’The Wonders of Nature’ - the Mysterious world of Jan Velten (2017) Марта Колберн / Martha Colburn

In the 17th century Jan Velten made a book of amateurish drawings of animals, plants and circus artists which he had in his personal ’zoo’ in his backyard in Amsterdam. The book is in the collection of Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. For this film I animated these drawings and married it with music by McCloud ZICMUSE on a re-make of an early harpsichord. This animated film was made for the exhibition ’New Nature’ by Claudia Doms and Eva Pel at LELY, Amsterdam, The Netherlands May 6-13 2017. ‘New Nature’ started with the discovery of the 17th century manuscript of Jan Velten’s ‘Wonderen der Natuur’ in Amsterdam’s Artis library. Doms and Pel examined the 300 year old manuscript of drawings and gouaches which the artist Jan Velten made during a period of approximately 15 years in and around the menagerie Blauw Jan in Amsterdam. Thanks to Mondriaan Foundation, Artis, AGA LAB and Waag Society.