Rini Hurkmans
objects sculptures installations
1991

A Land Denuded of Meaning, Principle I

A Land Denuded of Meaning, Principle I on view at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

A land Denuded of Meaning, Principle I
1991

iron, glass, terracotta, wood, graphite
250 x 131 x 61 cm

Excerpt from the book that is published on the occasion of the solo exhibition Current Events at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam:

Looking at A Land Denuded of Meaning, Principle I, 1991, a recent work by Rini Hurkmans, one is fascinated in the same way as when looking at the stone brought back from the moon by the astronauts. This stone, displayed at the Museum of Natural History, is presented to the public as a mythic vessel containing many meanings and thoughts, as an expression of human potential. Though formed by nature, this object is offered as being a sort of fetish, not of the shaman or the medicine man, nor as a relic in a beautiful case, but rather as the agent of a mysterious power, a metaphor for mankind's search for knowledge and the meaning of existence.

After being exhibited in various places – starting with the Current Events exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1991 – the artwork has found its place in Paul de Ruiter Architects' collection since 2021. The work A Land Denuded of Meaning is exhibited in the entrance hall of the architectural office.

Installation view of A Land Denuded of Meaning, Principle I at Paul de Ruiter Architects, 2021.

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