THE MUSEUM AS NETWORKED ORGANISATION
Cultural circles in the Netherlands often discuss the importance of cooperation. Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden regards cooperation as more than a one-off project. It is a mentality that is expressed in al museological activities. Cooperation is in Museum De Lakenhal's genes.
CONTEMPORARY NETWORK MUSEUM
As a contemporary 'networked museum', Museum De Lakenhal maintains strong ties with various sections of Leiden's society. It stands out as the single museum of the arts in museum city Leiden. Its own quality can rise to new and surprising levels by cooperation. This can be achieved in a local, national and international field, both structurally and occasionally, with big or small partners, in principal and fringe programming. Sometimes, it results in research, publication or exhibitions, sometimes in a practical or economic advantage, but always with the objective to reach out to new groups of people along the lines of the collection.
In May 2015, an article on Museum De Lakenhal as networked museum was published.
read the articleDownload the network poster Museum De Lakenhal commissioned in 2012. It displays the museum's cooperations in an orderly fashion.
Design: Ankie Stoutjesdijk
What is a network museum?
It gives a radical answer to the question of its right to exist
The museum does not cover the past, but the present
Meaning is key, not truth
It is not about timeless quality, but temporary values
It is not objective, but subjective
It does not think in target groups, but communities
The museum is by definition adventurous
It engages in a dialogue with its public
Arnoud Odding, author of The Disruptive Museum (2011)
PUBLIC
The museum is a public institution. That is why Museum De Lakenhal tries to lift barriers if and when possible, before and behind the scenes; everyone is allowed to have a glimpse, think along and join in. This policy has been spread actively since 2010, when the complete collection was registered during the project 'Werk in uitvoering' (Work in Progress) in the exhibition rooms and in full view of the audience. The following year, the audience literally stepped into a work of art, the modern historical piece of photographer Erwin Olaf.
Ordinary people
On commission of the museum and Leiden University Erwin Olaf was inspired by the history of Leiden's Relief and invited 'ordinary' citizens from Leiden to be an extra in the work of art. The life-sized picture is now part of the museum's permanent collection.
Liberty – pest en honger tijdens Leidens Beleg
Erwin Olaf
In 2011 gaven Museum De Lakenhal en de Universiteit Leiden gezamenlijk de opdracht aan kunstenaar-fotograaf Erwin Olaf om een nieuw historiestuk te maken, gewijd aan het Beleg en Ontzet van Leiden (1574). Olaf koos ervoor de dramatische laatste dagen van het Beleg te verbeelden, met op de achtergrond de belofte van bevrijding door de geuzen. Traditiegetrouw speelt de honger een hoofdrol in het verhaal van het Beleg en Ontzet. Olaf koos ervoor in plaats daarvan de pest centraal te stellen, die volgens de nieuwste historische inzichten meer slachtoffers maakte dan de honger. Tijdens het Beleg van Leiden in 1574 kwamen ruim 6000 mensen om, bijna de helft van de toenmalige bevolking. Burgemeester Van der Werf werd door Olaf op het tweede plan gezet, om ruimte te maken voor bevelhebber Jan van de Does, diens neef Jacob van der Does en stadssecretaris Jan van Hout, wiens heldenrol in het verleden te vaak onderbelicht bleef. In de flanken van het beeld plaatste Olaf twee jonge vrouwen: rechts Magdalena Moons, de geliefde van de Spaanse legeraanvoerder Valdés, en links de godin Minerva, symbool van de in 1575 opgerichte Leidse universiteit. Veel attributen zijn afkomstig uit de collectie van De Lakenhal. Enkele hedendaagse voorwerpen, zoals een iPod en een leesbril, voegde Olaf zelf toe. De modellen zijn voor het merendeel Leidse burgers die door de kunstenaars werd gecast. Zo componeerde Erwin Olaf een historisch én eigentijds beeld, dat zich in artistieke kwaliteit kan meten met de klassieke historieschilderkunst.
Read moreLEIDEN
At an urban level, the museum cooperates with parties including the Municipality of Leiden, heritage institutions, museums and other cultural partners, Leiden University and Leiden Marketing.
