2014 — In collaboration with Simone Mudde
Introduction.
Olivier van Breugel and Simone Mudde’s Between Screens photo series showcases a phenomenon frequently witnessed in the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honor.
Hordes of people thronging to catch a glimpse of Rembrandt’s renowned Night Watch, but increasingly often looking at it only through the lens of a cell phone, camera or tablet. Van Breugel and Mudde produce arresting close-ups of raised hands clutching pieces of electronic equipment, with the Night Watch on their screens.
Publication.
The Between Screens Publication.
For the exhibition ‘On the move’ in Het Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam we’ve collaborated with designers Kummer & Herrman to develop a fitting presentation form for Between Screens. The publication consists of 4 loose cross-folded sheets so it can be folded out to a large poster measuring 188 x 125 cm.
In 2015 Het Stedelijk Museum decided to acquire both Between Screens and McHotel for their permanent collection.
At the European Design Awards Between Screens was awarded the silver medal.
Buy the publication.
Not Another Publisher.
In 2014 Simone Mudde and I started our own publisher called Not Another Publisher. Both of our publications McHotel and Between Screens can be bought via our publishers website, as well as a special edition and soon prints as well.
Nicole Montagne.
Essay.
The project is based on an essay by Nicole Montagne. We invited her to write a new essay especially for this publication. In this essay she writes:
“The (amateur) photographer simply documents where his camera has been and how the camera was operated there. The photographs of van Breugel and Mudde reveal this mechanism with dead-on accuracy. They question photographs with photographs, and as such the essence of imagery and perception. We were there. But where were we when we stood in front of the Night Watch? Can we retell the tale? Have we witnessed something, made something our own? Have we in fact remembered anything at all?”
Recognition.
Prizes, Collections and Publicity:
After the exhibition 'On the move' the curators selected both Between Screens and McHotel to be acquired for the permanent collection. Via gallery Johan Deumens Between Screens has also been acquired by the MOMA library, Yale Art library and the New York public library.
The European Design Awards awarded Between Screens with a silver medal in the category Artistic catalogue. WassinkLundgren selected Between Screens as one of the best books of 2014. De Volkskrant mentioned Between Screens in their annual photobook special.
Hans Kemna talked about Between Screens in the TV program 'Kunstuur', Mr Motley, Dude Magazine, Ernst-Jan Pfauth, Vormplatform and Bright wrote reviews about the project.
"Looking at art through a screen only a few inches wide: the habit of photographing famous paintings while in a museum is beautifully recorded in this over-sized publication where snapshots of great works of art are turned into art again."
— WassinkLundgren
"It's quite an accomplishment that these two photographers have turned [photographing the Nightwatch] into an eshetic celebration of experiening art."
— Ernst-Jan Pfauth
On show.
Exhibition Views:
In 2014 / 2015 Between Screens has been exhibited at Het Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam for the 'On the Move' exhibition. The theme of this exhibition was the proposal for municipal art aquisitions. For the exhibition in Het Stedelijk Museum we attached the 3 different books to the wall.
In 2016 Between Screens is on show at the exhibition 'Quickscan #02' in Het Nederlands Fotomuseum. Publisher FW: selected our book to be part of the best books of the past 5 years.
Interview at Het Rijksmuseum.
Interview:
As a teaser for the exhibition 'On the move' interviews with the artists were made. Our interview was held right at the place where the project was created: In front of the Night Watch.
Many hands make light work.
We would like to thank.
Between Screens is still the biggest project we did to date and it would not have been possible without the encouragement of the curators: Anne Ruygt, Carolien Glazenburg and Mirjam Kooiman. At the first meeting with the curators Between Screens was still in it's beginning phase. Thank you for spotting it's potential early on.
We would like to thank Arthur Herrman, Jeroen Kummer, Simon Burer and Janneke Smeets at Kummer & Herrman for taking this project to the next level by looking closely at what this project is and what it really needed.
Hans Bootsma helped us out a lot on so many levels: with the selection of the paper, where to print and of course his enthousiasm was a great support.
We would like to thank Freek Kuin and Tanneke Janssen from printer Rob Stolk for their high quality standards, enthousiasm for the project and proffessionalism.
Antalis Group were so generous to sponsor the beautiful paper for this project. Thank you Marije Fazen, Mirrijne Pluim and Jet van der Grient.
Thijs Groot Wassink convinced us in the early stages to go for it. Thanks Thijs, we really needed a little nudge.
The publication has been crowdfunded by a lot of generous people and we would like to thank you:
Ernie Romers and Jacquelines Schellekens, Bart Mudde, Ruud van Breugel, Kees van Opstal and Ineke Nouwens, Leaseplan Corporation, Nienke Offringa, Rik Plomp, Pieter Vlamings and Paula Rennings, Felix van Breugel and Maai Peeters, Piet Mudde and Ineke van Sijl, Arthur Herrman, Klaas and Tineke Groenendijk, Anja Thijssen, Geertje Polak, Marcel Mathijssen and Erna Broekman, Geert and Ria de Jong, Tsjerk Holtrop, Wabe and Jissy Heeringa, Peter van der Wel and Mieke Kooij, Minne van Breugel and Vigfus Vigfusson.