| comment: | Symposion Gorinchem was partly the result of a visit in 1971 by the Gorcum artists Ad Dekkers and Marinus Boezem to the textile factory of Aage Damgaard in Denmark. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Damgaard was also an art lover and collector and wanted to integrate art into the working environment of his employees in his new factory in Herning. During that period a group of constructivist artists had formed around Dekkers in Gorinchem, who shared his experiences from Denmark with them. As a result, the group wanted to involve companies from Gorinchem and the surrounding area in a new art event to be set up, following Danish example, and this became the Symposion Gorinchem.
The participating artists of the first edition in June 1974 were Getulio Alviani, Marinus Boezem, Ad Dekkers, Kees French, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Ad de Keijzer, Kenneth Martin, Christian Megert, François Morellet, Lev Nusberg, Panamarenko, Uli Pohl, Karl Prantl, Zdenek Sykora, herman de vries and Ryszard Winiarski. The manifestation was opened by Princess Beatrix, lasted three months and attracted thousands of visitors. Many images from this first edition were given a permanent place in Gorinchem. |
|---|
