From The Netherlands with attitude - GOC

S I CA mag
SUMMER 2008
AN INSIGHT INTO DUTCH
CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND CULTURE
From
The Netherlands
with attitude

Content
EDITORIAL
Typically
un-Dutch
“Just be yourself, that’s quite enough”. This ultra
Dutch expression, stressing that the ordinary is the
standard, is a creed that a large part of the Dutch population
takes to heart and has a pacifying effect on society
as a whole. Whatever happens in this small country,
we like to go back to ‘business as usual’ as soon as
we can and we prefer to lose ourselves in the masses.
Fortunately, there are plenty of people who don’t mind
standing out from the crowd and artists in particular
are expected to be different and slightly disruptive.
This is certainly un-Dutch behaviour, but essential to
keep us on our toes.
Un-Dutch is still a compliment, in spite of the current
political climate, which is quite conservative and dominated
by parochial sentiments. It stands for something
that rises above the daily worries in this delta and that
has detached itself from calvinistic and pragmatic
principles, without fear of the grand gesture. Un-Dutch
is choosing the world as your place of work. A large
number of artists and cultural organizations are doing
just that and there are very few countries in the world
where a Dutch artist has not been active.
This international edition of the SICA magazine offers
a balanced selection of contemporary art and culture
from The Netherlands. We do this by means of artists
who have been internationally successful for years and
budding talent on the threshold of an international
career. Inevitably, the question arises as to whether
our chosen ‘figure heads’ are actually representative
of what is happening in Dutch art and culture. Take for
example Viktor & Rolf, two young fashion designers
who look at the world and set to work. Fashion capital
Paris is their natural habitat and with their consistently
international perspective and presentation they are
extraordinarily successful. But does that still have anything
to do with The Netherlands? The same applies to
architect Rem Koolhaas. He is world famous, but would
not readily call himself a Dutch architect. In the visual
arts, national representation is even more of a tricky
subject.
The qualification ‘typically Dutch’ is seldom seen as a
recommendation in the cultural sector and is therefore
diametrically opposite to ‘un-Dutch’. Someone wishing
to get to know the Dutch identity through art from
The Netherlands might be deceived. Or maybe not?
It is striking that nearly all the authors in this magazine,
who write almost daily about culture, take note
of those elements that make the work of a particular
artist so typically Dutch. This is not a value judgment,
but more a factual observation. As essayist Bas Heijne
describes in the opening article, it shows the interest in
what makes Dutch art abroad universal and at the same
time so typically Dutch. A true Dutch dilemma, that
is also apparent in the international cultural policy of
The Netherlands, where a balance is continually being
sought between the promotion of art from The Netherlands
and the advancement of international exchange.
But as long as curiosity triumphs over self-satisfaction,
the world is waiting.
Paul Mosterd, director Centre for International Cultural Activities
SICAmag summer 2008
4 Dutch art? Bas Heijne
What does it mean to be Dutch and how has this
changed during the last few years?
8 Rem Koolhaas’ architecture defies all logic
Wouter Vanstiphout, interviewed by Sandra
Jongenelen
The most important architect of The Netherlands
designed fewer square metres in Holland than most
of his colleagues.
12 But we have dance Jacob Haagsma
Pop music from The Netherlands is rich. Tiësto,
Armin van Buuren and Within Temptation are just the
tip of the iceberg in terms of talent.
15 Dutch Contemporary Composers:
Playful, Stubborn and Unromantic
Guido van Oorschot
Agitators in 1969 claimed a new music culture.
They have been well served.
18 Seeing what you normally don’t see Flip Bool
Ed van der Elsken and Rineke Dijkstra have won international
acclaim. But there are many other photographers
who are also internationally successful.
21 Too good to be Dutch Domeniek Ruyters
All over the world, contemporary art counts as an
important tool for promoting the nation. However,
this is not the case in The Netherlands.
30 Has the artistic heyday of Dutch theatre
come to an end? Simon van den Berg
After a number of flourishing decades, theatre makers,
theatre managers and policy makers appear to be looking
for new justification.
34 Writer Hella Haasse: “Our society is full
of intellectuals who are not interested in
spiritual life” Margot Dijkgraaf
While Erasmus, Spinoza, Anne Frank and Hella
Haasse are the names that are usually mentioned
when it comes to Dutch literature, young talent with
different flavours emerges.
37 Dutch cinema: less sex and violence
Fritz de Jong
Paul Verhoeven is the most successful film maker
in The Netherlands. In the 1980s he left his native
country and the Dutch film world changed course.
40 Viktor & Rolf do not want to be Dutch
icons. Georgette Koning
Besides Viktor & Rolf, there are a considerable number
of people who work for large foreign fashion houses,
but their work is invisible.
44 Forty years of clog swing and everything
that followed Peter Bruyn
In 2007, the ICP Orchestra celebrated their fortieth
anniversary, but they ar not the only ones to play jazz
in The Netherlands.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
2
www.sica.nl
Stichting Internationale Culturele Activiteiten
Centre for International Cultural Activities
Publisher Centre for International Cultural Activities, Keizersgracht 324, 1016 EZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31 (0)20 616 42 25, +31 (0)20 6128152, sicamag@sica.nl Chief Editor Yvette Gieles
24 Dutch Design: Conceptual, pioneering
and not necessarily aimed at marketable
products Marc Vlemmings
In Russia, China and Japan, design magazines are
publishing special issues dedicated to design in The
Netherlands. Holland is turning out to be an attractive
location for foreign designers.
28 Holland’s new media model Cathy Brickwood
Since the mid 1990s The Netherlands have enjoyed an
excellent reputation as a centre of innovation .
46 Nothing but dance Annette Embrechts
Their choreographies have nothing in common. Yet
they are the most famous bearers of modern dance in
The Netherlands: Hans van Manen en Jirí Kylián.
48 Bill Gates or Don Quichotte? Johan Idema
Our international policy on culture is strongly based on
the improvement of the international cultural position
of The Netherlands. But is the world waiting for us?
3
Editor www.josschuring.nl Co-ordination Marja Smits Design www.karelse-denbesten.nl Print Van Wijk, Oostzaan
Translations Skylines English Language Services Features in this magazine are the personal opinions of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect SICA’s point of view.
SICA is an independent information and co-ordination centre
for organizations involved in all kinds of cultural
disciplines, both within The Netherlands and abroad.
Cover picture Jade & Victoria, 1996,
by Inez van Lamsweerde/Vinoodh Matadin
collection Groninger Museum

