Bergen is important to Armando. When he saw the work of Karel Appel, Constant, and Corneille there in 1949, it laid the foundation for his artistic career. At that first Cobra exhibition in Dirk Hubers’ studio on Sluislaan, he recognized the freedom. This decisive, yet little-known, influence on Armando’s (born 1929) artistic practice is the subject of the exhibition “Overmacht. Armando in Bergen” at Museum Kranenburgh. Guest curators are Rob de Vries and John Heymans.
Force majeur
Armando in Bergen
Around fifty works by Armando are presented, featuring familiar themes such as war and Germany. The paintings, drawings, and sculptures are rarely seen and come from museums, private collections, and the artist’s own collection. The title is taken from the poem “Overmacht” (Powerlessness) that Lucebert wrote for Armando.
Bergen
Armando has been a frequent visitor to Bergen for almost seventy years. “I dare say: after Berlin, I prefer Bergen,” he says. His connection to the village also runs through Lucebert (1924-1994). When Armando debuted his poetry in the mid-1950s, Lucebert’s influence is clearly visible. It wasn’t until 1991 that the artists met in Berlin. Later, Lucebert wrote the poem “Overmacht” (Powerlessness) for Armando, and they met regularly in Lucebert’s studio in Bergen.
Freedom
Armando (born 1929) lives and works alternately in the Netherlands and Potsdam. Besides being a visual artist and poet, he is a writer, violinist, actor, journalist, and filmmaker, television, and theater producer. He is one of the Netherlands’ greatest multi-talents and has received numerous awards. In 1953, he made his first public appearance with a work of art. When he was living in a boarding house in Bergen in 1949, Armando was a musician and poet. “I had lost interest in music, withdrew, and wanted to draw again,” he says of that period. He was twenty years old and dreamed of freedom. “The word ‘freedom’ was etched in my mind.” And: “Art was, after all, the raw, hoarse underside of freedom.”
