De Dreijen is the former campus of Wageningen University. On this site stood the first environmental artwork by Pieter Blaauboer since 1971. The artwork was owned by the university, but when they moved to another part of the city, it turned out that they did not want to keep or relocate the artwork. Stichting Cultuur in Wageningen disagreed and saved the artwork from a quiet retreat and gave it a future. Esther Didden talked with board member Rita van Biesbergen about the realization of Blaauboer revisited.
Landscape architect and artist Pieter Blaauboer (1924-2008) studied landscape architecture at Wageningen Agricultural College (later Wageningen UR) and ran a landscape architecture firm in downtown Wageningen for 40 years. In the early 1970s, he experimented with a more "land art"-like design of outdoor spaces. In doing so, he liked to work with materials that were not obvious at the time, such as metal, stone and wood. He became known for his use of different heights and verticality; his environmental artwork for De Dreijen took up quite an area. "The space required by the artwork was certainly one of the reasons for the university not to re-locate the artwork on the new campus," Rita van Biesbergen says, "but the work had also been unmaintained and incomplete for many years."
Once there were three environmental works of art by Blaauboer in Wageningen; over the years, however, two of them silently disappeared. All the more reason for the foundation to work to preserve this remaining work of art. Culture in Wageningen is a small foundation. With three board members and a little subsidy, they maintain a few websites and organize a small-scale activity every year. To save the Blaauboer, they pitched in because no one else was going to do it. The university, owner of the artwork, wanted to have the conversation with the foundation but not take responsibility for an end result. So they transferred ownership of the artwork to the foundation. It was impossible for the original artwork as a whole to find a new home. That was clear from the beginning. Some elements were in too bad a condition and some were missing. But surely something could be done with the remaining elements?
In December 2021, the municipality of Wageningen issued a call to Wageningen artists to submit a project in the context of supporting makers in corona time. The foundation saw this call as an opportunity to ask a local artist to use the remaining elements to create a new work of art that does justice to Pieter Blaauboer's original work. The board immediately thought of René van Corven because, like Blaauboer, he likes to work with metal, wood and stone. And Van Corven is also of the grand gesture, Van Biesbergen knows. The request to have Van Corven make a sketch design was submitted to the municipality and granted. The beginning was there.
The municipality of Wageningen issued a call to Wageningen artists
With the sketch design and a maquette under its belt, the foundation then began looking for funding to actually realize the artwork. The Mondriaan Fund appreciated that the foundation was willing to be the commissioning party and thought their choice of Van Corven was a good one. The fund pledged a sum of money, and the Culture Fund also judged positively. But despite these two commitments, there was still a gap in the budget. The university also proved willing to contribute financially, and then the light was green.
One important thing remained. Finding a location for Blaauboer revisited. This was no easy task. The municipality balked because they have no policy on art in public spaces. As a result, placing the artwork on municipal land was not negotiable. Fortunately, once again the rescue came from a resident, as this whole exercise to preserve the Blaauboer is an initiative from residents.
The owner of DUPP, a company that works for the food market, offered his site as a location. A narrow strip of green runs between the Koetshuis, where the company is housed, and General Foulkesweg, and the artwork was a perfect fit. The artwork is on private property but is accessible and easily visible.
On May 25 this year Blaauboer revisited unveiled in the presence of Pieter Blaauboer's daughters. "It visibly moved them," says Van Biesbergen, "René van Corven worked in their father's spirit and they said their father would have been very pleased with the result."
After over three and a half years of going bump by bump, the Culture in Wageningen Foundation can look back on a remarkable journey. Every now and then they were at a loss for words, only to see opportunities again and remain combative. The result is impressive. And in Wageningen, there are fortunately still residents who care about art in public spaces.
English 
Dutch