What does it mean to be Dutch? About seven
years ago I gave a talk about Dutch identity to
students at the Design Academy Eindhoven.
The observation that only a few years earlier
this subject would undoubtedly have led to fierce
protests or maybe even to a boycott, led to blank
stares: Why, asked one of the students, what’s
wrong with asking what makes someone typically
Dutch? Why would one get cross if someone
tried to find out how their existence as an
individual is connected to the country in which
he or she has grown up? Bas Heijne
DUTCH ATTITUDE
4
Dutch art?
DUTCH ATTITUDE
5
ILLUSTRATION STANG GUBBELS
National obsession
Michiel de Ruyter as role model

The Dutch have neglected
their own history,
because showing pride
was considered
immature
DUTCH ATTITUDE
6
Hirsi Ali or Anne Frank
The Dutch version of the caste system
Ideals of transcendence
Identity is never an
innocent topic
Provincialism in a hybrid society
Bas Heijne is an author and a journalist.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
7

CCTV BUILDING IN BEIJING, CHINA
DESIGNED BY OFFICE FOR METROPOLITAN
ARCHITECTURE [OMA]
Rem Koolhaas’ architecture
defies all logic
“Is Rem Koolhaas the most important architect of The Netherlands? He designed fewer
square metres in Holland than most of his colleagues. Subsequently, Koolhaas is not
considered to be the architect with the biggest influence on the urban areas. Yet the
answer is affirmative. No one else has meant so much for the generation that came after
him and for the avant-garde. Former colleagues copy and interpret his way of working,
in The Netherlands as well as worldwide. His architect’s firm Office for Metropolitan
Architecture (OMA) has offices in Rotterdam, New York and Beijing.”
Wouter Vanstiphout, interviewed by Sandra Jongenelen
A kind of David Lynch
A tight budget as a challenge
DUTCH ATTITUDE
9

DUTCH ATTITUDE
10
Plagiarism?
NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR SOUND AND VISION IN HILVERSUM
DESIGNED BY NEUTELINGS RIEDIJK ARCHITECTS
PHOTO BY DARIA SCAGLIOLA AND STIJN BRAKKEE
Irritation about The Netherlands
WOZOCO BUILDING IN AMSTERDAM
DESIGNED BY MVRDV
PHOTO HANS WERLEMANN
Dutch style?
www.nai.nl
www.archfonds.nl
www.oma.eu
www.kcap.nl
www.mvrdv.nl
www.neutelings-riedijk.com
Wouter Vanstiphout is an urban historian.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
11

