Com a part d’un projecte social i artístic a
CASAdelDRAGON aquest 2020, us convidem a un acte molt especial. El diumenge
22.03.2020 a les 11h ens trobarem al Jardí del Color de la Familiafeliz. Allà pintarem
i dibuixarem junts i juntes durant dues hores. Aquest esdeveniment està
connectat a accions anteriors dutes a terme tant a Espanya com a Alemanya i
també amb l’exposició de la Casa del Drac.
T’interessa? Genial. Anoteu la vostra participació. Oberta la inscripció fins el 20.03.2020 a les 12h a través del correu electrònic (Juan / at / petry.eu) o utilitzeu WhatsApp 0049 160 99131933 (artsurpriseme).
Per participar a l’esdeveniment és gratuït. Els punts de trobada són a les 10.30h al carrer CASAdelDRAGON Las Parras, 19 12578 Cervera del Maestre o a les 11h a l’interior del camp d’art al jardí de colors (1000m baix del turó de CASAdelDRAGON).
All about
LOVE (Tot sobre l’Amor)
esdeveniment artístic participatiu
CASAdelDRAGON
Las Parras,19
12578 Cervera del Maestre
Castellón
Inici 11:00 / Durada 2 hores / Entrada lliure / places limitades / Sol·licitar fins el 20.03.2020 12:00
As part of the artistic and social project of CASAdelDRAGON in 2020 we invite you for one very special art event. Sunday 22.03.2020 at 11am we will meet in the color garden of familiafeliz. We will paint and draw together in a two hour session. This happening is linked to previous events in Spain and Germany and also to the upcoming exhibition in the house of the dragon.
You are interested? Great. Please announce your partizipation till 20.03.2020 12am via email (juan / at / petry . eu) or use WhatsApp 0049 160 99131933 (artsurpriseme).
To participate in the event is free of charge. Meeting points are 10.30am at CASAdelDRAGON Calle Las Parras,19 12578 Cervera del Maestre or 11am inside the art camp in the color garden (1000m down the hill from CASAdelDRAGON).
All about LOVE participative art event CASAdelDRAGON Las Parras,19 12578 Cervera del Maestre Castellon
contemporary art exhibition in the house of the dragon
I
la llum es va fer
Per
Assumpta Arasa Altimira i Ira Vonnegut
I,
van passar els anys, mil·lennis, i la vida al planeta, a poc a poc,
ho va anar cobrint tot. Perquè cada societat ha intentat explicar
com va ser aquest inici. Com en un petit planeta, d’una estrella de
nivell 40, ha sigut capaç de crear-se vida. I quina vida!
Però
malgrat aquesta bellesa, podem estar tristos i tristes. Incendis,
inundacions, desequilibris atmosfèrics, aniquilació d’espècies
d’animals senceres, contaminació de rius, aires irrespirables, el
final real d’aquest el nostre paradís sembla que el tenim davant
dels nostres ulls.
Avui, més que mai, ens veiem obligats i obligades a lluitar per casa nostra, la Terra. Per això, la necessitat de fer aquesta exposició. Perquè també des de l’Art i la Cultura hem de reivindicar la vida i la dignitat d’aquesta, perquè necessitem que la Llum i l’Esperança torni a fer-se! (PDF)
And
the light was done
And,
years, millennia passed, and life on the planet, little by little,
covered everything. Because, as far as we know, every society has
tried to explain how this beginning was. As it seems strange for our
small planet (one from a star level 40) to create life. And what a
beautiful life!
But
despite this beauty, we can be very sad. Fires, floods, atmospheric
imbalances, the annihilation of whole animal species, river
pollution, breathless air, the end of this paradise seems to be just
in front of our eyes, facing this every single day.
Today, more than ever, we, as humans, are forced to fight for our home, the Earth. This is why we want and need to put together this exhibit. Because we believe that we must vindicate, also trough Art and Culture, the life on our planet and its dignity, because we need Light and Hope to exist again!
