From 9 December, museum Voorlinden presents a new collection exhibition. Stage of Being - after the painting by Robert Zandvliet – shows us how, over time, artists have depicted human beings with all of their emotions and instincts. 45 artworks in different media encourage us to reflect on who we are, our relationships to others and how we will be remembered long after we are gone.

Who are we? Where do we come from? What are we doing here? Where are we going?

We live in a world of progress: we know more and are capable of more, we live longer than ever before; maybe one day we will even achieve immortality. At the same time, we humans struggle with feelings of emptiness, loneliness and fear. Once, religion and ideology provided guidance and assuaged our doubts. Nowadays, we rely on self-help books, doctors, philosophers and coaches – but above all, on ourselves.

Artists in particular dare to face down the fundamental questions of existence. In fact: the very essence of art might be found in diffusing that existential, human fear. Art can hold up a mirror to mankind. This mirror is sometimes quite direct, raw and confrontational. And sometimes indirect, enshrouded in layers of meaning. On the occasion of this exhibition, Voorlinden publishes a catalogue featuring texts by among others Ernest van der Kwast (1981). It is a lasting memory of the collection presentation including room views and all of the works photographed in situ.

Stage of Being shows work by:

Ai Weiwei (1957), Francis Alÿs (1959), John Armleder (1948), Silvia B. (1963), Hans Bellmer (1902 – 1975), Alighiero e Boetti (1940 – 1994), Louise Bourgeois (1911 – 2010), Jake & Dinos Chapman (1966 & 1962), Joseph Cornell (1903 – 1972), Tony Cragg (1949), John DeAndrea (1941), Tacita Dean (1965), Rineke Dijkstra (1959), Tracey Emin (1963), Hans-Peter Feldmann (1941), Anya Gallaccio (1963), Daan van Golden (1936 – 2017), Antony Gormley (1950), Jeppe Hein (1974), Rebecca Horn (1944), Pieter Hugo (1976), Thomas I'Anson (1983), JocJonJosch (Jocelyn Marchington (1976) Jonathan Brantschen (1981) &Joschi Herczeg (1975)), Jannis Kounellis (1936), Guillermo Kuitca (1961), Mark Manders (1968), Annette Messager (1943), Henrique Oliveira (1973), Henk Peeters (1925 – 2013), Michelangelo Pistoletto (1933), Quynh Dong (1982), Janis Rafa (1984), Oscar Santillan (1980), Shiu Jin (1975), Jan Sluijters (1881 – 1957), Daniel Spoerri (1930), Thomas Struth (1954), Esther Tielemans (1976), Jérôme Touron (1967), Joana Vasconcelos (1971), Johan de Wit (1960), Robert Zandvliet (1970)