DJ TIËSTO
PHOTO STEPHANIE PISTEL
DUTCH ATTITUDE
12
But we
have
dance
ARMIN VAN BUUREN
Pop music from The Netherlands is too
good to be kept within national borders.
Tiësto, Armin van Buuren and Within
Temptation are the tip of the iceberg in
terms of talent, which is finding its way
onto the international market with ever
growing ease. Jacob Haagsma
A nation of dance
A record case will do
Diversity as counterbalance
DUTCH ATTITUDE
13

MERLIJN TWAALFHOVEN
DUTCH CONTEMPORARY COMPOSERS:
Playful, Stubborn
and Unromantic
DUTCH ATTITUDE
14
www.muziekcentrumnederland.nl
www.nfpk.nl
www.tiesto.com
www.arminvanbuuren.com
www.withintemptation.com
www.bumacultuur.nl
Jacob Haagsma is a journalist.
DE KIFT
PHOTO ERIK CHRISTENHUSZ
The site is unique, the panoramic view breathtaking. The immense glass façade of the
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam overlooks the water where once the trading
vessels took to the seas on their way to the East and West Indies or New Amsterdam,
present-day New York. In those days this spot was teeming with the Dutch trading spirit.
Since 2005, however, this same place has been teeming with an artistic spirit that is
no less Dutch. The Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ is the tangible result of a forty-year struggle
for a new music culture. Guido van Oorschot
15

MUZIEKGEBOUW AAN ‘T IJ IN AMSTERDAM
PHOTO JOHN LEWIS MARSHALL
DUTCH ATTITUDE
16
Shock and awe with Louis Andriessen
Loud, aggressive and rhythmically
energetic
PHOTO JARKO ALKENS
Van der Aa’s Gesamtkunstwerk
of the Future
Jacob TV peppers music with sugar
www.muziekcentrumnederland.nl
www.nfpk.nl
www.doublea.net
www.muziekgebouw.nl
www.jacobterveldhuis.com
www.michahamel.com
www.twaalfhoven.net
Guido van Oorschot is a journalist and writes for De Volkskrant
and other publications.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
17

Seeing
what you
normally
don’t see
Dutch photography is going through a period of explosive
development. Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) was one of the
first Dutch photographers who caused an international furore.
In the meantime, the work of various young Dutch photographers
has also won international acclaim. Rineke Dijkstra
(1959) for instance, is represented in almost every collection
of any international weight in The Netherlands or abroad.
But there are other photographers who, although operating
in different disciplines, are also internationally successful.
Flip Bool
DUTCH ATTITUDE
18
PHOTO RINEKE DIJKSTRA
JALTA, UKRAINE, JULY 29TH 1993
Documentary photography
Van Lamsweerde and Corbijn
DUTCH ATTITUDE
19

Too good
to be Dutch
All over the world, contemporary art counts as an important tool
used for promoting the nation. In most countries, this has been
done on a grand scale, especially during the last decade. The global
economy has evoked patriotic feelings and art is now being used,
more than ever before, as an aid to encourage economic cooperation;
however, not in The Netherlands. Domeniek Ruyters
AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS ARE SET ASHORE AT PUNTA PALOMA, SPAIN
PHOTO AD VAN DENDEREN
DUTCH ATTITUDE
20
Professionalization of the academies
www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl
www.fotomuseumdenhaag.nl
www.foam.nl
www.noorderlicht.com
Flip Bol is a curator at the Nederlands Fotomuseum.
NATIONAL SELF-HATRED IN THE VISUAL ARTS

DUTCH ATTITUDE
22
Dutch Identity
Lack of Solidarity
A more positive self-image
www.mondriaanfoundation.nl
www.fondsbkvb.nl
www.wdw.nl
www.bak-utrecht.nl
Domeniek Ruyters is an art critic and chief editor of
Metropolis M, a bi-monthly on contemporary art.
CITIZENS ANDSUBJECTS, AVIDEO INSTALLATIONBY AERNOUTMIK
AT THE DUTCH PAVILION IN VENICE, 2007
PHOTOS BY VICTOR NIEUWENHUIJS