Inauguration : 21.03.2020 – 7 pm – CASAdelDRAGON, Las Parras,19 – 12578 Cervera del Maestre – Castellon – Spain – special guest > musician Sinta Salvadó
Exhibition 22.03.2020 – 08.05.2020 – every Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm
This exhibition is linked to several workshops, located at the art camp of CASAdelDRAGON.
the shower of happiness – every end is a beginning
I paint, see the black lines of the artist Nora Valdez. Dark figures. Menacing guardians of ambition guard unknown fears. Strong forces are in front of me.
Rolf Habel, artist, social worker, musician, friend
In early 2020 CASAdelDRAGON invited the German artist and musician Rolf Habel for a visit in the artist residence. We enjoyed him the third time in the house of the dragon, as a close eye witness of the progress of our living community.
the shower of happiness – nice lunch in the art camp
As all the guests Rolf enjoyed the tasty food in our art camp. It is a pleasure and high value, to be able to harvest fresh salad close to the art camp in our own garden and to prepare it “just-in-time”.
From the beginning Rolf was attracted by some drawings on the walls of showers and dry toilets in the art camp. It was an intervention from Nora, a famous artist from Boston, United States, who created a sculpture nearby.
the shower of happiness – in the line of creation
Rolf started to paint, with a lot of respect for the original drawings on the wall. Like the goal of the art camp itself, it became a flow of creation.
the shower of happiness – colorised interpretations
In the last week of his visit Rolf was highly motivated to arrive every morning in the garden area to continue the work. He was feeling exited by having this bigger canvas to work on. For him it was also a return to some memories of his past and a silent dialogue with our social community project and all its implications.
the shower of happiness – a kind of dialoge
Here, someone wants to assert who is considered to be what. The wood is thirsty and the brushes are hard. Paint residues in cans that have not been opened for a long time. The sun shines and warms me soothingly. The almonds bloom, bees hum.
Rolf Habel, artist, social worker, musician, friend
the shower of happiness – following the guidelines
It is early February and I am Spain, visit my friend Juan. He asked me to bring some color to the impressive but somehow very dark world of drawings – which were applied by the sculptor and famous artist Nora Valdez – to the toilet and shower shed of the ARTCAMP of the CASAdelDRAGON, the artist residence of the living community FamiliaFeliz.
Rolf Habel, artist, social worker, musician, friend
the shower of happiness – respectful interventions
I have a lot of respect for Noras work, which reminds me of lead glazing in churches. Almost something sacred comes from these drawings. I want my colors to shine like colorful glass. I feel myself in their ideas, feel a little like someone who reads in the foreign diary. Changing my colors, bringing light to the narratives.
Rolf Habel, artist, social worker, musician, friend
the shower of happiness – the artist absorbed by emotions
More and more cheerfulness comes into the strict composition. I reshape the specifications so that it now appears as if the painting has been poured from above on this house. At least that’s what i feel like in the meantime. Waves and waves of happiness are supposed to overwhelm the visitor of the shower. Like the fairy tale “Sterntaler” from the collections of the Brothers Grimm. Be brave, you’re not poor, you may have so little, give everything away, give your last shirt, you will be richly rewarded in this shower of happiness.
Rolf Habel, artist, social worker, musician, friend
the shower of happiness – donations of color – ready to use for our guests
All works done by a lot of contributers in the last years, are based on earlier contributions. Like Rolf who was inspired by Noras drawings and sketches on some walls, Nora was inspired by these four buildings in a line (which are symbolically the begining of the art camp itself). These buildings are made by people like Clara and others, to welcome guests from all over the world. They are places in a plot, which was sponsered mostly by an german artist Edgar and his wife Angela.
Rolf suggested, that a next generation of creatives arriving to the art camp, should be motivated to continue this intervention.
All this reminds to another older art projects, a joint venture in art, as part of artsurprise, another social sculpture. Nora was part of a group of 10 artists from latin america. Each artists participated with 10 little artworks and 10 european artists “answered” by adding their artworks as well in this edition.
the shower of happiness – one of four – social art in progress
30 of January 2020 we meet at 10am in the color garden to plant a couple of fruit trees. We will check existing trees. By pruning and cleaning we will maintain the project of plantation.
Meeting points: 9.50am CASAdelDRAGON or 10am Color Garden
Part of the foundation of a living community is a solution for cheap and healthy food.
To survive in the future you need to know what you can eat, where you can find it and how to protect it.
