The Individual Parallel, Willem Oorebeek, Bilderberg Parkhotel, Rotterdam, NL

Lecture / debate Disclosure Z-Files

23/09/2014
15 Bilderberg Parkhotel

Z-Files # 4: The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia by Willem Oorebeek


A new monumental work of art, formed by a grid of subtly glowing dots in the dark, recently adorns the facade of the Parkhotel in Rotterdam: The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia by visual artist Willem Oorebeek. Oorebeek's new work is an enrichment of the international sculpture collection of Sculpture International Rotterdam (SIR) at the entrance of the 'Museum Quarter'. Oorebeek (Pernis, 1953) made this work especially for the Parkhotel on behalf of SIR and BKOR (both part of CBK Rotterdam). The realization was made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund and the municipality of Rotterdam.

The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia
The Parkhotel is located at the intersection of two major arteries in the center of the city: the Westersingel which runs from Central Station towards the Maas and the Blaak, which connects the west side of the city with the east. Partly due to its location on these connecting roads, the former white hotel formed the nickname La Grande Dame, has been a beacon for Oorebeek since the 80s. For Oorebeek The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia a unique opportunity to graphically add his famous 'dot grid' to the perception of the city. The material he chose for the execution of the work - composite - reflects the light from the surroundings, so that the facade of the hotel shows a subtle glowing pattern in the evening and night.

Unveiling by Mayor Aboutaleb
On 23 September at 17.30, Mayor reveals Aboutaleb The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia by adding the last dot. With the unveiling, the Parkhotel marks the completion of a radical transformation of the ground floor: new meeting rooms, a beautiful Cigar Lounge and atmospheric Lobby Bar have been created. The lobby has also been redesigned. The Park - inspired by Erik van Loo has been the Parkhotel's new restaurant since 30 June 2014. The restaurant also underwent a metamorphosis, including the addition of a veranda that leads to the inner garden of the hotel.

Z-Files: Mini symposium
Prior to the festive opening, SIR and BKOR organize in the program series Z-Files, Art and the City a mini-symposium in which this new work by Willem Oorebeek is central. Oorebeek will give a lecture on his new artwork; art historian and art critic Jeroen Boomgaard talks about this new work in the context of the SIR collection; and Saskia Stein (artistic director NAiM / Bureau Europa in Maastricht) interviews the artist about the position of The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia within his oeuvre. (Registration for the symposium is no longer possible.)

Tuesday 23 September 2014: 15 - 19 pm
Bilderberg Parkhotel, Boijmans Van Beuningenzaal, Westersingel 70, Rotterdam

Willem Oorebeek
Willem Oorebeek's work is largely based on the tension between the individual and the public domain. Oorebeek is a visual artist who is important for several generations of artists in Rotterdam. He is represented in museum collections at home and abroad and has international exhibitions. His work is represented in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Generali Foundation Vienna, Stedelijk Museum for Actual Art, Ghent, and De Nederlandsche Bank collection. Working and living in Brussels, Oorebeek is intensively involved - as a teacher, advisor and teacher in the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria - in knowledge transfer and the debate about art and art education and the reception of art.

Made possible thanks to

SIR and BKOR took this initiative with the Parkhotel, which was generously supported financially by the Mondriaan Fund and the municipality of Rotterdam.

Within the CBK Rotterdam, BKOR and SIR are concerned with 'art and the city'. SIR works among other things on the urban lines of the city and wants to honor the top of the Rotterdam artists with a special work in their own city. This is done in collaboration with BKOR.

Specifications artwork
Title: The Individual Parallel - Bilderberg Utopia
Artist: Willem Oorebeek
Year: 2014
Location: corner Rochussenstraat / Westersingel
Material: composite