THE HERO, THE VILLAIN AND THE TRUTH
A narrative art experience featuring works by Folkert de Jong at Kunstkerk Dordrecht.
Is a pirate a hero or a villain? In The Hero, the Villain and the Truth, artist Folkert de Jong shows, through distorted versions of well-known figures such as Luther, Jesus and Mary, Snoop Dogg, Queen Wilhelmina and the Zeeland Girl, how history comes into being — and how it might also have unfolded differently. At times, he treats history like a pirate: hijacking familiar stories, reversing roles and allowing contemporary issues to surface in the past. In this way, the sculptures together tell a story about the history of our country — about its trading spirit, religion and the position of women — and about how this history has been written and rewritten.
Through surprising audio stories, the life-size human figures, made of insulation material, are staged and given meaning. Authors and theatre makers such as Abdelkader Benali and Elfie Tromp wrote the texts. The presentation allows the audience to experience Folkert de Jong’s work more deeply: to look better, see more and discover new perspectives. The exhibition thus becomes a sensory and creative history lesson, both joyful and grim.
“Previously, we learned about the glory of the Golden Age, with heroes such as Jan Pieterszoon Coen. It was a great shock when I realised, years ago: wait a minute, the heroes of the past are now villains. You can give your own interpretation to history.” — Folkert de Jong
FOLKERT DE JONG
Folkert de Jong (Alkmaar, 1972) is regarded as one of the most important artists in the Netherlands. He is praised for his virtuosity as a sculptor and his sharp, often confrontational expression of human madness. He studied at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Amsterdam and the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten. Folkert has received, among others, the Prix de Rome and the Charlotte Köhler Prize and gained international recognition through dozens of solo exhibitions in museums worldwide.
TO DO
Guided tours | every Saturday and Sunday at 14:00
Children’s guided tour | Sunday 15.02 - Sunday 15.03 - Sunday 18.03
Open studio | Sunday 22.02 - Sunday 22.03
YogArt | Sunday 8.03
Print Night Out | Friday 27.03
Thinking studio | Thursday 09.04
INITIATIVE
The Hero, the Villain and the Truth is a travelling exhibition that has previously been shown at Museum Kranenburgh and Museum de Fundatie. The exhibition is an initiative of curator and cultural entrepreneur Johan Idema, in collaboration with artist Folkert de Jong and exhibition makers Brandwacht & Meijer. In recent years, Johan Idema has realised several innovative art presentations in which visual art is presented in new ways. A recent example is De Grote Kunstshow with Erwin Olaf. More background, images and context can be found at www.heldschurk.nl.
The exhibition is made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund, Fonds 21, BNG Cultuurfonds, Stichting SEC, Zabawas, the Cultuurfonds, Stichting Stokroos, Stichting Gifted Art, the De Gijselaar-Hintzen Fund, the Municipality of Dordrecht and the Van der Mandele Foundation. With thanks to Galerie Fons Welters Amsterdam and Galerie Sofie Van De Velde Antwerp.