Juan Petry
In east spain we experience a change in clima. More heavy rain events with floodings and hot and dry sessions in summer are alternating.
In our fruit tree project we discover robust variations which can handle this new climatic conditions. Using strategies of fuzzy logic we act by setting up some local solutions and nature is teaching us, what might be sustainable.
You are welcome with your ideas. Lets meet and enjoy the planting session.
the art of education – what it is and what should it be?
In early 2020 we had a lot of talks about living in communities, values and goals and further activities and upcoming projects.
It was also a time to reflext about the last years. The following collection gives an overview about social educative artistic activities of our community and address one Always re-emerging question: “What is this all about?”
the art of education – exploring yourself
In spain we are runing an artist residence, the house of the dragon (CASAdelDRAGON). One key to deliver informal education is a huge garden area called the color garden. It is our campus and space for a lot of social activities like camps in nature for families with kids (left photo).
Also we are involved in the summer school activities of APEAL, which is a NGO in Bucharest (Romania).
the art of education – it stuff for informal education purpose
For the community project of ApEAL in Chiocanesti near Bucharest we collected some IT stuff to enable the association for computerbased workshops.
the art of education – students from a german university are building bridges
A group of biology students was building a bridge over one old water channel, designed by roman and arabic conquerors. This project was not part of the original workshop but the realisation of a common wish of the students to contribute in some way to the social project of our color garden.
the art of education – participative art installation in a gallery
The CASAdelDRAGON is an artist residence, guest house and a think tank for innovative social art projects. In the basement of the house we run a gallery since more than 10 years and we use the space also for partizipative art installations like the regalo bar, a shop, in which you can not buy anything, you just can receive a donation or you can donate something to others. It was quite a challenge for latin souls to use this opportunity.
the art of education – alternative bee keeping in Castellon
Part of the color garden is a vegetable garden with a lot of young fruit trees. As an addition we are involved in beekeeping in the province of Castellon. This project address the actual situation of bees between industrial agriculture, micro-economical views on nature and sustainable needs for human habitats.
the art of education – aquaponic as contemporary art
In a relation to the MLU Halle (Martin Luther University) we hosted from time to time biology students in the guesthouse. As part of one exhibition about social art we showed an smal scale aquaponic installation.
the art of education – latin roots and european identity
Magda from a little village near Bucharest was sitting on the terrasse of CASAdelDRAGON and said with tears in her eyes: “I want that my Children will see what i see now!” We where thinking the same 3 years before and we invited the first kids from Romania to visit the region of Maestrazgo, the land of the templer and deeply connected to the european history. In the following years we had several groups visiting and partizipating in our social art projects and we will continue this in 2020 and further on.
the art of education – everything about love
In our german home unit we established the “room for art” in the basement of one house. We invited people with interest in social art and contemporary education for a one day workshop to paint together. By transforming passive visitors to active creators of their environment we sculptured their brains, following Beuys and his idea of social sculpturing.
the art of education – discovering arabic roots in spanish ground
This Hand belongs to a great person. Her name is Fadella. She was coming from Bahrein to study our community life and she gave us a very deep impact in the arabic spanish european history. Her finger points on a handmade ancient nail, laying on a stone which is part of a roman trade path (which is part of our color garden).
the art of education – lunch time
The hosue of the dragon is an open house. A lot of times we are sitting together and share the Food whioch guests and Friends and visitors. These events are not intensivly organised and prepared and they appear more spontaniosly – but exactly this delives a flair, with is great and special.
the art of education – a christmas market in south France
Our close friend Anne is runing a severgardens project in south France. Part of this UNESCO featured project is to explore, develop and share knowledge about natural pigments and dye techniques and ways to produce natural colors for artistic purpose (which is also part of our activities in the color garden in spain). We spend a very cold and long day in France to connect locals with organic products and techniques and developed some connections for the project of Anne.
the art of education – a lecture about social science
Following an invitation we gave some lectures in Germany for students of Biology. Partizipative strategies and methods of social art projects for science and classical education might re-design the thinking of former education.
the art of education – AMAL – and a happy new year
In the educative space of Cecile – permaculture Penyaflor – near Tortosa we invited the guests to paint with us, reflecting the theme L.O.V.E. Later these art works became part of an exhibition under the title AMAL.
the art of education – workshop for leader
In Romania we organised a workshop about leadership. A group of children, teachers, government officials and social workers was involved to create a game about leading a summercamp for youth. The game will be published as part of another social art project ARTSURPRISE. It will be a tool to train youth in social leadership.
the art of education – where we go Cecile?
