New Holland to host festival of Dutch artists

A series of cultural events including film screenings, concerts, exhibitions and lectures will be held at New Holland as part of the Russia-Netherlands Year 2013. The Orange Days Festival of Contemporary Dutch Culture will see artists, designers and musicians from the Netherlands take over the St Petersburg island for two weeks this July.

As part of the festival, a Summer Architecture Camp will offer both Russian and Dutch students the chance to draft proposals for the future development of New Holland. The former naval base is undergoing a multi-billion makeover that will turn the 19-acre triangular island into one of Russia’s leading cultural hubs. Dasha Zhukova’s Iris Foundation is overseeing the renovation, which is financially backed by her partner, Roman Abramovich. Although New Holland has been open to the public every summer since 2011, the restoration is expected to be completed by 2017.

Me & My Models, an exhibition featuring the work of controversial Dutch photographer and writer Jan Hoek will also go on show. The exhibition, which includes a short film and photographs of amateur models, mentally ill homeless people in Africa and drug addicts, explores the tension and often conflicting expectations of the photographer and subject.

Another exhibition, Exactitudes, will showcase the work of photographers Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek who have spent the past 19 years documenting the dress codes of different social groups in Rotterdam and other cities. For New Holland, the duo will set up a pop-up studio to capture the various subcultures that St Petersburg has to offer.

The island’s art gallery will also host a series of short films from the programme of the Rotterdam International Film Festival. The Russia-Netherlands Year 2013, which aims at promoting a cultural exchange between the two nations, kicked off last April. Orange Days Festival of Contemporary Dutch Culture will run from 1 to 14 June at New Holland.