For the Blue Zone Festival in the Lycka Community Room, we are creating an exhibition featuring paintings by Yael Wassen, a poetic short film by Rashel van der Schaaf, and a musical performance by Sander Weeda. All three artists are connected to Lycka – they live, work, or are part of the Lycka community.
Yael Wassen
Yael Wassen is an artist and political philosopher based in Amsterdam. For her, painting was like discovering a new form of communication: a way to give space to elusive feelings and thoughts, without having to define them definitively.
Her work is always personal. Still, the meaning of her artworks is not entirely fixed. Words or poems offer a direction, but through the use of abstract and simple forms, she tries to leave enough room for you to find your own meaning.
Yael primarily creates paintings but also experiments with other forms, such as larger installations. Whatever she creates, her driving force remains the same: to give both herself and the viewer the space to slow down, be vulnerable, and reflect. These are values she believes are often overlooked in the system we live in, and which, in light of the current state of the world, are more important than ever.
Rashel van der Schaaf (1997)
Rashel has a deep-rooted love for nature, and especially for water, rivers, and the sea. In her films and visual work, the relationship between humans and nature often takes center stage. She questions the relationship we humans have formed over the centuries and whether that relationship is not subject to change in times of climate crisis.
“Natur Braucht Regeln” is a video created during a masterclass in Berlin. It is a poetic film that visualizes an inner world. The natural world around us is being restricted and forced to behave according to the desires of humanity. This creates a tension within me that translates into an inner world being torn apart. The relationship between humans and nature is under pressure and is unsustainable. Sooner or later, it will lead to irreversible consequences.
“Fietstocht” (Bike Ride) is a collaboration between Mira Loogman and Rashel van der Schaaf during an exhibition at Galerie de Kapberg in Egmond aan de Hoef. Rashel created a short video inspired by a poem written by Mira.
DJ S-TRAX
When he makes or spins music, he is completely in the moment. Electronic beats and catchy, cheerful melodies form the foundation of his sound. With his music, he aims to convey emotion and help people briefly forget the chaos of today’s world.
What unites them is the way they use their art to invite people to feel, see, or listen more consciously – and in doing so, reconnect with themselves, each other, and their surrounding