The missing link is another social art project in which we connect social spaces like Ceciles Permaculture Penyaflor, EcoTros or others. Quo vadis – the question for all of us and especially for social entrepreneurs like Cecile.
the art of education – a rocket stove for lunch time
German students are buildung a rocket stove in the color garden. They are highly motivated by creating the foundation of something useful for the lunch of the next day (and the next day was really the next day!).
the art of education – light sculptures in Gerona
In another open social space, the masia from Francesc, a friend living close to Gerona, was th stage for one art performance in the night. We created some light sculptures in the dark and enjoyed a conversation about art and relevance and sustainability of contemporary art.
the art of education – self organised cooking event as informal learning session
To transform a passive event of a lunch into an active partizipation of the guests we invited some creatives in the color garden to prepare and enjoy local food and experimental cooking.
the art of education – learning as a personal process
Learning something is in our opinion a personal process embedded into a social environment in which the person is free to discover and receive what (s)he is Looking for. Therefor the job of a contemporary living community with the goal of establishing a social space for informal learning and personal happiness is to create this space, to maintain it and to protect it.
the art of education – the free university of informal education
Tine gave a workshop about awareness and meditation. The workshop was part of the educative activities of our free University (UNIIE). This underline, that we see our task more in enableling the space for informal learning than to just offer workshops.
A lot of people have a lot to tell. We want to enable them to do this… and to enjoy it at the same time.
the art of education – sense and meaning in life
Life brings people to the house of the dragon and they continue their way through their lifes. Some of them, as the nordic nod mosaic in the kitchen of the CASAdelDRAGON reflects, find back later and enjoy another time what they created and what others created in between.
If you have been reading this article till now – something we appreaciate a lot – you might belong to a group of people who really want to go deep into something. If you cross all These pieces of Information and ask yourself where is the red line in all of this, it is the power and success of partizipative art and ist influence on contemporary education. We are not aware about the outcome but we feel to be part of a wider movement of a lot of creative people all over the world. And even if we do not know if we will reach the goal, we are happy on the way.
In the last days of 2019 we finished the healing snake in the house of the dragon in Spain. The missing link in the construction between the second and first floor was, together with the final skin (trencadis), the last big task (how it started here…).
the healing snake in the CASAdelDRAGON – details
The snake contains a little bottle. It is a kind of postbox for wishes. Every visitor in CASAdelDRAGON who remember this secret feature can receive a message from an former visitor and (s)he could place another new message for the next.
Everybody who will pass this snake on the way to the Terrasse or living room will pass this special postbox. We will see how it will be used by the guests.
Most of the ceramic tails are collected of the last 35 years. The mix of colors and pieces represents also the creative history of ceramic mosaics in the house and around and on the color garden of our artist residence. Like a quotation to all this works some pieces also found their way to be part of the skin of this snake.
Also there are some blue ceramics from Penyflor, a donation from Cecile, running a permaculture garden near Tortosa. We see this as a reference to a lot of alternative living community projects and we like this link between these hotspots of new emerging community designs.
Another source of material was realised by left-overs form the family. Ceramics of broken cups and dishes where used as well, like a quotation to Gaudi and his advise to the bricklayers and construction workers to take their broken dishes to build some details of park Guell in Barcelona.
the healing snake in the CASAdelDRAGON – the new living room
Between 50 and 200 guests are passing the CASAdelDRAGON per year (since 1987) and they all contributed in one or another way to the history of the place. For most of the visitors the place and its temporary inhabitants are a challenge, sometimes a provocation – not in an aggressive way but by questioning fundamentally personal decisions and values brave and strong.
As we know from feedback for most of the visitors it was a positive experience and more and more are returning after years to the place to revisit and to maintain the idea of another form of community life, based on donation without expectation.
The snake will be a silent but visible representation of these very private ways to personal happiness. And on the way, you could receive a message, if you find the secret mailbox.
