Marjan Teeuwen, Destroyed House Leiden
10 July til 6 September 2015
Museum De Lakenhal will be renovating and expanding from October 2016 to spring 2019. To accommodate that growth four homes are set to be demolished on the Lammermarkt, behind the museum. As a final tribute to these derelict buildings, Museum De Lakenhal has commissioned visual artist Marjan Teeuwen to develop a large and impressive architectonic installation: ‘Destroyed House Leiden’. From mid February til 10 July 2015, artist Marjan Teeuwen and her small team worked non stop on this project. They transformed four old, ruined houses into a breathtaking spacious installation, enchanting all kind of visitors.
During the exhibition period, 1774 people visited 'Destroyed House Leiden' and many press items were published.
In the weeks after the closure of the installlation Destroyed House Leiden, Marjan Teeuwen worked along to realise a series of photographs; the only element of the project that would remain tangible. In close collaborations with a technical photographer, she created seven monumental compositions from parts of the architectonic installation. All photographs will be acquired for the museum's collection. Not only are they artistic expressions - photographs with an autonomous power - in an abstract manner they also refer back to the social economic history of Leiden, the (historical) industrialisaton and the location's history.
After the reopening of the museum (spring 2019), at least two of the photographs will be exhibited permanently in the hallway towards the new building, referring to what has disappeared at the exact location of the demolished houses.
DESTROYED HOUSE LEIDEN
‘Destroyed House Leiden’ is the sixth in a series of large-scale architectonic transformations that Marjan Teeuwen (1953) has worked on. The four buildings will be completely stripped and all partition walls will be removed, creating one monumental open space. Relying on a carefully laid out plan, floors will be sunk into the ground, be made crooked or will even be dropped perpendicularly to form a whole new wall. All the debris created by the transformation will be further used to resculpt the room. Chaos and devastation will thus be given an abstract purpose and a poetic character. ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ will be a tribute to construction itself.
Watch the video
DESTROYED HOUSE LEIDEN
‘Destroyed House Leiden’ is the sixth in a series of large-scale architectonic transformations that Marjan Teeuwen (1953) has worked on. The four buildings will be completely stripped and all partition walls will be removed, creating one monumental open space. Relying on a carefully laid out plan, floors will be sunk into the ground, be made crooked or will even be dropped perpendicularly to form a whole new wall. All the debris created by the transformation will be further used to resculpt the room. Chaos and devastation will thus be given an abstract purpose and a poetic character. ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ will be a tribute to construction itself.
THE LAMMERMARKT IN DEVELOPMENT
Of the buildings on the Lammermarkt that will house this project, three were home to working class families, while the fourth was a milk store that also served coffee. The store also functioned as the administrative headquarters for farmers visiting the weekly livestock market. During the 1970s the milk store was used as a sex shop, a home and as a dovecote. In the coming years, the entire Lammermarkt will be completely renovated. The square will be transformed into a green meeting area adjoining the Singelpark, which will function as the entrance to Leiden’s Cultural District. New parking facilities will be realized underneath the square. The transformed Lammermarkt will also form the scenery for Museum De Lakenhal’s new back facade, from where passers-by will be able to catch a glimpse of the museum’s new exhibition halls. The museum’s entrance will remain at its current location, in the monumental Cloth Hall on the Oude Singel.
Meer about the restoration & expansionCHRONICLES OF THE LAMMERMARKT
Another project entitled ‘The Chronicles of the Lammermarkt’ will be launched alongside Marjan Teeuwen’s work. People from Leiden are asked to share their experiences, personal stories and photos about the (history of) the Lammermarkt. Entries will be posted on Museum De Lakenhal’s website and will also be spread through social media.
chronicles of the Lammermarktlumc gallery
Prior to the opening of the ‘Destroyed House Leiden’ installation, photos from Marjan Teeuwen’s previous ‘Destroyed House’ series were exhibited in the LUMC-Galerie.
thanks to
‘Destroyed House Leiden’ and ‘The Chronicles of the Lammermarkt’ have been made possible by: the Municipality of Leiden, the Mondriaan Fonds, Fonds 1818 Den Haag e.o., Wijken voor Kunst Leiden and Houtwerf Zoeterwoude.