Spirits of the Soil | Stedelijk museum | Amsterdam | NL | 2018 | curated by Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen
2018
Stedelijk museum
Amsterdam
Sprits of the Soil
Stedelijk museum | Amsterdam | The Netherlands
Exhibition — Nov 25, 2018 until Apr 7, 2019
Curated by Matijn van Nieuwenhuijzen
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In Spirits of the Soil, Van Haver presents a powerful ensemble of monumental paintings at the Stedelijk museum Amsterdam.
The Stedelijk Museum dedicated six galleries to the exhibition Spirits of the Soil by Raquel van Haver. Especially for this exhibition Van Haver will produce a new series of monumental paintings. The exhibition at the Stedelijk is Van Haver’s first solo exhibition at an Amsterdam museum.
The focus of her subject for this show was Inspired by photo’s the artist took during her time in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago and Lagos, Nigeria and her research on visual and material resemblances across the diaspora. The works combine street life, personal encounters, and global influences and focusses on the different communities globally. Through rich textures and layered materials, Van Haver creates complex visual worlds that explore themes of identity, resilience, and urban community.
With her raw, narrative and figurative style of painting, Van Haver challenges the Euro-American canon. Her imagery is nurtured by art from ‘other’ regions and with that she tells ‘other’ stories. Although the format of her canvases is reminiscent of history painting, her compositions do not depict the exploits of figures from the west. At the heart of her work are the ‘spirits of the soil’, the central figures in the histories of colonialism, imperialism, migration and diaspora.
— exhibition curator Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen | director de Pont, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
The exhibition Raquel van Haver – Spirits of the Soil is generously supported by Ammodo, the AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts) and Stadsdeel Zuidoost. The Mondriaan Fund contributed to the production of new works through the Project Grants for Artists and to the artist’s wage through the Experimental Regulations. The exhibition is part of the 50 Jaar Bijlmer manifestation, with support from CBK Zuidoost.
