Last Friday evening, King Willem-Alexander was present at the grand opening of the new halls under the forecourt of Paleis het Loo. One of the highlights in the new presentation is my brand new artwork ‘Orange Blossom’ within the exhibition ‘Masterpiece’ about the grand renovation of the palace. Together with my team, we’ve worked on the sculpture for about four months. The work consists of 25 flowers, 20 flower buds, 125 petals, and 9 oranges. During the opening I had the opportunity to talk with the king and talk about my inspirations and the design process.
Orange blossom for Paleis het Loo
In recent years, 5000m2 of space has been created under the forecourt of the palace for the expansion of the museum. In the underground space with a glass roof, a permanent exhibition can be found about the history of the House of Orange-Nassau and its role in the Netherlands, Europe, and the rest of the world. The exhibition space was designed by architect Dikkie Scipio of architectural firm KAAN.
Together with scent developer Sebastian Fischenich, Paleis Het Loo has developed its own fragrance for the new halls. The international music agency MassiveMusic has developed a composition that gives Paleis Het Loo its own sound.
With this work, I wanted to connect the old with the new: the work is made of remnants of wallpaper from the old Loo combined with materials from the 21st century, such as truck tarpaulin and a giant steel frame.
I designed my Oranjebloesem to inspire dreams; as if after a heavy storm you walk through the gardens of Loo and are surprised by this blown-off branch with blossoms. In this dream, you are as small as a mouse and can easily walk under the branch. The warm sweet scent of orange blossom surprises and stimulates.
I based the artwork on the 17th-century painting Vivat Rex by Elias van den Broeck from the permanent collection of the Loo. This still life shows a beautifully painted orange blossom. When I see such a painting, I always dream of stepping into the canvas and smelling the flowers and feeling the oranges. At Loo, I made this dream come true. I invite visitors to walk around it, touch it, smell it, and to take a moment to relax.
Please do pay the museum a visit, it’s worth it! And tell me what you think about my Orange Blossom.