Concept and scenography of a portrait exposition in Duivenvoorde Castle.
The Portrait Pavilion in the ballroom of the ancient Duivenvoorde Castle is the centrepiece of museum’s 50thanniversary celebration. The interior of the ballroom, dating back to 1717, has a unique Louis XIV style and is attributed to court architect Daniel Marot. The rich woodwork contains life-sized portraits of the successive generations who lived in the castle. In addition, the museum holds a collection of 131 (family) portraits on display, spread over the different halls and rooms of the castle. The entire collection of portraits is assembled in one place, forming the basis of the exhibition. All portraits are scanned, reproduced in black and white and suspended on the brightly lit walls in the pavilion. Several artists are invited to bring a personal portrait and add a contemporary layer to the exhibition. The life-sized portraits function as a historical backdrop. The hexagonal shape of the pavilion is an extrusion of the central pattern in the existing broadloom carpet. The exterior of the pavilion is clad with acrylic sheets with mirroring surfaces. Because of the mirroring, the interior of the baroque room becomes an even more excessive space, whereby the pavilion, ballroom, visitor and portraits visually merge into one complex image.
Location: Voorschoten, The Netherlands Client: Kasteel Duivenvoorde Program: Exhibition design Area: 9 m2 Status: Completed Team: Paulien Bremmer, Joost Huyzer, Jarrik Ouburg (OJO) Production: Landstra & De Vries Curator: Non-Fiction; Michiel van Iersel, Juha van 't Zelfde Photograpy: Paulien Bremmer
