Going Dutch
It’s deeply embedded in the Dutch DNA to find new and improved solutions in our battle against climate change and to create a thriving and healthy environment for future generations. Central to this is a “greener cities” initiative that has at its heart, pioneering individuals working in food, hotels, the arts, farming – and an incubator model city brimming with initiatives.
BRINGING EMOTIONS TO FACTS
Interactive art installations that stir the imagination
Name: Thijs Biersteker
Position/organisation: Artist and founder of Woven Studio
City: Zaandam
I’m an eco-artist. By combining art and science, I want people to not only receive facts and data, but to also feel an emotional connection to that data. And take action. I want to remind people that they are connected to the entire ecosystem around them.
Art reflects the times we live in. If there’s one subject that deserves even more attention than it already gets, it’s climate change. Like many people, I’ve become a bit numb to all the facts and headlines about this. In my work I look at how imagination can partner with scientific data on issues such as deforestation, air pollution, or plastic in the oceans. I believe that art and science should come together to increase awareness and make this more tangible for everyone.
Giving nature a voice
For example, for the installation 'Wither' at the Barbican Centre in London, we use data from UNESCO about deforestation in the Amazon. The artwork depicts a piece of rainforest that 'disappears' at the same speed at which deforestation is currently taking place in reality. When you stand in front of it, you literally watch it becoming more and more transparent.
Did you know that trees in a forest communicate with each other through their root systems and thus keep the ecosystem healthy? The work Econtinuum at the NXT museum in Amsterdam imitates this using A.I. technology, and visitors are invited to participate and be part of the ecosystem.
Science, art, and technology
Every project starts in collaboration with scientists. To actually carry out the installation, I work with a full team - from scientists and engineers to (intelligence) designers. The art installations are created as sustainably as possible here at Woven Studio. Each work is given a 'passport' with data on CO2 emissions and the reusability of the material. What I make is a kind of symbiosis between science and art using the latest technology that makes this possible. This trinity makes it completely unique, and it’s also very cool to work with all those diverse specialists.
More emotion, more action
My work deals with the future; one that we really should avoid. Over the past 50 years there have been many reports on climate change, so we already know a lot about it. By presenting the data and the facts through a work of art, I hope to usher in a new era in which we are more willing to take action. Standing in front of it and being confronted with the reality of it has more impact than just reading a headline.
Where do you see the Netherlands in 10 years?
In the Netherlands, we have battled extreme weather and water for centuries. This knowledge could be very important in the coming years in the fight against climate change and its consequences, especially in combination with art and science. The Netherlands can grow into a role in which we help, inform, and inspire people about the major challenges that lie ahead.
“All the guests arrive at the same time in the evening and are served a four-course meal. During each course, we tell them something about Flevoland, the farmer, the products, what we prepared, or how it was prepared.”
ROTTERDAM: A SUSTAINABILITY PIONEER
BlueCity is a circular incubator model city that’s absolutely brimming with initiatives.
Name: Thibaud Ducoulombier and Lisa van Huygevoort
Position/organisation: Event Coordinator and Event & Sales Manager, BlueCity
City: Rotterdam
BlueCity is a circular incubator model city that provides a platform for pioneers in the circular economy. It’s a place where enterprising minds meet and develop a vision for action. Located at the site of the former Tropicana swimming pool - an iconic building for the people of Rotterdam - this unique location on the River Meuse is perfect for events.
Our current linear economy just isn’t working. We’re running out of raw materials and the soil is being exhausted. The solutions lie in creating a closed-loop system. In BlueCity, more than 40 entrepreneurs are working day in and day out. The BlueCity Lab is now located in the former changing rooms of the swimming pool in Rotterdam, where our 'bioneers', pioneers in bio-design, develop new products and circular methods. We also host and organise all kinds of programs and events.
Circular Challenge
The events are a way for BlueCity to help others get acquainted with the meaning of sustainability in a very tangible way. For example, we have the Circular Challenge, in which we invite companies and organisations to convert a worthless residual flow into a valuable product within six weeks. For this challenge, we link the companies to students and young professionals who are guided by circular bioneers, design thinkers, and financial experts.
Waste as raw material
We strive for zero-waste events with circular catering. Too much food is thrown away, especially in the event industry. Our products are local and seasonal, for example: bitterballen (mini croquettes) made from oyster mushrooms that the entrepreneurs at Rotterzwam grow on coffee grounds, and bread made from spent grains that are a residual product from our Vet&Lazy brewery. Plastic is reused for nesting boxes and paper becomes compost for the worm bins.
