by Josée Thissen-Rojer

Until March 31, 2021, The Curaçao Museum will be showcasing the work of 5 contemporary artists in the exhibition titled ‘2020 Ekstremo – Pa koroná e obra’, which translates into ‘2020 Extreme – to crown the achievement’. This exhibition is organized by the manager of the museum, Judaline Cyntje and supported by the chairman Neeltje Timmers, and boardmember Mariëtte van Soesbergen.

Visual artists Bianca Berends, Herman van Bergen, Carlos Blaaker, Yubi Kirindongo, and Evelien Sipkes have been selected by the museum to participate. The title of the exhibition refers to the extreme character of the year 2020. A year where Curaçao was affected by the global pandemic and consequently, extreme measures were taken, which led to an economic crisis, taking a dramatic toll on the lives of the people.

Van Soesbergen shares that the cultural-historical museum wanted to conclude 2020 in a meaningful manner through this exhibition. Due to limited space in the building, only a select group of artists was invited to participate. The selection took place internally. Van Soesbergen also explains that all the artists who were approached by the museum had created work this past year and in particular during the lockdown. After being invited, Bianca Berends created a special piece for this exhibition.

The exhibition commences in the hallway of the museum with the work of Bianca Berends (Netherlands, 1971). A four-meter-wide creation on paper is titled ‘Remember that beach day?’. It was specifically made for this exhibition and features a beach filled with kids playing. 

The work is mainly executed in black-and-white and the observer looks from the water onto the land, to the beach where the kids are playing. The base of the sea at the forefront is created with a collage of written postcards. At the top, postcards are also incorporated into the sky. In between, in the center, kids are playing. It’s a colorful scene, where the kids are immersed in their game, completely unaware that they are being observed.

For Bianca Berends, postcards symbolize distance in travel and time. It is a recurring theme in her work. Now, during the pandemic, it is a nostalgic reminder of the time before ‘keeping distance’. Simultaneously, it offers solace and the hope that we can bridge the distance in the near future and can soon come together again in a carefree manner. 

In the large showroom with the stained-glass map, four pieces by Yubi Kirindongo (Curaçao, 1946) are displayed. The carriage ‘Kitoki’ (2019) stands in the center, immediately demanding attention. It’s a piece that was part of the Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale ARTZUID in 2019. Yubi is proud of his work, made out of shiny, chrome car bumpers. He mentions that as the Netherlands will soon place their exquisite golden carriage at the Amsterdam Museum, Curaçao now has a silver-colored carriage at the Curaçao Museum. Yubi can appreciate such coincidences. A piece of his that was really made in 2020, is ‘Mosquito’. Yubi created this at the start of 2020 when the severity of COVID-19 was already known. With ‘Mosquito’, he tries to remind the world of the viruses transmitted by mosquitos. The sculpture stands on a low pedestal and is made out of old machine parts. With its spread wings, stretched-out legs, and bulging eyes it has a frightening appearance. Factually, it does not resemble the delicate, fragile mosquito, and yet it’s immediately recognizable as the creature that Yubi describes as “the annoying, dangerous mosquito”. 

The works of art by Evelien Sipkes, Herman van Bergen and Carlos Blaaker are collectively showcased in one showroom. The work of Herman van Bergen (Netherlands, 1953) includes the series that was used for the Art Calendar 2021. The drawings were made on paper in a colored pencil and each piece features a local tree type. The trees are the lungs of the earth and with that in mind, he calls the series ‘The Lungs’. Herman, who can often be found in nature, feels how much it is under pressure, on our island too. In the insert of the calendar, Herman explains his message, how mankind is depleting nature and attacking each other. He refers to May 2020, when Curaçao slowly came out of lockdown, while in The US the 46-year-old George Floyd passed away due to suffocation, caused by police brutality. His plea “I can’t breathe” turned into a rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement and ultimately became an international slogan. With ‘The Lungs’, he wants to ask the world to treat mother nature and each other better. The events of 2020, make him realize that he is not alone in this, but in fact, takes part in a global movement that pleads for air and reflection. Next to the drawings, a small, ceramic piece is placed on a stand. Its shape has now become well-known. It is the first miniature model of ‘The Cathedral of Thorns’. The construction was inaugurated a year ago. What is shown in this museum depicts the beginning of it all. 

The work of Carlos Blaaker (Surinam, 1961) is showcased at the back of the exhibition room. His pieces attract attention through format & illustration. The oil painting ‘Woman with angels’ shows a woman with a nude upper body who looks straight at the viewer. She holds her index finger against her lips as if she urges for silence. Behind her, on the right and left, there’s a young man wearing a hoodie over his head. They also stare right at the viewer and both of them have their arm stretched out in a gesture that is both threatening and protective. It’s a mysterious and confronting piece that can be interpreted in multiple ways, but the title and the comforting gesture of the woman insinuate that everything is under control. The piece gives a deceiving first impression. Perhaps the creator shows us that judgment and prejudice are always unnoticeably lurking around and unnecessarily influence our view on matters.

Evelien Sipkes (the Netherlands, 1955) worked on a 6-part tableware assignment among other things during the lockdown. The complete set is showcased in a display. The design is inspired by our local environment and every plate, bowl, or cup features a golden detail. Evelien clarifies that in addition to the vegetation, air, water, and earth theme she also included the human environment in the tableware. She explains that an activity is often spontaneously planned, which is why the organization sometimes seems chaotic. It always ends up being a successful event, because there’s passion and fun behind it. The golden rim in the tableware represents that. Evelien’s other pieces are showcased on the wall, such as her textile work. ‘Lockdown’ from 2020 is a map of the terrain on which she lives. The nails on the edges represent the poles of the fence and the dotted lines show the routes she walks in the house. “If you are only at home because you aren’t allowed to go outside, you will notice that you often walk the same routes in your house.”, she says explaining her work. 

‘Corona Crap’ is an abstract rendering of the past year, which is divided into three periods. These show the various stages of how corona manifested itself here. At the start of the year, the virus is still far away (the center part). The closer it gets, the clearer its destructive consequences become (right), which is symbolized by the holes burnt in the cloth. Eventually, the virus, as a constant threat, has become a part of our lives (left).

The exhibition at the Curaçao Museum is very diverse because the artists each use their own mediums and techniques and they have all experienced this year differently. All pieces of each artist are placed together. It gives a good indication of their process and provides depth. The fact that all pieces have been created in 2020, during the pandemic, brings it all together.

Due to the lockdown in March & April 2020, Curaçao entered a vacuum and despite the negative aspects such as a loss of income, it created time. This time has been expressed in the work of these visual artists, in which their thoughts and experiences are reflected. For a visitor, that recognition is an important aspect of the exhibition.

‘2020 Ekstremo- Pa koroná e obra’ can be viewed as of December 12, 2020, but due to the strict measures in December, a celebratory opening was not possible. The museum has since announced that this will take place this week instead, on February 18, 2021. 

This post was made possible by the financial support of Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
Previously published in Amigoe, Thursday, February 18, 2021. Photographs by Ken Wong. 
In whole or part, this text may only be reproduced with reference to the source: Curaçao Art®️, www.curacao-art.com, and the author. Copyright of the artworks remains the property of the artist.