From the archive: Hetty Huisman

From 4 to 30 April, de Appel arts centre presents various materials from the archives by Hetty Huisman. In the basement is a reconstruction of Hetty Huisman's project "From Void to Void to Void to Void", 1982 and on the 2nd floor at the library of de Appel arts centre, artists' and letter books by Hetty Huisman are shown.

In the early eighties a discussion raged in de Appel arts centre about the future of the young institute, which was founded in 1975 by Wies Smals. What kind of institute was de Appel and what did it want to be. And with what sort of art?

Hetty Huisman at that time was a frequent visitor to the activities on the Brouwersgracht and made a special contribution to this discussion in 1982. Wies Smals and her associates Josine van Droffelaar and Andre Minnaar challenged Huisman to give a lecture. Huisman however wanted to give no ordinary lecture, she used various audiovisual components to register her findings.

Over the course of six months Huisman worked on a presentation in which she wanted to intensify the debate on art and the identity of de Appel. During that period she communicated through an index card system with Smals, van Droffelaar and Minnaar. To some hundred "friends of de Appel", the following question was sent: "In connection with the query, we would like to know if you have any questions?" In the multimedia presentation on March 31, 1982 in disco bar de Koer in Amsterdam, the questions and answers were presented in an audiovisual pinball machine.

In LocusSolus in the souterrain of de Appel arts centre a reconstruction of Hetty Huisman "From Void to Void to Void to Void", 1982

Hetty Huisman makes artists' books, layered and full of references - serious and humorous at the same time. She uses text and traditional printing techniques to express her vocabulary with traces of feminism, homosexuality, east-west and male-female-mother relationships . The concept of void - as a place where open questions and answers can arise and exist - is central to her work.

In LocusSolus on the 2nd floor you will find a collection of artists' books and mail books from Hetty Huisman.

LocusSolus is a space for staging de Appel arts centre’s living past and lively present. Unravelling and dynamic, in black and white or full-colour HD, LocusSolus shows the fundaments of de Appel arts centre, her surroundings, the now and everything thereafter, to deepen and intensify her future.