DUTCH ATTITUDE
24
Taking your time away from the limelight to start a career after your
graduation is no longer possible for young Dutch designers. When they
prove themselves to be talented, they will get their faces and products
in newspapers and magazines, and manufacturers will try to grab them.
Marc Vlemmings
Dutch
Design:
Conceptual,
pioneering
and not
necessarily
aimed
at marketable
products
DROOG DESIGN. SMART DECO 2. SECOND-HAND
BY MAARTEN BAAS & FRANCK BRAGIGAND. PHOTO BAS HELBERS
Incubation period
Bacteria
Building fence
DUTCH ATTITUDE
25

HIPPO MAT BY ED ANNINK
CLOTHES HANGER LAMP BY HECTOR SERRANO
PHOTO ROBAARD/THEUWKENS
PHOTO ROBAARD/THEUWKENS
Branch academy
MILK BOTTLE LAMP BY TEJO REMY
PHOTO ROBAARD/THEUWKENS
DO HIT BY MARIJN VAN DER POLL
PHOTO ROBAARD/THEUWKENS
DROOG DESIGN, SMART DECO. HEAT WAVE ELECTRIC RADIATOR BY JORIS LAARMAN
PHOTO ROBAARD/THEUWKENS
www.premsela.org
www.mondriaanfoundation.nl
www.fondsbkvb.nl
www.designacademy.nl
www.droogdesign.nl
www.gerritrietveldacademie.nl
Marc Vlemmings is a journalist.
27

DUTCH ATTITUDE
28
Holland’s new
media model
Mention The Netherlands to the international new media culture set and
they immediately start to wax lyrical. Since the mid 1990s this country has
enjoyed an excellent reputation as a centre of innovation, with the added
benefit of a favourable funding climate, which has made it a draw for international
cooperation. Cathy Brickwood
‘Labtastic’
PUPILS PARTICIPATING IN GAMES ATELIER,
A ‘LOCATION BASED PLAY FOR LEARINING’,
DEVELOPED BY WAAG SOCIETY IN COLLABORATION
WITH SCHOOL TEACHERS
Landmarks
Favourable conditions
Experiment as keyfactor
www.virtueelplatform.nl
www.cultuur.nl
www.kennisland.nl
www.iipcreate.nl
www.picnicnetwork.org
www.waag.org
www.v2.nl
www.submarine.nl
www.mediamatic.nl
www.debalie.nl
www.hku.nl
Cathy Brickwood is programme manager at Virtueel Platform.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
29

TONEELGROEP AMSTERDAM PLAYS PERFECT WEDDING
PHOTO CHRIS VAN DER BURGHT
DUTCH ATTITUDE
30
Theatre in The Netherlands is at a crossroads. After a number of flourishing
decades, theatre makers, theatre managers and policy makers appear
to be looking for new justification. In the debates, the discrepancy between
artistic development and social relevance is intensified and last season
the word crisis was regularly used in a discussion about box-office figures,
subsidy and establishment reform. The fact is that the Dutch prefer to talk
about money rather than art. Simon van den Berg
Has the artistic heyday of
dutch theatre come to
an end?
BACHANTEN BY ZTHOLLANDIA,
DIRECTED BY JOHAN SIMONS
PHOTO BEN VAN DUIN
Middle class theatre
Johan Simons and Hollandia
Ivo van Hove’s passion for experiment
DUTCH ATTITUDE
31

TONEELGROEP AMSTERDAM PLAYS ROMEINSE TRAGEDIES
PHOTO JAN VERSWEYVELD
DUTCH ATTITUDE
32
DUTCH ATTITUDE
33
Artistic malaise
Summer festivals
Humus layer
www.theaterinstituut.nl
www.nfpk.nl
www.toneelgroepamsterdam.nl
www.ntgent.be
Simon van den Berg is a theatre critic and founding editor of
theatre website www.moose.nl.

