There, he will engage in conversation with residents, invite creative encounters, and spark spontaneous moments of wonder. Everyone is welcome to join in – to camp, to make something, or simply to hang around for a while. The project is a collaboration between SCHUNCK Museum, the National Programme Heerlen-Noord (NPHLN), De Buurttuin and artist Maarten Bel.
What does a holiday mean when you stay at home?
The neighbourhood campsite is meant to be an accessible place where people can meet. For a small fee, you can come and camp, or join in for an activity or a shared meal. The exact programme will develop on the spot, together with whoever happens to drop by.
Maarten Bel is known for his humorous and accessible approach, often using the everyday as a starting point. In Heerlen-Noord, he explores what it means to go on holiday without leaving, what turns a place into a destination, and how you can see your own surroundings with fresh eyes. His approach is playful, engaged, and full of imagination.
Bel will be part of the campsite and bring along a special kind of entertainment team. Think pancake tower building, DIY tent-making, and other offbeat activities. Through this interactive work, he invites residents to reflect on their neighbourhood and the stories that live there – in a playful way. Humour and lightness create space to address heavier topics, without losing connection or care.
Art beyond the museum walls
Camping - Heëlesj style is part of a joint effort by SCHUNCK and the NPHLN to make art and culture visible and tangible in the neighbourhood. By working literally beyond the museum walls, there’s room for encounter, exchange and new connections.
Here, art is not the end goal but a means to come together, to see things differently, and to feel pride in your surroundings.
About the partners
The NPHLN is a long-term initiative in which government, institutions and residents work together toward a stronger future for the neighbourhood. Within this context, SCHUNCK Museum is developing new forms of public engagement, with artists like Maarten Bel actively seeking connection with people, places and stories. This project is part of ArtBase, a pilot programme by the Mondriaan Fund, through which SCHUNCK explores how its collection can also function beyond the museum.
Maarten Bel goes camping - Heëlesj style is a prelude to his upcoming exhibition in the display window of the Glaspaleis, running from 26 October 2025 to 1 March 2026.