top of page

Project: Spirits of the Soil

Partner: Raquel van Haver

Disciplines: Graphic Design, Event Production

Year: 2018

Catalogue design and book launch event for Raquel van Haver's exhibition Spirits of the Soil

​

​

IMG_4616.jpg
martijn_profile.png

PREFACE Spirits of the Soil

Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen
curator | Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

"When I first saw Van Haver’s paintings I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride in the Bijlmer. Her narrative and figurative style deeply impressed me, as did her choice of subjects reflecting empathy for people in marginal communities—in the Bijlmer and beyond, in the urban ghettos of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It was right there and then, in Van Haver’s Bijlmer studio in 2016, that I was struck by the idea of inviting her for an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum." 

Change the rhythm of the dancehall… It’s still the Same groove | 2018 

 

265 x 320 x 30 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, beads

_MG_7306-02-JC.png

The eyes must be obeyed… One 1000 soldiers with one 1000 dices. 

When They start They make you No go anywhere… | 2018

 

226 x 260 x 12 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, beads

_MG_7314-02-JC.png

Reason for Being | 2018

 

220 x 304 x 17 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, beads

_MG_7332-04.png

Dem smoke and blaze under Royal regime | 2018 

 

225 x 325 x 17 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, beads

_MG_7307-02-JC.png

Life never sweet like a Chocolate vanilla | 2018

 

235 x 286 x 12 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, plastic

_MG_7361-def-JC.png

One drop.. Your heart might skip a beat for many reasons… | 2018 

 

260 x 310 x 12 cm | oil on burlap, hair, tar, chalk, gel, resin, homemade paint, ash, cigarettes, bottle caps, posters, paper, wood

azu_profile.jpg

ESSAY We do not sleep as we parade all through the Night...

Azu Nwagbogu
chief curator | Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa

The best way to approach the monumental paintings featured in Spirits of the Soil, Raquel van Haver’s first solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, is to submit without trepidation to what is an overwhelming sensory experience.

Ridders-DEF-p12-13.jpg

Part II is about the modern vision, the construction and the renewal of the large scale urbanisation pro-ject: De Bijlmermeer as we know it now.

Ridders-DEF-p144-145.jpg

Part III is a testimonial of De Bijlmer today in the form of personal interviews, anecdotes and thematic articles.

Ridders-DEF-p264-265.jpg

The book is made up out of 18 chapters. Every chapter starts with a full spread in colour code and with a short text introducing the topic. The tranquil layout, marking the start of every new chapter, creates a strong contrast with the colourful imagery on all other pages helping readers navigate.

Ridders_final_spread-8.jpg
Ridders_final_spread-74.jpg
Ridders_final_spread-134.jpg

Richly illustrated

 

For the production of this richly illustrated book we scooped around in 50+ archives. We also took care of the image editing and clearance.

 

Here we see the Register Remissorium Philippi;

index op de grafelijke registers, displaying the crests and privileges of the Dukes of Holland, produced somewhere between 1434 and 1450 and part of the collection of the National Archive of Den Haag.

Ridders_final_spread-12.jpg

The family tree of Amsterdam

 

This page is pretty special to us. We researched many archives for a visual

representation of the lineage of the House of Amstel, founding fathers of the city of Amsterdam. Though all data was available, we didn’t find what we were looking for so Vinger.nl invited visual artist Bert Jacobs to make this illustration.

ridders_spreads_centered_0012_ridders_sp

Publication

Editor Raquel van Haver, Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen

Contributors Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen, Azu Nwagbogu

Translation Laura Schuster

Copy Editing Dutton Hauhart (EN), Steve Green (EN), Els Brinkman (NL)

Project Management Sophie Tates, Gwen Parry

Project Assistance Jip Mendes

Graphic Design Sara Mattens & Jeffrey Croese, Vinger.nl

Photography Wim Hanenberg pp. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, centrefold

Hans Wilschut pp. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

Printing Tuijtel, Hardinxveld-Giessendam

Print Run 1,000

© 2018 the artist; the photographers; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

ISBN 978-90-5006-204-6

 

Exhibition

Curator Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen

Project Manager Sophie Cramer

Project Officer Alein van der Staaij

Registrar Hadewych van Heugten

Floor Manager Luc Daamen, Mischa Rakier

 

STEDELIJK MUSEUM AMSTERDAM

www.stedelijk.nl

 

This catalog is published on the occasion of the exhibition Raquel van Haver – Spirits of the Soil

Nov 25, 2018 – Apr 7, 2019 | Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

​

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.

bottom of page