ARNON GRUNBERG
PHOTO BOB BRUNSHOFF
AUTHOR HELLA HAASSE:
Our society is full of intellectuals
who are not interested in
spiritual life
Erasmus, Spinoza, Anne Frank – these are the names that are usually
mentioned when literature and The Netherlands are associated with each
other. And Hella S. Haasse of course, whose name is so beautifully pronounced
as ‘helas’ in French. Her work has been translated all over the
world and moreover – which is exceptional for a Dutch author –her complete
works are available in French. Which is not surprising: her themes,
historical knowledge, thorough research and erudition as well as the personality
of the author seduce each publisher and every reader. Margot Dijkgraaf
Colonial issues
Mulisch
DUTCH ATTITUDE
35

DUTCH ATTITUDE
36
Non-fiction literature
Literary voices with a different flavour
www.nlpvf.nl
www.hellahaasse.nl
www.arnongrunberg.com
www.abdelkaderbenali.nl
Margot Dijkgraaf is a literary critic.
DUTCH CINEMA:
Paul Verhoeven is the most famous and most successful film
maker in The Netherlands. In the 1980s he left his native
country, and went to Hollywood to direct box-office hits such
as Robocop and Basic Instinct. After Verhoeven had gone,
the Dutch film world changed course. Fritz de Jong
SCENE FROM DE NOORDELINGEN (1992)
DIRECTED BY ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
less sex and violence
The thin veneer of civilization
DUTCH ATTITUDE
37

DUTCH ATTITUDE
38
SCENE FROM ZWARTBOEK (2006)
DIRECTED BY PAUL VERHOEVEN
Young artistic film makers
Theo van Gogh
Family films
New Dutch film environment
SCENE FROM OBER (2006) DIRECTED BY ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
PHOTO VICTOR ARNOLDS
www.hollandfilm.nl
www.filmfund.nl
www.nfdb.nl
Fritz de Jong is a film critic for the Amsterdam based
newspaper Het Parool.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
39

Viktor & Rolf
do not want to be
Dutch icons
The Dutch fashion landscape is still as flat as a pancake.
Besides Viktor & Rolf, there are about twenty creative
- but commercially speaking, not very successful - designers.
A considerable number of people work as assistants for large
foreign fashion houses, and the work they do is important,
but invisible. Georgette Koning
VIKTOR & ROLF, COLLECTION 2008/9
Fong Leng
Consistently conceptual
DUTCH ATTITUDE
41

DUTCH ATTITUDE
42
No catwalk, but a musical
Marlies Dekkers and G Star
SPIJKERS EN SPIJKERS
PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MOORE
KLAVERS VAN ENGELEN
PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MOORE
No national top-class sport
www.premsela.org
www.dutchfashionfoundation.com
www.viktor-rolf.com
www.klaversvanengelen.com
www.g-star.com
www.marliesdekkers.com
Georgette Koning is a journalist.
VIKTOR & ROLF
COLLECTION 2008/9
DUTCH ATTITUDE
43

Forty years
of clog swing
and everything
that followed
HAN BENNINK
PHOTO FRED VAN DIEM
44
The international showpiece of Dutch jazz is called Bospaadje Konijnehol (‘Forest path
Rabbit hole’). Many an American music critic will have had difficulties pronouncing the
tongue twisting title of this album from 1986. However, this did not stop the group from
releasing Bospaadje Konijnehol II a few years later. In 2007, the Instant Composers
Pool, often called ICP Orchestra, or simply ICP, celebrated their fortieth anniversary.
Nothing less than veterans. All the same, only recently, the band was still called the
flagship of Dutch avant-garde in the New York Times. Peter Bruyn
Mengelberg and Bennink
Younger generations and ICP
Acid jazz and Wouter Hamel
Typically Dutch
www.muziekcentrumnederland.nl
www.nfpk.nl
www.icporchestra.com
www.michielborstlap.com
www.newcoolcollective.com
www.wouterhamel.nl
Peter Bruyn is a journalist.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
45

Nothing
but dance
WINGS OF WAX BY NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER
PHOTO JORIS-JAN BOS
In everything they are each other’s opposites.
Their choreographies have nothing
in common, neither have their characters.
And yet they are the most famous, internationally-acclaimed
standard bearers of
modern dance in The Netherlands: master
choreographers Hans van Manen en Jirí
Kylián. Annette Embrechts
Taut and poetic
Many choreographers, many styles
Emio Greco | PC
www.theaterinstituut.nl
www.nfpk.nl
www.hansvanmanen.com
www.ndt.nl
www.het-nationale-ballet.nl
www.emiogrecopc.nl
Annette Embrechts is a dance critic who writes for
De Volkskrant and other publications.
DUTCH ATTITUDE
47

