Duologue brings together artworks that have a lot to say to each other and to the viewer. Five artworks from the Old Art Collection enter into dialogue with their contemporary counterparts.
Five artworks from the Old Art Collection enter into dialogue with their contemporary counterparts.
Timeless agreements
How much does the past differ from the present? The works in Duologue seem to have been made for each other, but come from completely different times. Similarities can transcend centuries and give the works new meaning. What can the past tell us about the present, and vice versa?
Endless dialogue
Duologue invites you to give meaning to what you see. Curious about the underlying thought process? Then unfold the text signs of the couples. Let your imagination run wild, find connections, and build bridges between old and new!
Make yourself heard
One of the five duos in Duologue discusses text in works of art. On a medieval panel, a speech bubble, known as a ‘banderole’, is used to convey the word of God as a moralistic message. In the contemporary work of Ed Templeton, a young woman uses a banderole to express her views on the right to abortion. More and more voices are now being heard.
Preliminary discussion
Duologue establishes connections between works of art across time. With this experimental installation that bridges centuries, Bonnefanten welcomes TEFAF Maastricht 2026. In terms of approach, Duologue can be seen as a prelude to the innovative redesign of the Old Art floor of the Bonnefanten, which is currently in preparation.
Header: Leading image Duologue assembly photo of Anonymous artist, Portrait of a Girl (Maria Theresia Francisca Walbruga), 1790, watercolour on paper, 60 cm x 42,5 cm. Collection Bonnefanten, long-term loan from Limburgs Geschied- en Oudheidkundig Genootschap and Alison Saar, Blue Boy, 2020, wood, tin, copper and iron, 142,2 cm x 30,5 x 45,7 cm. Collection Bonnefanten
Duo 'Make yourself heard'
Left: Anonymous artist, Religious Allegorical Depiction, ca. 1600, oil on panel, 84 cm x 133 cm. Collection Bonnefanten, long-term loan Limburgs Geschied- en Oudheidkundig Genootschap.
Right: Ed Templeton, Baby Blue Girl / Steady Diet of Nothing, 2024, wood, acrylic paint, aluminium, 165,5 cm x 30 cm x 98 cm. Collection Bonnefanten