PROJECTS
The Haringpakkerstoren “rebuilt” in scaffolding and light
We can’t describe how giddy and proud we are of our new big baby, the impressive reconstruction of the historic Haringpakkerstoren (Herring Packers’ Tower). Of course our tower is not made of masonry and wood, but of scaffolding, mesh, and most importantly, light. 30 meters high (100 feet), the tower,
The Making of “Temporal Tower”
Here are some pictures of our tower project in the making. The first step was agreeing on a budget and a technical design, which we ploddingly accomplished with our world-class international scaffolder StageCo. Then with the help of a crane, postponed several days due to a fierce storm, we hoisted
HRH Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, toasts to our endeavor.
King Willem-Alexander opened the newly remodeled wing and the new exhibition space of the National Archives in The Hague yesterday. He came especially to our little design table to raise a glass of champagne to honor our efforts. Proost!
Wayang Kulit Belanda: shadow puppets of Dutch characters in Indonesian style.
For an installation in Het Geheugenpaleis (Palace of Memory,) currently on exhibit at the Dutch National Archives in the Hague, Todd created a series of shadow puppets based on both caricatures of Dutch “types” and on traditional Indonesian style shadow puppets made of punched leather, or Wayang Kulit. This was
The National Archives opens Palace of Memory
After three years of hard work, the Geheugenpaleis (Palace of Memory) has come to completion. This project represents the crowning achievement of not only our studio, but of the long term ambitions of the National Archives itself. It is grand, evocative, fascinating, touching and above all it offers deep immersion
Amsterdam Light Festival: Todd van Hulzen creates “Temporal Tower”
A lot has happened in the last few months, and we’ve been missing the chance to update. One of the most significant things is the fact that Todd van Hulzen was selected, with Studio Louter, to produce their concept for the Amsterdam Light Festival. This is a new annual festival
For the Holidays: drawings for Vondel’s Gysbrecht van Aemstel
It’s an old Amsterdam tradition that has fallen somewhat in disuse: staging a performance of Joost van den Vondel’s drama, Gysbrecht van Æmstel on New Years Day. In 2008 Todd van Hulzen created a series of scene sketches and story-boards for a film version of the play, part of a threefold
“Badass” Santa for Wieden+Kennedy
very so often we get a call that is so compelling it can’t be ignored: would you please carve for us a giant hideous Santa head and two tattooed hands? This is for a holiday party at the advertising firm of Wieden+Kennedy, of Nike and Coke fame. The concept was rigorously
Mariniersmuseum: Unit in Uruzgan (Museum of the Dutch Marinecorps)
The semi-permanent exhibit Eenheid in Uruzgan (Unit in Uruzgan) in the Mariniersmuseum in Rotterdam was conceived as a place of reflection about the human costs of the Dutch mission in Afghanistan. Studio Louter created four compelling —occasionally dramatic— films and Todd van Hulzen conceived of a simple plan to focus devotion and
Go to the Light! Nationaal Archief
We are loving the light studies we’ve done for the opening exhibition at the National Archives in the Hague. Just some colored LEDs, some tiny cardboard boxes and camera are all it takes to create an enormous atmosphere. We also made some computer generated studies of different kinds of possible
River Phoenix’s Last Film in Premiere
Stranger things have happened, but finally after almost 20 years, a film for which Todd did art work and design is going in premier— after a fashion. George Sluizer’s Dark Blood, which was the last film of River Phoenix, has been cobbled together from loose footage and some strategic narration to form an interesting
An old project resurfaces: Dark Blood
In connection with the premiere of Dark Blood at the the Utrecht film festival, here are some photos of work from that project. It is mostly sculpture work and set designs executed for Ben van Os. If you’ve seen the film you will immediately recognize the shack that River Phoenix’s character
Museum Broekerveiling phase III. Permanent exhibit Leven van het Land is a fact
After more than a year of hard work Museum BroekerVeiling in Broek op Langedijk finally opens the doors to its new permanent exhibit in the visitors’ center: “Leven van het Land” or “Living from the Land”. Princess Maxima cut the ribbon and did the honors of inaugurating some of the
Interactive exhibit SportLab! opens at the NEMO Science Center in the harbor of Amsterdam.
Todd van Hulzen and StudioLouter have created another fun and fascinating exhibition, this time at NEMO Science Center in Amsterdam. It’s called “SportLab” and it’s all about the science behind sports, which is particularly interesting in this big sports year: Olympics, European Cup, Tour de France, and more. The core concept of
Museum Broekerveiling phase II. Realm of 1000 Isles opens its doors.
A new exhibit “The Realm of 1000 Isles” is the second permanent exhibit that Todd van Hulzen Design has created for Museum Broekerveiling. This nineteenth century auction house, with its new visitors’ center, is the seat of agrarian history in the region. It is the oldest communitarian produce auction in the Netherlands, and
Queen Beatrix opens “de Westerstraat” at the National Open Air Musem
Queen Beatrix opened a new exhibit at the Open Air Museum in Arnhem this week. “The Westerstraat” is a reconstruction, or rather a ‘reassemblage’ of a group of buildings from Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, in particular the old slums in the back alleys. This is the first bit of historic Amsterdam
Now designing the permanent exhibit for the regional agrarian museum “Broekerveiling”.
