A spontaneous conversation
Artist in Residence Admiral Freebee, also known as Tom Van Laere, hosts a spontaneous conversation with four people he knows (very) well. The setting is the museum galleries, with discussions about the KMSKA, museums, and art. That is the starting point. But what if the roles are reversed and the guest starts firing questions at the Admiral? For Tom, everything is art—but do his guests see it the same way? And what if a guest would rather play tennis than look at art?
The answers to these questions can be found in this series of conversations with Rinus Van de Velde, Maartje Wortel, Henk Visch, and Niña Weijers. Topics include James Ensor, paintings as advertising panels, reality and imagination, and root socks. In between, Admiral Freebee—aka The Gardner—treats you to songs that closely match the themes of the conversations.
1. Rinus Van de Velde
Artist Rinus Van de Velde creates a parallel universe through various media, such as drawing, sculpture, installation, and film, where elements of reality and imagination merge. Admiral Freebee and Van de Velde are close friends. Tom sometimes appears in Rinus’s work, and Rinus directs music videos for the Admiral’s songs. They share a love for Ensor and tennis, and both prefer traveling in their minds rather than in the real world.
2. Maartje Wortel
Writer Maartje Wortel enjoys visiting museums frequently. She writes novels, columns, and short stories. She wonders whether you always have to have an opinion about the art on museum walls and what role emotions play. Together with Tom, she explores parallels between storytelling and drawing, art and tennis. What is perfection? And how do you make the right decision? That, too, can be traced back to art/ Because once you start drawing, it’s already too late.
3. Henk Visch
Henk Visch creates sculptures and drawings. With a remarkable sense of language, he chooses poetic and surprising titles for his works. He brings his affinity for words when he joins Tom beside Groentemarkt by Joachim Beuckelaer. The abundance of vegetables and apples sparks a conversation between the two—about… well, what exactly? “What is the subject?” Visch wonders. Naturally, there isn’t just one answer. In their search for the topic of their conversation, Henk and Tom explore contours, the power of memories, and Henk reflects on how real Tom really is. In short, it’s about a whole lot.
4. Niña Weijers
Niña Weijers drew a lot as a child but felt her talent was too limited to pursue a career as a draftsman or illustrator. With writing, however, she felt it was the only way she could truly express herself. And Niña writes extensively: short stories, reviews, novels, columns, essays. Yet her connection to art has never disappeared, and sometimes she seeks inspiration in museums, drawn more to the images than the words. Like Tom, she feels that everything always wants to become a story. That story doesn’t necessarily have to be fully understood, and both Tom and Niña enjoy the fact that people interpret their work differently than intended.