UTOPISCH NEST: A CREATIVE HOTHOUSE
The special and long-term cooperation 'Utopisch Nest' (Utopical Nest) (2011-2014) was an artistic cross-pollination between music theatre company De Veenfabriek and Museum De Lakenhal.
In 2013-14, artist Joost Rekveld worked on his project #47. He wondered how we would behave if we'd have a special sense to trace electrostatic or magnetic fields. Would we act differently? With this art project, Rekveld reacted on the exhibition UTOPIA: Expressionism & Constructivism 1900-1940 (2013-14) in Museum De Lakenhal and De Veenfabriek's year theme 'Strength/Future'.
Website Utopisch NestDe Nacht van Kunst & Kennis (The Night of Art & Science)
Leiden presents itself as the city of the arts and expertise. Museum De Lakenhal promotes cooperation between artists and scientists. They propel each other onwards and add a unique dimension to the city. Since 2013, it has been celebrated throughout the city in the Nacht van Kunst & Kennis on the initiative of Museum De Lakenhal. Expertise is the leitmotiv of Leiden's identity, economy and society, both in the present and the past. But expertise is often hidden and not accessible to everyone. During the Night, the organisation will pulls out all the stops and everyone can learn and experience in a special manner, on a wide range of locations in Leiden.
The festival fits in with a trend: The Dutch are interested in science, as is evidenced by a host of new TV shows and many issues of non-specialist science magazines. The young and the old are invited during the Night to explore new expertise, art forms, ideas, rising bands, scientific inventions and dance and theatre performances.
COMMUNITY OF INTEREST
In 1918, the Vereniging van Belangstellenden in De Lakenhal (VBL, Museum the Lakenhal Community of Interest) was founded in Leiden. This means that it is one of the oldest Communities of Interest in the Netherlands. The VBL is an accessible association of devotees of Museum De Lakenhal that has traditionally focussed on special acquisitions for the museum's collection. Its approximately 600 members (2014) make every effort to promote the awareness of Museum De Lakenhal in their network. A valuable community!
more about the FriendsLUCAS VAN LEYDEN PATRONAGE
The Lucas van Leyden Patronage is an inspiring and vivacious network for citizens and companies that are well disposed towards the city of Leiden in general and Museum De Lakenhal in particular. Museum De Lakenhal has a long tradition of private engagement. The museum was founded and opened in 1874 on the initiative of citizens from Leiden. Already by 1890, the museum could be extended with four splendid painting rooms, thanks to a gift by Mr. Hartevelt. In 1921, the immense Papevleugel (Pape Wing) was added to the museum thanks to funding by the Pape brothers. The museum wants to revive this tradition by the Lucas van Leyden Patronage
more about the Patronage
Meanwhile a group that consists of people from Leiden and its environs was formed; they are interested in the arts and history, have been inspired by the activities and plans of the museum and, last but not least, by each other. These members of the Patronage meet in Museum De Lakenhal a few times a year, e.g. during exhibition previews and events that have been organised for this group in particular. To them, Museum De Lakenhal has become a special, inspiring network location. We are very grateful for your engagement and support.
Mr. Drs. Elco Brinkman, Chair Lucas van Leyden Patronage & Drs. Meta Knol, Director Museum De Lakenhal
THE NETHERLANDS
Also on a national scale the museum cooperates.
PEARLS IN THE ARTS, NATURE & DANCE (2012-2013)
On commission of Museum De Lakenhal, choreographer Karin Post worked on a special interdisciplinary exhibition concept around the phenomenon and theme of pearls: 'PEARLS in the Arts, Nature & Dance'. Never before was an exhibition created that featured modern dance, contemporary art, cultural and natural history in mutual coherence. The exhibition weaved organically around the permanent collection of Museum De Lakenhal and was shaped as a theatrical story; by means of an audio tour – recorded by actor Pierre Bokma - visitors were guided along dance registrations, works of art and objects. Many of these works were purpose-made for this exhibition by illustrious names such as the Nationale Ballet, Marijke van Warmerdam, Leine | Roebana, Rob Birza, Koen Hauser, Peter Struycken and Berend Strik. As such, the origin, application, symbolism and interpretation history of pearls was approached from various perspectives.
more about PEARLS
COOPERATION WITH THE RIJKSMUSEUM (2014 onwards)
On 27 February 2014, Wim Pijbes, Director of the Rijksmuseum and Meta Knol, Director of Museum De Lakenhal, signed a long-term cooperation agreement. The agreement includes the loan of Het Laatste Oordeel (The Last Judgment), the sixteenth-century master piece by Lucas van Leyden, to the Rijksmuseum.