The Museum Broekerveiling showcases the phenomenon of the Dutch agricultural auction, an institution originating in the 19th century as a product of cooperation by independant produce farmers in the watery regions of the Province North Holland. Centered around a historic “water-borne” auction house, where auction lots are proffered by boat
Now designing the inaugural exhibit of the National Archives of the Netherlands.
Het Nationaal Archief (the Dutch National Archives)is the largest archival institution in the Netherlands. It oversees over 600 separate archival collections and is, in a sense, the memory of the Dutch people, from the Middel Ages, through the Republic and into the 21st century. In 2012 it will be opening
An Exhibit Presentation in Comic Book Format
These illustration show the only possible excuse to ever use the Comic Sans letterface: in a comic book! This was a proposal for a children’s line as part of a larger museum context. It was all about creating an adventure in the Prison Museum with the help of some friendly
Todd van Hulzen and Museumstudio win a prestigious award for Museum Broekerveiling.
As we described in an earlier post, we were nominated for an “InternationalMuse Award”, the prestigious award presented by the American Association of Museums, in the category of “Multimedia Installation” for our work at the Broekerveiling, the floating action house. Considering the competition, we are very pleased with our Honorable Mention.
Installation opens for the exhibit “Gold” at the Museum Catherijne Convent in Utrecht.
The third unveiling this year is “Goud” (or Gold) at the Catherijne Convent in Utrecht. The Catherijne Convent is the museum of eccliastical heritage in the Netherlands, and by extension also a podium for the ritualistic and medieval. It is known for its innovative exhibits on popular customs and spirituality. For the
Master the Universe: particle and quantum physics in Utrecht
Finally, Master the Universe!” at the University Science Museum of Utrecht unveils a radical new exhibit in a state-of-the-art decor. After Months and months of hard work and a brow-mopping production, Todd van Hulzen and the Museumstudio (now StudioLouter) are proud to show to the world our ground-breaking exhibit on theoretical particle physics and the
Project for the Hermitage Show “Matisse to Malevich”
For the blockbuster exhibition, “Matisse to Malevich: Pioneers of Modern Art from the Hermitage”, Todd was asked by the Museumstudio to help create a space for a multimedia installation, or as they like to call it in their vision-statement, “a dream machine”. The venerable museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia has
Fantastic Mr. Fox nominated for 2 Oscars. Wins Best Production Design at the National Society of Film Critics Awards
In 2007 and 2008 Todd designed miniature environments for the stop-motion animated feature Fantastic Mr. Fox directed by Wes Anderson. Todd worked in London with Production Designer Nelson Lowry to create the marked style that is getting so much attention. We can say it paid off, as we all love to bask
Gallery of Handiwork through the Years
This is a gallery of fine and applied art by the hand of Todd van Hulzen. Todd started his career as a fine artist. Through the years he has functioned as a: decorative painter, copyist, puppet maker, polystyrene sculptor for the film industry, stuccador-sculptor for interiors, fabric printer, totem-pole builder,
Exhibit NewtonMania at Museum Boerhaave in Leiden a Huge Success.
After 6 months of hard work, the ambitious exhibition about the influence of Isaac Newton in the Netherlands has finally come to fruition. The Opening was the most crowded on record, which befits a local “blockbuster”. After speeches and toasts by Nobel Laureate Gerard ‘t Hooft (physics 1999) and a
Museum Broekerveiling, phase I: “The Auction Day”
The first phase of Museum Broekerveiling’s debut as an important new regional museums is finished. “The Auction Day”, an installation found in the visitor’s center/museum of the Broekerveiling, is a first introduction to life in the Realm of 1000 islands, and tells the story of a typical auction day from
“Brave Beasts” at the Royal Dutch Army Museum
How do you make a fun and compelling familyexhibit about animals and war, without avoidingthe hard realities? By forging a risky and stimulatingmarriage between Army and Carnival . Sculptedblack “Shadow Animals” carried the collection onrotating carrousels and the multimedia was ensconcedin carnivalesque army tents. The Subtext? “War is not a
Sanctuary, Gothic Sci-Fi Fantasy series
This is a portfolio gallery of design work for the Science Fiction-Gothic-Fantasy series Sanctuary. Sanctuary has now finished its 4th season on the Sci-Fi Channel. The series pilot was shot in Vancouver using an amount of computer generated imagery (CGI) unprecedented for a fledgling project. Most of the “sets” were thus
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Gilded Age Drama
This is a portfolio gallery of design work for the period drama film Girl with a Pearl Earring. This film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Oscars) of which one was for the Production Design of Ben van Os. The film is named after a painting of the same name
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