www.carla-barbara-claire.nl has been commisioned to Maura Biava by the province of Limburg and the city of Maastricht on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht.
http://www.carla-barbara-claire.nl has been commisioned by the province of
Limburg and the city of Maastricht on the occasion of the tenth
anniversary of
the Treaty of Maastricht.
Initially the two authorities requested a rough design for a monument
symbolizing the spirit of Europe. Biava, however, came up with the
presentation of a website and not with a traditional sculpture made of
bronze or stone. Because of the originality of the project the province
of
Limburg and the city of Maastricht have decided to give Biava the
opportunity to develop the website and to leave the final selection of
the
monument to be erected in September on the banks of the river Meuse open
for
discussion.
www.carla-barbara-clair.nl is centered around three fictional history
students. They are very much concerned with the fate of Europe and study
the
consequenses of the unification for the countries involved. Will there
be
one European identity in the future? Carla decides to make a boat trip
to a
great number of ports in order to find out more about the similarities
and the
differences between the various members of the European Union. She uses
photographs, drawings and notes to soak up as much information as
possible. She
talks to all the people she meets on the way " from shopkeepers
tophilosophers
" in order to get inspiration for what in the end will a suitable
monument to
symbolize a united Europe.
In addition to being a travel report, http://www.carla-barbara-clair.nl also
features five proposals for the monument, made by Carla (c.q. Biava)
with
the assistance of Barbara and Claire. The visitors of the website will
be
able to pick their favourite design and also will be asked to come up
with
changes, additions and ideas of their own. After all Europe is an issue
which concerns us all. Finally, the three best proposals will be
presented
to the city of Maastricht and the province of Limburg.
Carla, Barbara and Claire also can be seen live. During the project on
the
internet, the Centre Céramique will stage a series of performances
featuring
the three actresses who will take turns playing the role of one of the
students (Karin de Jong is from the city of Rotterdam and Karen Claes
and
Sofie Knijf studied at the theater school of Maastricht). Seated in a
glass
internet office the actresses will invite the audience to talk with them
by
e-mail and discuss the future of Europe. People at home behind their
computers are invited to chat and join in the discussion. The tone and
the
subject of the conversation will vary from lighthearted to serious,
depending both on the mood of the student and the mood of the other
participants. Europe is an inexhaustable topic.
http://www.carla-barbara-clair.nl includes photographs, sketches, drawings and
various text forms(from Biava herself as from politicians, historians
and
philosophers). The installation seems to be complex at first, but turns
out to
be very clear yet intricate. The project has been made visually
attractive
through the use of sketches, drawings and photographs and its
interactive
character makes it easily accessible for a large audience. With
www.carla-barbara-clair.nl Maura Biava has succeeded in turning a
political
decision into a work of art.
http://www.carla-barbara-claire.nl can be visited on the internet from March
3,
2001. The performances in the main hall of the Centre Céramique can be
seen
daily from March 3 through April 14, between 1pm and 5pm (on Mondays and
Saturdays until 3pm). The opening reception in the Centre Céreamique
will be
on March 3 from 5pm until 7pm.
Maura Biava (Reggio Emilia, 1970) lives
and
works in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Academy of Art in Milano,
she
studied at the Rijksacademy in Amsterdam from 1997 to 1999. She is
represented
by Gallery van Gelder and frequently exhibits in both The Netherlands
and
abroad.
In addition to Maura Biava other artists have been invited by the
province of
Limburg and the city of Maastricht to submit a proposal for the
monument.
later this year a final decision will be reached
on who will be chosen to design the monument.
For more information please contact Juliëtte Jongma:
+31.20.4636904 (tel/fax)
+31.6.20476593
cbandc@hotmail.com