How does man view himself? What is our relationship with other people and with our environment? Sculptures on a pedestal tell who or what we find important. Are these still the same people and values today as before? Who or what do you think deserves a statue?

The Middelheim Museum shows how people impose their will on the landscape, but also how this changes. This part of the park was always the most controlled part, but nature is slowly gaining more space. We also see a shift in the view of humanity in art. Do we appreciate a different side today, of ourselves and of nature?

From theater to flower meadow

This part of the park, the 'Hortiflora', used to be a show garden where visitors were introduced to a variety of garden tiling, plants and flowerbeds. The hedges, paths and lawns structured the landscape, and the gardeners kept strict control over the plants. In the theatrical design and the tight direction you saw the dominance of man over nature.

Today in the park you can feel how the relationship between people and nature is evolving. Where annual flowers used to be planted, the Middelheim Museum now makes sustainable choices. There will be more herbs and flowers in the grass, and extra trees for more shade.

Man on a pedestal

People are also central to many works of art. They show how we view ourselves. In the first half of the 20th century, statues mainly celebrate intellectual achievements and physical ideals: we see strong athletes, diligent workers, passionate idealists and brilliant creators. The fact that there are mainly Western men standing on a pedestal as heroes also ties in with the Western worldview of that period. According to this view, women and other cultures are closer to wild nature, so they are often portrayed anonymously and as a primal force.

But our view of humanity is evolving. Artists also question heroes and power relations. The image of who or what deserves a pedestal is changing. The Middelheim Museum looks forward with anticipation to how artists will further challenge and supplement the collection in the future.

Human feelings and relationships

Artists not only express our vision of ourselves and others. They also depict human-to-human relationships. They capture the power of connection, but also the conflicts and struggles between people. In addition, they also portray the great human feelings.

Sometimes this happens with more distance. In the Western worldview from the first half of the 20th century, man and nature are often separated: thinking is above feeling, mind above body. Other artists approach these subjects very empathetically.

When placing the works of art, an alternation between open and intimate arrangements was chosen, which enhances the triumphant or vulnerable of the images. The pedestals are also significant here: who or what do we put on a pedestal? This theme invites self-reflection: how do we look at ourselves and our place in the world, which values do we consider important?

Human Nature

Artworks

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Interactive plan