Book XL
Boek XL originated as a response to an Open Call to greenify the rooftop terrace of the Minerva Academy and integrate it into the Minerva community. Since then, Boek XL has evolved and has been expanded with three additions or reflections, including an installation in ArtisBook in October 2022 and a publication presented during this installation. The third addition is the ambition to write a bidbook, as announced in the Open Call Lucht 2021, which was initiated by the municipality of Groningen to financially support 27 art projects as compensation for COVID-19 measures.
‘Boek XL is now being converted into a bidbook, an ambitious and open project proposal that deepens and expands the original ideas of Boek XL. The Minerva academy building and its immediate surroundings form the starting point for an artistic vision on the existing climate plans of the municipality of Groningen, such as combating local heat stress and the decline of (urban) biodiversity. The bidbook will be critical, practical, and solution-oriented, with a need for action and taking responsibility. My ambition to convert Boek XL into a bidbook is the result of my broad professional practice as an artist, where I operate independently and take initiatives that serve a public interest.'
Jan van der Til is currently working on the bidbook that integrates artistic elements into the presentation of a proposed project. Rather than using a traditional, business-like format, this integrated bidbook incorporates creative design and visual appeal to communicate the project's goals, budget, and timeline. By integrating art into the bidbook, Van der Til hopes to convey the project's unique vision and message in a more engaging and memorable way.
Boek XL illustrates how one idea can lead to multiple interpretations and conceptual offshoots of a particular ideology. It is an experiment within the body of work by Jan van der Til, in which one title gives rise to multiple outcomes.