Where art is created

Where two worlds meet, interesting things happen. On the dike behind Pieterburen is a sculpture by Harm Blanken. The 'IJzeren Wadloper' looks out over the Wadden Sea in all weathers. A little further east is the Noordkaap, the northernmost tip of mainland Netherlands. Here stands the 'Poort Kaap Noord' by artist René de Boer. Anyone looking over the Wadden Sea here will understand why this work of art is usually called 'The Gate Hemelpoort'.

Artist and graphic designer Hans Gerritsen also likes to seek out the coast. He paints abstract landscapes on cardboard. "The Wadden was always a magnet, even before I came to live here. My best tips? Many people go to Noordpolderzijl, but if you drive a bit further towards Valom, you can park your car in the Uithuizerwad car park. The view there is beautiful. Or go to the dike behind Westernieland. There you can walk up the salt marsh to the salt marsh edge; very inspiring."

"For my work, I cycle back and forth between Adorp and the town. The emptiness of that horizon land, a line between sky and earth, is an invitation for me to respond to. It is unpolished, sometimes bleak and muddy. And although it seems fairly simple, the landscape is always more surprising than you think. Once you delve into it, you see more. It is quite similar to the character of the Groningers, though. You have to do your best to get to know it."

Hans is not the only artist in whose work the local landscape plays such an important role. In all kinds of galleries and studios, you can admire work by Waddenland artists who are inspired by their surroundings to varying degrees. For example, visit Trudy Beekman's studio in Warffum or go on a tour with one of the atelier routes: Route 99 and Atelier Route High North.

Hans: "I don't paint with brushes, but with broad brushes. This motor skill suits this landscape. Monumental. hefty. As far as I'm concerned, it should be portrayed in big, direct lines. If you drive from Groningen via the N361 towards Lauwersoog, for example. The bend from where you leave the city and the canal behind you. The light there. A new page in the atlas seems to begin. Suddenly it becomes wider. Wider, higher, deeper. The scale suddenly becomes different. I try to do that in my paintings too."

Where Hans chooses the landscape, other artists choose the heritage, such as the silence of old churches. During the annual art project Monks' Work, a number of churches turn into studios. In July and August, artists work on their art project during the day. At night, the churches are open to the public. Another connection between art and church can be found in some churchyards. From a silhouette of a church in rebar at Wierhuizen Cemetery to a sign on the church wall of Zuurdijk: art-on-cemeteries project Op Hoogte Gedacht makes you reflect on the link between past and present.

"Many artists have a place in their hearts for Groningen, even if they barely come here," Hans says. Not surprisingly, artists from outside the region also come to Waddenland for inspiration. Some of them settle temporarily as 'artist in residence', for instance in the old verger's house of the KunstKerk Hogeland in Warffum or among the other creative people in Wongema in Hornhuizen. Perhaps you don't feel like an artist, but you do enjoy being artistic? Creative workshops are held in all sorts of places.

Hans: "Compared to other landscapes, Groningen is relatively stable and flat. But it can also be a very unforgiving landscape. You need a kind of intransigence to make it here. The sobriety and perseverance of the Groningers; I think that comes from their landscape. That the land has an effect on who you are." So just go out and be surprised. From professional to amateur, you are welcome here for a different view of the landscape.