THE FISH POND SONG


As part of the celebration of Jheronimus Bosch 500 there was  a monumental video installation, The Fish Pond Song by Jeroen Kooijmans from 19 December 2015 through to 5 June 2016. The main source of inspiration for this cinematographic triptych was Bosch’ masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights.
The Garden of Earthly Delights

In The Fish Pond Song an imaginary war is sung in three chapters: no clashing of arms, but in accordance with Bosch’s triptych, a layered narration full of deeply human fears and dreams. War is an imaginative abstraction here; evil is lurking, we see disturbed minds and yet hope dawns.

Faith had been a topic for some time in Kooijmans’ work when the attack on the Twin Towers occurred in 2001. At the time, Kooijmans lived in New York and while the deeply religious perpetrators were on their way to the promised paradise with 72 virgins, Kooijmans’ private hell broke loose. The launch of the ‘War on Terror’ had a profound impact on his personal life and underlies The Fish Pond Song.

Bosch’s world was also shaped by religious conflicts and clashes between cultures. The madness that religion can lead to is of all times. The title "The Fish Pond Song" is taken from the central section of "The Garden of Earthly Delights", which features a fishpond with bathing maidens. The countless small stories depicted within the mysterious whole of this painting intrigued Jeroen Kooijmans. The premiere of this trilogy will be the ‘supporting act’ of the big exhibition in honour of Bosch. While listening to ‘The Song of the Fish Pond’ - a poetic text written by Tommy Wieringa- the visitor goes on a journey through the three chapters: "The Lost Army", "After the Battle" and "The Healing". The poems are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard. Tears were in my eyes as we left the showing and it was sometime before l could pull myself together.
The Lost Army



After the Battle
The Healing

Have a look at it. The text is not there but the video is very moving.

THE FISH POND SONG

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