Pieter Teylers Huis – artist book

Details

ProjectPieter Teylers Huis
YearNovember 27th, 2021
Commissioned byTeylers Museum
Role Artist
Output Publication
ConceptJohan Nieuwenhuize
DesignWelmer Keesmaat
LithographySebastiaan Hanekroot, Colour & Books
Size235 x 298 x 18 mm
Related projects Pluralisme

Teylers Museum is the first and oldest museum in the Netherlands. It is built next to the house of Pieter Teylers.
This unique, 18th-century former home of the founder of Teylers Museum has been thoroughly restored since 2013.

Commissioned by the museum Johan Nieuwenhuize was the first ‘artist in residence’ to portray the last two years of the restoration. The purpose of this project was twofold. First of all, it was an art assignment: Nieuwenhuize was given free rein to take his own photos in the house in order to create a book about the houze. He also made documentary photos to record the progress of the restoration.

This resulted in a large series of reportage photos and a database with detailed images that show historical layers and temporary details in the home.

The database with detailed images forms the starting point for an extensive artist’s book that was designed in collaboration with data scientist Robin van Emden and designer Welmer Keesmaat. The public ranked these photos as “emotional” or “rational” through an online image survey. This question was related to the transitional period between the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the emotion of Romanticism: the birthplace of Teylers Museum. The outcome of this research was literally copied by designer Keesmaat as an edit for the book Pieter Teylers House.

The project was on display in Teylers Museum from 20 November 2021 to 15 May 2022.

Texts by
Marjan Scharloo
Robin van Emden
Terry van Druten

Paper
Arctic Volume White
Munken Kristall

Hardcover, soft innercover
Dutch, 160 pages
80 detail images and 64 reportage photos

FSC certified (FSC C014218)

isbn 978-90-71835-25-4