Windy corners, where the wind carries the weight of forgotten dreams and the echoes of time,

Johannes-Harm Hovinga / Studio Hovinga

*Studio Hovinga**, cross pollinations to explore, to question, to provoke, to inspire, to disturb, and to connect in the search for new answers*.

The process of creating , it all starts with imagination, the flexibility of mind, with research, with reflecting on ourselves and the world around.

About me:

Johannes-Harm Hovinga. Weerdinge, The Netherlands 1976, Studio Hovinga 2020

It was on a quiet and sunny September day, five years after the realisation and just two kilometers west - northwest from one of the most important land-art works world wide (Broken circle-spiral hill, Robert Smithson 1971) a child was born.
No wise men from the east or three kings, just his mom giving birth and his dad and sister around.
No one could imagine yet that that the work of Robert Smithson would influence his life years and years after

Johannes-Harm Hovinga.
Photo: Gerard Burgers, during IPCC art performance @ Museum Arnhem the Netherlands

2012, after 10 years of running a business in landscaping, I made a choice, a choice to give up everything I ever known.

A hard reset was needed, a little black spot slowly growing over years was taking over, a black spot called depression. I lost my smile, and death looked like a sunny place in paradise.

The choice I made was inspired by my yought, a choice for a life in art,

What was I thinking..

As a kid I was already fascinated by the work of Robert Smithson,

It was my first contact with art, where I was playing as a young child up and around the work, where I did go for a swim on the warm summer days.

When growing up, the work made me more and more aware of the influence we have as a human on our environment, it made me aware how the landscapes in the Netherlands are completely designed, planned, manmade, it made me curious in and about life, the work learned me to look with a different eye to everything around.

Photo: Broken circle - Spiral hill, Robert Smithson 1971. (Emmen 2022)

My other inspiration I found in words, words that echoed in my head since a day in the late nineties. In neon letters reading them at the main train station of Eindhoven The Netherlands

“Conventie, een soort herinnering, is het grootste beletsel om te genieten van het leven en kunst”.

“Convention, a kind of memory, is the greatest hindrance to enjoying life and art.
Piet Mondiaan

Standing there for over 15 minutes, reading those words over and over again.

“Life, a proces of temporality, where we evolve and erode in time”

It’s only since 2021 that I really found my way in art, in life, how I want it to take.
Its a proces, the proces of change, a proces of temporality, where we evolve and erode in time.

It all begins with desire, with dreams, thoughts and a lot of questions.

In the years since 2012 I slowly learned accepting my self in being me, years of experimenting, traveling, learning what love means, making mistakes, climbing up, falling down and in repeat. And as always when you least expect it, one last push off the cliff of the familiar to get up (covid 19).

CTRL+ALT+DEL, 2020 / 2021 a soft reboot, with all the knowledge and experience I've gained so far.

I’m not a saint and not perfect at all, and you know what? That’s completely okay, where I’m happy that death isn’t that sunny place anymore.
Nothing is more human than making mistakes, but the important thing is, see your mistakes and learn.

So it’s me, no mask, no pseudonym, just me; Johannes-Harm Hovinga, with my not so fancy name at all in the (art) world, and with all my imperfections in our fragmented society.

I found my way in life and work, whether it’s in art, in landscaping, in activism or about my other passions: nature, food, fashion, and sometimes I’m an adventurer or coach.

For me it feels naturally to blend all this, the cross pollinations in life, where I keep questioning myself continuously.

Responsibility

In my opinion in art we have a responsibility, the responsibility to make visible what is invisible, the responsibility to record what should not be forgotten, the responsibility to speak up for those who cannot, the responsibility to create awareness.
As humanity faces demanding issues such as a changing climate, environmental challenges and social injustice, in art we have the responsibility to shed light on these issues and inspire action.

My Pledge

We are at a crucial turning point in history, where the consequences of a changing climate and environmental issues becomes increasingly evident, Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, the loss of biodiversity and precious ecosystems, forever chemicals, microplastics, are just a few examples of what our planet is facing.

This is something that affects every single one of us,

We can discuss about the consequences of a changing climate, but we can’t deny it.
A changing climate is nothing new to planet earth, but the fact is; we as humans made it worse, it's not a normal fluctuation anymore, it's a fast incoming reality that we can't avoid and is threatening life, human rights around the world

We must be aware of our influence as humans on the earth, the consequences of our actions, and our responsibility to the future.

In this negative flow I see HOPE !
I see the hope in our collective power of the individual to create change, to raise awareness to take action!
When we wouldn’t have hope there would be no action, we wouldn’t raise our voices.

By standing up in hope, our dedication and passion inspires others to take action and sparking systemic change.

This is something we all can do on our own way, where everyone has their own sphere of influence and therefore their own ability to bring about change from small to large steps!

The question we have to ask ourselves then is, what step do we want to take, towards a fair climate policy, towards equality, to stand for human rights that safeguard everyone’s right to fairness, dignity and respect.

The answer for me is: a pledge

My pledge is to align my work with the principles of human rights, equality, and environmental responsibility.

On human rights my pledge through my work is that I always try to portray social issues, to tell the narratives that challenge injustice and amplify the voices of the marginalized. By addressing human rights concerns through the language of art and photography I try to contribute to a broader dialogue that transcends conventional boundaries, fostering empathy and understanding, to stand for equality and inclusivity.

The pressing challenges posed by a changing climate and environmental issues demand collective action.

Recognising the environmental impact we have, I made the pledge to take an activistic role in art, shining a light on environmental issues, on the changing climate that confronts us all.

Art and activism, for me its a symbiotic relationship to highlight inequalities and urgent challenges we face, not as a means of persuasion, but as a way to create space for reflection.

(An important note,: Climate action that is not anchored in a human rights-based approach risks further violating of human rights, where human rights already are more and more under pressure everywhere.)

(When taking action, raising awareness, when we raise our voices about the changing climate, environmental issues we all are judged, We are all judged on the things we do, they find a foto online from a holiday when flying and we are condemned.)