thrivandrum - india - 1997
In 1997 Bart Drost was artist in residence at the Intenational Centre for Cultural Development in Thrivandrum.
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In 1997 Bart Drost was artist in residence at the Intenational Centre for Cultural Development in Thrivandrum.
In 1997 Bart Drost was an Artist in Residence at the International Centre for Cultural Development in Trivandrum, India. At his departure to India, he had no idea what to do up there. Once there, he threatened to go on seeing the activities that other international artists presented. Until he discoverd the plastic toy animals and so he had found his material. This has resulted in a sound art project, composed of various sub-projects. At that time Drost could not have imagined that finally these projects would lead to the presentation 'Innocent India', which was shown at the Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen, 1999.
As part of his work period as Artist in Residence in the International Centre for Cultural Development in Trivandum (India) was an exhibition of Bart Drost scheduled by the organisation. Drost had his own ideas about this: the art that he had made stemmed from (toys) shops on the street, so also his work had to go back 'on the street'. So he invented the idea of the one hour exposition. He placed at one side of the street a row of 12 wooden ladder, which exhibit aluminium casts of objects that he fromed by putting plastic toy animals together. As a special attraction for the passers-by a tombola was organised: there could be drawn lots. A spectacle where his colleague-residence-artists plenty connected. The prize consisted of plastic toy animals, whether or not by Drost re-created.
Different customs, different customs. Say that!
One day the residence artists were informed that it was a holiday. And that includes customs. One of the customs would be that people disguised themselves as gods. And it seemed to Cor and Mohana - the residence leaders - a good idea that some of them would participate. Before he realized it, Drost sat on a chair with a lab patch and was painted green. On to the streets like a frog god and 'entertain the people'. Well, they had fun. They all had!
Another day: another party. Procession through the neighborhood. With elephants ...