An exhibition celebrating the Quadricentennial of the Dutch discovery and settlement of the Hudson River and its environs, the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA), in Peekskill, New York, will showcase contemporary Dutch installation art, opening on September 13, 2009 until July 26, 2010.

Sixteen artists will be shown in a space of 11,000 sf with 24 foot high ceilings. The exhibition will extend to the Hudson River waterfront where several major, site specific works will be shown. The selection involves artists with great promise - most have never exhibited in the US. The extraordinary works in the exhibition have a Dutch 'soul' which echoes the influence of Dutch architecture, sculpture, furniture and its unique landscape. These are some of the best younger installation artists, who have grown up in The Netherlands and/or who have spent many formative art years there, and are exhibited together in a dynamic and yet coherent format. What will be discovered is a discernable and distinctive link between the works of this extraordinary group of artists.

Much of the work has been created specifically for this exhibition, including work by three artists who came to Peekskill for the HVCCA artist-in-residence program. This program provides artists with the opportunity to create long-term installations, as well  as the opportunity to interact through panel discussions & dialogues with the community. To date the program has been limited to artists who have never before exhibited in a US institution.

The artists in the exhibition are: Job Koelewijn, Jennifer Tee, Dylan Graham, Alon Levin, Erik van Lieshout, Marc Bijl, Rob Voerman, Folkert de Jong, Daan Padmos, Maartje Korstanje, Serge Onnen, Lara Schnitger, Karen Sargsyan, Guido van der Werve, Martha Colburn, and Fendry Ekel. (Jennifer Tee, Alon Levin and Karen Sargsyan were part of the artist-in-residency program.)

Job Koelewijn, the oldest of the artists at age 47, is an important artist in Amsterdam for the younger generation. At HVCCA, he will be showing a major new work extending 47 feet. He references landscape and architecture with the remaking of a life size gas station, made entirely of more than 3,000 art books from his library. Serge Onnen, who will be shown at the waterfront, built a multi-headed kaleidoscope into which the viewer places their head. Rob Voerman's work invites you into a cafe inside an upside down car. Erik van Lieshout has created an indoor lounge for viewing of his mesmerizing video complaining about his relationship with his girlfriend.

Educational initiatives such as artist presentations, guest lectures and citywide events, will accompany the opening of Double Dutch so that the exhibition becomes a major teaching resource as well as an important art experience.

HVCCA, founded in 2004, focuses on contextualizing current trends in contemporary art. Its exhibits have been highly regarded with visitors coming from around the globe. HVCCA is also focused on the education of its local and regional community and participation in the betterment of Peekskill, a lower economic multicultural riverfront town with a large presence of artists.