The Mondrian House has acquired VOICES OF BABEL, a wall installation by Remy Jungerman. The purchase was made possible partly with support from the Friends of the Museum and through collaboration with Galerie Ron Mandos. The Mondrian House is delighted with the purchase of the work. It is an important addition to the museum's collection.
Remy Jungerman (1959, Moengo, Suriname) draws inspiration in his work from Piet Mondrian and modernism as well as his Surinamese Maroon culture. He brings fragments of Maroon textiles and other materials from the African diaspora into contact with colours and compositions from Western art traditions, thus broadening our view of art history. Jungerman is one of today's leading Dutch artists. He represented the Netherlands at the 2019 Venice Biennale and recently had a solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. His work has also been shown at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, among others, and internationally including the Brooklyn Museum, New York, Dots Gallery in Belgrade (Serbia).
VOICES OF BABEL (2013) consists of layered, painted wooden slats resting on a board. In this work, Jungerman examines colour use that, on the one hand, refers to the art movement The Style, and on the other hand to Afro-Surinamese traditions from his Maroon heritage.
Although the title is reminiscent of the Tower of Babel, it actually refers to Jungerman's mother's surname. This name was adopted after the abolition of slavery in Suriname. The Babel family is descended from the Bakabusi Marron community, led by freedom fighters Broos and Kaliko.
VOICES OF BABEL is on display in the exhibition Off the Grid at the Mondrian House until 12 October. On Saturday 11 October, Remy Jungerman will be at the museum for a Artist Talk.
The acquisition of Remy Jungerman's work was made possible by donations from the Friends of the Mondrian House and the good collaboration with Galerie Ron Mandos.
