THE RUMOUR OF THE COPY OF THE RIJKSMUSEUM BUILDING

Just over the Belgian border there is claimed to be a copy of the famous Rijksmuseum building in Amsterdam, The Sacred Heart Institute in Maasmechelen.

The history of its built goes al the way back to the changing borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. In articulating the rumour questions arise as why this building was commissioned and what architect Pierre Cuypers had to doe with it, along with a depiction of communal feelings as pride and jealousy of the local community. Central in the still ongoing research is what relation is being made between these two buildings and how can non-authorities become so-called authorities?

Excerpt:

(…)

When I compare the frontage, when I compare the pediment, in Amsterdam this is Minerva, here it shows the Holy Hart statue. In comparing the corners of the facades –this is very typical, it is very clear that there is an affinity. In that sense they say that our architect, who was the architect of the bishop in Liege, Verlinden, that he indeed would have made a copy of the plans of Pierre Cuypers. They also say that there would have been a discussion on this, but that never actually led to anything. So they suspect, that the bishops over there and the bishop here settled the matter amongst themselves, because Cuypers had himself some church-buildings, and that the whole thing was covered up in this way. (…)

The work consists of an installation concerned with voicing the rumour, and an overview of the parties involved. Now the work will be made into a documentary like video, to be screened on Salto television this summer.