THE LAST JUDGEMENT ON TOUR
During the restoration and extension of Museum De Lakenhal, the world-famous triptych will be on display in the Rijksmuseum's Gallery of Honour for a period of ca. 2 years, starting from mid 2016.
Drieluik met het Laatste Oordeel
Lucas van Leyden
Het Laatste Oordeel van Lucas van Leyden geldt als meesterwerk van de noordelijke Renaissance. De natuurlijke weergave van het lichaam in complexe houdingen bereikte Lucas door studie van anatomie en perspectief met behulp van prenten naar werk van renaissanceschilders als Michelangelo, Rafaël, Dürer en Signorelli. Het onderwerp is ontleend aan de Openbaring van Johannes (20: 11-15), waarin hij als in een visioen de terugkeer van Christus op aarde beschrijft. Omringd door de apostelen, heiligen en engelen oordeelt Christus op de Laatste Dag wie naar de hemel gaat en wie naar de hel. De gelukzaligen worden links naar de hemel geleid, rechts sleuren gedrochten en duivels de verdoemden het hellevuur in. In afwijking van de traditie schilderde Lucas van Leyden het drieluik zonder opdrachtgevers. Lucas van Leyden maakte dit drieluik in opdracht van de kinderen van Claes Dircsz. van Swieten ter nagedachtenis aan hun vader, een Leidse houthandelaar, kerkmeester, schepen en in 1523 ook burgemeester van Leiden. Na voltooiing werd het in de Pieterskerk geplaatst. De patroonheiligen van Leiden, de apostelen Petrus en Paulus, schilderde Lucas op de buitenzijden van de luiken. Petrus en Paulus zitten vóór een indrukwekkend landschap dat om diepte te suggereren met verschillende kleuren en volgens een vast schema is opgebouwd. Bij het schilderen koos Lucas voor een hoog gezichtspunt, waardoor hij in dit fantasielandschap zoveel mogelijk elementen uit de zichtbare wereld kon samenbrengen. Zijn Antwerpse tijdgenoot Joachim Patinier maakte als eerste het landschap tot hoofdonderwerp en bracht de religieuze figuratie terug tot bescheiden proporties.
Read moreRIJKSMUSEUM AND MUSEUM DE LAKENHAL: IT MAKES SENSE!
Generous mutual loan-traffic is an important cornerstone of the cooperation. As of 2017, Museum De Lakenhal will permanently display part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum, after the restoration and extension of the seventeenth-century listed building.
It is wonderful that the master piece of the 16th century from Museum De Lakenhal will be on display alongside Rembrandt's master piece from the 17th century in the Rijksmuseum next year. We look forward to a fruitful cooperation between the two museums.
Wim Pijbes, Director Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Leiden as cradle of Dutch Painting
In spite of the difference in scale, both museums have much in common with regard to content in the fields of Dutch art, arts and crafts and history. The city of Leiden was the cradle of painting of the Dutch Golden Age: the young painters Rembrandt and Lievens grew up in the city, as did Jan Steen, Jan van Goyen, Gerrit Dou and the Leiden Fijnschilders. After their start in Leiden, they would all make careers for themselves in Amsterdam. The cooperation will take shape in mutual loan-traffic and in cooperation projects on sixteenth-century painting from Leiden, Leiden Lakenstad (City of Cloth) and Kunst & Wetenschap (Arts & Sciences).
These and other subjects will be further developed over the years by both museums. As such, the expertise on national heritage will be linked to the development of Leiden as one of the iconic ‘cities of Holland’ of the 16th and 17th century.
- The first project will focus on the presentation of the ‘Het Laatste Oordeel’ (The Last Judgment) by Lucas van Leyden in the Gallery of Honour of the Rijksmuseum. An in-depth material-technical examination will be carried out on paintings from Leiden from the sixteenth century that belong to the collections of both museums.
