Opening Innovation at World Expo 1851- now
In the context of the 34th World Expo opening in Milan in the spring of 2015, Het Nieuwe Instituut addressed this phenomenon from different perspectives, between April 26 and August 23, in three exhibitions: 'What is the Netherlands', 'Garden of Machines' and 'GLASS'.
25 April 2015 16:00 - 20:00
Opening by Herman Pleij
We looked forward to welcoming visitors at the festive opening ceremony, performed by historian Herman Pleij at 5.30 pm, which took place in the exhibition What is the Netherlands, 14 entries to the World Expo. Pleij is author of 'Nederland en de honger naar houvast' en 'Moet Kunnen'.
Guided tours by the curators
Curators Toon Koehorst and Jannetje in 't Veld gave a guided tour of the exhibition GLASS. Engine of progress, in which they show how the oldest man-made material is still making progress possible. Curator Klaas Kuitenbrouwer gave a tour of the speculative exhibition Garden of Machines, about a new ecosystem in which technical and organic beings learn to live together. The guided tours of Surprising Finds from the collection #4 were performed by curator and archivist Alfred Marks and Jules van den Langenberg.
Talks in the auditorium
A number of short talks took place in the auditorium, led by writer, presenter and singer Sarah Meuleman.
- 4.10 - 4.40 pm
Talk on the theme of the World Expo with Guus Beumer, Director of Het Nieuwe Instituut, and Wendel ten Arve, Head of Presentation and Programmes of Het Nieuwe Instituut - 4.40 - 5 pm
Talk on _Garden of Machines_ with Klaas Kuitenbrouwer and artist Wikke van Houwelingen - 5.10 - 5.30 pm
Talk on _GLASS. Engine of progress_ with Toon Koehorst and Jannetje in 't Veld - 6.10 - 6.30 pm
Talk on _What is the Netherlands. 14 entries to the World Expo_ with curator Stephan Petermann (OMA/AMO) and others.
Other programme activities
In the old board room on the 6th floor, Elfie Tromp read from her new work, inspired by the World Expo and the Crystal Palace in 1851. From the radio studio in the Sonneveld House, curator, critic and founder of Non-fiction and Failed Architecture Foundation, Michiel van Iersel, will provided live coverage of the opening.
In room 1, designer Richard Hutten launched The Hutten Copier Vase 15, the result of a collaboration between Hutten, Het Nieuwe Instituut and the National Glass Museum. For children, a workshop on making seed bombs was organised in De Nieuwe Tuin.