Gezicht op een vijver in het Wantijpark 2013

Editor: Here we have Rein Dool's "View of a Pond in the Wantijpark," a pencil drawing from 2013. The texture created by the pencil strokes really gives it an interesting, almost dreamlike quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, first, let’s consider the landscape itself. How do we read these "natural" spaces, especially those manicured into parks, within the context of broader power structures? Editor: Power structures? Curator: Absolutely. Who has access to these spaces, who designs them, and whose vision of "nature" is being presented? Consider the history of landscape painting—often commissioned by wealthy landowners—as a way of asserting dominion over territory. Does Dool’s drawing participate in this tradition, or does it offer a critique? The drawing's style feels quite accessible and democratic though... Editor: That’s true; the simplicity is inviting. I suppose I hadn’t thought of a landscape as potentially political before. Curator: Think about how access to green spaces is often unequal, particularly in urban environments. What could it mean to portray such a scene in 2013? Is there a commentary on environmental justice here, or simply an aesthetic appreciation? Dool grew up in Rotterdam: How does that environment possibly inflect the creation and representation of a local park? Editor: I see what you mean. Maybe it’s prompting us to think about who gets to enjoy these tranquil scenes and at what cost? I had just seen it as pretty but there's definitely something deeper to explore. Curator: Exactly. It’s about moving beyond surface-level appreciation and considering the complex social and historical layers embedded within seemingly simple landscapes.