Due to the corona measures, the Amare Open Festival can’t take place. This program has been cancelled. A number of activities can take place in a trimmed down form. More information about this can be found at amare.nl.

A magical experience inspired by nature that brings together music and a large installation.

Part of the Wij Den Haag project.

For this event, the installation A hundred thousand trees by Sara Vrugt, an embroidered forest measuring a hundred square metres(!) will be on display, accompanied by a live performance of Litanies of Trees, a work written by the American composer Keir Neuringer and performed by The Hague’s Ensemble Klang. The composer and the ensemble met during their studies at the Royal Conservatoire. Neuringer wrote Litanies of Trees, a work about the age-old relationship between humans and nature, as an ode to his five-year-old son Emeri.

During the corona pandemic, Sara Vrugt (artist) and the Ensemble Klang – both from the Segbroek district of the city – worked separately on their project about the value and importance of trees and forests. The De Nieuwe Regentes theatre brought the artworks and their creators together in a magical encounter. The enchanting combination will now occupy a prominent place in the celebrations during Amare’s opening weekend. The two works, which both explore our relationship with nature, trees and forests, together provide a beguiling audio and visual experience. Interestingly, work will continue on the installation during the concert as sixteen embroiderers continue to stitch the fabric as the music plays.

Final presentation
The combination of installation and live music was first seen in De Nieuwe Regentes at the beginning of September. Before the embroidered forest finally comes together in Amare on 21 November, the embroiderers will first appear together with Ensemble Klang and students from the Royal Conservatoire in De Nieuwe Regentes on 10 October at 15:00

About Sara Vrugt
Artist Sara Vrugt designs with textiles and thread, and a touch of humour and idealism. Her embroidered artworks and participative projects address social themes. Her massive project A Hundred Thousand Trees, a textile forest stitched together with thread, celebrates the majesty of nature.

About Ensemble Klang
The six-strong Ensemble Klang from The Hague, who describe themselves as sonic pioneers, was formed over fifteen years ago when the members were studying at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. The ensemble’s performances feature a repertoire of works created specially for it.

The artistic director of this project is Paul Slangen.

View the entire Open Festival.

Photography: Sara Vrugt & Jasper van Gheluwe