Artist duo Jan van de Loo and Daniëlle Verschuren from Eindhoven are busy with the final brushstrokes of a large painting. The canvas, called ‘Guernica 2025’, is a replica of Picasso’s famous work, but with a twist. On the canvas are notes stuck from visitors to St. Catherinakerk, advocating peace on earth.
With the artwork, Jan and Daniëlle, also known as VDL Art, want to make a critical note of the wars that are currently taking place in the world. The original canvas by Picasso was painted in 1937 to criticise the Spanish Civil War at the time. ‘Guernica 2025’ focuses on current wars in Ukraine and Gaza, among other places.
Notes
“Every step is a step. Stay faithful. Keep believing” and “For peace and love” read two of the notes stuck to the artwork. Daniëlle brought hundreds of different notes from the church, where she is the co-manager. She sorted them into different categories on the floor of the studio in Woensel next to the canvas. ‘Faith’, ‘War’, ‘Thank you’ are some of these categories. Daniëlle has read all the notes and says that she was touched by what she read. “There are some very beautiful messages in there, but also intense stories about people who have experienced war themselves. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps”.
Daniëlle sets aside suitable letters for ‘Guernica 2025’ to cut them out in a suitable shape. “Where we stick them on also matters. If you look closely, you can see some lines in Picasso’s original canvas. We stick our notes on exactly those places. In this way, we imitate the original, while also incorporating our twist”, Daniëlle says.
Picasso
The original painting shows the bombing of the Spanish city of Guernica by Germans and Italians on 26 April, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. “The message behind the original artwork, unnecessary warfare, is still relevant”, Jan says. “That’s why we decided to simply call it ‘Guernica 2025′”.
In the corner of the new version of the work, the world-famous painter can be seen, lying down and pointing at the violence of war. “We wanted to do that as a nice ode to Picasso”, Jan laughs.
Review
Jan and Daniëlle hope that the artwork will be finished around Easter. Arrangements are being made for the canvas to go on tour and for as many people as possible to see it. The biggest dream of the art duo is for it to be shown in New York. “If it is shown there, then the whole world will have seen your art”, Jan says. Jan and Daniëlle do not yet know where the artwork will be opened, but they are certain that it will happen in Eindhoven.
For more information: VDL Art
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
An interesting article on a haunting work by Piasso. The ‘message’, however, is not unnecessary warfare. The work expresses the horror and rage people felt after the atrocity, comparable to the bombing of Rotterdam, Coventry or Dresden.