Art & Play

As you probably know, the second edition of the CAN REON festival is fast approaching. This year it will be a two-days event that will happen on 27 and 28 September in the hills of Tiana (10 km from Barcelona). In my last newsletter, I talked about the musical interventions that you will experience. Today, I am excited to tell you about the other arts. The CAN REON festival is a synergy of various specializations, all related to nature. It is fascinating to curate a show that moves beyond the walls of a white cube, putting works that speak about nature into a natural environment.

Into nature

When you visit the festival, you will notice the mesmerizing short films of Dutch artist Jacco Olivier floating in the air, hanging in the trees and laying on the grass. The multi-screen video installation of Dutch artist Jan Robert Leegte is going to overwhelm you with the force of a simulated landscape. A storm sweeping through trees and the roar of the ocean can be heard, an intriguing feature in a landscape that usually is calm and peaceful.

What a contrast with the Silence Meal performance by Finnish artist Nina Backman, a seated lunch in another part of the CAN REON grounds: you are not supposed to talk during the meal. Sit down in silence, enjoy the surrounding nature, hear the birds singing and enjoy the wild food, foraged and prepared by award winning Finnish chef Sami Tallberg.

Old sheds

Heart of the festival is the 600 years old wine farm and its adjacent sheds which will be used for the presentations of art works. The Homo Refugus, a surrealistic creature by Dutch artist Margriet van Breevoort, is residing in the former pig house, the film ‘I will show you fear in a handful of dust’ by Dutch artist Desiree Dolron can be enjoyed by peeking through a hole in the door of dusty half-decayed shelter. In one of the other old buildings Spanish artist Cristina Lucas presents her explorative video ‘Cobalt’. Cobalt blue, a cherished and meaningful color in art history, is also an essential element for the human body and indispensable in the current trajectory of the energy transition.

Art and Play

In this festival full of intermixture, we should not forget the kites of Dutch artists Bertjan Pot and Maurice Scheltens who combine art and play. Their amazing kites will be exhibited but if it is windy Pot and Scheltens will also fly them.

And finally, Panama Pictures, the dance group I encountered in a breathtaking performance in Museum Voorlinden. In two different dance performances, the dancers and acrobats of Panama Pictures will push the boundaries of what is possible.

I wish you a summer full of sunshine and hope you to see you in September on the festival.

If you’re interested, tickets are available here. Stay tuned for more updates, or visit our website www.canreon.com for an early look.

Image: Still of Animation Bird by Jacco Olivier

Image: Left to Right Maurice Scheltens & Bertjan Pot, Margriet van Breevoort and Overview of Can Reon