DUTCH ATTITUDE
48
Bill Gates or
Don Quichotte?
The new reality of our international policy on culture
If you believe something, it becomes your reality. It’s the kind of wise saying you find on
a plaque. It reminds us of the fact that we can create our own reality. Our international
cultural policy is such a self-created reality. A policy reality that comes about because
we believe in the goals we are trying to achieve with it. But does it amount to anything
in the real world? Johan Idema
In Retrospect
A destination, but no journey
More eye for the world
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW)
www.minocw.nl/english/culture/index.html
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
www.minbuza.nl/en/themes,culture-and-publicdiplomacy/international_cultural_policy
www.sica.nl
Johan Idema is a consultant.
First steps
What are the first steps we need to take in order to let our international
policy on culture gain foundation, strength and topicality? Below, are four
suggestions.
Take stock of existing flows of cultural products
We need a clearer picture of which Dutch cultural products matter internationally,
and how they move throughout the world. The language and
examples in our current international policy on culture suggest a focus on
presenting art and artists with a capital A and everything that is successful
in The Netherlands. However, it concerns a much larger range of products,
services and rights that are spread in different ways internationally
and determine our status.
Establishing an image: soft impressions or hard facts
Presenting The Netherlands as a successful cultural country is undeniably
one of our aims. However, how do we determine our success: With hard
facts about the number of performances? Or do we count the articles in
the major world news papers? A clear reference to what we consider a
success should be the basis for our efforts.
International policy on culture as two-way traffic
Our international policy currently focuses on presenting The Netherlands
abroad. The other way round, i.e. bringing foreign countries to The
Netherlands, is also a form of international cultural policy. There is a link
between incoming and outgoing culture, but we haven’t made it yet. At
the same time, it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish between
here and there, between national and international. Discussions about
international policy on culture as two-way traffic can lead to completer
and therefore stronger national and international policy on culture.
Putting things into perspective and learning from others
Louis Andriessen, Dutch Design and Rembrandt – it is easy to mention our
own successes. But each European country has its own trophies. Are we
really as good as we think we are, and what can we learn from the Swedish
Ikea, the French cuisine and Italian design? A down-to-earth, but
clever benchmark of our success can lead to strengthening and expanding
it even further.
Concertgebouw Orchestra and Big Brother
Stating that the world is changing, and that we need to take that into account with regard to our international policy on culture,
is easily said. The true challenge is to clearly describe relevant developments and actually focus our policy on that. International
micro-trends such as globalisation, the introduction of mobile and new media, the migration of population groups, the discussions
about intellectual property, disappearing borders and the worldwide tourism, also have a strong impact on art and culture.
They change the content of our cultural supply and the demand for it: more street culture such as graffiti and rap, more popular
culture such as film and pop music, more lifestyle culture such as architecture, design and fashion, and more digital culture such
as gaming and photography. At the same time it leads to changes in where and how culture is consumed, considering the growing
offer of culture from other countries and the explosive growth of culture consumption via media such as television, DVD and the
internet. Last but not least, the interests and the general appreciation of culture are changing: we find traditional arts relatively
less important, we have more eye for applied art in products, buildings and environment and more appreciation for amateurs
as a source of creativity. If we view our international policy on culture from the perspective of these changes, then we see that
not only a Concertgebouw Orchestra or a Van Gogh should be part of it. Equally, and maybe even more so, Big Brother, Guerrilla
Games, the Senseo, Fabchannel, the Dutch polders and G-star represent Dutch culture abroad. Apart from being present on
foreign stages, it also includes the export of culture and the exchange of the applicable rights, formats and concepts.

