Then the winner of the jury prize. But first: the jury is incredibly pleased with the high level of Salon 2019. We can honestly say: the art climate in Gouda and the Green Heart is flourishing, good, beautiful, relevant art is being made. And we are happy to have been able to show this to the public in the museum over the past six months.

The jury raved about the winner of the Salon 2019 jury prize. This creator's art is different, and perhaps goes against the current trend of figurative painting on the one hand, something that has been gaining momentum for several years, and on the other hand against the trend of digital art, also something that is gaining a foothold.

This artist's work starts from his faith, although this is not immediately visible. The artist combines his relationship with faith with his perspective on the world, however complicated this interaction between faith and his personal worldview can be. The complex artworks reflect the artist's quest. And with these works, the maker encourages the viewer to embark on his own personal quest.

In the work of the jury prize winner, a small movement is caused by a complex and ingenious system. The artist makes machines out of parts, he makes machines out of machines. They are often devices of considerable size, which seem to have no clear function or purpose. Yet in this particular case, it is about control. About man's need for control, but also about its limits. In the artwork, nature determines the experience of the artwork. If nature does not cooperate, the work lacks relevance, may have been in vain.

The prominent role nature plays hints at the current and relevant theme of sustainability. So does the fact that he uses recycled materials, resulting in poetry in iron, gears, solar panels, electrical wires and so on. But above all, he works with humour. And that is infectious. The winner of Salon 2019's jury prize is... Jelle Korevaar!