Made in Dolland – extended

From Saturday June 4 until Sunday August 21 the exhibition ‘Made in Dolland’, the visual language of Dolley Bellefleur’ will be on show at the Gallery/Artlibrary Artzaanstad. Since 1989 Dolly Bellefleur (alter ego of cabaret artist and lyricist Ruud Douma) has been on stage and on the barricades. Dolly Bellefleur is an activist, an artist, but above all a figurehead for the LGBTQIA+ community. Gay, straight, lesbian, transgender or (b)i? We are family. Let’s celebrate diversity!

Dolly Bellefleur
Dolly Bellefleur is a figurehead for the LGBT+ community, not only in Amsterdam but throughout the Netherlands. For her important work, she was awarded the Bob Angelo Penning by COC Nederland. Besides the fight for acceptance of LGBT+ rights, activist and artist Bellefleur is tirelessly committed to cultural diversity and minorities. The exhibition forms the basis of a nine-week celebration of diversity, tolerance and equal opportunities. The radiant centrepiece of the exhibition is the dressing gowns Tycho Boeker has designed for La Bellefleur since Dolly’s debut in 1989. There is also a wide selection of the ‘state portraits’ that court photographer Piek has made in recent years.

In addition, this colourful exhibition is about the visual language that Dolly Bellefleur has been using for more than three decades to bring important themes such as emancipation, (im)equality, diversity, inclusiveness, masculinity/femininity, protest and activism to the attention of a wide audience. The exhibition shows work that Dolly Bellefleur has made since 1989 in cooperation with renowned photographers, graphic designers, designers, artists and cartoonists, including internationally renowned artists such as Erwin Olaf, Joost Swarte and Piet Paris. Liza Snook of the Virtual Shoe Museum looked for matching shoes. And artist Airco Caravan‘s ‘Healing’ series will be present, a serie of art objects on skin tone bandaids, pantyhose and flesh tone paint, and 2020-2022.

Artzaanstad art library/gallery
Of course Dolly also took a look at the rich collection of Artzaanstad art library/gallery. She selected works of art from it: Hans Withoos, Stefan Gross, Peter Keizer and Netty van Osch. In her choice she led by personal childhood memories, in which she was bullied because she was ‘different’ from the rest. In other works she found similarities in her ideas or a comment or addition to her own visual language. We hope that this Wunderkammer at Artzaanstad will stimulate and encourage you. Will you also let love rule?

Ernst Coppejans
Until tuesday 28 June the impressive exhibition ‘LEGALE LIEFDE (Legal love)’ can be seen outside on the Hembrugterrein. This exhibition consists of 20 billboards with photos by Ernst Coppejans celebrating 20 years of marriage for all.

Location
Artzaanstad, kunstuitleen/galerie on the Hembrugterrein, Grote Hulzen 11, Zaanstad, NL.
Open: June 4 till August 7
Tuesday – saturday 10.00 – 17.00
1st sunday of the month 12.00 – 17.30

Photography poster: Piek, Football from the Virtual Shoe Museum by Freya Jobbins.