Fondation Constant

Not all our contemporary projects happen with an audience.

Five third year students of the Master Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage from the UVA are working on the restoration of Observatorium [1956].

First step is to study the object, the material (PMMA) and Constant’s own thoughts on conservation of his work.

The next step?
Experimentation with the material, attempting to replicate the break, and try-out the different fixes.

Object: Observatorium II [1956], 52 x 48 x 48.5 cm, brass & plexiglass, Collection Fondation Constant, NL

Four Times Constant - https://mailchi.mp/a350f2a940bb/constant-101-on-our-means-and-perspectives-10594181

Things you only see when you’re face to face with a work.

Ode à l’Odéon [1969] is currently at display at the TEFAF, so I took the opportunity to see the work in real live.

Every time I’m surprised about how much more I see.

It struck me how obvious it is that this is the first painting after Constant focused on building his model and constructions for a while.

The colours and materials he uses are the same materials he uses for his models and constructions. And the dash of red that he uses in most of his oil paintings till 1982, doesn’t appear until the painting Erotic Space in 1971.

And then someone pointed out the little figure in the top right quadrant of the painting.

Do you recognise this figure?

Art historians sometimes use the term automimesis when artists (consciously or not) mirror their own features or persona in the figures they create throughout their work.

TEFAF 14-19 March
MECC, Maastricht, Netherlands
Borzo Gallery & Mayor Gallery, stand 449

FOUR TIMES CONSTANT
What does an exhibition about fabric frenzy, a stair obsession, an architect posse, and humans jacked into tomorrow’s technological tool have in common? 

You guessed it, they all exhibit works by Constant.
His art globe-trots from Amersfoort to NYC… catch the wanderlust if you can!

Stairway to…? an exhibition about ladders and stairs featuring more than 40 artists
Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort, NL
31 January till 10 May, 2026

New Humans: Memories of the Future
New Museum, NYC, USA
21 March till 21 August, 2026

Liga Nieuw Beelden. totaal nieuwe wereld
Atelier Volten, Amsterdam, NL
11 April till 08 November, 2026

Wilde Rokken. Cobra art as Textile
Museum Cobra, Amstelveen, NL
24 April till 06 September, 2026