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Giant inflatable artworks have taken over The Hague

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — There is a giant stew pot in a small lake in the center of The Hague.

Floating in the water in front of the prestigious Mauritshuis museum, home to the “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” the 7-meter (23-foot)-tall pan is part of monthlong, open-air art exhibition. The BlowUp Jubilee features 24 inflatable artworks installed in parks, on buildings and even in a train station in the Dutch city

The project is the brainchild of curator Mary Hessing. “What I really wanted to do is show the area and show arts to everybody,” she told The Associated Press.

In 2021, the Dutch government began a massive renovation project on the Binnenhof complex, which includes the Mauritshuis as well as the Parliament building. The historic site, which dates to the 13th century, was closed to the public and the city wanted to organize art events while it was inaccessible.

The first BlowUp Art exhibition in 2022 included works from six artists, installed near the Binnenhof. Subsequent events also showcased a handful of inflatable works, but for the 2026 jubilee edition, all of the previous installations have returned plus new ones have been added.

“For me it was important to show the real Curacao in this artwork, and that is our parties, our food, and our lifestyle,” artist Eugenie Boon told AP. The 21-year-old is from the former Dutch Caribbean colony and her work, Koncha pa dilanti, referring to a board game played on the island, features scenes from local life.

British artist Steve Messam is known for his large-scale inflatable works that have been installed in locations in the United Kingdom, China and The Hague. Crested, a mass of red spikes, has been affixed on top of the entrance to a parking garage nestled between 100-year-old buildings on a tree-lined boulevard.

“The idea was that this piece would hold its own amongst this wonderful architecture that we see around us,” he said.

BlowUp Jubilee runs until June 21.

The trolls come indoors as a Danish recycling artist stages his first museum exhibit

ISHØJ, Denmark (AP) — For more than a decade, Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo has scattered wooden troll sculptures around the world. He has created almost 200 in 19 countries. Now the poet and former hip-hop artist is bringing a collection of fairy tale-inspired creations in from the cold for his first museum exhibit. “The Garbage Man,” at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art on the outskirts of Copenhagen, tells the story of a group of mischievous trolls who secretly move into the museum, take it over and redesign it. “They build and leave a giant human made of trash … as a lesson for the humans to behave better and don’t put their trash where everybody else lives,” Dambo said at his studio near the Danish capital.
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