Exhibition ‘Myths and Possibilities’ in museum House of the Book

Showing books by: Augustinus, Edward Bellamy, Jan van Mandeville, Thomas More, William Morris, Michel Nostradamus, Plinius de Oudere, George Psalmanazar, Albert Robida, Hartmann Schedel, Vergilius, en H.G. Wells and works by: Pieter Bruegel, Robert Garcet, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Rens Krikhaar, Gerard van Lankveld, Alexandre Leger, Fiona Lutjenhuis, Laure Prouvost, Umar Rashid, Tommy Smits, Delphine Somers, George Widener en Iris van der Zee.

Museum House of the Book presents the exhibition ‘Myths and Possibilities. About the boundaries of reality in the House of the Book’ from 8 March 2025. At a time when fact-checking is under pressure, AI is creating texts and fake news seems to be the new strategy of some politicians, the museum shows books and works of art that explore the boundaries of reality and create new worlds. Sometimes they offer attractive alternatives to the world we live in. Sometimes they claim a reality that never existed, such as travel reports that confirm prejudices about faraway places and invented chronicles of royal houses. Thomas More (Utopia, 1516) and William Morris (News From Nowhere, 1890) write about ideal worlds. Pieter Bruegel (ca. 1525-30 – 1569) depicts these in his prints. Artist Gerard van Lankveld (1947) works from home on his own utopia and Laure Prouvost (1978) provides solutions for a better world. Sometimes these worlds can also be grim and gloomy, such as the apocalyptic images in medieval manuscripts, in the work of Fiona Lutjenhuis (1991), and in War of the Worlds (1897) by H.G. Wells. Nostradamus (1503-1566) knows exactly what the future will look like, while others fantasize about it. All these stories and works of art tell us something about the time in which they were made and about the desires that live in society. In that sense, they also say something about the world of today.

Rooms full of possible worlds

In the exposition, imaginary worlds, alternative histories and visions of the future are presented. Books and works of art that depict different worlds can be seen, for example: the complicated calendars of George Widener, the utopian city models of Bodys Isek Kingelez, the alternative past of the American Umar Rashid and the visions of the future of Brussels painter Delphine Somers. Work inspired by archaeology by the French artist Alexandre Léger will be shown among the Egyptian, Greek and Roman objects from the museum collection. With his intervention, in this room that seems untouched since the end of the 19th century, he questions the collections the museum has. A selection of manuscripts and old prints can be seen with mythical creatures, which readers and viewers from past centuries believed really existed. On the second floor, the imaginary world of Dutch illustrator and writer Ludwig Volbeda can be seen.

A year of boundary-crossing imagination in the House of the Book

For a whole year, we will be pushing the boundaries of what is true and what is possible in the House of the Book. In the summer, we will be looking at the utopian desire to collect all the knowledge in the world, including work by Michael Mandiberg who published Wikipedia as a book and an artist intervention by Efrat Zehavi. In September, The Book Lovers (David Maroto and Joanna Zielinska) will be showing their collection of artist novellas in combination with the books of William Morris published by his own publishing house, The Kelmscott Press.

Beeld

- Bestiarium, handschrift, West-Frankrijk, c. 1450, Collectie Huis van het boek (foto: The Book Photographer)
- Thomas More, Utopia, Hammersmith, Kelmscott Press, 1893, Collectie Huis van het boek (foto: The Book Photographer)
- Rens Krikhaar, ‘Kaart van Ilapidemi Archipelago’, 2017, bruikleen van de kunstenaar
- Gerard van Lankveld, foto Piet Kuppens