Spinoza and the Art of Happiness

The exhibition 'Spinoza and the Art of Happiness' opens on Sunday 2 October in the Haagse Kunstkring. Various artists were asked to create artworks as a response to Spinoza's ideas. For this various themes were available.

For my new work Shrine, which I made especially for this exhibition, I took as a starting point the theme that revolves around Spinoza's concept of "Deus sive natura" translated as "God is nature". This is the core part of his philosophy when it comes to knowing and feeling that god is in all things.

I wanted to make a visual expression for this. For this I looked at shapes, imagery and historical references such as the Tabernacle, a movable tent that served as the sanctuary of the Israelites, and the Most Holy in Solomon's temple, which was shaped like a cube.

My work consists of a cube within a cube that hangs in a matching folding suspension system by means of crosswise tensioned wires. The cubes consist of a wooden painted frame that is covered with fabric. The outer cube is covered with a semi-transparent voile fabric on which a geometric pattern is printed. The inner cube is covered with a velvet fabric printed with a photographic print of flowers and leaves. The wooden folding suspension construction is equipped with a suspension system with metal hooks and eyes and cotton threads. The same floating suspension system with wires and hooks and eyes is used to place the smaller inner cube in the larger one.

Titel: Shrine

Year: 2022

Dimensions: 185 x 61 x 61 cm (HxWxD)

Techniques: photography, woodworking, assembly

Opening: 2 October 4 p.m.

Period: 28 September to 23 October 2022

Address: Denneweg 64, 2514 CJ The Hague