The second solo exhibition at our complex, which opens on Sunday, 1 May, at 2 p.m., features the work of Tom Claassen and offers a fantastic overview of his impressive non-commissioned oeuvre. With around twenty-five works of art on display across two gallery floors and in a number of surprising locations in and around the complex, Tom shares non-commissioned pieces created over the past decade.
The start of a collaborative project can also be admired on the top floor of the gallery. From now on, Tom Claassen will be creating his ‘Oak men’ in our workshop. In other words, the gallery space has been transformed into the ‘Eek men workshop’.
Dutch artist Tom Claassen, 47, has been active in the arts both nationally and internationally for more than 20 years. He is primarily known for his pieces created for public venues – not only in the art circuit, but also by the public at large. Almost everyone has seen his family of elephants along the A6 motorway in Almere or has stumbled across his two enormous sitting men at Schiphol Airport.
Claassen’s work is often positioned along the border between culture and nature and is firmly rooted in the sculpture tradition, while at the same time featuring an original, playful and personal touch.
His art works in public spaces, like the elephants, sparrows donning pearl necklaces in Haarlem and drooling dog in a Tilburg park, are endearing, in spite of their enormity. It is precisely this extreme magnification that creates an interruption in the landscape or urban cityscape, while the often soft and rounded shapes and awkwardness of the animal with its own weight invite us to caress them. But this proves to be deceitful, since the material that looks so soft and inviting is actually bronze. Likewise, those sculptures that appear hard and uninviting to the touch turn out to be made of rubber.
The work of Tom Claassen can also be found in the collections of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Museum Beelden aan Zee in Scheveningen, and the Gateway Foundation in St. Louise, USA.
Lunchtime Lecture
On Sunday, 29 May, Poet and Philosopher Peter van Lier (1960) will be holding a lecture on the work of Tom Claassen. This will be followed by lunch served in our restaurant.
Peter van Lier (1960) studied philosophy. He debuted in 1994 with the philosophical essay “Absurdity to mysticism”. He then released a novel in verse and five poetry collections, the last of which appeared in 2010 under the title “Listen”.
The ’Tom Claassen’ exhibition will be on display from 1 May to 25 June 2011 and will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Piet Hein Eek, Halvemaanstraat 30, 5651 BP Eindhoven.
For more information and photographs, click the following link.
Download the prospectus (in Dutch) by clicking the following link de prospectus.
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