Destroyed House Leiden

an architectonic installation by Marjan Teeuwen commissioned by Museum De Lakenhal

19 March 2015

Museum De Lakenhal is renovating and expanding. To accommodate that growth four homes are set to be demolished on the Lammermarkt, behind the museum. As a final tribute to these derelict buildings, Museum De Lakenhal has commissioned visual artist Marjan Teeuwen to develop a large and impressive architectonic installation: ‘Destroyed House Leiden’. Marjan Teeuwen will be working on this installation from March until June. This special exhibit will be open to the public from the 10th of July until the 6th of September on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon until five PM. Entry is free of charge.

DESTROYED HOUSE LEIDEN

‘Destroyed House Leiden’ is the sixth in a series of large-scale architectonic transformations that Marjan Teeuwen (1953) has worked on. The four buildings will be completely stripped and all partition walls will be removed, creating one monumental open space. Relying on a carefully laid out plan, floors will be sunk into the ground, be made crooked or will even be dropped perpendicularly to form a whole new wall. All the debris created by the transformation will be further used to resculpt the room. Chaos and devastation will thus be given an abstract purpose and a poetic character. ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ will be a tribute to construction itself.

A PHOTO SERIES AND PUBLICATION

Teeuwen will also produce a photo series based on this installation to ensure that it continues to exist long after the buildings have been demolished. Some of these photos will also be added to the collection of Museum De Lakenhal and will be given a place in the permanent exhibit in the forthcoming new exhibition wing. ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ will also form the last chapter in a publication on Marjan Teeuwen’s recent architectural projects. The publication is expected to be released in the autumn of 2015.

THE LAMMERMARKT IN DEVELOPMENT

Of the buildings on the Lammermarkt that will house this project, three were home to working class families, while the fourth was a milk store that also served coffee. The store also functioned as the administrative headquarters for farmers visiting the weekly livestock market. During the 1970s the milk store was used as a sex shop, a home and as a dovecote. In the coming years, the entire Lammermarkt will be completely renovated. The square will be transformed into a green meeting area adjoining the Singelpark, which will function as the entrance to Leiden’s Cultural District. New parking facilities will be realized underneath the square. The transformed Lammermarkt will also form the scenery for Museum De Lakenhal’s new back facade, from where passers-by will be able to catch a glimpse of the museum’s new exhibition halls. The museum’s entrance will remain at its current location, in the monumental Cloth Hall on the Oude Singel.

CHRONICLES OF THE LAMMERMARKT

Another project entitled ‘The Chronicles of the Lammermarkt’ will be launched alongside Marjan Teeuwen’s work. People from Leiden are asked to share their experiences, personal stories and photos about the (history of) the Lammermarkt. Entries will be posted on Museum De Lakenhal’s website and will also be spread through social media.

Prior to the opening of the ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ installation, photos from Marjan Teeuwen’s previous ‘Destroyed House’ series will be exhibited in the LUMC art gallery. This exhibition will be open to the public from the 30th of April until the 14th of June.

‘Destroyed House Leiden’ and ‘The Chronicles of the Lammermarkt’ have been made possible by: the Municipality of Leiden, the Mondriaan Fonds, Fonds 1818 Den Haag e.o., Wijken voor Kunst Leiden and Houtwerf Zoeterwoude.

NOTE TO THE EDITOR

Museum De Lakenhal is a museum of the arts, of artistry and of the history of Leiden. Among the highlights of our collection you can find works by many old masters, including Lucas van Leyden, Rembrandt van Rijn and Jan Steen, but also pieces by modern artists such as Theo van Doesburg, Jan Wolkers and Erwin Olaf. Museum De Lakenhal develops high-quality exhibitions of (inter)national importance using Leiden as its source. The museum sees itself a renewing network museum that ties the past and present together and seeks to inspire its visitors using old and new interpretations.

For more information, please contact:

Department of Public Affairs of Museum De Lakenhal,

Minke Schat Tel. +31 (0)71 5165 360 / +31 (0)6 11 01 88 31 or through pr@lakenhal.nl

Museum De Lakenhal, Oude Singel 28-32, Leiden

Press kit

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