The Ballerina Revisited at Museum Beelden aan Zee
In this lecture, you will discover how Ryan Gander reinterprets Degas' iconic Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans. His sculptures place the classical ballerina in unexpected scenarios. How is the ballerina idealized? And what is the role of art in depicting reality?
A Duet Between Past and Present
What happens when a 19th-century ballerina suddenly finds herself in our world? Visual artist Ryan Gander, in his series of sculptures, lets Edgar Degas' young dancer break free from her pedestal. In unexpected, everyday poses and with poetic titles, his sculptures invite reflection on youth, vulnerability, and the tension between reality and imagination. During this lecture, you will hear more about Gander's unique approach and how he subtly questions our view of classical beauty and idealization.
Style, Time, and Identity
The exhibition at Museum Beelden aan Zee brings Gander's ballerinas together for the first time, opposite Degas' original Petite Danseuse. How do the works relate to each other? And what does their encounter say about how artists – then and now – deal with movement, discipline, and the representation of identity?
Lecturer Muriel de Beer will tell you more about it during this lecture: sign up now!
Lecturer: Muriel de Beer
Date: Monday, October 20
Time: 11:00 – 12:00, with the opportunity to visit the museum independently until 13:00.
Target Audience: suitable for adults
Tickets: reserve here your tickets via the website of the Vrije Academie
