Sonsbeek 2008 – Sonsbeek

Sonsbeek 2008: Grandeur

14 June - 21 September 2008

Curator

Anna Tilroe

Theme

The theme of Grandeur, or 'the human pursuit of greatness', aimed to show art in a different light. According to Anna Tilroe, the current era, the beginning of the 21st century, was marked by global shifts in politics, economics, as well as climate and communication. As humans today, we are primarily consumers. Art has changed along with it and is increasingly influenced by the market. Tilroe detects major differences with 20th-century art, in which the superhuman, the unknown, was the main focus. In the present day, a work of art is no longer able to instil fear.
Despite diminished optimism - or idealism - the desire for greatness remains present in human beings who are always trying to rise above themselves. It is up to artists to ignite this deepest longing in the viewer. In a way, Tilroe even considers it their social responsibility, and in doing so, she attributes an important role to art. For the opening of sonsbeek 2008, a procession took place in which almost a thousand people participated. The works of art (or parts of them) were literally and figuratively carried on hands through the streets of Arnhem by people who had grouped themselves into guilds. The procession is etched in the memory of many Arnhem residents.

Artists