The multimedia exhibition will focus on heroes, hero status and hero worship in the Netherlands, under the motto 'no worship, no hero’. Various types of heroes are presented thematically: official heroes, folk heroes, controversial heroes and personal heroes. Although drawing largely from the Rijksmuseum's historical collection, the exhibition also contains a large number of interesting loans including paintings, computer games, personal mementoes and official monuments.
HERO represents the second joint project between the Rijksmuseum and the Nieuwe Kerk church with identity as the central theme. Last year, the Rijksmuseum and the Nieuwe Kerk church worked together to present Fashion DNA.
HELD explores all aspects of the status of hero and hero worship in the past and present and actively encourages visitors to consider the questions: "Who is your hero? And why?" On the exhibition's website www.held.nl, people can present own heroes via images and recorded messages. People can also comment on heroes, including those highlighted in the exhibition. Some of the heroes presented in the exhibition are: Johan Cruijff, Pim Fortuyn, William of Orange, Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer, Nelson Mandela, Jan ('I would rather explode') van Speyk, Willem Drees and Lara Croft.
The exhibition will be divided into five main themes: National Hero, Folk Hero, Hero or Not, Personal Hero and Michiel de Ruyter. The last theme will look at how De Ruyter is worshipped as a hero, the presentation of which will be located near his gravestone in the Nieuwe Kerk church. The remaining four are subdivided into smaller 'ensembles', which further explore these themes. For example, various forms of worship are covered such as entrance ceremonies, funerals, gatherings to commemorate heroes, merchandise and propaganda, various forms of imagery surrounding a single hero, fan culture and distinctions.
Drawing primarily from the Rijksmuseum's rich history collection, the HERO exhibition also includes quite a few loaned pieces. The objects span a period of approximately 400 years; the most recent dating from the 21st century. In addition to many special and striking paintings, statues, prints and examples of industrial art, the exhibition also contains personal mementoes, examples of mass culture and moving images. -- www.rijksmuseum.nl
