Heineken Prize for Art 1998
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has awarded five important prizes for arts and sciences to four internationally renowned scientists and one highly talented Dutch visual artist. The Heineken Prizes are awarded every two years.
Jan van de Pavert (1960). This young Dutch artist has produced work of such creativity that even renowned museums have for some time focused on collecting his work.
With a love of architecture, Van de Pavert has designed in his mind an imaginary villa: `Villa Naispier'. Using objects of art and applying all means of artistic expression, he is building this villa and fitting it out. This is how he makes the villa tangible. Drawings, wall frescos, statues, scale models and computer animations are all used in creating the rooms, patios and gardens of his villa.With his art, Van de Pavert is creating an opportunity for people to come and visit his villa. His fascination with this project makes him not only creative but also stimulating to visitors.His sculptural skill is of a very high level. Jan van de Pavert uses it to give a very typical and individual and thereby a highly personal and original shape to his own fascination. To be so young and yet such a great artist is an exceptional thing, not only in the Netherlands.
23 April 1998
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences - KNAW
