Mondrian to Dutch Design 2017 in
Utrecht and Amersfoort
De Stijl in Utrecht and Amersfoort
In honour of the 100th anniversary of the art movement known as ‘De Stijl’,
NBTC Holland Marketing has declared 2017 the ‘Mondrian to Dutch Design’
Year. Various cities and regions throughout the Netherlands, including Utrecht
and Amersfoort, will host parts of the Year's programme. De Stijl continues to
have a tremendous influence on art, design, architecture and implements. Four
of the most important De Stijl artists ‒ Piet Mondrian, Gerrit Rietveld, Theo van
Doesburg and Bart van der Leck ‒ were born in Utrecht or Amersfoort. In 2017,
influential work by artists including Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondrian will be
uniquely spotlighted in new exhibitions and events. Although Rietveld and
Mondrian never met back in the day, this will be achieved symbolically in 2017
during the Mondrian to Dutch Design theme year. Businesses, shops and
numerous organisations, too, will embrace the theme year with dozens of
activities.
Utrecht and Amersfoort: De Stijl breeding ground
The Utrecht & Amersfoort region can rightfully be called the breeding ground
of De Stijl, considering that four of the movement's most significant artists
were born here: Theo van Doesburg (Utrecht, 1883), Bart van der Leck
(Utrecht, 1876), Gerrit Rietveld (Utrecht, 1888) and Piet Mondrian (Amersfoort,
1872). Founder Theo van Doesburg was born and raised in Utrecht, and
together with his fellow artists from Utrecht and Amersfoort he brought about
a radical change in art. Traditional artistic expressions were replaced by
straight lines, geometric shapes and a minimal use of colour (primary colours,
combined with black, white and grey). The Utrecht & Amersfoort region has
been closely associated with De Stijl ever since, and its influence as well as
many works of art are still visible in both cities.
Mondrian and Rietveld
Mondrian and Rietveld especially made their mark on the region. Piet
Mondrian's birthplace in Amersfoort is open to the public, and the iconic
Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht (a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site)
is considered the crowning architectural achievement of De Stijl. Furthermore,
Utrecht has the world's largest Rietveld collection that includes the original Red
Blue Chair, which is permanently on display in the Centraal Museum. Kunsthal
KAdE and the Rietveld pavilion in Amersfoort will also present unique
exhibitions in line with the ‘Mondrian to Dutch Design’ theme. In addition, Slot
Zuylen will make the earliest known works by artist Gerrit Rietveld and his
father available for public viewing for the very first time.
Landmark: Express Bike Lane in Stijl
‘The Year of De Stijl’ is the impetus for using a landmark to connect the
birthplaces of Gerrit Rietveld (Utrecht) and Piet Mondrian (Amersfoort) in
2017. In reality, these artists never met; a contemporary artist was
commissioned to visualise a meeting between the two.
The commission from the province of Utrecht will be linked to a new express
bike lane between the cities of Utrecht and Amersfoort, which will be jointly
developed by the province of Utrecht and five municipalities. The notion that
travelling by bicycle is an excellent way to experience the natural and cultural
historic beauty of an area informed the idea to combine infrastructure and art.
The integrated approach to art and infrastructure can serve as an example for
the ongoing development of express bicycle connections in the province of
Utrecht.
From yesterday's innovators to today's game-changers
The artists of the De Stijl movement can be viewed as revolutionary innovators
from the early days of the twentieth century. They strove to achieve radical
reform within the art world – a progression that paralleled the global
technological, scientific and social changes occurring at that time. The men of
De Stijl can rightly be called the game-changers of their era! A century later,
the cities of Utrecht and Amersfoort are home to many game-changers as well.
This Year's programmes are sure to feature plenty of opportunities for
illustrating the connections between yesterday's innovators and today's gamechangers!
For more information, visit: destijlutrechtamersfoort.com / mondriantodutchdesign.com
Main programme
Rietveld’s Masterpiece; Long live De Stijl!
Centraal Museum, Utrecht
4 March – 11 June 2017
The Centraal Museum and Gerrit Rietveld have
always been closely connected, and these ties
will be strengthened further in 2017. The
Centraal Museum has the largest collection of
Rietveld works in the world, including the
famous Zig Zag Chair and the Red Blue Chair.
The exhibition ‘Rietveld’s Masterpiece; Long live
De Stijl!’ will feature many early works by Gerrit
Rietveld as well as works by kindred spirits
including Bart van der Leck, Theo van Doesburg
and Willem van Leusden. Discover who and what
inspired Rietveld in his quest for liberation and
what ultimately resulted in the Rietveld
Schröderhuis, the international De Stijl
masterpiece.
www.centraalmuseum.nl
The world of Piet Mondrian
Mondriaanhuis, Amersfoort
Opens 8 March 2017
The Mondriaanhuis in Amersfoort is the birthplace of
Piet Mondrian (1872). During 2016 and 2017, the
Mondriaanhuis is undergoing a transformation.
