west wing


Als de Dood

 

[The Dutch title has a double meaning: ‘like Death’/ ‘resembling Death’, and also ‘Deathly afraid’.]

 

Painters, poets, sculptors, writers, photographers on decay and finiteness

 

February 11 to June 11 2023 

 

In a varied group exhbition on the theme of ‘death’ Museum Belvédère presents paintings, poetry, sculptures and photographs made by diverse  Dutch artists.

‘All the things in your life have to do with the end of it’- Jan Mulock Houwer

 

‘Death’ may well be the most important theme in the arts. In the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue Als de Dood painters, poets, sculptors, writers and photographers cast different lights on the big theme.

The museum plays a facilitating role in making the exhibition a dialogue between artist and spectator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some artists picture or voice their personal loss, others give shape to death as a mystery or as part of the natural cycle of blooming, decaying and dying. Together they tell the universal story of mourning and acceptance, stimulate reflection and offer consolation through beauty.

In the extensive exhibition work by over sixty artists from all quarters of the Netherlands is on display. Following the principles of the museum, the accent is on modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day. Several pieces of art and installations were made especially for the exhibition.


The artisists in the exhibition:

Allie van Altena, Anne van As, Gijs Assmann, Dianne Bakker, Jan de Beus, Willy Boers, Dirk Breed, Koos Breukel, Ton Broekhuis, Johan Creten, Frank Creton, Desirée Dolron, Aline Eras, Anne Feddema, Theo de Feyter, Jasper de Gelder, Ad Gerritsen, Cor Groenenberg, Han van Hagen, Jochem Hamstra, Henk Helmantel, Frank van Hemert, Niek Hendrix, Jan van Herwijnen, Fons Hoiting, Raoul Hynckes, Sjoerd Janzen, André de Jong, Jan Jordens, Miriam Knibbeler, Pieter Knorr, Jan van der Kooi, Christiaan Kuitwaard, Fred Landsman, Jorn van Leeuwen, Sabine Liedtke, Victor van Loon, Jan Mankes, Erik Mattijssen, Albert Oost, Jet van Oosten, Dineke Oosting, Olphaert den Otter, Hans Rikken, Maartje Roos, Erica Scheper, Tjarda Sixma, Kris Spinhoven, Johannes Steendam, Kees Stoop, Marijke Stultiens-Thunnissen, Maurice van Tellingen, Els Timmerman, Aat Veldhoen, Aad Verhoog, Henk de Vries, Freark van der Wal, Marenne Welten, Ids Willemsma, Sytse van der Zee.


New catalog sold out!

 

An essential part of the project is the publication with image, short stories and poems curated by Han Steenbruggen and Susan van den Berg.

Encounters with death are described from scientific and personal angles in short stories by biologist Midas Dekkers, physician & philosopher Bert Keizer, journalist & columnist Herman Sandman and lung specialist Sander de Hosson. The volume contains poems by – among others - Tine Bethlehem, Remco Campert, Anna Enquist, Kees ’t Hart, Tsjêbbe Hettinga, Rutger Kopland, Jean Pierre Rawie and M. Vasalis.

 

 

A special thanks 

 

The exhibition and the catalog Als de Dood were made possible by FB Oranjewoud, the Province of Fryslân and the Municipality of Heerenveen.

With thanks to all contributors, artists, poets, writers, in particular Pieter de Hart (where the project started), Gijsbert van der Wal, Han van Hagen, Ali Huizinga and Midas Dekkers.