Voorhout Monumentaal 2025 | May 10 – August 17 | Pulchri Studio

Apollo

From May 10 to August 17, 2025, the Lange Voorhout in The Hague will once again be transformed into an impressive open-air museum. Artist society Pulchri Studio is organizing the exhibition Voorhout Monumental for the third time, showcasing monumental sculptures and installations along the shell path. The theme of this edition is “Celebrate the Imagination” – an ode to the power of art to inspire, connect, and open new perspectives.

Participating artists include Carolien Adriaansche, Aris de Bakker, Margriet Barends, Ivan Cremer, Klaas Gubbels, Eppe de Haan, Jeroen Henneman, Karien Kortenhorst, Andre van Lier, Rinus Roelofs, Rüdiger Seidt, Jan Snoeck, Ronald Westerhuis, Eelke van Willegen, Niko de Wit, and Rob Zweerman. Their works will be displayed along the iconic shell path in the heart of the vibrant Museum Quarter.

Artzuid 2019

Apollo – From the Installation ‘Birth of Apollo’

The large-scale sculpture Apollo is on view at Voorhout Monumentaal 2025. Apollo is the centerpiece of the installation Birth of Apollo, first presented at the Amsterdam Sculpture Biennial ArtZuid in 2019. This installation explores a battle for balance between the constructed and the emerging. This theme is originally expressed through the relationship between the Muses and Apollo.

The full installation consists of ten sculptures that together form a choreography in which the Muses appear to be ‘giving birth’ to their leader, Apollo — a sculpture that constructs itself. However, the sculpture can also be interpreted in the opposite way: the Muses, who represent the nine Greek mythological faculties of the arts, may be seen as the result of Apollo coming to life.

The positions of the Muses surrounding Apollo are inspired by George Balanchine’s choreography for Apollon Musagète(Apollo, leader of the Muses), which was based on Igor Stravinsky’s 1928 composition Apollo. Beyond its figurative representation of Apollo’s story, the sculpture symbolizes the mutual dependence between Apollo and his Muses. This relationship is reflected both in Ivan Cremer’s choice of materials and in the structural concept of the work.