“It is a walking tour through the city center where you are confronted with Frida artworks made by local artists,” explains Kjeld Vosjan, city center director of Assen. “The artworks are inspired by the life and work of Frida Kahlo. The aim is that after visiting the Drents Museum, people can also walk into the city center and gain a beautiful experience.”
Frida bust is delayed
The walking route takes you past six locations with murals and other works of art. With each artwork, you can scan a QR code for more information about the artwork and the artist who created it. A large Frida bust on the Kop van de Vaart is also part of the walk, but this is taking a while due to software problems with the 3D printer and obtaining a permit. The bust will be placed on Friday 26 or Monday 29 November.
The ‘city experience’ was set up by the city center organization Vaart in Assen in collaboration with the Drents Museum. It is of course no coincidence that the organization has opted for works of art by Kahlo, because she will be the focus of the Drents Museum until 27 March during the exhibition. Long live Frida! Vosjan receives many positive reactions to the walk: “We see many visitors posing in front of a work of art and taking a photo. The murals in particular are enthusiastically responded to. People wonder whether we can do this permanently. can stay longer. It is of course a very nice way to show creativity and vibrancy in the city.”
Curious which works of art are part of the route? View the route below.
Brinkstraat 71
The starting point is the Drents Museum. When you walk through the Brinkstraat, you see the first Frida artwork looming. The artwork hangs from the building of the former discotheque Diana. Frida is graphically depicted in bright colours, patterns and shapes. It was made by Tim de Leeuw of design agency DRP. A second work of art, made by Fleur Stebis, also hangs here.
Groningerstraat 2
When you continue to the Groningerstraat, you will come across Tex-Mex restaurant Bramigo. They covered the facade of the building with plates of Frida, flowers, animals and Mexican food. Owner Bram Grit didn’t have to think twice about this: “I have a Mexican restaurant and I’m also a bit interested in art. One and one equals two”, he laughs.
It was designed by Katja Manak and the work was glued to the facade and executed by Multicopy Assen. “Everyone who contributed to it comes from Assen. I think it’s very important that everything is designed locally,” says Grit. It doesn’t stop at the decorated facade, Grit shows documentaries and films about Frida in his restaurant and offers a special Frida lunch package.
ceresplein
You don’t have to look up on Ceresplein, but the artwork can be found on the floor. The artwork is a portrait of Kahlo in the form of a mirror. Around Kahlo’s head are all kinds of words that describe her. Such as ‘idealist’, ‘activist’ and ‘feminist’.
The artwork was created by Steffie van Dop of design agency DRP. “Frida reflects on herself and on the world in a transparent way, through her self-portraits that are full of symbolism. My work is a modern reflection of Frida’s core: complex but sincere.”
Koopmansplein 17
Various works of art by Frida can be found on seven large panels at the Vanderveen department store. The artworks were created by Floor van Meeuwen, Sander Quekel, Laureen Langkamp, Peter van der Wij, Pirmin Rengers, Delfo Pinto and Roos Vink. They have all given their own twist to the artwork. Langkamp, for example, has made a self-portrait with a silkie. And Quekel created his own poem and incorporated it into his artwork.
Head of the Vaart
A statue of Frida, weighing more than 1,200 kilograms, will be placed at the Kop van de Vaart. Unmistakably the Mexican artist with her signature unibrow. Assenaar’s Blow-Up Industry Eelco Bügel makes the metre-high head from eight large blocks of styrofoam weighing 260 kilos each. Sixteen slices have been removed from this, which together should form Kahlo’s three-dimensional head. The bust of Kahlo was designed by the Amsterdam artist Gijs van Kooten and 178 Aardige Ontwerpers, as the design agency from Utrecht is called. The meter high head is still a while away, but will soon be visible at the Kop van de Vaart.
Beilerstraat 5
On the Beilerstraat you can find the next mural by Frida. It was created by artist Roman de Laporte, aka Jack Lack. According to De Laporte, Frida Kahlo was ahead of her time and represented a new movement. “While Frida was by no means an angel, despite her difficult living conditions, she continued with her creations and political agenda. I did my best to incorporate this into my portrait of this colorful heroine by adding a touch of pain.”
Torenlaan 16
Next to the entrance to the parking garage of the Drents Museum on Torenlaan you will come across the last two murals. The artwork on the left was created by Roos Vink and the other by Michel Velt. Since Frida already made many self-portraits, Velt had the idea to portray a local artist instead of her. He made a portrait of Vink surrounded by a collage of elements from Frida’s work. Vink chose an existing work of his own called ‘shadow play’, containing Mexican elements. The work is about the ‘light and dark’ in yourself.
The walking route is available at the Drents Museum and the VVV Assen, but you can also find it digitally at www.ditisassen.nl. look at the video about the walking route on the site of Omroep Assen.
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