Art Sanctuary - The Story

"The dawn of 'Art Sanctuary' came to me as a dream ... 

lingering into the morning ... into a new day ... in 2001;

Two birds appeared - dancing in flight to the sound of a waterfall -

whispering of  

a place of artistic freedom - a sanctuary ...

to paint, to write ... to dream ...

Tone Aa.

Norway

In 2007 Art Sanctuary became exactly that - in a virtual world, on the internet. 

In what was called 'Second Life' artists of all expressions, architects, designers, musicians, poets etc. - thousands of people from all over the world - were busy experimenting with ideas, building and creating a fantastic 'alternative' reality,  

-  and with my avatar, Raspirit Heron, I brought my own painted world with me into this incredible new artistic space - where my two loves, painting and animation, would blend together, like in the dream. 

And this is where I met my husband-to-be. 

My painted world and his technical skills combined, and people would soon walk through my landscape, through my gates - enter my buildings, sit in my boat, and enjoy my trees dancing in the breeze ... and dream ...

Sanctuary, oil on canvas, 2001

And I made the logo.

This logo was made of a combination of two paintings -

the obvious (previous) 'Birds' Dance' (2001)

and the painting 'Moon Gate' (1999) -

the latter was made for the Norwegian music group Secret Garden's new DVD 

- to be animated in combination with elements from several other paintings.

'Moon Gate', oil on canvas, 1999

The birds now dancing before a memory of the mountain representing my Northern spheres ....

And then

In 2009 Art Sanctuary started manifesting in the real world:

THE ENCHANTED GARDEN

 

A celebration of Art and Nature in Dialogue!

Inspired by, and in Dialogue With, Nature. 

Art Sanctuary (Station 14) - The Enchanted Garden was a result – and a happy consequence – of the encounter and meeting, and collaboration, between Norwegian artist Tone Aanderaa (www.toneaanderaa.com )

and Ignace Clarysse, Belgian, IT expert, project manager and content-builder (www.ignace-clarysse.com)

 

In 2009 Art Sanctuary arranged 'The Belgian-Norwegian Collaboration'; 12 artists from Norway, The Netherlands, and Belgium, meeting in 2 large exhibitions at HARDANGER FOLKEMUSEUM and HARDANGER KULTURGALLERI

(see also Catalogue for the exhibitions)

and 

In 2011 

Art Sanctuary's 'Enchanted Garden' OFFICIALLY OPENED;

This large and natural garden (1,5 ha), situated just near the ‘border’ between the French and the Flemish part of Belgium, hosts a most special Annual International art exhibition; 

Artists are invited from far and near - to exhibit and participate, and collaborate

 - in all different expressions, techniques, media...

 

 

 

ART INSPIRED BY AND/OR IN DIALOGUE WITH NATURE

20 artists from Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Norway and Denmark, exhibiting in a large and beautiful natural garden, and inside the old train station house of Station 14, Ste-Marie-Geest, Jodoigne, Belgium.

Click on image to see the artists exhibiting!

 

See videos of the preparations, the vernissage - and Of course the exhibition.

Opening Concert by:

 

In 2012

The garden has a new pond

And Art Sanctuary again opened its gates (June 29 - August 5): and 'The Enchanted Garden'

Theme: 'Dance'; 

 

33 International artists invited to exhibit in this ever-evolving natural garden

+ performances and concerts

+ Composer Nicky Bendix' 'Special Edition CD - 2012' was played as a sound installation throughout the exhibition period.

 

 

Click on image to listen

(All art work: Tone Aanderaa)

 

Closing concert and performances:

 

Glimpses from 2012:

 

 

 

In 2013

we again opened the gates to 'THE ENCHANTED GARDEN' -

with 21 International artists exhibiting;

This year's theme:

'C'EST LE RÊVE' - 'IT IS THAT DREAM' - 'HET IS DE DROOM'

 

 

 

 

In 2014

we again opened the gates to 'THE ENCHANTED GARDEN' -

21 International artists exhibiting:

Click on image to see the artists exhibiting

 

 

 A few glimpses from this year's 'Enchanted Garden' exhibition.
The presentation is accompanied by the music of Nicky Bendix; 'Three Sisters and a Flower' - from the CD 'Healing Garden', created as a sound installation in Art Sanctuary's 'Enchanted Garden' International Art Exhibition, 2014

 

(All artwork: Tone Aanderaa)

 

 Also played as a sound installation, in the forest

('Thread room' - installation)

was Nicky Bendix' 'Threads of Nornir'

(All artwork: Tone Aanderaa)

 

 Glimpses from 'The Enchanted Garden' 2014

 

 

2015 we decided to take a needed 'sabbatical-year'...

The garden, and we, rested...

 

When we again opened the gates, in 2016,

our Celebration of Art and Nature in Dialogue included 31 artists

We now have a 'luxury-problem'... needing more parking space...needing more terasse space... (!)

  

Some glimpses from 2016: 

 

 

Wonderful music installations by Barbara Hills:

 

 

 

 

2017:

My 'Wishing Well' 

became a real wishing well

 

 

Beautiful music installations by Øystein Sævåg:

 

 

 

Art Sanctuary is about artists encountering, meeting - and collaborating - in the Spirit of 

Art Inspired by, and in Dialogue With, Nature.

 

 

2019

See also: http://art-sanctuary.blogspot.com/2019/ 

2021

See also: https://art-sanctuary.blogspot.com/2021/07/encounters-along-way.html

2022

See also: https://art-sanctuary.blogspot.com/2022/06/welcome-to-enchanted-garden-2022.html