TRANSNATIONAL CULTURE
FROM MADE IN HOLLAND TO WE ARE THE WORLD?
Culture plays an important role in the development of the global village. Culture without
boundaries affects people everywhere and is transnational. So Dutch culture also has
transnational power and is influenced by other countries. The question is whether our
international culture policy supports this form of two-way traffic. We make every effort to present
ourselves internationally, but a lot of experts consider our international cultural efforts to be like
pellets from a shotgun: little coherence, continuity, control and budget. Do we realise enough to
what extent our culture is permeated by transnational influences? Does it still make sense to talk
of ‘us’ and ‘them’? And are Koolhaas’ designs Dutch, or are they Global Design? In an integral and
substantiated approach, export as well as import are important, but media range and, by now,
boundless culture consumption is also taken into account.
IMPORT OF FOREIGN CULTURE
IMAGE OF FOREIGN CULTURE
CULTURAL VISITS BY TOURISTS
IMPORT
FILM 90%
CDs 80%
GAMES 99%
TV PRODUCTIONS 25%
POP MUSIC 25%
THEATRE PRODUCTIES 10%
WHAT COMES FROM AFAR, GOES FARTHER.
We want Made in Holland to make a favourable impression
abroad, but shouldn’t we also think about the transnational
cultural offerings in our own country? They are quite variable.
In one sector there is hardly any local product, while in the
other there is hardly anything international.
EXPORT OF DUTCH CULTURE
REPRESENTATION OF DUTCH CULTURE
CULTURAL VISITS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES
EXPORT
SERVICES COMMODITIES RIGHTS
ARTISTS PRESENTING THEIR
CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES
MEDIA COMPANIES
SUPPLYING THEIR CARRIERS
(CDS, FILMS, BOOKS)
DESIGNERS AND ARCHICTECTS ARTISTS AND GALLERIES
SUPPLYING THEIR IDEAS AND DESIGNS SELL THEIR ARTWORKS
ARTISTS ORGANISING EXHIBITIONS
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
COMPANIES SUPPLYING
THEIR RIGHTS
Orchestra
WHAT DO EXPERTS CONSIDER
OUR INTERNATIONAL TROPHIES?
KONINKLIJK
CONCERTGEBOUW
ORCHESTRA
DJS
ORCHESTRA
OF THE
EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY
Some Dutch people might even visit more cultural
events in other countries than in their own. Could it
be time for an international museum card?
Hella
Jongerius
Marcel
Wanders
Design
Topbrands
Architecture
MVRDV
PAUL VERHOEVEN
Film
HOW DO OUR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESSES
RELATE TO THOSE OF OUR NEIGHBOURS?
OPERA
DESIGN
REPRESENTATION
THE ROSY VIEW
Even though the Netherlands is a small
country, it receives a great deal of attention
for our art and culture from foreign
countries. We have had quite a few
permanent art successes, but during the
last years the Netherlands has received a
lot of attention for its creative designers.
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
IMPRESSIONISTS theatre
Not only the Netherlands but also nearly every
other European country possesses cultural top
brands of international allure. Without any actual
and relative figures, we hardly know how
successful the Netherlands really is in this. What
we do know is often quite an eye-opener:
Dutch design export, for instance, lags well
behind with 6 % compared to Great
Britain with 20%.
DUTCH PAINTERi68%
DUTCH ARCHITECTi13%
200
100
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
A MEGAHIT BRINGS
ONLY SHORT-LIVED
FAME.
FOR A MOMENT KOOLHAAS
AND TIËSTO WERE EQUALLY
FAMOUS
THE NETHERLANDS DON’T
HAVE REAL, LIVING
SUPERSTARS LIKE THESE
H&M
BENEFITS V&R
FRANK GEHRY i116%
KARL LAGERFELD i63%
PEDRO ALMODÓVAR i122%
PHILIPPE STARCK i20%
GAUGUIN i61%
LARS VON TRIER i27%
JEFF KOONS i61%
VIKTOR&ROLF i249%
REM KOOLHAAS i35%
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER i240%
PAUL VERHOEVEN i98%
PAUL OAKENFOLD m52%
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
CULTURE TOURISM
What is the influence of the increasing mobility of world citizens who look for
culture in many countries and take it with them, and do so also in the Netherlands?
Cultural tourism has become a serious line of business. This makes it a
serious theme for policymakers and cultural institutions to pay attention to.
80%
Yearly, 80% of the
Dutch visit other
countries
5,5 M
holidaymakers visit cities or
go on a culture holiday
4 MLN
Dutch visited a museum
in a foreign country in
the past year
10 MLN
Every year, 10 m tourists
visit our country
30%
Thirty percent of the foreign
tourists visit a Dutch museum
66%
Sixty-six percent of the foreign tourists visit a
monument, a museum or another form of culture
HERE
DUTCH DESIGNi68%
DUTCH DJm23%
DUTCH WRITERi39%
DUTCH CINEMAi20%
DUTCH CONTEMPORARY ARTi5%
THERE
0
VISUAL ARTISTS
DESIGNERS
DJS
ARCHITECTS
ORCHESTRA
FILM DIRECTORS
PAINTERS
In how many articles Dutch artists are
mentioned?
DJ-STARDOM SEEMS
ON THE WAY DOWN
TIËSTOm82%
MARCEL WANDERSi82%
CONCERTGEBOUWORKESTm24%
ARMIN VAN BUURENi34%
HELLA JONGERIUSi68%
KEITH TYSONm78%
MARLENE DUMASi112%
VERMEER i61%
JUNKIE XLm91%
DROOG DESIGNi100%
ATELIER VAN LIESHOUTi70%
WINY MAASi250%
AERNOUT MIKm33%
THE BRAND NAME HOLLAND IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Determining what our image is abroad, is a question of
soft impressions (image, identity, character) and hard
facts (number of performances, exhibitions). But what
do we find important and when are we satisfied?
Checking the attention for us in the most important
world newspapers is one way and already presents
refreshing insights.
100
0

