Studio visits Marcel Pinas: 11 and 12 May

As an extension of the monthly studio visit program, Stroom is organizing Digital Dialogues during the lockdown: online one-on-one conversations for artists from The Hague with an interesting artist, writer or curator. You can sign up now for a Digital Dialogue with visual artist Marcel Pinas.

On Tuesday, 11 May and Wednesday 12 May, 2021, visual artist and organizer Marcel Pinas will have conversations with artists in The Hague about their art practice via Zoom. Pinas lives and works in Moengo, Suriname. In addition to his own art practice, he is founder of Stichting Kibii, which realized Tembe Art Studio, Contemporary Art Museum Moengo and the Moengo Festival of Visual Arts, among others. For his areas of interest, please see his artist statement and brief biography (see below).

Artist statement:

"With his striking colorful paintings and the strong statements of his modern engaged art installations, all addressing his now famous theme of "Kibri a Kulturu", Marcel has made quite an impression in the many countries worldwide where he has traveled and exhibited in the past years. For his art, his exhibitions and his studies and residencies abroad are to Marcel not just a way to further his career as an artist, but they are to him a vehicle; a means to an end; a way to build an artists' platform, with a base large and strong enough to allow him to fulfill his most recent and urgent mission. The mission involves the Surinamese district of Marowijne, which is home to several maroon villages including Pelgrimkondre, the village where Marcel Pinas was born. Despite it's difficult past, characterized by a violent and destructive guerilla war in the 1980s, and the lack of attention from the government for the plight of maroon and indigenous communities, Marcel sees a bright future for the district of Marowijne. The artist strives to make Marowijne the art district of Suriname. He envisions a ‘Marowijne Art Park' with public art installations and objects from local and international artists and a ‘Marowijne Cultural Center' where the local population will be trained in visual as well as performing arts. The objective of this project, for which Pinas is already laying the groundwork in Marowijne, is to attract tourism to the area, create employment opportunities and increase pride and appreciation of communities for their own cultural heritage. Work by Marcel Pinas, be it two dimensional or three dimensional, intensely colorful or shockingly somber, is always captivating and deeply meaningful. It attests not only of great skill and artistic talent, but also of great determination and dedication to his cause."

Sign up
If you are interested in an online conversation about your work and artistic practice with Marcel Pinas, you can let us know until Monday, May 3, 2021.The responses received, together with any suggestions from Stroom, will be presented to Marcel, after which he will make a selection. You will be notified when you have been selected by the artist for an interview.Please note that due to the time difference the interviews will take place in the late afternoon.

Short biography
Marcel Pinas was born in 1971, in the district of Marowijne in East-Suriname, in the village Pelgrimkondre. As a teenager he moves to the capital city Paramaribo. His art teacher in school recognizes his talent and convinces him to enroll at the Nola Hatterman Art Institute, from which he graduates in 1990. He studies at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica, is artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in the USA, the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, travels all around the world, but remains forever true to his roots. The theme Kibri A Kulturu (preserve the culture) is his main driving force and source of inspiration.

With his art Marcel Pinas aims to create a lasting record of the lifestyle and traditions of the Maroons and hopes to create a worldwide awareness and appreciation for the unique traditional communities in Suriname and the serious threats they are facing today. He is the founder of the Kibii foundation which includes an art park and cultural center where the youth from his hometown is trained and motivated to build a future based upon the strength of their own culture.