In the first days of 2020 the great german artist and friend Jo Pellenz visited the house of the dragon. He is an emerging contemporary artist in Cologne and also the son of a dynasty of winemakers.
Beside the artistic project to build a contemporary art museum (MUARCO) in the color garden of CASAdelDRAGON Jo donated his time and knowledge to the vines on the campus of the free University of informal education, which is part of the color garden.
To refresh the vines and bring back vitality for the next season Jo pruned a lot of brunches.
social vineyard diaries – next generation
A selection of one year old brunches was packed with a mix of soil and sand in a bucket and placed in a dark corner inside a cellar.
When the wine offshoot will be expelled in the spring the new plants will be used for green walls around the building of the museum MUARCO.
To keep on growing vine in the area of Cervera del Maestre is connected to an very old local tradition of winemaking. Back in the year of 1987 we where able to buy 25 years old white wine in the wine cooperative in Sant Mateo. A few years later they closed the business because they harvested not enough grapes.
Old people told us a story about a local weather phenomenon: “There are 50 years more and more dry, followed by 50 years more and more wet.” In 1987 we started to rebuild the house of the dragon at the peek of “dry” and in the last years we arrived in the time of more and more rain. In 2018 we had two times flooding in the dry river in one month (October). In the dry period before 2000 we had summers in which it was prohibited to use water for construction.
The vines where moving to the mountains before 2012 and now – slowly they are returning to the lower part of “El Maestrazgo”.
Jo’s investment in keeping the old vines alive will give food to new generations of visitors in the color garden of the CASAdelDRAGON. This donation is giving with respect to the value of nature, without expectation, and by highlighting old traditions of farming.
Winemakers are thinking beyond their own lifetimes. They harvest what the grandfather was planting and they plant for their grand children.
Jo Pellenz, artist and former winemaker
Like the garden of Epikur the color garden is a social space. Sometimes people meet each other because they share the same moment in time at the same place, a lot of times the guests in Epikurs garden are just surrounded by the work of former contributors like Jo, and walk on top of a foundation, laid out by others years ago.
In late 2019 we get a donation from Cecile (Permacultura Penyaflor). The old chicken tractor was used before in the region near Tortosa. Treated by wind, sun and rain it was still in good condition but we decided to refurbish the structure before we would set up a new clan of chicken in the color garden.
chicken tractor – refurbished – first look
We cleaned the structure and we started to unmount all the damaged or broken parts.
chicken tractor – refurbished – main door replacement
We replaced the old main door. We redesigned also the entrance by using a fixed and a movable part.
chicken tractor – refurbished – new nests
Also we created a box with two nests for the chicken. In the middle we placed a higher wall to give a little bit of privacy while nesting.
chicken tractor – refurbished – new ramp
We created a new ramp to the ground connected to the main entrance. The ramp is connected to a chain. Therefor we can move it up and down without entering the structure.
chicken tractor – refurbished – new seat bar
We placed a seat bar in the left part of the little stable. Chicken like to sit on a wooden branch and its better for cleaning and health if they are placed not on the ground.
chicken tractor – refurbished – new ramp closed with blocking mechanism
To keep the temperature in the nights we created a stable door. A stick based on a piece of an antenna (right side in the photo) keep the door closed, even with strong winds.
chicken tractor – refurbished – a window to monitor nesting
To have a look what’s happening inside without disturbing the chicken we placed a window in the wooden wall.
The main structure was given, but by changing some details we are sure to optimize the daily handling (wheels are still on the list). In general a chicken tractor has an advantage for the animal health. By moving the structure the chicken are not exposed all the time to their feces (wee and poo).
Trimming the green might be another advantage on top.
The refurbished home will host some araucana, a special chicken typ. After very positive experience in the last years in our German home unit we appreciate their character and strength also in our color garden in Spain.
Thanks to Cecile for the tractor and thanks to Francesca for the new guests in the color garden…
Familiafeliz is a contemporary living commmunity and therefor we like contemporary art as well.
In 2020-01-01 we celebrated the groundbreaking for the building of MUARCO (museo de arte contemporaneo) in the colorgarden of the artist residence CASAdelDRAGON.
Several friends helped us and we placed a message to the future in a bottle inside of the foundation.
