In the frame of The Hague Festivals from the 17 June until 12 September 2010 The Hague Sculpture has organised a free open-air exhibition under the name of United in Art.

On the charming Lange Voorhout this exhibition will feature 23 monumental bronze sculptures of Manolo Valdés along with 5 smaller marble and stone sculptures by Kim de Ruysscher.

The organisers of The Hague Sculpture have put together these two artists, one Spanish the other one Flemish, as a tribute to Spain and to Belgium sharing the presidency of the European Union in 2010. As the two sculptors have different artistic backgrounds and speaking of age, they belong to different generations, they have developed in their work a unique and personal style.

Valdés was born in Valencia in 1942, attended the Escuola de Bellas Artes de San Carlos, and started his career as a painter. 

Manolo Valdés

Back in the 60s he was the co-founder of one of the most important and influential Pop Art groups of Spain.

At the beginning of the 80s he moved to US, New York and started working on art history-related sculptures. His unique style brings him to enlarge figures, while minimising the details. His large sculptures have been displayed in several places around the world including New York, Saint Petersburg, Paris, Beijing and Düsseldorf.

Manolo Valdés

Kim De Ruysscher was born in Wilrijk in 1973 and became fascinated by art at a very young age. During his training he was influenced by different art styles, like cubism, realism and expressionism. De Ruysscher works with marble, using traditional methods, and his art focuses on experiences from everyday life. For United in Art he has chosen the theme “Rest”, displaying works that incorporate those elements such as a person asleep in a sleeping bag.

Kim De Ruysscher

De Ruysscher strongly believes in the importance of craftsmanship in contemporary art.

He has had several exhibitions in Europe, and has his studio located in The Hague.

Alongside the monumental sculptures on the Lange Voorhout, it will be possible to have a taste of the paintings and drawings by Valdés at the Pulchri Studio (at n.15) and in the Kloosterkerk (at n.2).

Guided tours in English, French, German and Dutch are organised everyday except on Mondays, and if you have kids, they can join a number of children’s workshops available at the Pulchri Studio.

Patrizia Bazzoni

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