In the last 3 months the Instituto Buena Bista (IBB), in cooperation with the Fund for Visual Arts in Amsterdam, had in her guest program the artist couple Ruben La Cruz and Karolien Helweg as guests. Ruben La Cruz (’54) was born on Curacao and Karolien Helweg (’63) in the Netherlands. They have been working project-based since 2000. From their social engagement they develop projects that combine art, education and welfare.

Earlier projects from La Cruz and Helweg on Curacao were:
‘Weta e Lus’ (drug addicts) in cooperation with 5 institutions on Curacao: Foundation Sonrisa, Yabi di Libertat, Brasami, Probation and Dios Yudami.
‘Drop Ar’ ‘Siña Wak, Siña Mira’ an artproject for younger people between 11 and 24 year olds in cooperation with 5 elementary schools and institutions for ‘reeducation and reintegration’ of young offenders and severely maladjusted children.

During the final presentation on January 5th you have the opportunity to see the new installation en works, entitled ‘Curacao Gamble’ that originated during their residency period at the IBB.

Both artists graduated from de Royal Academy of Art in the Hague. From their social engagement they develop projects that combine art, education and welfare. Socially engaged art, art that expresses itself critically on certain things that play out in de community and politics.

La Cruz and Helweg have, next to their own work named ‘Curacao Gamble’ provided a block seminar for the students of the IBB. The block seminar ‘the fable newspaper’ de famous children’s show from the sixties and seventies is the starting point for this block seminar. The animation dolls represent recognizable issues and social topics at the level ok de fablewoods for children, but also very popular with adults because of the ironic and serious overtone. The students will be encouraged to critically and without (self) censoring look at the land in which they live and to subject it to a thorough investigation. This means that de students will collect information (read newspapers) about one or more politicians and the social subject matters on which these politicians stand. After a period of collecting, thinking and discussing, the students will in a playful way work with collected newspaper material, photographs and texts to bring these in visualization in their own way. After first working and sketching on a flat surface, the students are challenged to build a politically engaged artwork/installation.

Every student relates to a certain politician, their topics and visualizes everything in every case via the shape of an animal. References to the famous ‘Animal Farm’ from George Orwell could be found.

During the end-presentation on the 5th of January the students of IBB will also present their work. A few students will also provide a lecture where art –from history and the actuality- fed by protest and social engagement will be presented.

Everyone is welcome to the IBB, for this stimulating beginning of the new year.

Thursday 5 january 2012 from 18.00 o’clock.

Entry is free of charge.

Where: Instituto Buena Bista, Orkidia Paviljoen (Klinika Capriles), Mohikanenweg 8.
For more information see: www.lacruzhelweg.nl www.institutobuenabista.com