Middleste Molen, Netherlands | 2019

Community paper making

In September 2019 I travelled to the Netherlands to take part in the Paper Art Event at Middleste Molen, a water powered papermaking mill.

The workshop event was organised by IAPMA (International Association of Papermakers and Artists) members Betty Disco and Miriam vander Linden to coincide with Dutch National Monument Day.

Unfortunately it was so dry that the water mill couldn’t turn, so the steam engine was used to power the mill for the day.

My demonstration table

I was housed in the long tent with other fellow IAPMA members from all around the world.

IAPMA booth

Members of IAPMA came to talk about the international papermaking organisation and do demonstrations.

De Middleste Molen

The old water powered paper mill when the water is running

Dutch Open Monument Day

To coincide with this national celebration of old monumental buildings, two IAPMA members organised a Paper Art Event with demonstrations of different types of papermaking.

Artist talk

I was asked to talk about my exhibition Deluge and the resilience of paper during the Murwillumbah flood.

Couching a sheet of banana paper

Many people were interested in paper made from banana plant fibre as it is not unusual in Europe because bananas grow in the semi tropics.