Philip Akkerman

Date: 29 November – 19 December, 1991

The presentation by Philip Akkerman (1957) consisted of a trestle table with a folded leaflet on top, eight unframed photographs on the wall including images of the Casuariestraat in The Hague, several art books, LPs, and a clouded sky.

Folded leaflet with text by Philip Akkerman
"On March 29, I began writing down thoughts and experiences in a notebook. Less than a year later, I painted my first self-portraits. Reading through those notebooks gives an impression of what occupied me over the years. For this leaflet, I’ve made a selection from those writings."
"[...] it is my firm belief that the thoughts of a painter are of no value whatsoever when it comes to the appreciation of his work. However, for the artist himself, his thoughts — no matter how banal — are of inestimable value. Thanks to those thoughts, he is able to continue and fight his constant doubt."

The theme of this series was the so-called "undercurrent" of the artwork. Artists were asked to give form to or arrange the background of their work. The presentations (over a period of three weeks) aimed not only to offer insight into the artist's interests, frames of reference, and influences, but also into their way of thinking, searching, selecting, and organizing. At the same time, the series aimed to contribute to the discussion about the presentation of art — both in terms of concept and as a spatial, physical "installation."
For each presentation, an evening was organized where the artist engaged in a conversation with a guest of their choosing. A folded leaflet was also published, which each artist could design entirely in their own way.