Friday, March 8, 2024

OPENING EXHIBITION 'SPREKENDE BOMEN'

 
Following the book 'Boswerk' by Jan Kleefstra, Christiaan Kuitwaard and Annelies Henstra, the exhibition 'Sprekende Bomen' will open on March 21 in De Mesdag Collectie, The Hague. 'Sprekende Bomen' shows all the works by Jan and Christiaan. There will also be workshops for painting and writing. To register for the opening go to the Van Gogh Museum events page. More information about the exhibition can be found on the website of De Mesdag Collectie.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

WRAPPING UP 2023

 

We can call 2023 a productive year, with various records, books and performances. As for the records it started off with Machinefabriek's '+', containing a track of Romke + Machinefabriek, based on a field recording Romke made. In July IT DEEL II by Eivind Lønning, Espen Reinertsen and the Kleefstra Bros was released on vinyl by Moving Furniture Records. The result of the IT DEEL II-residency the Kleefstra's did with both Norwegians in 2022. Shame Eivind and Espen were unable to take IT DEEL II out on the road... In September the third album by Transtilla (lp) came out on Midira Records. The best album the duo of Anne-Chris Bakker and Romke Kleefstra made, receiving critical acclaim. In October Piiptsjilling released its sixth studio-album 'in spoar' on Cloudchamber Recordings.

Meanwhile Jan Kleefstra published two books. First 'Een krui-tocht over Aarde'. And shortly after 'Boswerk', which was the follow up of 'Veldwerk' and again a collaboration with painter Christiaan Kuitwaard.

Live the Kleefstra Bros performed in different formations throughout the year: with Jacaszek in Poland performing IT DEEL I, with Karen Willems at the end of the IT DEEL III residency, Romke solo as Transtilla, and once again with Piiptsjilling.

In 2024 there are three things for sure. The album of IT DEEL III, by Karen Willems and the Kleefstra Bros, will be published. And the last and forth part of IT DEEL will take place in the beginning of July. With whom the residency will be, will be announced later. And the works of Jan Kleefstra's and Christiaan Kuitwaard's book Boswerk are exhibited at De Mesdag Collectie in the Dutch city of The Hague (March 22 - July 21, 2024).