Lucebert

At Home in Bergen

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Lucebert’s (1924-1994) death. He is one of the greatest Dutch artists of the 20th century and lived and worked in Bergen for a long time. There, he also became a member of the KunstenaarsCentrumBergen (KCB), now housed in the historic Kranenburgh villa. And it might seem strange, because that is precisely where Lucebert – pseudonym of Lubertus Jacobus Swaanswijk – lived for a time in the mid-1950s. Later, he wandered through the village, eventually moving into the former art gallery of collector Piet Boendermaker. This studio is recreated in the exhibition as a film set, offering an impression of the place where the artist created his experimental universe and welcomed his local and (inter)national artist friends and family.

Work-in-progress

The sheer quantity of (diary) drawings, poems, and belongings in the exhibition is overwhelming and rivals Lucebert’s enormous output. It also provides insight into how Lucebert made his choices; he often stumbled upon something different than he was looking for. The public can also experiment with paint and develop new words and one-liners in Lucebert’s spirit. Among the words the artist added to the Dutch language are “bisquitbliketiket” (biscuit tin label), as well as obscure words like “tuigmuil” (should mouth) and “fluistergeboorte” (whisper birth). His statement, “Alles van waarde is weerloos” (Everything of value is defenseless), is immortal.

In the spirit of Lucebert’s work, the exhibition design feels like a work-in-progress. Each room has its own atmosphere; sometimes dark, sometimes white with poetry on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Lucebert believed an exhibition should resemble a vibrant, studio-like space where the creative process and the cross-pollination between different artistic disciplines are visible.