[Press release]
Exhibition on architect and artist Michel de Klerk in Museum Het Schip
From November 17, 2023 through September 1, 2024, Museum Het Schip presents the exhibition Michel de Klerk, inspirer of the Amsterdam School. One hundred years after the death of the world-famous architect, the exhibition celebrates his talent and his enormous, everlasting influence. De Klerk was not only an idealistic and visionary architect who created works of art for people to live in, but a great artist in a broader sense: his drawings and applied art, too, still appeal to the imagination. The exhibition focuses on his rich body of work, sources of inspiration and life in the Amsterdam bohemian and artistic environment of the 1920s.
One hundred years ago, on November 24, 1923, Michel de Klerk died of pneumonia on his 39th birthday. He was one of the greatest architects the world has known - in his day he was already called the Rembrandt among architects. Books, magazines and articles about him were published at home and abroad, focusing mainly on his social heart and his imaginative public housing.
With the Amsterdam bohemian and artistic environment in which De Klerk moved in the early twentieth century, he shared a penchant for innovation. He wanted to turn buildings into works of art. De Klerk was therefore the trailblazer and inspiration for the Amsterdam School. Without him, the movement known for its expressive style full of symbolism would not have existed. De Klerk wanted to give beauty to the workers: "Nothing is beautiful enough for the worker who has had to live without beauty for so long." His workers' palaces Het Schip and De Dageraad are still world-famous for that progressive approach and timeless beauty.
Less well known is that De Klerk was also a talented furniture maker, designer and draughtsman, among other things. The exhibition Michel de Klerk, Inspirer of the Amsterdam School celebrates that versatility. In addition to his architecture, his furniture, sets, drawings and paintings occupy an important place. Visitors will discover who Michel de Klerk was. As an idealistic architect and artist, but also as a person, friend and colleague. The exhibition gives a glimpse into his life, the journeys he made and the people he surrounded himself with.
The exhibition features models of his buildings, pieces from Het Schip's own collection and from other museums and private individuals. Special new acquisitions include a secretaire, cover designs, watercolors and a painting by De Klerk. Films, photographs and correspondence provide insight into his daily life and the ideas he shared with friends and colleagues.
The exhibition is divided into eleven themes: from De Klerk's early years in Amsterdam's Jewish neighborhood, through his education, family, free artistry, employers, sources of inspiration, plans and buildings, friends and colleagues, among others, to his national and international fame. And the rich exhibition extends further. It features collection pieces by architects with whom De Klerk worked and who were inspired by him. Also on display for the first few months is work by granddaughter Nanna de Klerk, who as an artist has followed in her world-famous grandfather's footsteps.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a richly illustrated book with an overview of Michel de Klerk's life and work, supplemented by quotes from his statements. It also includes texts by friends and colleagues, including architects Berlage, Wijdeveld and Jan Wils, alderman Floor Wibaut and Arie Keppler, head of the Municipal Housing Service.
Museum Het Schip, Oostzaanstraat 45, Amsterdam | website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
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