ArtEZ Academy of Music brings music god Pan to Enschede

“It’s big, it’s iconic and it looks out with a curious and adventurous gaze.”We are talking about the six-metre tall sculpture of the young music god Pan created by Spacecowboys that caused a stir at the 2017 Ijssel biennial. On 20 April, the sculpture will be placed on the roof of ArtEZ Academy of Music in Enschede. By doing so, Rob Kramer, director of the academy and the man behind the initiative, aims to give the academy a more identifiable place in the city.

Unveiling from the roof
The towering sculpture will be unveiled in a festive and above all musical style. Musicians from the academy will welcome Pan live from the roof of the academy. Naturally, the whole of Enschede is welcome to attend.
Venue: Van Essengaarde 10 in Enschede
Date and time: Friday 20 April, 11.00 a.m.

Pan as the embodiment of the student
Rob Kramer saw the sculpture for the first time at the Ijssel biennal and was mesmerised by it. “I see something of our academy students in the attitude of the music god Pan. Young icons in the making, with a curious and adventurous attitude. Spirited and already containing within them every potentiality, yet at the same time still in development.”

Pan seeks a home following success at IJssel biennial
When Pan needed a new home following the IJssel biennial, Kramer's decision was quickly made. Pan would come to Enschede, to the roof of ArtEZ Academy of Music.

Enschede municipality
Rob Kramer received support from Enschede municipality and the Muziekkwartier neighbourhood. Enschede wants to be an attractive city for young, creative and innovative students and residents, and the area around Muziekkwartier is developing fast. Pan's arrival has helped to put this area on the map and given it its own icon, one which will no doubt be frequently photographed.

Spacecowboys
The Dutch artistic duo Spacecowboys are Paul Keizer (born in 1958) and Albert Davis (1959). The artists live and work in Deventer and so already had a bond with the IJssel river. Their work, which they usually make for public spaces, is poetic and narrative in nature. They made the sculpture PAN for the Ijssel biennal in 2017, during which the duo restored the Gods to their original role following an Apocalypse caused by climate change.

ArtEZ Academy of Music
With over 800 students and 250 teachers, ArtEZ Academy of Music, based in Arnhem, Enschede and Zwolle, is one of the biggest music academies in the Netherlands. The academy in Enschede stands for musicianship and entrepreneurship. It trains young, adventurous professionals who live life to the full and look beyond borders with a curious eye.