Peter has landed

When my career began in 1993 in Rob Malasch’s gallery Serieuze Zaken, I crossed paths with Peter van der Heijden for the first time. He would later ensure that I received several art commissions. But the work, and everything that comes in its slipstream, never came together. Peter sees beauty in things that other people do not see and that are not thought of as having any economic value. By placing it in a different context he opens eyes and unlocks value for others. 

 

In a time in which almost everything is a commodity, a horrid word yet the right one in this context, Peter made visible the value of the seemingly worthless. There is much more hidden in this at first sight materialistic love of things. Collecting and recognising value is all about a feeling of discomfort for the indiscriminate consumerism that is so characteristic of our time. In the valuable creation of the worthless, our paths cross figuratively and, with this exhibition, literally and it feels as if Peter and all he possesses has landed with us. 

 

In the Van Abbevitrine in our gallery, the Tinguely has made place for a beautiful new selection of artworks from the Van Abbemuseum collection, chosen by Peter especially for his exhibition. It will come as no surprise that, despite the great diversity of works, by artists including El Lissitzky, László Moholi-Nagy, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Leo Gestel and Aernout Mik, they still fit seamlessly with the exhibition.