Culture in Haarlem reaches beyond its own museum doors. In that context, Marc de Beyer, director of Teylers Museum, is visiting the Frans Hals Museum for the exhibition PINK DE THIERRY - LIFE IN ART.
"The art of the Haarlem-based PINK de Thierry has, I think, a different slant. It is somewhat dated art from the 80s/90s, but at the same time very fresh and lively. That gave me the idea to visit this exhibition."
Long before the advent of reality TV and social media, PINK was exploring the line between private and public. "An amusing example I think is that of the Grote Markt," she said. PINK lived with her husband and child in a cardboard dream house on the Grote Markt for 30 days. On the artificial grass in front of the house, they lived an "ideal" family life with a barbecue and a garden gnome. PINK very publicly exposed herself and her family, but at the same time she played a role by portraying the perfect version of herself.
"When I see that, I ask myself: what is real and what is staged?" The footage from this performance can be seen back in the exhibition, indicating how PINK used humor to challenge civility.
"The exhibition is quite diverse. It includes a recording of a visit to the Belgian ambassador and his wife. It's really deadly boring. I can see humor in that. PINK really shows what our lives are like."
In the video Tea Time, PINK and her family visited the ambassador. They drank tea and talked politely about everyday topics. The video was broadcast on television. PINK showed how people fulfill their social roles. She questioned the way reality is often seen on TV: more exciting, faster and more exhilarating.
"What I find very special is that before such things as Instagram, TikTok and Big Brother existed, PINK made a statement by never showing her real life. She played a role in her art and displayed a cliché image. For example, she seemed like the ideal housewife in a perfect family. Nowadays, of course, we do the same on social media and in reality shows. We show the best version of ourselves and share the most beautiful pictures. PINK was ahead of its time."
Important themes in her art are the "ideal" family and consumer society. These topics are still relevant today. PINK's work is about what happiness should look like according to the media.
PINK also wittily dealt with big life questions, such as: what does paradise look like? Using magnified pieces of Lego, PINK built her own version of a perfect world. PINK's paradise looks not only childlike and playful, but also unrealistic.
"I don't just see happy colors, but also a kind of emptiness." The tension between ideal and reality is an important theme for PINK. "It's very nice that the Lego paradise can be admired at full size in the Frans Hals," she said.
Enter the world of PINK de Thierry and take a fresh look at your own life. How do you show yourself to the outside world? And what ideal version of yourself do you display?
Book your ticket directly for the exhibition
Frans Hals Museum
With PINK de Thierry - life in art , the Frans Hals Museum in location HAL will pay tribute to PINK de Thierry (pseudonym of Helena Scheerder) from July 7, 2023 to October 29. The Haarlem artist died Feb. 25, 2023, at the age of 79. The exhibition is the first retrospective ever of her work.
Curious about what's on display at the Teylers Museum?
Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum is the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Marvel at art, science and history here. From September 23, 2023 to January 7, 2024, you can see the exhibition Wybrand Hendriks was here! Hendriks lived in Pieter Teylers Huis for a long time and has meant a lot to Teylers Museum. Visit the exhibition and discover Hendriks' characterful portraits, accurate still lifes and detailed cityscapes and landscapes.
Haarlem Tickets
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Podcast on PINK the Thierry
