The Chapel holds a very precious place in our hearts. Throughout its evolution, it has remained a crucial expression of the Draaimolen ethos, capturing our reverence for live performance and how it moves an audience. We are incredibly happy to announce that The Chapel will return for Draaimolen 2023, curated entirely by the team.
Designed by visual artist Heleen Blanken, the piece explores the spiritual dimensions of architectural forms and their relationship to nature. The first version of The Chapel was constructed as an art piece for Draaimolen Festival 2018 which took place in Charlotte Oord. Accompanied by a live set from Wanderwelle, the wooden structure honoured the dying forest, meditating on its haunting beauty. The Chapel became a full stage in 2019, and was brought to life by Tijn Pierre Arts, a Tilburg based company specialising in creatief maatwerk (creative custom builds).
Building The Chapel was a labor of love on every level. Since construction began before the rest of the festival build-up, Tijn and his team assembled the stage with no running water or electricity on site. Accompanied by only the deer that roam the MOB Complex for the months outside of the festival season, the team worked for a grueling 3 weeks to realise this very technically ambitious project. The process was unorthodox and often precarious, but the outcome has certainly paid off. While the structure was estimated to last about a year, it has endured 3 festivals and a pandemic, and will return for the fourth time in September as one of Draaimolen’s most iconic stages.
At the centre of The Chapel is the Heliotrope, also designed by Heleen Blanken. The metal centrepiece, is composed of 36 mirrors, each powered by its own hydraulic engine enabling a range of movement. During the festival, a single laser is fired into the centre, creating a hypnotic light show in the darkness. The visual effect is an apt metaphor for The Chapel itself; a single structure reflecting a burst of infinite impressions.
Initially conceived as an elegant and contemplative space, The Chapel for Draaimolen 2019 showcased live, experimental productions. Llive sets from Barker, Alessandro Cortini, Wanderwelle, Dasha Rush, Kate NV, LF-48 and Lucia, provided cerebral breathing space from the frenzy of the festival. In 2021 after a frustrating uphill battle with COVID restrictions and erratic government regulations, it became the heart of This Is Not Draaimolen. Over a 10 day period, 750 attendees gathered each day around the wooden structure for a lineup that had been lovingly curated and fought for by the team. Against all odds, Eartheater, Mama Snake, Nkisi, Lyra Pramuk, Interstellar Funk, Coloray, local talent Mathilde Nobel and Djrum, accompanied by cellist Zosia Jagodzinska took the stage. A legendary b2b from DVS1 and Oscar Mulero, contemporary dance choreographed by Transcending Bodies, the secret b2b with Dixon and DJ Dustin, and a breathtaking closing set from Benny Rodrigues healed a crowd starved of contact and connection. After a strange, quiet year, The Chapel blossomed into a beacon of revelry.
