Dutch artist's legacy honored through unconventional gallery tribute

Unconventional Art Installation

A museum in Rotterdam has paid tribute to Wim T Schippers, a unique figure in the Dutch arts scene, by spreading 800 pounds of peanut butter across one of its galleries. The installation, titled Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor), is a recreation of an artwork Schippers conceived in 1962 and first exhibited in 1969. According to Sandra Kisters, the acting director at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, the peanut butter must be applied evenly across every square metre of the floor as 'smoothly and monotonously as possible,' a detail specified by Schippers himself.

Born Willem Theodoor Schippers in Groningen, his influence extended far beyond the confines of galleries and museums. In the early 1960s, he was the co-founder of the A-dynamische groep art collective that railed against commercialisation, seriousness, and above all, boredom in art with stunts that included shaving cactuses and filling galleries with shards of glass or salt. Food served as a popular medium for his art; he upholstered chairs with canned noodles and covered tables with peas.

Influential Legacy

Schippers was not only an avant-garde artist but also a cultural icon. His dadaist mischief and love for the absurd made him influential far beyond the confines of galleries and museums. In television, he hosted Hoepla – the first Dutch TV show to feature a completely naked woman on live broadcast – and later created the cult character Sjef van Oekel, a Belgian frites salesman in a tuxedo played by the comedian and opera singer Dolf Brouwers.

To Dutch people, Schippers is best known as the voice of Ernie, Kermit the frog, and Count von Count on the Netherlands’ version of Sesame Street. ‘You could compare his status and influence to Monty Python,’ said Kisters. ‘He believed that life and art were always entirely serious and entirely non-serious at the same time.’ Even in his final years, Schippers continued making conceptual art, such as his gravity-defying 1999 work Het Is Me Wat (That Is Quite Something).

Broad Impact and Continuing Legacy

His legacy is particularly evident in his contributions to children’s entertainment. His influence extends even further; in April this year, he told Dutch media he was working on his last artwork, which would be titled Wim is Gone. 'I keep putting it off, because then I think I’m going to die,’ he said.

The Peanut Butter Floor

This peanut butter floor installation at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen reflects Schippers’ playful and thought-provoking nature. The hexagonal floor installation is displayed alongside detailed instructions Schippers left behind after his death last month aged 83. They stipulate that curators should apply 15.6kg of non-chunky peanut butter to every square metre of the floor and spread it as 'smoothly and monotonously as possible.' The work should not be stood or lied upon, nor approached with any educational purpose.

When Pindakaasvloer was showcased at Utrecht’s Centraal Museum in 1997, it was vandalised by schoolchildren who covered it with chocolate sprinkles and slices of bread – recreating a popular Dutch childhood snack. Schippers was reportedly not dissatisfied with the result. When the peanut butter floor was last in place at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in 2011, it was damaged when an inattentive visitor walked over and slipped on the installation.

Visitors submitted 648 questions about the work to the artist, each of which he answered in writing. The museum plans to include a peanut butter sandwich on its menu and sell smooth peanut butter in the shop as part of this unique tribute. For those who wish to experience his legacy firsthand, the installation will be on display until September 6.

Conclusion

The Peanut Butter Floor not only stands as a testament to Schippers’ innovative spirit but also invites visitors to question the nature of art and their own reactions to it. It serves as a fitting tribute to an artist who challenged conventional norms in both visual arts and popular culture.

Source: The Guardian