The exhibition 'Pijlers van Leven' (Pillars of Life) at ARTIS-Groote Museum showcases a new artwork by Lizan Freijsen, inspired by the unseen wooden foundation piles of the museum. Freijsen transforms a modest phenomenon into a valuable textile artwork, inviting a re-examination of life's proportions and the often-overlooked presence of plants.
ARTIS-Groote Museum presents 'Pijlers van Leven,' a significant exhibition featuring a new textile artwork by Lizan Freijsen. Freijsen was deeply intrigued by a cross-section of a wooden foundation pile displayed in the museum, a piece that had silently supported the institution for over 160 years. Her artistic practice involves transforming the invisible into tangible, valuable products, thereby revealing inherent presences. By magnifying a humble phenomenon and translating it into wool, Freijsen encourages a different perspective on subjects that are often overlooked.
'Pijlers van Leven' continues Freijsen's focus on visualizing the beauty within blind spots. The exhibition process, from concept to creation, is further documented in an introductory film by Marieke van der Lippe. Lizan Freijsen, who passed away unexpectedly in February 2024, had been working on the artwork with the TextielMuseum. In her memory and to honor her vision, both the TextielMuseum and ARTIS-Groote Museum decided to proceed with the planned exhibition. The exhibition also features a monumental photographic work by Hans Wilschut, depicting a Norwegian forest, a nod to the origin of the wooden piles that form Amsterdam's foundations, mirroring the Groote Museum's own structural history.