Foundation Art and Public Space
artist: Joep van Lieshout
located in: Begraafplaats Zorgvlied, Amsterdam,
client: Stichting Giele Trust
The artist, poet and cultural entrepreneur Peter Giele died on 16 June 1999. Giele was an important activist in the Amsterdam art circuit. Joep van Lieshout made a memorial monument that suits Giele’s character - nonconformist and somewhat disorderly.
Joep van Lieshout
Gieleskull
The Giele Skull is a polyester capsule placed on the grave to replace the artist’s black cape that has almost disintegrated in the last six years. Visitors can step into the capsule and lie down, to commemorate the artist and their own mortality. As anticipated, the work met with opposition from the Zorgvlied cemetery management. The capsule could lead to confusion and frightened reactions among other visitors if suddenly someone stepped out of it. After consultation and a few adjustments, Zorgvlied finally agreed to place the work.
The initiative for the Giele Skull came from the Giele Trust Foundation which was set up after the artist’s death and is a sort of continuation of the CGDDK (Cultureel Genoodschap De Donkere Kamer) founded by Giele. The aim of the Giele Trust Foundation is to safeguard Giele’s spiritual and material heritage. Next to the monument is also coming the Grote Peter Giele Boek.
SKOR decided to adopt the plan for a memorial as a homage to Peter Giele, but also with the idea of contributing to the broadening of regular memorial culture in the Netherlands.
Click here for information about the Giele Book
ISBN 90 5260 1119