About SICA
Artists and cultural organisations from The Netherlands travel abroad a lot and often. The
countries of the European Union are an important work area for them, in particular neighbouring
Germany. But you also come across culture from The Netherlands far outside the EU, from
The United States of America to Australia, from Indonesia to Brasil, and from South Korea,
South Africa, China, and the countries in the Middle East to Canada; no continent escapes the
interest of Dutch artists. For all these artists and cultural organisations with international ambitions,
the Centre for International Cultural Activities/SICA is an important guide. Moreover,
SICA is the gateway to the Dutch cultural sector from abroad.
SICA is an independent knowledge institute for Dutch international culture policies, and works
closely together with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, Culture and Science. In
collaboration with funding bodies and sector institutes in The Netherlands, SICA co-ordinates
programmes in The Netherlands and abroad, which contribute to raising the profile of Dutch
art and culture worldwide. Besides, SICA provides information and advice about activities,
financing opportunities, networks, and practical matters. SICA regularly organises information
and discussion sessions about topical issues regarding international cultural exchange, or about
specific regions. The European Cultural Contact Point The Netherlands is part of SICA, and
gives advice about European subsidy possibilities for cultural co-operation.
SICA
52
This is what SICA
has to offer:
www.sica.nl
The website provides information about SICA, its activities,
publications, and the international culture policy of The
Netherlands. Hundreds of cultural organisations, classified
into types of organisation, or geographical, sectoral or
thematic focus can be found in Who is Who. The helpdesk
section contains a FAQ. The international agenda Offshore is
easy to consult. Part of the website is in English.
SICA meetings
SICA programmes most of its meetings for Dare2connect, the
platform for encounters, presentations and discussions about
international, cultural activities. Almost all of the meetings
take place in Felix Meritis in Amsterdam. Check the agenda at
www.dare2connect.nl
SICA Helpdesk
The Helpdesk is available daily for questions about practical
and policy aspects of international cultural exchange, and
gives advice per email, telephone, or in a face-to-face meeting.
The Helpdesk can also refer you to specialists or experts:
helpdesk@sica.nl
European Cultural Contact Point The
Netherlands (CCP)
CCP The Netherlands provides information about European
subsidy opportunities, and gives support when applying for
financial contributions. Information is provided in meetings,
and via email or telephone. Face-to-face meetings for personal
advice are also possible. ccpnl@sica.nl
Offshore
Offshore is the only database which registers activities of
Dutch artists and cultural organisations abroad in all artistic
sectors. Some 700 sources provide data for this ‘worldwide
culture agenda’. Offshore contains over 22,000 activities that
have taken place in over 100 countries since 1999, and is updated
every day. A brochure in English can be downloaded via
www.sica.nl/pdf/080128 _ folder _ buitengaats _ en.pdf
International Visitors’ Programme
Every year SICA organises visits of foreign professionals in
the field of culture (directors, policy makers, managers, journalists)
to The Netherlands. The programme is put together
in consultation with funding bodies, sector institutes, and the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and Education, Culture and
Science.
SICAmag, a magazine about international
cultural co-operation
SICAmag brings together opinions and experiences of makers,
art managers, scientists and policy makers, and contains information
of current interest, practical assistance, and essays
about international culture policy. Every issue has a special
theme or focuses on a specific region. SICAmag is published
four times per year in Dutch: www.sica.nl
Netherlands China Arts Foundation
SICA is the organising agency for The Netherlands China Arts
Foundation, and as such invests in cultural exchange between
China and The Netherlands. Its primary activities are: stimulating
and facilitating networks, supporting large-scale events
in both countries, and the organistion of meetings in The
Netherlands. For more information: www.artsfoundation.nl