Urbain Mulkers , Arno van der Mark
Het Landschap (The Landscape)

In 1994, following the impressions of Diepenheim’s landscape, which were commissioned by Kunstvereniging Diepenheim (art society) and developed by Bureau Alle Hosper, two more works were commissioned, one by Arno van der Mark and one by Urbain Mulkers.

Urbain Mulkers – Het Gazebo van Diepenheim (Diepenheim’s water purification plant)

Mulkers made a design for the area surrounding Diepenheim’s water purification plant, Het Gazebo, which houses the European reference collection of Hostas. The actual property, which, according to the ground plan, strongly deviates from the surrounding plots of land, is located just outside of the town of Diepenheim on the banks of the Regge. Het gazebo is encircled by a double row of 136 red beech trees. Its interior space is planted with an expansive collection of Hostas and is dominated by the exceptionally broad spectrum of shades of green that this collection offers. “The red beeches form the massive frame of the painting, which is made up of a thousand shades of green. Every conceivable tone and half-tone makes up the palette of the painter, including dark green, blue green, chartreuse, soft green, yellow green, golden green, dull green, shiny green, ripe green and panache green. In minute detail, the shades are composed to form the ultimate symphony of the exclusive color, GREEN. (Urbain Mulkers).

Arno van der Mark – Diepenheim 52,13 N. 6,33 O.

In collaboration with Höhne & Rapp Archit, Arno van der Mark developed a future scenario for the development of Diepenheim which focuses on the relationship between town and landscape. Although the scenario was never actually executed it, nevertheless, represents a new conceptual approach. Van der Mark’s projects are marked by their preoccupation with visual arts and, in his opinion, the position of the artist must be equal to that of other design disciplines. Although visual art forms the principal basis of his work, the tools that Van der Mark uses to develop his projects, are considerably more extensive.
DRFTW (Driftwood) - the title under which he and his current associates operate – aims to unite the parameters of urban development, architecture and visual culture. The Diepenheim scenario is a good example of this. In DRFTW’s plan the urban development does not only begin in one corner of the planning area. This would cause it to spread unchecked, which is what happens in regular development planning. Instead the entire area is built up right from the start. The result is that urban development and landscape become integrated as the land seems to ‘creep’ underneath the buildings. Only the main connections of the planned area’s total infrastructure were predetermined so that one could not speak of a fixed design. Rather the scenario represents a type of flexible ‘girder’, the eventual structure of which could be determined by a whole series of development-related variables.