Silke Veld
Singer-songwriter
My body
I plant myself among the grass
Push my roots into the earth
Where I grow to great heights
Where I stay until I go again
For I will go
To the rustling of the city
Where the people are waiting for me
Where we dance, cry, talk
Until once again it is far too late
Plant myself for a few beats in the empty spaces of their hearts
I put them in my pocket
When I leave again
For however much I may wish to stay
I must move with this body
This body that I was given by the people
This body that lets me move through the seasons
This body that, for you, is perhaps not a body
For me, it is all I would otherwise have missed.
So dear people, it was lovely
To be allowed to stand in this gallery
But please excuse me now,
It is time to go again
Hielke Bosch
Media producer, reporter for RTV1, spokesperson for Stiching Rick
This keg shows that assistive devices are not an invention of our time. For centuries, people have been devising ways to live and move independently. All too often, a wheelchair is still seen as out of the ordinary, even though almost anyone may need one at some point: temporarily, for example, because of a broken leg, or sometimes because a distance is too far to walk. And, of course, there are people who are completely dependent on one. This makes the importance of accessibility immediately clear. Ensuring accessibility is not about meeting the needs of a small group, but about investing in all of us, though unfortunately this is still not always recognised. The keg reminds us that mobility and accessibility have always been human needs. Technology has changed over the years, but the desire to move freely and participate fully has existed throughout the ages.
Menno Fitski
Head of the Department of Asian Art
It is a peculiar concoction: a Japanese woman is seated, on display, on a decorated cart, holding a flowering branch in her left hand. With the other hand she lifts her kimono, revealing her bare legs – an act that would have been considered both improper and titillating. Her clothing and hairstyle indicate that she is someone from the world of entertainment.
The object is about 30 centimetres high and takes the form of a porcelain gin keg. The opening at the front of the cart is for a metal tap, while the woman’s wobbling, backward-leaning head serves as the stopper. Ceramic vessels for alcoholic drinks were popular in the 18th century and often humorous in character. This keg is a parody: the woman is seated on a koshi , a special cart normally used to transport members of the upper aristocracy on ceremonial occasions.
