People who suffer from dementia often experience nursing homes as a labyrinth. Artist Sarah Barkmeijer was commissioned by Sutfene Zutphen to create a place that is recognizable and invites interaction for the residents with dementia of De Lunette nursing home. For a 20-metre-long wall, she designed a wallcovering with a panoramic representation of the four seasons.
One of the requirements was that the work would retain its meaning for the next 20 years, in the midst of an ever-changing society. Barkmeijer therefore decided to represent nature, which can evoke feelings of beauty, joy and comfort. The panorama is based on a collage of old illustrations, engravings and landscape paintings from the 16th to 19th century.
Barkmeijer also looked for illustrations of the flora and fauna around Zutphen as well as recent photos of the local nature. As a third layer, she added drawings of nature scenes, which De Lunette’s residents with dementia produced specifically for this work. The woven panorama is highly tactile thanks to its structure and use of materials that appeal to the sense of touch. It lends a warm, soft aura to a space that is primarily functional and easy to clean. The visual image is complimented by the sound of birds and woodland animals that is activated by sensors, bringing the scenes to life.
The wallcovering, woven in 16 sections, is made of natural materials and has the classic composition of a Gobelin tapestry. In order to increase the landscape effect, the fabric was mounted on an undulating structure.
Barkmeijer (1982) lives and works in Amsterdam. In 2005, she graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. She makes installations, in which she always looks for ways to break with reality. She does this by creating images that are closely related to the architecture of the location where she works.