Founded in 1994 as a museum of concrete art, It will
be transformed into an international museological
experience that will take visitors on a journey along
numerous places relevant to Mondrian's ideas and
work. A visit to the Mondriaanhuis will provide a
reintroduction to the singular artist. His iconic work,
his quest, his artistic and spiritual development, his
friends and his famous studios will be presented
during a one-hour exploration.
www.mondriaanhuis.nl
Modernism on the Vecht
Rietveld at Slot Zuylen, Utrecht
22 April – 24 September 2017
One of the best-kept secrets of Slot Zuylen Castle
Museum in Oud-Zuilen is that Gerrit Rietveld (18881964) began his career here. Around 1905, the
owner Baron Frederik van Tuyll van Serooskerken
commissioned the now famous furniture designer
and architect to produce a set of furnishings for the
gatehouse. This is Rietveld's earliest known work. His
father, in whose workshop Gerrit learned the trade,
also made his mark on the castle's interior during
this period. The house's modernisation by Rietveld
senior and junior forms the theme of a special
presentation which a tour guide will explain during
your visit to Slot Zuylen Castle Museum.
www.slotzuylen.nl
The Colours of De Stijl
Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort
6 May – 3 September 2017
The three primary colours red, yellow and blue
are archetypal and synonymous with De Stijl.
Kunsthal KAdE will showcase the use of colour
by De Stijl artists in a special exhibition. De Stijl
artists strived for colour as an independent
element ‘from art’ and not ‘from nature’, guided
by the idea that the relationship between
colours would lead to ‘harmony’. Using
examples by De Stijl artists, Kunsthal KAdE
shows the connections to the present and how
artists have continued to explore the
autonomous power of colour decades after De
Stijl was formed. The result is an artistic journey
from abstract expressionism and post-war
concrete art to contemporary artists who have
explored colour as an independent element.
www.kunsthalkade.nl
Beyond De Stijl. Gerrit Rietveld and the fifties
Rietveldpaviljoen Amersfoort
13 September 2017 – 9 January 2018
The Rietveld pavilion Amersfoort is one of the most
important later works by architect Gerrit Rietveld. It
is an outstanding example of functional, post-war
architecture. The pavilion has austere, practically
Spartan features, and stands apart for its spatial
qualities. During the Mondrian to Dutch Design
centenary year, an exhibition will be devoted to
Rietveld's style, his pavilions, his Amersfoort chair
and other furniture in the context of the 1950s. A
series of lectures and activities will be organised in
conjunction with the exhibition.
www.fasade.nl
Droog - Discover the origin of Dutch Design
Centraal Museum, Utrecht
23 September – 3 December 2017
Droog Design is a Dutch design collective that was
founded in 1993 to promote Dutch design. In the
meantime, Droog has become an internationally
renowned label and has played a huge part in
making Dutch Design widely known.
The Centraal Museum has the largest collection of
Droog Design in the Netherlands. The museum has
acquired objects from the Droog Design collection
practically every year since its foundation. The
exhibition ‘Droog – Discover the origin of Dutch
Design’ will give visitors an opportunity to marvel at
specially selected works of art from the museum's
collection.
www.centraalmuseum.nl
The first designed house by Gerrit Rietveld
Het Rietveld Schröderhuis
Permanent
Het Rietveld Schröderhuis is the architectural
highlight of the De Stijl art movement. The
house was designed in 1924 by Utrecht architect
and designer Gerrit Rietveld for the widow Truus
Schröder. It is the only building built entirely
according to the architectural principles of De
Stijl, and a true Utrecht icon.
Signature aspects include the seamless
transitions from inside to outside, along with the
use of the colours red, blue and yellow in
combination with white, grey and black. The
result is a large, light living space, which can be
divided into different areas using sliding walls. A
revolutionary design in which every space tells
its own story. Het Rietveld Schröderhuis is
included on the UNESCO World Heritage List,
alongside the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and other
sites.
www.rietveldschroderhuis.nl
De Stijl in Utrecht: Rietveld’s architecture
Bicycle tour, Utrecht
Entire year
Gerrit Rietveld's designs can still be seen in Utrecht,
but you do need to know where to look. Groups can
go on a bicycle tour led by a VVV city guide filled with
treasures by this great master of modern art. His
architectural masterpieces can be found throughout
the city. The undisputed highlight of this bicycle tour
is a visit to Rietveld's crowning achievement and
UNESCO World Heritage site: Het Rietveld
Schröderhuis. Although a visit to the Rietveld
Schröderhuis is not included with the bicycle tour, it
can be booked at the Centraal Museum or at the
Rietveld Schröderhuis.
The bicycle route is also available for self-guided
tours. In 2017, the route will be available at
destijl100.com and ANWB.nl/fietsroutes.
Rietveld Walking Tour
Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Entire year
To mark the De Stijl centenary, Utrecht’s Centraal
Museum has devised a special Rietveld Walking Tour.
The route takes in a series of Rietveld sites in
Utrecht. These include the house he was born in, his
workshop, the apartment block on Erasmuslaan and
of course the Rietveld Schröder House. In addition to
these historical monuments, the tour also includes
the Centraal Museum itself, which holds the world’s
largest collection of Rietveld objects – including the
Rietveld Schröder House. The walk also passes some
of Utrecht’s principal attractions, such as Dom
church and Oude Gracht canal.
www.centraalmuseum.nl
.
For more information, visit: destijlutrechtamersfoort.com / mondriantodutchdesign.com