Toren van Babel - Nieuwe Verhalen

The exhibition explores how we understand and misunderstand one another in an age of technological acceleration and a never-ending flow of information. Discover how language connects, divides and influences us. This exhibition was created in co-production with Art and Soul (a brand of the Biblical Museum).

Tower of Babel features work by: Amber Hyacinth, Andrea Haandrikman-Schraets, Art van Triest, Boris Deben, Brian Coutinho, Carlijn Kingma, Çiğdem Yüksel, Elcin Marasli Ball, Elvis Flynn Kaltofen, Eva Blaak, Fré Calmes, Gamze Öztürk, Hamilton Chango Harris, Hanni Braspenning, Itie Langeland, Jaantje Anna van Hout, Janpeter Muilwijk, Jip Schalkx, Louisiana van Onna, Marie Civikov, Nuno Orlando, Sander Bos, Sandra Minten, Sonja Cabalt, Stichting Vrienden Coen Kaayk, Studio KASBOEK, Tamara Tantico, Uif Putters.

An age-old myth ‘Once, the whole earth spoke a single language’. This is the opening sentence of the short story about the Tower of Babel in the Bible. It tells how people once joined together to build a tower that would reach into the heavens. But then God intervenes and creates confusion. He ensures that people speak different languages and can no longer understand one another. As a result, the tower is never completed. The myth of the confusion of tongues and polyphony remains surprisingly relevant today. Does this story reflect our present society, in which realities can differ so widely? Or is this far too bleak a picture?

In Toren van Babel - Nieuwe Verhalen, artists enrich, renew and question social systems and (one-sided) accounts of history. Toren van Babel - Nieuwe Verhalen grew out of an open call by Stedelijk Museum Breda and Art and Soul. Artists were invited to share their personal perspectives on the themes of the Tower of Babel myth, and specifically on the role of language in society. From the submissions, a selection committee chose 28 works of art. The exhibition presents polyphonic stories by both established and recent graduate artists, people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences, across a wide range of art forms. Art and Soul is the brand under which Stichting Bijbels Museum presents art exhibitions as a nomadic museum-within-a-museum, together with partners throughout the Netherlands, exploring meaning and the great questions of life. The exhibition was made possible through financial support from the Municipality of Breda, the Mondriaan Fund, the Cultuurfonds, with support from the Madelonia Fund, the Vermeulen Brauckman Foundation and the Doopsgezind Predikfonds.