Exhibition program 2018

Catherine Christer Hennix: Traversée du Fantasme

10 February - 27 May 2018

The Stedelijk presents Catherine Christer Hennix: Traversée du Fantasme, the first museum solo of the Swedish composer, philosopher, poet, mathematician and visual artist Catherine Christer Hennix (1948) in over 40 years. While Catherine Christer Hennix is best known as a sound artist and composer of sound environments including Illuminatory Sound Environments and Infinity Compositions, she has also produced a body of visual art that crosses the boundaries between painting, sculpture and anti-art – which Hennix herself terms ‘Epistemic Art’. The exhibition is part of a longstanding research program with Sonic Acts. Catherine Christer Hennix is represented in the collection of the Stedelijk with her painting "C-Algebra w / Undecidable Word Problem", 1975-1991, which was acquired as part of the 1991 Municipal Art Acquisitions.

Freedom is Recognized Necessity

3 March - 12 August 2018

Freedom is Recognized Necessity sheds light on the Stedelijk’s astonishing collection history. It includes work from the former Soviet Republics that were acquired after the end of the Cold War. Wim Beeren, Stedelijk director from 1985 until 1993, initiated a number of exhibitions highlighting contemporary art from the former ‘Eastern Bloc' countries, which led to the purchase or donation of artworks to the collection. Reflections on the political situation and references to early 20th century art are important themes, together with the suggestive use of symbols, and strategies allied to performances. The title of the exhibition is borrowed from a painting by the Russian painter Leonid Lamm (1928-2017): Adam and Eve: Freedom is Recognized. In the work, Lamm underlines the complex relationships between freedom and necessity while simultaneously delivering an ironic commentary on the Socialist dictatorship.

Forever Young? Photography and transience

30 March – 12 August

Photography not only captures transience but is itself a uniquely transient medium. To mark the end of the NWO research project Science4Arts, the Stedelijk exhibits work that addresses the complexities and challenges involved in saving photographic artwork for the future. With work by artists including Ger van Elk, Rineke Dijkstra, Koos Breukel, Émeric Lhuisset, Gerard Fieret and Gilbert & George.

To coincide with the exhibition, the Stedelijk Museum and the University of Leiden are organizing the two-day symposium The Materiality of Photographs on 5 and 6 April 2018. The symposium is made possible in part thanks to the support of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.

The Brothers Djaya: Revolusi at the Stedelijk

9 June - 26 August 2018

In 1947, the brothers Agoes (sometimes Agus) Djaya (1913-1990) and Otto Djaya (1916-2002) sailed to Amsterdam on the Nieuw Holland with more than 120 paintings stowed in their luggage. They donated a number of paintings and works on paper to the Stedelijk Museum, including the painting Revolusi (1947). They remained in the Netherlands until 1950, studying at the Rijksakademie and the Gemeenteuniversiteit (now the University of Amsterdam). Their work was exhibited at the Stedelijk in late 1947 as part of a series of cultural events in the Netherlands promoting Indonesian independence. This research presentation gives 21st century visitors a chance to discover the Djaya’s brothers’ work in a new light. In addition to the works themselves, the exhibit also features books, newspapers and press clippings, photos, drawings, paintings and other archival material.

Amsterdam Magical Centre – Art and Counter Culture 1967-1970

7 July 2018 - 6 January 2019

Amsterdam Magical Centre – Art and Counter Culture 1967-1970 is an interdisciplinary exhibition that uncovers fresh insights into the transnational developments of the era, and explores Amsterdam as a vibrant international hub and laboratory for artistic and social innovation. Featuring work by artists including Stanley Brouwn, Maria van Elk, Ger van Elk, Ben d’Armagnac, Wim T. Schippers, Ferdi and the Event Structure Research Group.

The exhibition Amsterdam Magical Centre is made in close collaboration with the Rijksmuseum. With thanks to the International Institute for Social History, and Sound and Vision, the Dutch Institute for Media Culture.

Günther Förg – A Fragile Beauty

26 May – 14 October 2018

Since the 1980s, the work of the German artist Günther Förg (1952-2013) has been the subject of a great number of presentations, publications and debate. A Fragile Beauty, the largest Dutch retrospective of his work since his death, illuminates Förg’s radical and versatile exploration of materials, ideas and inspirations. The show encompasses a wide spectrum of disciplines such as wall paintings, photography, sculpture and a significant selection of paintings created between 1973 and 2010, made on canvas, wood, aluminum and lead. A number of the artworks have never previously been on public display. The Stedelijk developed the exhibition Günther Förg - A Fragile Beauty in partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art.

Made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Estate Günther Förg, Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso para el Arte and Goethe-Institut Niederlande.

Lily van der Stokker

27 October 2018 – 24 February 2019

Over the past 30 years, Lily van der Stokker (1954) has produced a prolific and highly individual body of work composed of optimistic, decorative drawings and large-scale wall paintings. She employs a ‘girly’ visual language, to engage with gender issues. Her work could be interpreted as a feminist nod to the sober modernist painting of the late 20th century. The exhibition features wall paintings and drawings from the late 1980s to the present, many of which are going on show in the Netherlands for the first time. Also included are videos by Jack Jaeger, which offer unique insights into Van der Stokker’s creative process.

Municipal Art Acquisitions 2018 – Freedom of Movement

25 November 2018 – spring 2019

This year, the theme of the Municipal Art Acquisitions exhibition is ‘Freedom of Movement’. The term ‘Freedom of Movement’ is commonly used to describe civilians’ ability to travel visa-free outside their native land. As neo-nationalist and populist political movements gain impetus in the West, usage of the phrase ‘Freedom of Movement’ has soared. Interpreted poetically, the notion of ‘Freedom of Movement’ also refers to the body itself: its ability to move, take action and have agency. The Municipal Art Acquisitions 2018 focuses primarily on time-based media such as film, video, performance, dance, theatre, new media, sound and internet art.

Stefan Tcherepnin: The Mad Masters

27 January – 3 June 2018

Stefan Tcherepnin: The Mad Masters is the first museum solo of the American artist and musician Stefan Tcherepnin. The exhibition is a narrative environment, freezing in time moments experienced by four large monsters. More approachable than they are scary, the furry stuffed creatures are captured in diorama environments, as if on display in an alien natural history museum. A video projected onto the gallery wall depicts the journeys of the monsters through the four seasons.

Made possible with the generous support of Ammodo.

Metahaven

Date: fall 2018

In the fall of 2018, the Stedelijk presents the first museum solo of the Dutch artist duo Metahaven. Metahaven’s opus consists of films, spatial installations, texts and printed matter. Whilst originally trained as graphic designers, they have been working with the moving image for a number of years. The exhibition at the Stedelijk offers an overview of their films. The duo’s installation Transparent Camouflage, acquired by the museum in 2016 as part of the Municipal Art Acquisitions, was showcased previously at the Stedelijk.