On Friday the 10th of May, the GRID Graphic Museum in Groningen will be opening an exhibition on a special product of the Groningen graphic industry: the Bosatlas. The exhibition will be open to the public starting on Saturday, 11 May.
This atlas, which is named after its creator Pieter Roelf Bos, has been used in almost every school and household in The Netherlands for more than 100 years, making it one of the most famous “export” products from the province of Groningen to the rest of the country. The exhibition is a collaboration between Noordhoff publishers, GRID and the education museum: so the atlas publishing industry, the graphic industry and the developments in education.
The exposition in the Grafisch Museum in the city centre not only tells the history of this important book, which began being published in 1877, but also of the history of book printing, which the city of Groningen has played an important role in. Now that printing has become completely digital, the exposition also offers a glimpse of the future.
Geography and education professor Tine Béneker from the faculty of geosciences at the University of Utrecht will open the exhibition, “De Bosatlas: The art of omission ” in the GRID Graphic Museum Groningen on Friday, 11 May. The exhibition, which was created in collaboration with Noordhoff Uitgevers and the National Education Museum, shows the story behind this cultural heritage.
Meet the makers
The people behind the exhibition will be central during the opening. Fronique Oosterhof, the director of GRID, will interview guest curator Peter Vroege of Noordhoff Uitgevers about his vision for this exhibition. His years of experience and knowledge as a publisher of “De Bosatlas” have served as a rich source of information for the development of the exhibition.
The challenge for Paul Mulder and Albert Buring of Studio 212 Fahrenheit was to develop a conceptual translation. During the opening, they will share insights into their thought process and working methods. The highlight of the afternoon will be the opening by professor Béneker, after which attendees will be able to visit the exhibition.
Bloopers, Boskabouters and Bosatlaskunst
The exhibition will feature the entire range of Bosatlases and the stories behind them, including maps with flaws, of which the dam to Ameland is perhaps the most famous example. The Boskabouter, a miniature atlas, unleashed the thief in many visitors at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Other applications of this iconic book have also been given a place in the exhibition, such as lamps by Michael Bom and the larger-than-life-sized kimono by Mieke de Waal.
