David Bade has made it his mission to make art accessible and to spark the imagination. He brings art to the people and encourages them to get involved and express their creativity.
Participation
Bade’s career consists largely of social projects in the Netherlands and on Curaçao, including workshops and events in which young and old work together on growing installations. The concept of creating together is central to this. Working together releases energy. Everyone is encouraged and inspired to use their imagination and turn it into art. This takes place in various contexts, such as the business world, the care sector and projects with young people.
Instituto Buena Bista (IBB)
As the icing on the cake, Bade founded the art institute Instituto Buena Bista (IBB) on his native island of Curaçao, together with artist Tirzo Martha and art historian Nancy Hoffman. The ‘Institute of the Beautiful View’ offers preparatory training to young people (aged 15–25) who wish to progress to art school or another creative further education programme.
Exchange and collaboration with local residents, mental health service users and (inter)national artists form an important part of the programme. IBB is located on the grounds of Klinika Capriles (Curaçao’s mental health institution).
In the years that followed, Bade travelled throughout the Netherlands to share his creativity and inspire others: from school pupils in Heerlen to office staff in Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district. He is also active internationally: he ran an open studio in Liverpool, located in a shopping centre and a former post office. Here, he captured local residents in two group portraits.
We OK!
Since 25 April, David Bade – We OK! has been on display at the Stedelijk Museum Breda. The exhibition brings together, for the first time, a comprehensive selection of his colourful social projects. The title is inspired by one of Bade’s paintings and shifts the ‘woke’ debate towards a hopeful, unifying message. In the work, various images refer to this message, including the Caribbean stew Stoba. This refers to cultural mixing and breaking down prejudices. Bade emphasises that everyone matters – “we are OK.”
For We OK!, Bade, seven emerging artists (Floor Snels, Daan van Bommel, Bas Steens, Bobbi Cleij, Jan Janssens and Stijn Ros & Jesse Paauwe) and young people from the social organisation Grote Broer Grote Zus (GBGZ) visited the neighbourhoods every week. Together, they created art around the themes of playing, believing, giving, enjoying and standing up for yourself.
The results of this can be seen in the exhibition. Anything could be used: from a car wreck transformed into a play structure, to a second-hand cupboard turned into a connecting cart full of wisdom.
David Bade – We OK! can be seen until November 1st
