EST art foundation, Leiden, NL

Opening on August 11th at 3 pm

From August 11th to September 15th 2024

Artists presented: Pedro Boese (Berlin), Michael Bom (Rotterdam), Lily de Bont (Rotterdam), Sanne Bruggink (Amsterdam), René Eicke (Utrecht), Doris marten (Berlin), Karl Karlas (Leiden), Mathias Krissmer (Freiburg), Zaida Oenema (Den Haag), Tonneke Sengers (Haarlem), Pietertje van Splunter (The Hague), Karin Rianne Westendorp (Rotterdam)

From Square in Square to Circle in Circle

Theo van Doesburg, painter, poet, architect and provocateur, was editor-in-chief of the De Stijl magazine from 1917 until his death in 1931. Early contributors to the magazine included Piet Mondrian, Jan Wils, J.J.P. Oud, Gerrit Rietveld and Bart van der Leck.

In 1917, Theo van Doesburg entered a competition for a fountain near Leeuwarden station. The artwork was entitled Square in Square won the 2nd prize but the design was never executed. However, in 1989, Vierkant in Vierkant (Dutch for Square in Square) was revived in Leiden by a motion in the city council to realise the sculpture on the Stationsplein. The motion was sustained with the support of PvdA councillor Elly Kerckhoffs. Upon her death in 1997, members of "her" formation centre Troef set up the Vierkant in Vierkant foundation hoping to place the artwork in front of her flat outside the Leiden Central station at one point in time .

The EST works from the principles of Van Doesburg’s concrete art and shows the development of this genre in current times. EST executes the programming of the Leiden Art Hub in the Energiepark. Currently, a new layout of this park is under construction, which plan is based on the circular ground plans of the gas holders that once stood in this area. From Theo van Doesburg to EST, from Square in Square to Circle in Circle.

Throwing a stone in the pond. Keeping in mind that when you throw a stone into the water, a circle is created, and around it again and again, and until the effect becomes invisible to us, but is there, we believe that visual art with beauty can bring comfort and positivity, and we feel this is especially necessary in the current times. Even small wrinkles do have an effect.

Unlike visual art that comments or shows the horrors of, say, the wars around us, EST (not naively) opts for beauty. Creating a wave is what we are trying to do. The EST art foundationhas been founded with the aim of showing concrete art and perpetuating and expanding the discourse. The circle from which a new circle emerges.

The artists we have chosen for this exhibition all work with circles stemming from their own motivations. Circle in circle can refer to circularity, to nature and circular wave movement. Rather, this exhibition is about the expanding circle as opposed to the inner circle. After all, following its predecessor IS-projects (2007 - 2019), the EST stands for connection and inclusivity.

Opening hours Fri. - Sun. 1 - 5 pm or by appointment

Papegaaisbolwerk 20
2312 LW Leiden, NL

Curated by Iemke van Dijk and Guido Winkler.