Manifesto 

PURPOSE OF AF ENSEMBLE

AF Ensemble is a foundation created by Ard Huizing (A.) and Frances de Rijck van der Gracht (.F). Its purpose is twofold. The foundation first aims to better the world by annually awarding a moment of schoonheid (beauty) as it may be experienced in the worlds of visual and performance art and contemporary dance. It then creates a new art project together with the winning artist(s) to propel that moment of schoonheid into the future. So, AF Ensemble does not award persons, objects, sounds, places, images or ideas - it celebrates moments of schoonheid. That’s it.

While I continue watching the documentary, I see viewers of all ages sitting beside Gormley’s figures, starting a conversation, playing with them, stroking their backs or hugging them, and I am transfixed. As if the sculptures are alive; as if people feel these lonely figures seek connection and consolation. These viewers seem to intuitively sense Gormley’s embodied view on humanity, and they respond with empathy. Abstracted philosophy and street life understandings fuse in what must be truly great pieces of art. I am wowed. I feel tears welling up. This is my moment of schoonheid, my moment of beauty. An act of connecting and becoming, for me and for the artworks.

Photo 3: Antony Gormley, Human, Forte Di Belvedere, Florence, Italy, 2015
Critical Mass II, 1995, cast iron, 60 life-size elements; variable sizes,
credit: still documentary Imagine... Antony Gormley: being human

 led by Alan Yentob, directed by Morag Tinto, produced by BBC

ENSEMBLES CREATE THICKENED MOMENTS

I guess we all experience such moments of schoonheid at times, in the artworld or elsewhere. Moments when we are carried away, deeply touched, gripped, and moved. Moments that stick in your mind and soul as lasting memories that may be revisited upon request or pop up spontaneously, every now and then.

Such moments of schoonheid are never just about the artwork itself, be it a sculpture, a performance or architecture. There is always an ensemble of elements at play out of which these moments of schoonheid blossom.

To better understand what ensembles are, I refer back to Gormley’s exhibition. Both Frances and I loved this artist for a long time already, as art lovers we sort of knew what to expect of him, had the exhibition not been delayed, we would have visited it together. Because of COVID- 19 and her illness she could not make it though, and my day of visiting was Frances’ birthday, now a day of remembrance. All of these personal elements contributed to that moving moment of schoonheid described above. They all spoke, like actors in a movie.

More elements were in action that day. Museum Voorlinden played a considerable role, which we know for its broad collection, its enticing exhibitions, its open and respectful architecture, its beautiful surroundings, with the garden, the trees and the dunes. These elements also prepared me and put me in the right mood for art. Add that it was a relaxing, gorgeous summer day which was topped off by a lovely dinner by the sea, and you might envision the entire ensemble-in-action making the moment of schoonheid I experienced.

Moments of schoonheid are therefore invariably thickened moments in which a whole array of elements plays a creating role. When we are being a moment of schoonheid, there is always such an ensemble at work, leading up to this moment, surrounding and hosting it. This is what I call an ensemble-in-action. These ensembles are highly subjective, which is perhaps why we say schoonheid is in the eye of the beholder.

The foundation’s board members will annually shortlist and discuss the thickened moments of schoonheid they have personally lived through in the past year, including their ensembles-in- action creating those moments, and jointly award one of them.


SCHOONHEID, CONNECTING, BECOMING

AF Ensemble is all about celebrating schoonheid. I prefer to use the Dutch word schoonheid over the English word, beauty. Schoonheid is Beauty with a capital B. Rather than emphasizing the outer features of a person or object, it focuses more on their inner qualities. Schoonheid is the perceived quality in a person or object that gives pleasure to the senses, mind, and soul.

Moments of schoonheid emerge in situations in which people’s ensembles-in-action and objects truly connect with each other. We feel alive and our eyes light up when we strike a chord with something outside of ourselves. We resonate with the world at such moments of bliss. Moments of schoonheid are therefore relational, social events in which persons and objects invite each other to further explore and interpret the world. The key word here is connection.

When you encounter moments of schoonheid, you may also become. Becoming is transforming from one state of being to another. In fact, your entire life may be seen as a continuing series of acts of becoming on your path to who you will be and want to be. We learn life lessons through memorable mistakes, and become. People fall in and out of love, have babies, get promoted or fired, and lose loved ones, and become. Throughout our lives, we all engage in such transforming experiences that rewire us. Once experienced, there is no turning back. You are forever changed.When you are really being touched or affected, your relationship to the world becomes more fluid, softer, more open. You become more vulnerable, in a state of readiness to change. These moments are rare but they do happen. Also in the artworld. And because they are so rare, these moments deserve to be highlighted and awarded. Hence the AF Ensemble.

Art objects can also change from one state of being to another. In moments of schoonheid they reach out to us as we reach out to them, as Gormley ́s figures show us (photo 4). They invite us, they speak to us, they help us become. They thicken as more and more people attach different meanings and ideas to them. And in doing so, they also become. Our objects and our selves emerge from these encounters changed, in smaller or in bigger ways.

The board’s members will bring their personal experiences of schoonheid to the discussion table every year and select a winner for the AF Ensemble award. From the moment the winner is selected, the board also becomes responsible for the social dimension of schoonheid that is being recognized in an art project, which is started together with the winning artist(s). The award and the recognition, whatever form the recognition takes (e.g., a sculpture, a movie, a QR-code), should be an invitation to join our community of schoonheid appreciation. A good start for spreading an awarded moment of schoonheid would be a celebration, showing the artwork and what the award has become. It is like throwing ever bigger pebbles in the pond to create ever stronger ripples in the artworld.


CORE PRINCIPLES

The AF Ensemble annual award will be given based on the following principles.

AF Ensemble does not award persons, objects, sounds, places, images or ideas - it highlights, awards, and celebrates thickened moments of schoonheid while paying close attention to the ensembles-in-action creating those moments.

These thickened moments of schoonheid are sought from a wide perspective on contemporary art that is nonetheless limited to visual and performance art and contemporary dance.

The AF Ensemble award will only be given to contemporary work, that is, a work no older than 25 years as of the year of recognition.

AF Ensemble operates completely independently, which enables it to act without compromise. The board will act as one decision unit that fulfills this purpose as a single voice.

AF Ensemble stays as far away as it can from the trendy madness of the day that so often rules the artworld. Trendiness should never interfere with schoonheid that is its very own and fully independent pillar of appreciation.

All in all, AF Ensemble will be quirky -- surprising, eccentric, unorthodox, risky, looking for the unconventional and the exceptional, contrary when needed, always with a touch of humor.

Also on behalf of Frances,

Ard Huizing


With a huge hug for Mary Cavanagh for co-writing this manifest.