Pressrelease
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 6, 2014
Embassy of Goodwill offers one hour of free help
As part of the annual visual art and performance festival Art in Odd Places (AiOP) in
Manhattan NYC from October 9 -12, Dutch performance artists Domenique Himmelsbach de
Vries and Marieke Warmelink will present the Embassy of Goodwill.
The Embassy of Goodwill aims to raise the social image of The Netherlands by offering one
hour of free help to locals and passer-by’s of 14th Street, Manhattan.
The Netherlands used to be known as a safe haven for individuals who think differently.
However, the past 10 to 15 years the country has been dominated by a growing fear of
dissidents, which has resulted in a fertile ground for negativity.
With their free help Himmelsbach de Vries and Warmelink now share their expertise,
experience and knowledge on a personal level in an attempt to save the social reputation of
The Netherlands. Everyone is welcome to join and debate with no limits to the possibilities of
free help.
In addition, contributing sponsors will be visible during the festival at the Embassy of
Goodwill bulletin board, located at the entrance of Union Square 14th Street [L] Subway
Station. This will also serve as a public meeting place with daily updates and reports of the
free help offered and where visitors can leave notes and comments. In this way participants
will indirectly be brought together and at the same time visualize the web of support.
Find The Embassy of Goodwill from October 9-12 on Union Square 14th Street [L] Subway
Station
Free help can be booked at www.embassyofgoodwill.com.
About the Artists
Domenique Himmelsbach de Vries (°1983, Amsterdam, Netherlands) reflects on social
issues with humor and interaction. His art practice operates in the midst of society.
Himmelsbach de Vries is currently realizing a series of Monuments for Okay People. These
monuments state how we as human beings should translate the temporal liking from the
digital domain to concrete hommages in public space.
Marieke Warmelink (°1977, Rotterdam, Netherlands) is interested in international relations,
parliamentary systems and the underlying motives of the decision-making. Warmelink
questions leadership and offers alternatives, a combination of disciplines including painting,
performance and installation. The work of Warmelink is shaping examples of alternative
leadership in times of conflict, based on the voice of the public. Through performances and
interaction with the local population, Warmelink researches, analyzes, and maps out the
needs of different cultures and political systems.
Recent projects; Battle of the King, De Balie, Amsterdam, Crowning-Month of Performance
Art Berlin, Democratic Kumpir-IPA, International Performance Association in Istanbul and
Marieke has participated in several international residencies of which most recent with the
project The proposition in Partapur, India.
--End of pressrelease—
Note to editors
For further information or hi-res images of the Embassy of Goodwill, please contact
Marieke Warmelink
+31641318623