EENWERK presents: I’M STILL HERE – In honour of Julius Vermeulen
1 February – 29 March 2025
OPENING: 1 February 2025, 5–7pm
A year after the passing of its founder Julius Vermeulen (May 28, 1953–February 1, 2024), EENWERK presents the exhibition I’M STILL HERE to honor the person he was and the legacy he left behind. The presentation includes works by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a two-day live reading of On Kawara’s One Million Years: Past and One Million Years: Future (1993–), and poetry recitations by authors including Jan Vermeulen and J.C. Bloem.
I’M STILL HERE creates a space of commemoration and celebration interweaving the themes of love and time through images, words and live readings, exactly one year after Julius Vermeulen’s passing.
Two identical standard wall clocks, an installation of Felix Gonzalez-Torres titled “UNTITLED” (PERFECT LOVERS), 1987–1990, are ticking time into eternity. Their presence and their reading of time are in sink, they are closely touching one another, facing the passing of time together, and maybe somewhere in the future will mark the time slighty off as only their own.
The light in EENWERK is bathed in light blue through curtains which maybe are moved by the air and visitors walking by. Felix Gonzalez-Torres named this work “UNTITLED” (LOVERBOY), 1989, and once described this signature color of so many of his works like this: “For me, if a beautiful memory could have a color, that color would be light blue.”
Words and the use of words played an important role in the life of Julius Vermeulen, the son of a poet. Irma Boom has collected a group of meaningful poems they shared during their life together, and poems written especially for this exhibition. Poems of Gerrit Achterberg, J.C. Bloem, Emma Crebolder, Julius Seiwert, H.Em. Card. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Jan Vermeulen, Jan Wolkers and Janna Wolkers are featured in the exhibition and through the special booklet created for it.
I’M STILL HERE is curated by Beatrix Ruf and Irma Boom.