Where the cardinal points come together
In January 2021, Joop Mulder, founder of Oerol, passed away at the age of 68. Originating from his café de Stoep in Midsland, Oerol, under his inspiring leadership, grew into a unique, globally renowned site-specific theatre festival. With his perseverance and eccentricity, Joop went against the current. He has been of great significance to the development of site-specific theatre and art in the landscape.
The island through Joop’s eyes
Joop opened up Terschelling to creators of all artistic disciplines as a source of inspiration, experimentation, and a performance space. Thus, he provided hundreds of artists, companies, theatre makers, choreographers, dancers, actors, and storytellers with the opportunity to let their ideas roam free. Dozens of emerging creators were given the chance to develop in site-specific theatre. Joop invited them and set out to share his island with them, to find together the ultimate spot in the landscape where their new work could take root.
De Streken
One of the artists with whom Joop had a close bond is Marc van Vliet (Theater Tuig). Since 1999, Joop has wholeheartedly supported all new projects by Theater Tuig, which have significantly contributed to the Festival’s character. In the artistic exchange between Marc and Joop, they found common ground in their love for the landscape. In 2015, inspired by conversations with Joop, Marc developed the work De Streken: a tidal object, windrose, and meeting point.
De Streken was visitable at the festival three times before. For Joop, this work marked a new development for Oerol, in the dialogue between art and the landscape. Together with several other large-scale landscape works, it formed the basis for the ‘Sense of Place’ philosophy. For Joop, De Streken was an iconic work through which one could experience the Wadden landscape in a unique way. It was his dream to give it a permanent place on the Wadden coast.
As a tribute to Joop, as a continuation of his important ideas, and as an homage to the landscape, De Streken returns. To thank him for the great legacy he leaves to Terschelling, the cultural world, and all culture enthusiasts. With De Streken, many generations of artists and visitors can view the Wadden landscape through Joop Mulder’s eyes.
De Streken will return to Terschelling every year for at least five years, until 2026. The work can be visited continuously during four summer months each year. In the winter months, the outlines of the work remain visible, ensuring that De Streken is never completely absent.
The windrose
The windrose atop the dike marks this location year-round. De Streken is annually erected by hand in June and remains standing until the end of summer. Exactly south on the Wadden dike on the mainland at Koehool stands the work Watdataangaat. This work mirrors De Streken and connects both sides of the Wadden Sea.
Collaboration between Oerol & Sense of Place
The return of the artwork to Terschelling has been realised in collaboration with Sense of Place. Donations are being collected in various ways so that we can build the work on Terschelling in the coming years. Everyone can participate.