Cross-pollination
It is great to witness the passion of the entrepreneurs. Everyone here has the same goal – to make the world a little better. Rotterzwam grows oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds and coffee husks, residual products that are normally thrown away. Fruitleather converts discarded fruit into leather-like material, which can be used to make items such as purses. BlueBlocks develops plate material for construction using brown algae from the North Sea. Kusala Gifts makes soap that is free of palm oil and plastics, but with residual ingredients such as olive oil, coffee, and brewer's grains. We could go on and on. There are so many different areas of expertise and sectors and a lot of cross-pollination happening between them.
Events, workshops and Expeditie BlueCity
The public events are the best ways to get to know us. For example, we organise the clothing swap market Changez together with The Swapshop, and in various Let's Fix It workshops we teach Rotterdam residents how to repair items instead of throwing their stuff away and buying new things. We do this with clothes, plants, bicycles, you name it. We also organize Expeditie BlueCity, a dive into the world of BlueCity. You get a tour of the former subtropical swimming pool, take a look at the BlueCity Lab - the first circular biolab in the world, and you meet a circular entrepreneur. Check the agenda on the website. There’s a good chance you will leave with your own ideas about how to contribute to a sustainable world.
BOERKOK: LOCAL FOOD AND GOOD STORIES
A special event location in the green polder
Name: Eva Flantua
Position/organisation: Works for the family business Boerkok
City: Lelystad boerkok.nl
Taking care of your own community, choosing local products, and serving the locals is very important to the Flantua family. Eva Flantua (26), granddaughter of a polder pioneer and daughter of two hospitality entrepreneurs, was brought up with these values.
“I still remember how we used to drive along the Rietweg and my father calling it 'the shopping street of Eastern Flevoland'. There were a lot of farms and farm shops along the road where we bought the products for the restaurant.”
Gerard Flantua and his wife ran this restaurant together at the Lelystad airport. In 2016 they started a new company, Boerkok, an event location and dining facility in the green polders of Flevoland.
Gastronomic heritage of Flevoland
Eva's own food story starts with her thesis on 'the gastronomic heritage of Flevoland'. She received help from her grandmother, who introduced her to other pioneers from that period of first settlement on the new land. “I thought it was really special to get the chance to speak with people who can still tell you what it was like in those days. It’s something unique to Flevoland,” says Eva. “Later, we compiled their stories and turned them into a documentary. The interest in local history left me wanting more.
The local product as centrepiece
These days, Eva and her sister work for Boerkok, the family business. She says:
“Boerkok is a beautiful green location for events and gatherings, where they also serve tasty food and drinks made from locally produced products. We have two large barns surrounded by 23 hectares (almost 57 acres) of organic farming. The land is used by a farmer who grows crops according to a crop rotation cycle, of which a small portion is used by Gerard in the kitchen.”
The former tool barn has been turned into a beautiful bright dining experience. There’s no fixed menu, the farmer decides what is served. In other words, the menu depends entirely on whatever is produced locally and is available that season.
Good stories with a message
Her father Gerard is the face of Boerkok, the storyteller and the chef.
“We want people to experience the history of Flevoland. Flevoland was created to feed the Netherlands after WWII. No more hunger. The best farmers were chosen to ensure sufficient food production.”
The Flantua family is aware of their roots and is proud of Flevoland. With their stories of local products, Boerkok wants to inspire guests to see their own surroundings with new eyes and to care for it and make it a little better.
Burenboeren dinner and Boerkok’s Sunday brunch
Besides organizing gatherings, Boerkok offers several recurring events.
“Every Saturday we have the Burenboeren dinner,” Eva says.
“All the guests arrive at the same time in the evening and are served a four-course meal. During each course, we tell them something about Flevoland, the farmer, the products, what we prepared, or how it was prepared. On Sundays, we serve a Boeren brunch, a farmers’ brunch, where you can pull up a chair at any time. We also have harvest events with various activities and a small roadside stand. We like to cook outside on holidays such as Pentecost and Father’s Day. There’s always something happening on the farm.”
New stories to share
What Boerkok has to offer is a beautiful location with lots of personalised options. Or as Eva puts it: “Boerkok is in a central location in the Netherlands, so it’s easily accessible for groups. Its rural, green surroundings make you feel welcome. A place to come together, to taste, and hear stories about Flevoland. We make sure you have an enjoyable gathering with local food and drinks.”