you only see
what you know
Hardly anyone is aware of the fact, but in the Netherlands we live in one big cultural landscape. People have conceived and created every square inch of the land. If you understand how that process works, you can’t help looking at the landscape with fresh eyes. The new Podium voor Tuin- en LandschapsCultuur asked us to translate this abstract story into a tangible presentation for a large audience. We were also asked if we could simultaneously do something with the history of the world famous gardens around the 18th century country estate.
In the recently restored mansion you can wander through poetic musings, personal testimonies and abstracted flower beds. An animated scale model provides a solid informative base to the story. And then in the landscape laboratory in the kitchen, you can have a go at manipulating the landscape yourself. After a visit to Beeckestijn the landscape will never be the same again. And by the way, the history of the gardens has been given a place in the exhibition that can literally be described as window dressing.