The roundness of loss – The art of living on

Sooner or later, everyone is confronted with loss – whether it be the loss of a loved one, a pet, or a homeland. How do we cope with absence, and how do we keep those we’ve lost close to us? In the exhibition The roundness of loss, inspired by the acclaimed book Missen als een ronde vorm by author and curator Hanne Hagenaars, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam presents a special selection of works by more than thirty Dutch and international artists exploring themes of loss and endurance, but also of resilience and vitality. Visitors are invited on an inspiring journey through powerful artworks and personal stories by artists including Aysen Kaptanoglu, Minne Kersten, Kevin Simón Mancera, Keetje Mans, Job Koelewijn, Berend Strik, Aline Thomassen, Efrat Zehavi and many others. Each brings their own experience, yet the themes remain universally recognisable. The exhibition highlights the power of art and imagination in navigating grief, making it accessible to a broader audience.

The roundness of loss
In her book The roundness of loss (2023), Hanne Hagenaars discusses how various artworks can help ensure that you do not completely lose someone and how you can keep them – or yourself – alive. While writing the book, she discovered that the absence of a loved one can be easier to bear when you feel connected to a larger whole, when you believe in more than ‘nothing’ – whether in life after death, a soul, a God, or a societal ideal worth fighting for. Spirituality became an integral thread running through the book. She was also deeply moved by how different cultures deal with death.

Hanne has a fascination with lost memories, shaped by the early death of her mother. She was eighteen, had just finished secondary school, and was ready to begin her life. The crushing silence that followed – because her mother was barely spoken of within the family – ultimately led, many years later, to The roundness of loss. Hanne: “Now that I’m much older than my mother ever got to be, there’s still time to make up for the silence. Here, this book is for you.”

Job Koelewijn (1962) expressed his memories of his father through a stiffened pair of old men’s underpants. A simple domestic object that, nonetheless, speaks to something profound. It is the underwear that Koelewijn’s father wore on his deathbed. A piece of fabric that touched his dead body, and is now presented as art. That makes it more than just a pair of underpants – it becomes an intimate and soulful image, now existing only as a photograph.

In her film Tela Bordada São Paulo, Brazilian artist Teresa Margolles (1963) takes as her starting point the murder of at least 125 trans women in one year, in 2018. With the help of friends of one of the victims, the artist drags a piece of fabric across the ground where one of the bodies was found. Loved ones and members of the trans community then embroider it. The patterns reflect both mourning and hope. In this way, embroidery becomes a way of processing the trauma, as well as an act of resistance and meaning-making.

Mongolian artist Odonchimeg Davaadorj (1990) gestures in her work towards a world after death – one where nature, invisible ecological systems, and living beings return to harmony. She portrays a human and a bird in a symbiotic relationship, asking whether distinctions between living beings still matter in the world beyond.

In Aysen Kaptanoglu’s (1985) work, birds fly across a vast and colourful landscape. They symbolise the death of her father and his passage to the afterlife.

In the paintings of Keetje Mans (1979), heaven and earth are connected by candlelight. The ritual of lighting a candle is found in many cultures – a gesture that seeks contact with something as uncertain, vague, and elusive as death. A flickering flame becomes a fitting metaphor for the soul. Mans speaks of another world, of relating to something higher: “I want the work to walk a fine line, to be both good and bad – a grey area, like a person might be.” Art as a thread between the earthly and the divine, precisely on that line where loss takes shape.

Odonchimeg Davaadorj, Corps se souvient 2, 2024

Loss as a universal theme
The personal ‘in memoriams’ of the various artists – expressed through diverse techniques, materials, and forms – contribute to the healing process of grief, both for the artists themselves and for anyone who recognises something in their stories. Creating or viewing a work of art can offer a sense of support and connection. More so than in the book, the central question here is how to continue living after loss, pain, and mourning – whether or not supported by belief in something ‘bigger’. So that missing no longer feels like a line with a beginning and end, rising or falling, but like a round shape.

The exhibition The roundness of loss occupies an entire wing of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. The works are loosely grouped around several themes.

Anne de Haij, director of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam: “When Hanne published her book The roundness of loss, we were deeply moved. The theme struck a powerful chord. Loss, and how we deal with it, is a universal human experience, and in uncertain times like these, it feels more relevant than ever. We saw a wonderful opportunity to counter this uncertainty through art, and to encourage as many people as possible to have an open conversation about how to move forward after loss. We hope this exhibition brings more people closer to themselves, to each other, and to art.”

Co-creation with the people of Schiedam
In keeping with our commitment to community engagement, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam is involving Schiedam residents and local partners in the development of this exhibition. The collaboration will come to life in the Stadsgalerij, where seven Schiedam residents will open up about their personal experiences – whether it be the loss of a loved one, their homeland, health, or a pet. The group ranges in age from 10 to 62 and reflects a diversity of cultural and religious backgrounds, each offering a unique perspective on coping with loss. The participants are being supported by community programmer Dorien Theuns and grief counsellor Jessie Pley. Rotterdam-based artist Efrat Zehavi is working with them all to create an artistic and intimate memorial space for what they have lost. A central thread in the Stadsgalerij is the notion that absence is the flip side of love. It will therefore be a warm and welcoming space, where visitors, too, can take part in a small ritual to honour someone or something they miss. Throughout the exhibition, the museum will organise a series of related activities with and for the people of Schiedam, all centred on the theme of loss.

Hanne Hagenaars, Voor Martha, 2021

Hanne Hagenaars
Guest curator Hanne Hagenaars (1960) is a curator, writer, and educator. She has founded several art magazines, including mister Motley, which brings together art and life, making it accessible to a wide audience. Hanne writes essays, curates exhibitions, and teaches at various art academies. She continually seeks inventive ways to present contemporary art to diverse audiences, driven by a steadfast belief in the power of art. In 2023, her book The roundness of loss was published to critical acclaim. She is currently working on a follow-up, inspired in part by her research for this exhibition.

Participating artists:
A young Yu, Agnes Waruguru, Aida Kassei, Aimée Zito Lema, Aline Thomassen, Arnoud Holleman, Ayşen Kaptanoğlu, Berend Strik, Bertien van Manen, Daan van Golden, Dirk Braeckman, Doina Kraal, Efrat Zahavi, Eva Spierenburg, Fatima Barznge, Fatima Hassouna, G.G., Hanne Hagenaars (in collaboration with Paul Kooiker), Hewald Jongenelis/Sylvie Zijlmans, Isabel Cavenecia, Jennifer Tee, Job Koelewijn, Johan Haanstra, Kees de Goede, Keetje Mans, Kevin Simón Mancera, Mai van Oers, Marenne Welten, Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien, Marike Hoekstra, Marisca Voskamp, Minne Kersten, Mounir Eddib, Nazif Lopulissa, Odonchimeg Davaadorj, Oscar Abraham Pabón, Reinoud van Vught, Samboleap Tol, Shani Leseman, Simone Hoang, Susanne Khalil Yusef, Teresa Margolles and Tiemar Tegene. (in progress)