The museum will host contemporary art of international artists and it will be playground and part of the examination of a contemporary museum as an institution.
at the border of communication – sculpture by Nora Valdez (ARG)
If you visit the art camp, which is part of the colorgarden of the CASAdelDRAGON in Cervera del Maestre (Castellon) you might have a look at the amazing sculpture realized by Nora Valdez. You might also think about the meaning of this artwork – Nora decided the title “communication” – and about the background and the circumstances, how this sculpture from an international famous artist arrived in this place.
Here we want to share this story with you. And at the end we will invite you, to be part of a new story…
at the border of communication – laying of foundation stones
Whenever humans are trying to motivate themselves they imagine a result or outcome. By visualising your dreams, desires and wishes you make a first big step to realize the work itself. When Nora was clear about her project she invited some wwoofers and friends to join the process of creation. In a first step everybody was writing a message in a bottle.
It was a magic moment. Everybody was surrounded by others but after a short time everybody was in her/his own world thinking an feeling what would be a message to the future, and how to express it.
at the border of communication – helping hands all around
To work out a bigger art project like this the artist is relaying humans, ressources, time, knowledge and many other things. Entusiastic helpers mixed the concrete for the foundation and later the soil-clay-cal-cement mix for the construction. Like a lot of international art projects in CASAdelDRAGON it was a team of art lovers from Slowenia, France, Hungaria, England, Poland, Spain and Germany who helped Nora to make it happened.
at the border of communication – the creation process
Nora is a real self made artist, comming from drawing she explored her love for carving and sculpturing in Italy in an art symphosium long time ago. Working with a block and exploring the sculpture inside is a mental movement from the big raw outside to the little secret inside. In this project Nora had to take the opposite direction.
CASAdelDRAGON is not funded by public. There are no companies sponsoring the social art projects till now (2019). If an artist choose the art residency he will be part of the friends, visitors and guests and woofers in the house at that time. The artist could use free leftovers and local material, sponsored by the living community FamiliaFeliz. So Nora could use only what was available at that time in the art camp, some bricks, soil, cement, cal and some tools.
It was a big challenge for Nora to figure out a reverse process of adding material to a given piece instead carving away what hide the wanted outcome.
at the border of communication – the inner dialoge
Improvising cheap solutions and using as much as possible organic natural materials or recycling is the common way in the art camp. The soil-cal-cement mix (4:1:1+water) is a very useful material to build the structure and later the shape of the sculpture. Once mixed its usable for hours and can be rewatered again to expand the usable time.
at the border of communication – the hidden champions
To make it happen – is a process and with gratitude pointing out all the helpers who contributed to this art project it is a form of respect to think about them for a while. People like Nina or Rebekka or Francesca where working behind the scene to prepare the food and to serve the daily needs for all. People like Karsten contributed to our budget to make us able to buy good organic food for all. Even harvesting almonds for tasty cakes to reenergize the team to work on the art project was the amazing outcome of this artistic intervention. And Amanda was cooking and cleaning a lot every day – these are really the hidden champions of this project.
at the border of communication – the sculpture in the art camp
Painted with minerals the sculpture got its final shape.
There are plenty of untold stories about this sculpture done in summer 2019 in the art camp of CASAdelDRAGON. Its up to everybody to reflect and re-think about this time. The house of the dragon is a mysterical place. This location provides magical moments, awareness and peace. And even its peace is unhiding our fear.
Everybody might look at the work from a subjective perspective and will make up the mind with a personal interpretation. Here is not the place for this. Great art does not need so many words. And this is great art.
If you have a look at this artwork you will be able to share the history of its creation with others. A lot of times – if we see something amazing – we would like to be part of the process of creation as an eyewitness or active contributer. Sure its not possible for this one. But as i promised before i will end with my personal invitation to you.
You can be part of a new story, you could join a team of creative international supporters and help the next artist to give life to his dream. Or maybe you are the next artist and you like to create your sculpture embedded in an international community. You are welcome.
Nora Valdez donated this sculpture to the citizens of Cervera del Maestre, the guests of CASAdelDRAGON and the visitors of the art camp and the color garden. She placed her artwork like a message in a bottle. She decided the title Communication. In the name of all who helped and supported this project: Thank you, Nora!
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