- Famous Amsterdam cloth merchants built their fortunes on the high-quality cloth fabric that was manufactured in Leiden. For the project Leiden Lakenstad, a joint historic research will be carried out into production and trade networks in Leiden and Amsterdam, which will focus on the relation between innovation and trade in the seventeenth century.
- Since 1575, the oldest university of the Netherlands has been located in Leiden. The third project is dedicated to the relation between the arts and science, for the purpose of exhibitions in Leiden and Amsterdam in 2019. Museum Boerhaave and Leiden University will also cooperate in this project.
Global Imaginations (27 June t/m 4 October 2015)
Twenty leading contemporary artists from all over the world were invited by Museum De Lakenhal to share their vision on today’s globalized world. To do so, they exhibited new or existing work that has been inspired by the extensive collections of Leiden’s many museums. The result: a fascinating reflection of actual themes and developments in the world that surrounds us. The exhibition - which includes room-filling installations, video projections, sculptures and more – was hosted in De Meelfabriek in Leiden, an abandoned and imposing industrial complex on the edge of the city.
Global Imaginations was organised to mark the 440th anniversary of Leiden University and brought art, culture and science together into a single exhibition. Since being founded in 1575, the university has attracted scholars and artefacts from all over the world. These have come together in Leiden to further our understanding of the world around us in all its shapes and forms, to which the city’s diverse collections of ancient artefacts, biological specimens, maps, art and history testify.
Global Imaginations was the result of a collaboration with Leiden University, Museum Volkenkunde and LeidenGlobal.
more about Global ImaginationsRembrandtLAB (from 2015)
What colors did Rembrandt use to make his timeless masterpieces? And how could today's designers be inspired by them? These questions are answered in RembrandtLAB. In 2016, the first results of this innovative color research were on display on various locations. Starting in the Rembrandt Lokaal in Leiden: the workshop on Langebrug 89, where young Rembrandt enjoyed his first painting lessons from his teacher Jacob van Swanenburgh. The presentation thereafter traveled on to Museum het RembrandtHuis in Amsterdam and the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. RembrandtLAB is a cooperation between Museum De Lakenhal, Museum het RembrandtHuis, Leiden Marketing and Cultuurfonds Leiden.
In 2015, Studio Maarten Kolk & Guus Kusters was the first designer team to be commissioned. They decided to work with ceramics and for four months, they researched this material and its potential in the Europees Keramisch Werk Centrum (EKWC). They aimed to find a way to reproduce Rembrandt's use of color and pigments, ingredients, recipes and color experience. How could this knowledge be reapplied today? Today's industry could learn from Rembrandt's legacy, for example to re-enrich colors. Therefor, Kolk and Kusters didn't develop end products, but recipes, color combinations and suggestions for usage.
website RembrandtLAB
Vele kleuren zijn uit het hedendaagse palet verdwenen en stabiel en constant gemaakt, zodat ze in iedere productie en oplage hetzelfde zijn. Hierdoor zijn kleuren vandaag de dag erg vlak geworden en wordt niet meer gewerkt met de fysische kwaliteiten in een kleur (iedere kleur is opgebouwd uit mineralen met mogelijkheden en beperkingen). De hedendaagse maakindustrie kan veel van het erfgoed van Rembrandt leren. Bijvoorbeeld om kleuren weer te verrijken.
Guus Kusters & Maarten Kolk
2016: top 3-series
In the summer of 2016, various people from the museum's network were asked after their personal top 3 from the collection. Graphic designer Robin Stam kicked the series off, followed by jazz musician Rembrandt Frerichs, chairman of the patronage Elco Brinkman and many others.
take a look at the top 3 seriesInternational
American Friends of Museum De Lakenhal
In 2014, Museum De Lakenhal and the board of the Lucas van Leyden Patronage launched the 'American Friends of Museum De Lakenhal': a funding programme after American example. The programme was established together with the Dutch Consulate in New York and the Netherland-America Foundation. Until the end of 2018, all patron's gifts will be used for the Restoration and Expansion of Museum De Lakenhal
Leiden-America
Leiden is the city that welcomed the Pilgrims prior to their famous voyage on the Mayflower in 1620. The foundation of the American Friends of Museum De Lakenhal is a call to American businesses and individuals to celebrate this shared history by establishing a sustainable relationship between the US and Leiden.
more about the American Friends