Joana Meroz
PERSBERICHT / PRESS RELEASE LINGAM Fertility NOW OPENING LINGAM UTRECHT NL 16.01.2010 From 16 January 2010, Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht will present the exhibition Lingam: Fertility NOW, with more than 120 contemporary interpretations of an age-old Eastern religious fertility symbol: the lingam. At the invitation of guest curator Ruudt Peters, artists, designers, and jewellery makers from 24 countries – including Marcel Wanders, Ted Noten, and Johanna Schweizer – have drawn inspiration from this ancient tradition of fertility symbolism. Lingam The lingam is a wooden or stone object in the shape of a phallus, which represents life and fertility. In Hindu and Buddhist cultures, the lingam is worshipped and revered. It is not only a fertility symbol, but also stands for a primeval creative force, a force that is strongly linked to sexual energy. In Southeast Asia, reverence for life and religion are closely linked. Lingam worship takes place frequently and in public places. In contrast, in the West, the lingam is seen mainly as a symbol of lust and sex. The exhibition Lingam: Fertility NOW aims to provide artistic alternatives to our present-day Western interpretation of the lingam and, in the process, to take a fresh look at this symbol’s original, sacred context. Fertility The exhibition curator, Ruudt Peters, is an artist and professor at the Ädellab at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, and this event marks his departure as a teacher there. His fascination with the lingam inspired him to ask artists and designers to create their own fertility symbols. These contributors explored the subject through the lens of their own experiences, each producing a personal artistic statement about fertility. To emphasize the original, sacred context of this type of object, the exhibition Lingam: Fertility NOW at Museum Catharijneconvent will pair these modern-day fertility symbols with their historical predecessors. Selected participating artists Frederic Braham, Helen Britton, Iris Eichenberg, Nedda El-Asmar, Ruud- Jan Kokke, Daniel Kruger, Anders Lagombra, Suska Mackert, Ted Noten, Ruudt Peters, Zeger Reyer, Lucy Sarneel, Studio Makkink & Bey, Johanna Schweizer, Marcel Wanders, Christoph Zellweger. Museum Catharijneconvent aims to provide a broad public with greater insight into the historical and contemporary value of Christian art and culture. By showing its visitors how Christianity has influenced Dutch culture, the museum hopes to deepen their understanding of the world in which they live today. Within this context, where possible, it also presents important points of contact with other religions. Through its programme of exhibitions and activities, Museum Catharijneconvent seeks to explore the renewed interest in religions and spirituality today. The exhibition Lingam: Fertility NOW is part of this larger endeavour. NOTE FOR EDITORS – not for publication: For further information and high-resolution digital images, please contact Billie-Jo Krul, pressoffice@catharijneconvent.nl, tel. +31(0)30 233 0963 (direct). For information about events and activities, please contact Rosemarie Boone, r.boone@catharijneconvent.nl, tel. +31 (0)30 231 3835 (general museum number).mailto:pressoffice@catharijneconvent.nlmailto:r.boone@catharijneconvent.nlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
 
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2010 March 4 Master class at Design Museum Holon: The Politics of Product Design [working title] (Holon, Israel) 2010 March3-May15 Opening of the 1st exhibition of the Design Museum Holon, Israel: The State of Things - Design and the 21st Century, group, where the Drain Eye- Cathers and the Metal-Lace Drains will be on show (Holon, Israel) 2010 Jan 22-26 The Object Without a Story presented at HYBRID exhibition, curated by Francois Bernard for Maison & Objet (Paris, France) 2010 Jan 16 Fertility NOW, curated by Ruudt Peters, Museum Catharijneconvent (Utrecht, NL) 2009 Dec 17 The Object Without a Story presented at Tools Galerie (Paris, France) 2009 Dec De-signing Design review by Domus (Italy) 2009 Dec Crackery-Crockery published by Ceramics Monthly (USA) 2009 Dec The Object Without a Story published at AD Magazine (France) 2009 Nov The Object Without a Story at the graduation selection by FRAME Magazine 2009 Nov 6-13 Playground at STUK, Leuven, Belgium The starting point of a year-long research into symmetry in collaboration with Barbara Visser and STUK (Leuven,Belgium) 2009 Oct 17 Graduation Exhibition of De-signing Design and The Object Without a Story at the Design Academy Eindhoven (Eindhoven, NL) 2009 Sept 19 Opening of The Object Without a Story at The Frozen Fountain (Amsterdam, NL) 2009 Sept 11 17:00 - 20:00 Opening of group exhibition Lingam at Gallery Vita Havet (Stockholm, Sweden) http://www.dmh.org.il/default.aspxhttp://www.dmh.org.il/default.aspxhttp://www.dmh.org.il/default.aspxObjects_The_Ornamented_Life_Drain_Eye_Catcher.htmlObjects_The_Ornamented_Life_Drain_Eye_Catcher.htmlObjects_The_Ornamented_Life_Drain_Metal-Lace_Drains.htmlObjects_The_Object_Without_a_Story_The_Archetypical_Vase.htmlhttp://www.maison-objet.com/en/index.php?page=influences-2010-2011http://www.catharijneconvent.nl/index.cfm/site/Home/pageid/BE8693A5-3048-560D-A4004F478C1B4941/index.cfmObjects_The_Object_Without_a_Story_The_Archetypical_Vase.htmlhttp://www.toolsgalerie.com/Objects_De-signing_Design.htmlNews_Fertility Now_Museum_Catherijneconvent_files/domus12.2009.pdfObjects_The_Ornamented_Life_Crackery-Crockery.htmlNews_Ceramics_Monthly_Crackery-Crockery.htmlObjects_The_Object_Without_a_Story_The_Archetypical_Vase.htmlNews_AD_Magazine.htmlObjects_The_Object_Without_a_Story_The_Archetypical_Vase.htmlNews_Frame_Magazine.htmlhttp://www.playgroundfestival.be/http://www.barbaravisser.net/Objects_De-signing_Design.htmlObjects_De-signing_Design.htmlObjects_The_Object_Without_a_Story_The_Archetypical_Vase.htmlNews_The_Frozen_Fountain_The_Object_Without_a_Story.htmlhttp://www.frozenfountain.nl/http://www.konstfack.se/lingamshapeimage_12_link_0shapeimage_12_link_1shapeimage_12_link_2shapeimage_12_link_3shapeimage_12_link_4shapeimage_12_link_5shapeimage_12_link_6shapeimage_12_link_7shapeimage_12_link_8shapeimage_12_link_9shapeimage_12_link_10shapeimage_12_link_11shapeimage_12_link_12shapeimage_12_link_13shapeimage_12_link_14shapeimage_12_link_15shapeimage_12_link_16shapeimage_12_link_17shapeimage_12_link_18shapeimage_12_link_19shapeimage_12_link_20shapeimage_12_link_21shapeimage_12_link_22shapeimage_12_link_23shapeimage_12_link_24shapeimage_12_link_25shapeimage_12_link_26shapeimage_12_link_27