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Introduction
The municipality of Tilburg has maintained a city partnership with Lekoa Vaal ( Emfuline) in South Africa since 1997. Tilburg wants to express this relationship in form of a public sculpture. The foundation Lekoa Vaal has asked visual artist Rob Moonen to develop an idea for an art project. Rob Moonen is an internationally working artist who has several contacts within South Africa. The project he proposed was unanimously chosen in the annual programme for 2004 by the advisory committee for public art in Tilburg.

Description of the project:
Tilburg will be the host for three South African artists.
The artistic framework is to create a "vrijplaats" in the form of a work in the public space, that expresses the relation between Tilburg and Lekoa Vaal in specific and that of the Netherlands with South Africa in general. The Tilburg district "Oerle" is very suitable for a public sign of solidarity because many streets carry names from the Dutch/South-African history (general Smutslaan, Zand rivier straat, Tafelbergstraat etc.) After a selection porcedure three artists are invited to come to Tilburg to stay for 6 weeks in order to gather material for their proposal and to get connected to the local public. At the end of their residency they will present their ideas. Depending on the proposals , at least one will be realized.It is important that the artists consider to create space within their proposal for dialogues and interactions with the local inhabitants of the district.

Context of the project:
The Netherlands have particular historical relations with South Africa;Tilburg maintains intensive contacts with partners in Lekoa Vaal,
in which Sharpeville, a historical milestone in the struggle against apartheid is located.
The Netherlands used to have strong bonds with the ANC. Tilburg stimulates global awareness under its population by means of the foundation Lekoa Vaal. In the past decade many contacts and exchanges took place in music as well as in visual arts.
The project can contribute to the discussion of the assumed differences in the perception of western and non western arts ( E.g. Documenta 9.10 and 11 in which global awareness and post colonialism were at issue). Interaction with the inhabitants of district Oerle can result in a social
component which eventually could be visualized in the public art piece. This dialogue will demand attention for the complex South African problems and the cultural differences with the Netherlands. The critical component of this project lies embedded in the confrontation of a South African artist with the street names of a district of Tilburg. Here the names have hardly any meaning, in South Africa they have stipulated the course of the history. Faith and respect form the foundation of the hospitality of Tilburg and also the base for this project.

Artist Profile
South African (male/female) of origin, preferably resident from the area Lekoa Vaal.
Working discipline, used media or techniques are of subordinate importance.
The artist must react from his cultural background to the district Oerle with its street names that refer to the South African history.
The art project symbolises a sign of solidarity of Tilburg/the Netherlands with Lekoa Vaal/South Africa, both historically seen and anno 2004.
He/she must be willing to interact with local citizens of that specific area of Tilburg.
At the selection of the 3 artists who will be invited, we roughly look for 3 generations. A representation of each generation will be appreciated.
He/she must be able and willing to come to Tilburg for 6 weeks ( travel expenses, housing expenses paid) to work on a proposal for an artwork /artproject in public space. Each of the 3 artists will get EURO 1500,-( ex VAT) ( approximately 13000 Rand) for his/her proposal. At least one proposal will be realized after a selection by a committee, existing out of Moshekwa Langa (artist) Pauline Burmann (art historian), Miranda Groot (board foundation Tilburg-Lekoa Vaal) Rob van Leeuwen (managing director of Tilburgse Kunststichting) Gerdi Beks (manager public space city of Tilburg) Atty Bax (manager art in public space Tilburgse Kunststichting) two representatives of the district and Rob Moonen (artist/project coordinator).
For the realization ( including artist fee) of the final artwork/ artproject in spring/summer 2005 a total amount of EURO 50.000 ( ex VAT)( approximately 445.000 Rand) will be made available.

Time schedule:

june 2004: selection artists

september oktober 2004: working period in Tilburg, at the end :presentation of proposals.

november 2004: selection of proposal

beginning 2005: realization.

 

Afrikaanderstraat
Bloemfonteinstraat
Danie Theronstraat
Dr.Leijdstraat
generaal Bothalaan
generaal Hertzogstraat
generaal Kockstraat
generaal Smutslaan
generaal de Wetstraat
Kaapkoloniestraat
Lucas Meijerstraat
Natalstraat
Mandelahof
Oranje Vrijstaatplein
Paul Krugerstraat
Piet Retiefstraat
president Steijnstraat
Pretoriastraat
Schalk Burgerstraat
Steve Bikohof
Tafelbergstraat
Transvaalplein
Transvaalstraat
Verenigingstraat
Wolmaranstraat
Zandrivierstraat
Zuidkaapflat

For more information, contact Rob Moonen: info@robmoonen.nl