Sarah van Sonsbeeck. Moles of Modernism

Molehills

Scattered throughout the spaces of the former museum entrance and outside in the grass, you will find more than 80 ‘molehills’ made of bronze, glass, ceramics, wax, rubber, plaster and even birdseed. All these materials refer to works of art in the Kröller-Müller Museum collection.

Ecosystem

The mole is still often regarded as a pest, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the animal is important for the ecosystem and the fertility of the soil. The presence of moles indicates healthy soil with many micro-organisms. Incidentally, moles do not occur naturally in De Hoge Veluwe National Park as the groundwater level is too low. This makes Van Sonsbeeck’s ‘molehills’ here all the more surprising.

Series Vestibulum

Moles of Modernism is the 6th exhibition in the series Vestibulum, which refers to the location of the exhibitions. This was the former entrance to the museum, designed by architect Henry van de Velde and opened in 1938. The space is now rather undefined. Every 6 months, the museum invites an artist to create a presentation here, which relates to the place, the history of the museum or the collection.