Labyrinth

The title of this painting 'Labyrinth' refers to the Greek word laburinthos, which meant 'maze', or 'complicated matter'. In Classical Antiquity, a labyrinth was a large building with such an intricate system of corridors and rooms that you could easily get lost in it. In the painting I myself am in the maze (below the middle). You are looking for a way out, but can it be found?

The painting was inspired by a visit to the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam in December 2021. The depot was built for the Municipality of Rotterdam and designed by architect Winy Maas, co-founder of the Rotterdam architectural firm MVRDV. The Depot Building has a height of 39.5 meters and is therefore just as high as the museum tower of the adjacent museum.

Not only is the outside of the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen spectacular with its reflective facade, but the inside is also very special.

Visual artist Marieke van Diemen made the design The Maze: a three-dimensional maze in the atrium of the depot with floating display cases in which works of art and objects from the art depots can be seen. The atrium is located in the center of the depot which extends from the ground floor to the roof of the building. This central space is almost 40 meters high, 28 meters wide and 6 meters deep. The space is criss-crossed by zigzag stairs à la Giovanni Piranesi and there are two glass elevator shafts on one side and a large transparent art elevator on the other.

This central hall was a wonderful source of inspiration for my painting. With the interplay of lines, use of color and incidence of light I want to continue to hold the viewer in this labyrinth.