book design 75B
Book presentation
07/04/2022
Room Steel
Z-Files #29: Book presentation 'GABO: Portrait of a Sculpture. Portrait of a sculpture.'
Presenting in Hall Staal on Thursday 7 April Publisher Jap Sam Books, Sculpture International Rotterdam (SIR), Visual Arts & Public Space (BKOR) and CBK Rotterdam the book GABO: Portrait of a Sculpture. Portrait of a sculpture. This is a publication about the untitled sculpture, by the Russian-American artist Naum Gabo (1890-1977), for the department store De Bijenkorf on the Coolsingel in Rotterdam.
Book your free ticket in advance here.
PROGRAM
Ove Lucas (director CBK Rotterdam) is moderator of the book presentation. He talks to initiator Dees Linders (former artistic director SIR) and Patricia van Ulzen (author) about the publication. After that there is a lecture by Sheng Scheijen (specialist Russian art of the early 20th century) followed by the presentation of the first book copy with a festive toast to the Thing. The musical accompaniment is provided by the Gabosingers.
Prior to the book presentation, the video recordings of the browsing sessions with some authors have been Arthur Bueno (documentary producer).
PUBLICATION
The reason for this publication was the long-awaited restoration of the sculpture that took place in 2017–2018. In gabo. Portrait of a Sculpture describes the turbulent life of this world-famous work of art. The main text is by art, architecture and cultural historian Patricia van Ulzen. Her meticulous research adds a whole new episode to Naum Gabo's biography and this sculpture.
With his art, Gabo fought his whole life, living in various places in the world, for the freedom of thought and for the imagination. The ingenious sculpture that he bequeathed to Rotterdam defies time and can be filled with meaning time and again. In this way 'The Thing' continues to dance; in the middle of the street and for everyone.
ISBNs 978-94-92852-27-4 Editor-in-chief Eleonoor Jap Sam, Dees Linders Contributions from Carl Blotkamp (preface), Dees Linders, Siebe Thissen, Patricia van Ulzen, Toke van Helmond (Catherina Lehning), Eleonoor Jap Sam, Rutger Morelissen, Sjoerd Westbroek, IEF Capital Editors Dees Linders, Siebe Thissen, Patricia van Ulzen, Eleonoor Jap Sam Image editing & research Sannette van Haarst, Nienke Post Final editing Ronja Driessen, Eleonoor Jap Sam, Dees Linders, Jacqueline Schoemaker, Marie Louise Schoondergang Translation Marie-Louise Schoondergang Graphic design 75B printing company Veldhuis Media BV Number of pages 224 Book dimensions 20.7 × 26.5cm Binding Hardcover Language Dutch English Publication date April 7, 2022 Partners Japanese Sam Books Rotterdam
THE ARTWORK
'Het Ding' or 'the stylized flower', as the work of 26 meters high and 40.000 kilos in weight is also called, was the icon of modernity on the modern Coolsingel at the time. In 2011, the Bijenkorf building and the artwork were declared a national monument from the reconstruction period. The spatial construction from 1957, together with the artworks by Zadkine and Henry Moore, is seen as one of the three figureheads of the international sculpture collection of Rotterdam: Sculpture International Rotterdam† The history of this self-titled sculpture by Gabo is intertwined with the history of the city in many ways.
Z FILES, ART AND THE CITY
The CBK Rotterdam programs BKOR en Sculpture International Rotterdam collaborate intensively to strengthen and renew Rotterdam's public space. This is how they organize Z-Files (with the S of Zadkine) about art and the city in which art, public space and the city are discussed through lectures, presentations and excursions. The aim of the program is to bring the special collection of artworks to the attention of the public space of Rotterdam and to highlight current developments in the city.
The publication was made possible in part by the Jaap Harten Fund, Prince Bernhard Cultuurfonds / Breeman Talle and the Mondriaan Fund.