HERO
Background information
One of the Netherlands' greatest and most well known heroes, Michiel de Ruyter, was born 400 years ago this year. In honour of the Year of Michiel de Ruyter, the Rijksmuseum and De Nieuwe Kerk church have organised a joint exhibition about hero worship in the Netherlands entitled 'HERO'. This exhibition will be held in De Nieuwe Kerk church and looks at the way in which the Netherlands and the Dutch people worship – and have worshipped – heroes. The exhibition will take a unique approach, presenting the perspective of the worshipper and of worship. Through the ages, similarities and differences appear in the nature of hero worship and the various types of hero. Visitors will be challenged to take their own standpoint.
The theme offers the unique opportunity for the church itself to become part of the exhibition, highlighting its 17th-century function as a pantheon of heroes – De Ruyter's tomb is located in the church, along with those of several other Dutch heroes. HERO represents the second joint project between the Rijksmuseum and De Nieuwe Kerk church; Fashion DNA (2006) was the first.
No worship, no hero
Heroes and hero worship arise from an individual and societal longing. Everybody needs a role model. Heroes embody or stand for an ideal. A society’s norms and values are reflected in its national heroes. In this way, heroes help to establish a country's identity. This means that achieving hero status depends not only on the hero and his/her deeds, but relies just as much on the public. Only those who are worshipped as heroes are regarded as such. No worship – no hero. This fact serves as the basis of the exhibition.
Heroes and their worship are not eternal: heroes are often forgotten or maligned, applauded by some and despised by others. This dynamic process is an equally essential part of the exhibition.
Finally, the Netherlands is a country that has a fundamental problem with its heroes and hero status. Though hero worship has always been evident in the Netherlands, the status of hero is often regarded with distrust or even pitied. There is a good reason why 'Just acting normal is weird enough' is such a well-known Dutch saying.
Five themes
The exhibition is divided into five main themes, each with a tie to worship: National Hero, Folk Hero, Hero or Not, Personal Hero and Michiel de Ruyter. This last theme looks at the worship of De Ruyter as an overarching hero and will be given a place at his gravestone. The other four themes are subdivided into smaller 'ensembles', each occupying a separate physical space in the church where they will be further explored. For example, the exhibition looks at entrance ceremonies, funerals, gatherings to commemorate heroes, merchandise and propaganda, various forms of imagery surrounding a single hero, fan culture and distinctions. Due to its primary focus – worship – the exhibition is not meant to present a history of the Netherlands disguised as a heroic saga or a gallery of heroes.
Objects
The question asked when selecting an object for the exhibition was: “Does it reflect worship or is it an expression of worship?" Though extensive use has been made of the Rijksmuseum's historical collection, quite a few loaned objects are also included in the exhibition. The objects span a period of over 400 years, with the most recent pieces dating from the 21st century. As a result, the exhibition is about hero worship in the past and the present. In addition to many unique and striking paintings, statues, prints and examples of industrial art, the exhibition also contains personal mementoes, examples of mass culture and a prominent place for moving images.
Striking design
The Rijksmuseum and De Nieuwe Kerk church have engaged Marcel Schmalgemeijer to shape this diverse exhibition. He was selected partly because of his work in the theatre world. Schmalgemeijer has designed a spectacular entrance, setting the right tone for visitors straight away. The church's nave also functions as a central 'square' and podium. When placing the objects, he made use of the existing gravestones, giving each 'ensemble' its own monumental location. The exhibition makes use of the entire church, and visitors are not obliged to follow a fixed route.
Website
The aim of the exhibition is to paint a broad picture of hero worship in the Netherlands over the past four centuries and to provide a platform for discussion. To this end, exhibition visitors make their own way and find their own heroes. HERO does not claim to be exhaustive; the exhibition does not present every conceivable type of hero. On the special HERO exhibition website (www.held.nl), anybody can add their own hero and make comments on the heroes in the exhibition or comment on hero status and hero worship in general. Lastly, visitors to the exhibition can also experience themselves how it feels to be worshipped. The exhibition website (www.held.nl) will be online from 25 June.
Book
An exhibition book will be published, in which various authors offer diverse views on hero worship in the Netherlands. Gijs van der Ham, Curator of History at the Rijksmuseum and editor-in-chief of the publication, takes a close look at the exhibition's main theme: 'no worship, no hero'. In their essays, Jan Bank, Frans Grijzenhout, Herman Vuijsje and Jaap van Ginneken examine hero worship and hero status in the Netherlands from the perspective of history, art history, society, and mass psychology. The book will also contain a number of provocative columns, as well as original historical texts on hero worship in centuries gone by. Although objects included in the exhibition will feature prominently in the publication, the book is in no way intended to serve as a traditional catalogue.
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