Category: Cultural Travel

Dutch Queen Beatrix will open New Car Museum in The Hague

On July 2, 2010 Dutch Queen Beatrix will open a New Car Museum in The Hague. It is practically located in the garden of her residence. It will be the new home for the Louwman Museum‘s car and art collection that will move to The Hague from its present location Rosmalen.



The Ferrari 500 Superfast Speciale of the photos was built by Ferrari on specs by the father of Queen Beatrix, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

As Ultimate Car page reported:

Although all Superfasts were similar in design and configuration, Enzo Ferrari was more than happy to make an exception for one of his most loyal customers, Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands. Like for all his Ferraris, the Prince specified green (Verde Pino) as the colour for his Superfast, but that’s not what makes s/n 6267 SF a ‘Superfast Speciale’. For reasons unknown he had Ferrari fit a 330 GT derived four litre engine, which was not a problem as the Superfast’s chassis was derived from the 330 GT. A special bench type front seat is fitted, designed to seat a second passenger. With no air conditioning or power steering the Prince’s Superfast is a true driver’s car, stripped from all luxuries.

In fairly original condition, it is pictured here at the 2003 Bonham’s Gstaad Ferrari Auction. It found new owner for just over 420,000 Swiss Francs. Prince Bernhard’s Superfast has found a good home in the National Dutch Auto Museum in Rosmalen, The Netherlands.

It is not very clear what name will be appropriate for the museum. The present signs name it Louwman Museum. The Louwman family who build it are car importers who started the collection. But they also acquired the Dutch National Automobiel Museum a few years back when that came in financially lesser circumstances. It’s prior name was The Louwman Collection. We will see. I wouldn’t be surprised if Louwman would get the Queen so far as to grant him permission to name the museum Royal Dutch Automobile Museum.

Personally I believe that whatever the name will be, it is very important for The Hague to get this new museum which has a unique collection of cars and car art and will be worth a visit.

Dutch Design (56): Head over to Sudeley Castle

Head over to Sudeley Castle? Why? What with this awful skull?

I’ll tell you:

  1. Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds (UK) is worth a trip to the UK in it self. Especially when it is late spring / early summer when it’s beautiful garden is at its peak. I know, because I visited it once in the 90ies myself and have fond memories of that visit. Moreover, if you are a garden enthusiast, you should combine a visit to Sudeley Castle with a visit to Kiftsgate Court Garden and to Hidcote Manor.
  2. The castle is a beauty. Part of it still inhabited as a residence. Part of it artful ruins that act as beautiful backdrop for some exceptional climbing roses. Sorry, I don’t confess it here often, but I’m a real rose lover!
  3. If you are interested in British history, take a tour inside the castle and you will learn a thing or two.
  4. And now Sotheby’s has deemed Sudeley Castle worthwhile as a backdrop for a sales exhibition of 25 pieces of contemporary artists that runs until August 1, 2010 (and thus is combined with the garden’s high season).

Situated in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire, the partially ruined Sudeley Castle thrived during Tudor times as a royal household for Queen Katherine Parr but suffered damage during the Civil War. Since its restoration in the 1830s, it played host to many of the greatest politicians of the Victorian age. Sudeley is today the home of Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family, who are dedicated to the regeneration of the castle and its gardens, with a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability. Since 2005, Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst has staged a series of contemporary art exhibitions at Sudeley including Vertigo and Reconstruction and the success of these shows has resulted in the forthcoming collaboration with Sotheby’s.

One of the eye catchers is the Huge Sudeley Bench by Pablo Reinoso

Among the contemporary artists is Dutchman Joep van Lieshout of Atelier van Lieshout or AVL whose Wellness Skull is on exhibition:

Wellness Skull represents a highpoint of AVL’s provocative creations. The human skull – universal symbol of knowledge, wisdom, evolution, and eternal token of fugitive life – is transformed into a center for indulgence and relaxation. The upper cranium houses a fully working sauna and the lower section offers a bath/shower facility. The pierced eye sockets provide ventilation on the inside, whilst delivering a dramatic haze of steam when viewed from the outside. Commenting on the bizarre functionality of this giant memento mori, Joep van Lieshout, founder of the atelier, states: ‘the heavenly power is the big unknown, the death of the hereafter, the skull of the physical shell of the mind. The earthly power is an economical power. Money plays an important role in our contemporary society. Gradually faith loses all importance and is replaced by an alternative ‘self experience’, through travelling, sporting and wellness centres.’

In the meantime the Wellness Skull has traveled a bit: Here are photos I took  when it was on exhibition in Vienna:

With the Karlskirche in the back

Combining Art and Garden is excellent Destination Marketing

It’s not new, a sales exhibition of sculpture has been done many times, but an outdoor sales exhibition of modern design is reasonably new. I believe it is an extra ordinary idea to bring together three power houses: A destination powerhouse like Sudeley Castle, a curating powerhouse like Sotheby’s and a Gallery powerhouse like the London based The Carpenter Shop Gallery that traditionally has strong ties with the Dutch design scene….

Ah and -very modern- Sudeley Castle has a Twitter account

Dutch Design (55): Oh, Yes It’s that time of the year again…Dutch and Football

I have to confess that I’m not so much a football (or “soccer-” for my readers based in the USA) fan, although it is the National Sport number 1 of The Netherlands. This type of shirt has been around before. I has some Football is War connotation, but is definitely not so provocative as these Photographs for the European Championships in 2008, or this Muslim Lady with the AanvAllah T-Shirt for the same series…and yes visiting a World Championship, I have to admit, is a form of cultural travel as well.

Via Ads of the World

Good photo by photographer Milan Daniels

Folkert de Jong in the Groninger Museum

Visited the Groninger Museum, which in itself is worthwhile a trip.

Circle of Trust. Folkert de Jong. Selected Works 2001-2009. In the Groninger Museum from Groninger Museum on Vimeo.

Folkert the Jong has a solo exhibition there. According to those “in the know” Dutch artist Folkert de Jong is going to make it!

Opening 2009 Holland Dance Festival

Dance Outside awaiting Public at Holland Dance Festival P1050356

A lonely dancer is outside to welcome the public for the opening of Holland Dance Festival.

The 2009 festival is entirely dedicated to the Netherlands Dance Theater‘s 50ieth anniversary and Jiri Kilian’s departure as the resident choreographer of NDT in The Hague.

Holland-Dance-Festival-President-of-the-Board-of-Trustees-P1050369a

The president of the Board of Trustees of Holland Dance Festifal, Mr Gilbert Monod de Froideville welcomed the public.

Minister Plasterk Opens Holland Dance Festival officially P1050366

Dutch Minister of Culture, R. Plasterk opens Holland Dance Festival officially.

I’m sorry the photos are not as sharp as I would have liked.

To be continued.