Paradise International Environmental Art Centre

Report: The Seventh Festival of Environmental Art

Rolina Nell & Paul Giesen  in Iran

In spring of 2007 the Dutch artists, Rolina Nell and Paul Giesen traveled to Iran and stayed for one month in Ahmad Nadalian's mother ‘s home. The initial plan was for both artists to do a residency at The Paradise Art Center in Polour, but the winter was so long this year, they ended up staying in Tehran so that Rolina might realize her art works in the city.

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Rolina is an accomplished painter and during her stay in Iran she was able to create a new collection of paintings. In the end she prepared several installations on Pirozi Street (East Tehran). Her art was unusual in for this very traditional neighborhood and in turn generated significant attention and questioning.  Rolina’s artwork, be it painting or installation, is often an effective medium for social communication.

'Been everywhere, Seen everything'  Rolina Nell

I work with acrylic paint on canvas and incorporate other materials such as fabric, wallpaper, shells and flowers. Up to 2004 I used especially saturated colors to almost blank. The persons on those paintings seem retiring within one-selves and little consciously of their surroundings. In 2004 I started to paint more contrasting and more physic. Literally and figurative more openness has come in to the painting. The persons on the paintings are itself more aware of their surroundings and challenge the viewer more.

I am captivated by the tension which I see and feel around me, and realize that nothing is what is seems.

A tension with elements of oppression, suffocation, desires and expectation, full sadness, desolation, beauty and hope. My paintings seems to be in the first place superficial, apparent superficiality interests me.

 My inspiration I get from alarming (idyllic) scenes on photographs i.e. from newspapers, magazines or photographs I took myself. Many of these images which are inspiring me has its origin in other countries, then the Netherlands.

Paul Giesen 

Plans 2006

In May I received a grant (basisstipendium) from The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture.  Because of this I am able to work in my studio for the rest of this year to concentrated and intensively paint to deepen my work further. For this year there are three exhibitions planned: June Nanjing (China) group exhibition, August Rotterdam (The Netherlands) duo-exhibition and November Delft (The Netherlands) solo-exhibition.

Plans 2007

In 2007 I want to allow the influence of the world without amount in my working process. My plan is to travel and paint for a year and work in a number of artists in residencies (Georgia, Iran, India, China and Russia) during my tour (over land) to China. On the way I will make a picture report, in the form of drawings, photographs and collecting existing images from newspapers and illustrated magazines. These picture reports serve as inspiration for my work in the artists in residencies. Every work period in a artists in residenciy I will conclude with an exhibition and I will return a work to the country where the original inspiration came from.

My picture reports (drawings, photographs and paintings) I will digitize and send by the Internet to The Netherlands, where they will be part of the project 'Route/Nomads' of the Artists run initiative "Sanders Geluk". These pictures will be placed in another context and lead roaming existence(a wandering life) in Rotterdam from spot to spot in the city.

Plans 2008

I eventually want to conclude my travel with a picture report in the form of a book or catalogue and an exhibition under the title: 'Been everywhere, Seen everything'.