break-through
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In 1982 Rob Scholte together with Sandra Derks
(b. 1960) made a work that resembled a colouring book. He had already achieved some fame
for working at 139 Warmoesstraat in a so-called Selbsthilfegalerie or ‘self-service’
gallery. His breakthrough came with the exhibition ‘How to Star’ in Rotterdam which
received mixed reviews.
The most simple ideas aren’t simple enough: an HP cover,
the Chiquita bananas advertisement, Kodak, a Beatles album. He has received a lot of
criticism for allegedly stealing ideas and commercialising them but Rob has always been
his own main critic.
Internationally he became famous by exhibiting at the Documenta
in Kassel in 1987 and for decorating the Dutch studio at the Venice Biennale
in 1990. The art business in Holland reached a turning point at that time and Rob
accepted, with true Amsterdam bluff, an enormous project in Japan to work on his largest
and most impressive achievement so far - ‘Apres nous la deluge,’ which took four years to complete.
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The project Après Nous le Deluge was opened in November 1995 in the replica of the
Palace Huis Ten Bosch
(the official residence of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands) in Nagasaki, Japan.
This project has been set up in the 'Oranje Zaal', and consists of 1200 metres of wall
and ceiling murals painted by the Dutch painter Rob Scholte and of three dimensional
furnishings which Scholte introduced Harald Vlugt to design and produce.
After visiting the Nagasaki Palace Huis ten Bosch in July 1992 Vlugt began designing the
ornaments, to correspond in the style with Scholte's murals, resulting in a
'Gesamtkunst- werk'. Both the murals and objects have been created largely by 'recycling'
images from historical artworks which have been combined in a way similar to collage.
Rob worked for four years, with twelve assistents, among them was
Mary Grooteman.
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far away
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live
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The documentary Après nous le déluge about Rob continuing his work after the attack,
won in 1996 the 'Gold Medal' at the New York Movie Festival.
A Quicktime Movie (4.1mb) shows you the intro.
Another Quicktime Movie
(2.4mb) gives you an idea of what's it like.
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