On October 28th the Kröller-Möller Museum was gifted an artwork, a needed addition to their collection, an unsolicited sculpture made by the Three Graces. These women are not just muzes or dancing naked women, they are artists. The Balloonman was blown into the world with their breath. It sorts with the current exhibition in the museum, ‘All Shows’, by Marinus Boezem (until november 14th). In the documentary that accompanies the exhibition Boezem says: ’Why would an artist make something on forehand when there is no demand for it?’. Because it needs to be made. And the value of pieces made without a pre existing demand is well known in this museum, that thrives partly on the collection of Van Gogh paintings, made by the artist without anyone wanting them but now fuelling a million euro industry.
From the activity plan of the museum: ‘Also within contemporary art our preference goes to artists that work in the post-minimalistic and post-conceptual tradition.(…) The collection policy focusses on contemporary art and artists…’
Of course we invited director Pelsers of the museum to come over and receive the Balloonman. She did not want to come. Her secretary pointed out the steps we’d have to take. Send an email with an image of the piece and the director will decide if the work might fit the collection. We had not discussed anything and had just taken action. This was not according to the rules. Those rules are the same rules and mechanisms that maintain the majority of the collections in musea to be for the largest part works made by men.
She slipped the chance to experience this crazy art encounter, a meeting with women that are every day working in the arts, forming their oeuvre, even if this sculpture presented is highly conceptual and totally contemporary and fits the exhibition in her museum. Unfortunately she is just not interested in a group of women that pulls this stunt in her museum, this museum that is also their museum. She did not accept the gift.
The Balloonman is a call to director Pelsers to also take the works of women into consideration, pieces that are not in the collection now but are missed by the visitors. For all these works of men are fine for sure but they only show half a world of experience. This museum is also the place for women in the arts, not just as means of inspiration but also as makers. That is why we made and placed this sculpture here. In addition director Pelsers received a DIY Balloonman so that when the last air has escaped him, and he can no longer remind her of her task -to make the museum a place that fits all people- she can make him all anew. And perhaps, when she fulfills her job in an outstanding manner, he will turn up smiling.
The Three Graces are; Saskia de Rooy, Erna Kuik and Yelappa Visser.
