Are you looking for art in unexpected places? Are you seeking a cultural retreat before the end of summer and the beginning of the rat race? Then I have the perfect tip for you. Before 31 August, make sure to visit Watou Arts Festival, and treat yourself to a special experience.
The arts village of Watou, close to the French border, now hosts this festival for the 35th time. The village is the setting and offers a dozen characteristic locations as exhibition spaces: a former monastery, an old farm, or the cellar of a brewery.
Visual artists and poets form a special arts track through the village. For busy city people especially, the interaction between nostalgic spaces and contemporary art presents a special experience. Small moments of bliss.
Lie down on a listening platform and enjoy the poetry of Remco Campert, pass by a farmyard and literally step into the wondrous world of Robert Roelink Art. Every location tells its own unique story, up to the village church where the artwork of Kristof Kintera is being worshipped like a saint’s figure.
This year’s theme is ‘under the lee of the time in between’. The organisation wishes to invigorate the beauty of everyday things, cherish and multiply moments of wonder. To make room, even in these frantic days, for melancholy and memory. A successful endeavour in my view. Go ahead and enjoy the richness of the time in between – it’s more than worth the trip.