The idea was to make a short trip to Paris by bus at the end of November 2023. Calculated time of departure 9.30 hours, which became 9.50 hours.
This seems like a dull road trip, at 2 hours 30 minutes on the way, N BelgiumA17 in N France, 4 hours on the wayAbout 4 hours and one minute on the way, now in N FranceHigh way in N France, 5 hours and a minute on the way
On this road hoping for good or better / while seated on the front row in a bus / heading for La Ville Lumière (the City of Light) / rain came pouring, slashing the windows / and changing the experience into murk and flashing screen scenes / of viaducts crossing the motor road.
At the entry of the ‘Peage’ (Toll road), time 14.47 hrsAt the exit of the ‘Peage’ (Toll road) at 16.07 hrs
The driver from Eastern Europe / talking to another driver crossing / the content in a different direction / in their own language / endlessly.
In the tunnel (1)In the tunnel (2)At about 6.5 hours drive, Paris is near.
Still, the driver paid attention to the traffic on the road, the lights / and he drove peacefully to the terminus / at Gare de Bercy.
Getting close to the ‘Peripherique’Readiness to remove our rubbishKeep left for the Peripherique (at 16.39 hrs)We are very near now, at 17.19 hoursExit to Gare de Paris: Gare de Bercy.
A visit to old leather factory in Oisterwijk (NL) May 8, 2014, combined with a view of paintings by WOLS in Museo Sofia Reina in the same year, Madrid (E) made me create assemblage.
old leather factory in Oisterwijk
With group of 12 photographers, we were allowed to search for good places to photograph.
One Way Out
One way out
“So, there is only one way out. // But there are no stairs. // There is no rope, no trampoline. // You have no wings even. // Knowing that the heat will become intolerable / how do you get out?!”
Concrete benches for machinesCrypt in the “church” named Leather Factory Oisterwijk, NL
Not to be seated
“Here one stands in awe / and one’s mind lingers / about those, who once were sitting on the benches. // But after what happened / the holiness of this sacred site / does not allow anyone to be seated here / anymore.”
Three Trestles under the Hatch
“Three trestles under the hatch: Even, / if the memory / of an empty room / with stone trestles, that once
all photos, texts & art (c) Drager Meurtant, 2014 – 2024
Today, the world looked safer / without sirens, no shooting till 14 hours / and the car moved smoothly
accross the border / separating two countries for long / only in war having been united by force.
One hour later, the friends did meet / first time in almost 4 months.
It took two hours to talk down / the big C that shaped lives / and for leaving the extra coat / worn for safety.
And then they took a dive where it was / forbidden / followed by coffee on / a terrace looking at the river Rhine.
(terras aan de rivier de Rijn)
Vandaag kwam de wereld veiliger over / zonder sirenes, geen schieten tot 14 uur / en de auto bewoog langzaam / langs de grens / die de twee landen lang had gescheiden / alleen verenigd in de oorlog / door macht.
Eén uur later, ontmoetten de vrienden / elkaar voor het eerst in bijna vier maanden. / Het nam twee uur om de grote C / omlaag te praten, die het leven beheerste / en om de extra jas – gedragen voor de veiligheid – achter te laten.
En toen doken ze in het water waar het verboden was / gevolgd door koffie op / een terras dat uitkeek op de rivier de Rijn.
Drager Meurtant, June 24, 2020 (during lift of first Covid19 lockdown, minor corrections Jan 29, 2024)
When stones dance and move along the rythm of the surges of flowing times // and take a leave from the geometry imposed by builders seeking comfort and utility // and trees push out residing memories or on some occasion take place side by side // then eyes may wander in slow pace, step by step.
Wanneer stenen dansen en bewegen op het ritme van de golven van de tijdstroom en verlof nemen van de geometrie, opgelegd door bouwers die comfort en nuttig gebruik zochten // en bomen er de gezetelde herinneringen wegduwen; bij gelegenheid naast elkaar plaats nemen // dan kunnen ogen hier zwerven in langzaam bewegen, stap voor stap.
(Drager Meurtant, analog photo in The Provence, early 1980s, text 2017)
“We gaan op weg, ja, maar overal botsen we op grenzen: Grenzen die anderen stellen: fysiek, met douanecontrole, hoge hekken of soms zelfs met landmijnen. Of we botsen op limieten in normen en moraal. En, vroeger of later stuiten we op grenzen die ons lijf of geest tegenkomt”
Tentoonstelling in Kunstruimte De Melkfabriek, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 27 mei tm 18 juni, 2023
Drager Meurtant – Staande voor het hek, lino-snede, 2018
Achttien kunstenaars uit acht landen laten hun visie zien in beeld of woord. In bijgaand boek tevens vijf essays van Richard Candidá Smith, Zhinia Noorian, David Estrada, George Kabel en Drager Meurtant, en achtergrondinformatie over over achtergrond en motief van de kunstenaars en beeldmateriaal.
Deelnemende kunstenaars
Initiatief van kunstenaars Drager Meurtant (NL), Jeanine Keuchenius (NL) en Petra Senn (D)
Verder nemen deel:
Katherine Chang-Liu (USA), Brian Dickerson (USA), Nina Fraser (Portugal), Joris van Gennip (NL), Carlo Grassini & Bill Thomas (USA), Sylvia Hubers (NL), Michal Iwanoski (Poland / UK), George Kabel (NL), Max King Cap (USA), Anna-Maria Komorowska (D), Oliver Merce (RO), Dorothee Mesander (GR), Ruth Philo (UK), Martien Vogelesang (NL).
The Milkfactory / De Melkfabriek, Guldenvliesstraat4H, 5211 AM, ‘s Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
Brian Dickerson: ‘Vroman’ is een drie-dimensionaal ‘constructed painting’ dat aansluit bij het thema ‘Grenzen en Begrenzingen’ door het loslaten van vaste, fysieke posities
Preview (op uitnodiging) op 26 mei vanaf 15 uur
Formele opening 27 mei 14 – 17 uur
Openingstijden: Za 27/5, Zo 28/5, Ma 29/5, Za 3/6, Zo 4/6, Za 10/6, Zo 11/6, Za 17/6, Zo 18/6
Dagelijks van 13 – 17 uur.
Bill Thomas & Carlo Grassini – Welcome, collage, 2021
drager-meurtant 