Stedelijk Museum

On 22 April 2023, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam opens the exhibition Felix de Rooy - Apocalypse featuring the multidisciplinary and experimental oeuvre of Felix de Rooy (Curaçao, 1952). His visual work ranges from paintings, works on paper, and assemblages, to (digital) collages and wall hangings. His artistic practice also spans theatre performances, films, exhibitions and collections. Far ahead of his time, De Rooy explored topics that remain relevant today, such as the continuing negative legacy of colonialism, everyday racism and the meaning of Afro-Caribbean and queer identities in art.

Felix de Rooy has worked in the Netherlands since 1969 and has lived in Amsterdam since 1982. The exhibition reflects on five decades of artistic practice and is the first retrospective of the artist in a museum of fine arts.

Everything in De Rooy's universe is connected. Fuelled by a profound interest in beauty and love, the artist blends imagery and stories from diverse times, cultures, religions and geographies in images that sometimes verge on the magical and surreal. Drawing on his transhistorical vision and cosmopolitan approach, the artist explores the concept of ‘cross culture’ and ‘cross time’. He transcends differences by highlighting things we all deal with—inner turmoil, mortality, and the longing for sexual and romantic fulfilment.

Throughout his career, De Rooy has worked extensively with other creators, including artists, authors, actors and producers. His longest-running collaboration is with writer and actor Norman de Palm. Since 1977, through the production company Cosmic Illusion, the duo has produced countless plays and films, such as Desiree (1981), Lippenschrift (1984), Almacita di Desolato (1986), Ava & Gabriel (1990, which was awarded a Golden Calf), 4D for Thee (1995) and De kleur van Droes (2004). Also featured in the presentation are work by De Rooy’s artist friends, such as Cliff San A Jong and Armand Baag, from his own collection and that of the Stedelijk.

The exhibition also highlights De Rooy's work as a curator and his ‘black interest’ collection, which featured prominently in the important exhibition Wit over Zwart (1989) in the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam. De Rooy’s work as an artist, theatre maker, film director, curator, collector, observer and social critic, has been of enormous significance to several generations. In 2000 he was named a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and was presented with the Black Achievement Award for a lifetime of artistic accomplishments. In 2023, De Rooy is augurated as member of the Akademie van Kunsten.

Rein Wolfs, director Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: “We are proud to present an overview of the impressive career of 'homo universalis' Felix de Rooy. He switches fluidly between multiple media and art disciplines and is active as an artist, director, theatre maker, curator and collector. The Stedelijk is working on the first exhibition that will explore and highlight the various domains in which the artist works . We hope that this overview does justice to his rich body of work and inspires future generations of artists and makers.”