Interview Claudy Jongstra in Bouwwereld

Interview by Viveka van de Vliet with artist and eco-activist Claudy Jongstra for Bouwwereld #5 in the Material Innovator section. A conversation about wool, biodynamic farmers, non polinated seeds, Drenthe Heath Sheep, art, dye plants, biodiversity, activism, and -international- collaborations. In the Netherlands, she has worked on commissions by Jo Coenen (the Public Library on Oosterdokseiland in Amsterdam), with RAU Architects (Triodosbank headquarters) and Paul de Ruiter (Provinciehuis Leeuwarden), among others. Particularly in America, the artist has worked with numerous renowned architects such as New York-based Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects (TWBT) and the extensive international architecture and design firm Gensler. "I realised all the more during my recent visits to architectural firms in Madrid and Menorca, as well as elsewhere in Europe, that in the transition towards more sustainable architecture, architects are bored with solutions like the green plant walls. Even architects looking for natural materials that are circular and super high-end in quality rarely seem to think of wool," she says. Combined with the almost touching beauty and vibrancy of her artworks, her mission is to put the almost forgotten material that seems to have been collectively erased from our memory, on the map. Read the whole article www.bouwwereld.nl/vakblad/bouwwereld-05-2023/