WE ARE NATURE
From 22 May 2025, Singer Laren will welcome visitors to the exhibition We Are Nature, inspired by the ideology of Princess Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld. Through this exhibition, she once again calls our attention to the deep bond between humans and nature. She feels that human beings have placed themselves outside of and above nature, with all the consequences that entails. ‘We have cut ourselves off from nature, even though we are an inextricable part of it. By connecting with nature—and therefore with one another—we can work together to build a shared future that does justice to the well-being of all forms of life.’ In cooperation with renowned artists from around the globe, and together with the curator of this exhibition, art director Maarten Spruyt, she presents a powerful case for her vision. ‘I hope to use art as a means to touch people’s hearts.’
The works on display—from artists including Henrique Oliveira, Jackie Mulder, Tomáš Libertíny, Sun-Hyuk Kim, Tony Matelli and Tineke van der Pouw Kraan—act as windows, offering us an intimate glimpse of the interconnected nature of all life. It is a serene journey that transports us to a world of tranquillity and time for reflection, and which invites us to rediscover our place within nature.
Tineke van der Pouw Kraan’s work, for instance, focuses on a hidden world that remains invisible to the naked eye: an astonishing network of underground communities in which bacteria and fungi cohabit with trees and plants. These ancient forms of life are vital to flora and fauna and crucial for the preservation of our food supply and a healthy, biodiverse world.
Drawn by nature
Along with the exhibition We Are Nature, Singer Laren will display a number of impressionist and modernist works from its own collection. In the late 19th century, as the industrial age was dawning, artists flocked to Laren in order to immortalize the natural beauty and rural life in the region. Drawn by nature will include works by Anton Mauve, Else Berg, Max Beckmann and others.
The museum will simultaneously present A Garden Path by Marc Mulders. The garden—a recurring motif in the work of this successful Dutch painter—symbolises life and growth, nurtured by the earth. This is also the starting point for Mulders’ early work and that of the Laren luminists, with whom he feels a kinship. In A garden path, he will share new work that was inspired in part by the Singer Laren sculpture garden designed by Piet Oudolf.
Invitation
We Are Nature is more than an exhibition: it is an invitation to renew our connection to the natural world that surrounds us. Through this exhibition, Princess Irene hopes to leave a lasting impression and deepen our awareness of the place we human beings hold in the symphony of life. As cabaret artist Claudia de Breij so aptly put it: ‘I'm looking for what we have in common, our shared capability. And I’m looking for people who inspire me in that area. People who have the courage to be different. To change. People who think “there has to be a better way” and then go find one. People like Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld. And like yourself.’ (Source: Bergplaas. Een verhaal)
We Are Nature will be on display in Singer Laren from 22 May through 31 August 2025 and will be accompanied by an extensive programme of visitor events, varying from workshops and lectures to guided tours and live performances. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a book featuring an exclusive interview with Princess Irene, conducted by Matthijs Schouten. The book will be designed by Loes Claessens and published by Jap Sam Books.
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Participating artists: Albert György, Alicja Kwade, Claudia Martínez Garay, Dean West, Diana Orving, Geert Mul, Henrique Oliveira, Igshaan Adams, Isaac Julien, Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld, Jackie Mulder, Jonathan Vervoort, Joren van Acker, Juan Capote, Juul Kraijer, Keith Edmier, Matthew Day Jackson, Moon Seop Seo, Nandipha Mntambo, Odonchimeg Davaadorj, Rebecca Manson, Renie Spoelstra, Sebastiaan Bremer, Sjoerd Buisman, Solange Pessoa, Stefano Caimi, Stone Gallery, Studio V&B, Sun Hyuk Kim, Tineke van der Pouw Kraan, Tomáš Libertíny, Tony Matelli, Vladimír Zbyňovský and Ren Rong and Chen Zhiguang.
