Paradys is a production by Arcadia in collaboration with Kunsthuis SYB, Kunstinitiatief VHDG, Noorderlicht, Stichting Symbio, H47, Fries Museum, Blokhuispoort, Tresoar, Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden and the Culture and Nature Network of We the North, made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund.

Until August 24, the heart of Leeuwarden and several other locations across Fryslân will transform into a stage for provocative art from the Netherlands and abroad, with Paradys. Under the theme of grûn (ground), renowned artists from Fryslân and around the world explore our relationship with the earth, our history, and the landscape around us. The exhibition is free to visit. In Leeuwarden, a walking route leads past the artworks, and you can also find works on display in Beetsterzwaag, Mirns, and on Vlieland. Around the exhibition, an in-depth program offers artist talks, guided tours, and creative sessions.

Whether you're a seasoned culture lover or a curious wanderer wanting to see the city and province from a new perspective: you are welcome! Discover artists' stories, see hidden spots in the city, explore beyond it, and be amazed by the world beneath your feet.

Walking route in Leeuwarden

The walking route in Leeuwarden starts and ends at Bouwurk near the Oldehove, the central meeting point of Paradys. From there, a layered walk unfolds, filled with art, reflection, and imagination. The farther you walk and open your eyes, the more you feel the city changing beneath your feet and before your eyes.

• Peng Zhang

At Bouwurk, Peng Zhang creates a living garden that connects land and city: On the Field of Hope. Here, he explores the relationship between people, art, and nature. All summer long, he organizes workshops, performances, and gatherings with the mienskip that you can join for free.

• Mounira Al Solh

At H47, Mounira Al Solh presents Fat Branches, Open Pines, an installation about the oldest cedar tree in Lebanon. This tree has stood in the land for thousands of years and symbolizes strength, nature, and history. Inspired by the work, Al Solh will plant a Lebanese cedar in Vijverpark with newcomers to Leeuwarden, as a symbol of a new future.

• Koos Buster

At Bouwurk, Koos Buster exhibits colorful glass sculptures titled Donatiepotten (Donation Jars), playing with the ideas of ritual and altruism. Visitors are invited to donate money—and to reflect on why. Does true altruism exist, or is there always a hint of self-interest?

• Werker Collective

In A Moving History of the Young Worker, Werker Collective examines the history of the international labor movement from a queer perspective. The way workers’ bodies have been depicted and the ideas of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis play a central role.

• VHDG: Grensverleggers

For Paradys, Roísín Douglas curated the group exhibition Grensverleggers at VHDG. The show brings together artists who explore and shift the boundaries between humans, animals, and landscapes. Featuring works by Xandra van der Eijk, Ai Ozaki, Deirdre O’Mahony, Amber Veel, Elena Khurtova, and Anika Schwarzlose.

• Saskia Noor van Imhoff

With Liminal Spaces, Saskia Noor van Imhoff delves into the many time layers of the Pier Pander Temple in the Prinsentuin. Inside the temple, she combines historical and digital materials—glass, wood, and a bronze cast of part of a Pander sculpture. At REST, in Mirns, she ploughed a circle into the land matching the temple’s dimensions and planted five trees representing the five temple sculptures.

• Stijn ter Braak

For the past few years, Stijn ter Braak has based his artworks on what people throw away. In Werk In Uitvoering (Work in Progress), he explores the connection between waste, art, and the city. In a container on the Voorstreek, he collaborates with the local mienskip to create a sculpture from trash, questioning how we as a society deal with consumption.

• Tjibbe Hooghiemstra & Nyk de Vries

At the Pier Pander Museum, Myn Fest is Dyn Fest by Tjibbe Hooghiemstra & Nyk de Vries zooms in on the downside of mienskip. Their multimedia installation reveals how social control and exclusion can disrupt close-knit communities.

• Hedwich Rooks

At Tresoar, Hedwich Rooks presents Ynfra, about the hidden Zuidwal Volcano beneath the Wadden Sea. Her work invites us to view the world beneath our feet in a new way. The second part of the installation can be seen at Brouwerij Fortuna on Vlieland, in collaboration with Noorderlicht and Into the Great Wide Open.

• Sanne Vaassen

Sanne Vaassen, winner of the 2024 Symbio Art Prize, collaborated with biologists on the water installation Fountain of Heartbeats at Natuurmuseum Fryslân. In this work, she brings the rhythm of nature to life. The fountain consists of a reservoir pumping water through various metal pipes, each representing the heartbeat of a key animal in Leeuwarden’s ecosystem.

• Gabriel Chaile

Gabriel Chaile presents one of his large, signature sculptures in Bouwurk: Brenda, a figure made of brick and red clay. Uniquely, this sculpture also functions as an oven. During Arcadia, Brenda will actually be used for baking, such as during the Brood Stoven event.

• Ai Ozaki

At the Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden, Ai Ozaki exhibits Jars, a group of vases inspired by Japanese culture. The jars are also used as fermentation vessels. Microorganisms cause the vases to ‘weep’ during fermentation, emphasizing their physicality.

Paradys beyond Leeuwarden

Three Paradys artworks can be found outside Leeuwarden: at Kunsthuis SYB in Beetsterzwaag, at REST in Mirns, and at Brouwerij Fortuna on Vlieland.

• Selma Selman

In 600 Years of Migrant Mothers, Selma Selman explores six centuries of family history. At Kunsthuis SYB in Beetsterzwaag, she shows paintings, film, and sound works that center forgotten female ancestors. Drawing from her Roma heritage and her family's background in metal recycling, she weaves personal stories with feminist strategies and offers new perspectives on origin, identity, and political visibility.

• Saskia Noor van Imhoff

The second part of Saskia Noor van Imhoff’s work (the first is part of the walking route) can be seen at REST, a research project around a farm in Mirns. REST explores the layered history of the landscape through art, design, and food. The exhibition Twee Hectare (Two Hectares) connects artists with hidden stories from this area.

• Hedwich Rooks

At Brouwerij Fortuna on Vlieland, Hedwich Rooks presents Ynfra in the exhibition Making the Invisible Visible, part of the Noorderlicht Biennale Machine Entanglements. Together with other artists, she reveals hidden natural processes such as underground water flows. Her work complements the installation at Tresoar and shows how the earth holds stories beyond what we can see.