Olav Slingerland creates lovely objects in his studio; this is already well-known. Now he will give an inside view into his method: in collaboration with the Foundation DelftsPeil and Galerie Terra Delft, he will participate in a project in the Hof van Delft, a densely-populated neighborhood which was mostly built before the Second World War.Together creating the cultural heritage of the future, looking at the historical heritage of the neighborhood: for a city like Delft, with its famous pottery, the theme seems obvious. What are the similarities and differences in customs related to eating? Are they different today than in the past?
Olav is making molds of two square plaster plates. In the upper plate there is a round hole, revealing part of the lower plate. The neighborhood residents will carve a personal drawing or text in the lower plate, sometimes using a laser. The clay poured into the mold fills the lines, transferring the relief of the drawing onto the plate. Blue glaze ensures that the white relief is visible. The round holes differ in form from each other: they fit together like a puzzle and are connected into one large circle. The reference is to the Chinese dining table, large and round, and where the food dishes rotate on another circular disk. The result of the ‘neighborhood ware’ will be presented in Museum Prinsenhof Delft on March 19.
At Galerie Terra the process with the molds can be seen, along with the object that lies at the basis of this design: the large circle which Olav designed in China, consisting of different plates. There are also small candlestands for tea lights, formed so that they can be arranged in another circle: a lovely contemporary Delft souvenir, complete with a corner decoration typical of a Delft Blue tile.
The exhibition will also feature plates made for this occasion by the Chinese artist Wenna and by Mark van Huystee, a Delft artist. See the making of through the video made by Robert van Nimwegen!
