05-05-2022
News
Kor Kegel
In early 2020, Chief Henderickx will show a study of the resistance monument to former mayor Reinier Scheeres
SCHIEDAM – When the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam reopens festively next Saturday, Chief Henderickx will still be present there. The artist, who died three days ago, is present with two works of art, a story and a Neighbor Picture in no fewer than four exhibitions in the renovated museum. One of his most famous works, ‘Man in primordial soup’, immediately catches the eye in the exhibition ‘From Ørbeest to Smoking Croissant’.
His work ‘De windvanger’ can be seen in the permanent presentation of Schiedam’s history, in the basement, now dedicated to Panorama Schiedam. It also tells the story of the excavation of ‘het Paardje van Kethel’, where Chief Henderickx was present. A portrait of him can also be found on a Neighborhood picture and is part of the ‘Buurtpictures’ exhibition in the brand new City Gallery in the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam.
Although it will be a festive official reopening to be erected by the Secretary of State for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu, and Mayor Cor Lamers, the museum also commemorates the death of Chief Henderickx. In the exhibition ‘From Ørbeest to Smoking Croissant’ it says on a text sign that during the preparations for this exhibition came the sad news that Sjef Henderickx has passed away. The sign reads: “The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam’s collection includes 48 works by Sjef Henderickx – drawings, graphics, paintings and sculptures. He lived in Schiedam all his life and, in addition to being a valued and important artist for the city, has always been a loyal guest and an important partner for our museum. ”
“In 1970, Chief Henderickx presented his first solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Solo exhibitions followed in 1980, 1986, 1994 and 2004. His work was shown at several group and theme exhibitions: generations of Schiedam residents grew up with it. Two works by Sjef Henderickx are currently on display in the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. ”
These are the drawing ‘Man in oersoep’ ‘from 2002 and the sculpture’ Vindfangeren ‘from 2002, which can be seen in Panorama Schiedam. The text sign hangs next to ‘Man in primordial soup’.
It goes on to say: “The time, its course, and the way in which meaning is lost and sometimes suddenly reappears in a new form: these are themes that have occupied him throughout his life. The loss of Chief Henderickx to his loved ones, to Schiedam and to the museum is enormous. We want to cherish his work, his knowledge of the city and his views on things. ”
All this attention is a fitting tribute to Chief Henderickx, who was also a member of the Museum Committee in the 1970s. It was an advisory committee with councilors, artists and art lovers. The committee advised museum director Hans Paalman.
Chief Henderickx turned 78 years old. He died in Erasmus MC in the presence of his loved ones. They had been following since he fell heavily on a staircase on Tuesday, April 26, after he and his wife Ane Henderickx-Koczorovsky attended the tape shower in the foyer of the Theater aan de Schie. The chief himself was appointed a knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2019. Tradition says that the previously decorated ones also adorn the following bursts of ribbons.
Sjef has been active as a visual artist for 57 years, first as a student at the art academy in Rotterdam, later as a performing artist and as an art teacher at the academy in The Hague. He has assisted dozens of artists in word and deed. He was very productive and both his work and himself were highly regarded. In addition to being an excellent artist with perfect material control and expressiveness, Sjef was also a gracious person, kind and pleasant to deal with and always interested in others. He may well be called one of Schiedam’s most prominent artists ever.
At the age of 78, he was as passionate about his work as he was when he graduated from art school in 1970. He was busy producing a work of art in Lokomotivgyden between Jenever Museum Schiedam and Havenkerk. Imprints of branded iron are bricked in there. These branding irons were used in the many distilleries and distilleries in Jeneverstad Schiedam. Chief Henderickx was present at the opening of an exhibition on this. The artwork itself will be delivered in some time.
Chief Henderickx was born in 1944 in Schiedam as a descendant of the famous Henderickx family of glassmakers. In 1991 he co-founded the KunstWerkt Schiedam Foundation. Even then, he had a decent track record, and in that way he could be a source of information for future talents. His famous works of art are ‘The Lamb’ in the Grote Kerk, unveiled in 2010 by Queen Beatrix, and the Resistance Monument, located in Juliana Park in 2020. It was characteristic of Chief Henderickx that he was, in all modesty, pleased with the appreciation of his good friend Joost Kalkhoven, who had made the V-monument technically possible. “An artist can invent something, but it must also be possible to perform it,” Chief said complimenting. His works found their way to museums and collectors at home and abroad.
Also in his living environment in Kethel-East are known works of art by him.
After all the praise and appreciation he had received throughout his career as an artist, it hurt him and his heart that Schiedam municipality ordered him to leave his studio in the former Sint Martinus school in the Tuindorp district. He must have thrown the room out on Sunday, May 1st. It was very important to Sjef that the municipality would deprive him of his creative breeding ground. “Officials believe that all studies are the same and that it does not matter where you work. They do not understand where you get your inspiration from, ”he said last year. It was very much against his will that the municipality would tear down the school. He felt that the sitting council misunderstood him.
A posthumous and public apology from the city council would be appropriate.