Great Exhibitions #10 – herman de vries: Nature as Artwork

🗓 Sunday, July 27th, 2025
🕒 15:00
📍 Meeting point:Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede
🎟 Exhibition: herman de vries: 70 jaar de natuur als kunstwerk
🍻 After: Drinks & bites at Twentsche Foodhal

For the tenth event in the Great Exhibitions series, we’re heading to Enschede for an extraordinary retrospective:

herman de vries: 70 jaar de natuur als kunstwerk — a deep dive into the unique artistic world of herman de vries (intentionally written lowercase, as per his own philosophy).

This expansive retrospective at the Rijksmuseum Twenthe explores seven decades of artistic and ecological research by the Dutch artist, where the boundaries between art, nature, science, and life are intentionally blurred — and eventually dissolved. For de vries, nature is not inspiration — it is art.
From his early experiments with chance-based compositions and color-coded ecological studies, to his later works that directly present earth, leaves, and plants as artworks themselves, this exhibition brings together the many phases of an artist who has always seen the world as a single flowing system of transformation and presence. No hierarchy. No capital letters. Only experience.

This is the largest exhibition ever dedicated to de vries' work, and a rare opportunity to see how nature, science, and conceptual art meet in a singular artistic practice.

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After the visit, we’ll continue the day at Twentsche Foodhal, just a short walk from the museum — a lively food hall featuring eight different kitchens (from Asian street food to vegan to tapas) and a great selection of regional beers on draft, including local favorites like Othmar and Brouwersnos. A perfect way to relax and chat after the show, with both drinks and food to choose from.

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As usual, participation is free, but you’ll need to book your own museum ticket.

If you have a Museumkaart, entry is included.

We’ll meet at 15:00 at the museum entrance. Looking forward to exploring this unique exhibition — and some Twente food & beer culture — with you!