboratorium OLDENZAAL: Threes Anna Schreurs (OLDENZAAL Laboratory)
Threes Anna Schreurs took up residence in Oldenzaal and, during the month of November 2003, wrote 25 columns for the local daily paper, De Twentse Courant Tubantia, which boasts a readership of 80%. Her columns, which were based on observations and interviews, drew an overwhelming response. One group of readers identified with the writings and responded positively and one group could not tolerate any interference from an outsider and thus responded negatively.

Laboratorium HENGELO: Yvonne Dröge Wendel (HENGELO Laboratory)
The way in which the character of a city or region is perceived is only partially based on facts. Yvonne Dröge Wendel’s project was primarily based on the question: ‘Who or what determines what a city ‘is’ and how is this environment perceived by the individual and by the public at large?’ The result was, among others, a DVD featuring ‘The Hengelo Song’, a song that conveys the fact that Hengelo has no actual city center.

For more information: www.proeftuintwente.nl