From sect to science fiction, Ankhmania brings the supernatural to The Hague. How do we as humans deal with the unknown? Fiona Lutjenhuis’ solo exhibition Ankhmania opens at 1646 on the 22nd of November, consisting of new work, performances and site-specific murals.
People have always sought answers beyond the rational, to try to explain the often harsh reality in which we find ourselves. Fiona Lutjenhuis grew up in a sect with a very different view of the world from that of her contemporaries. After leaving her family, she gradually came to terms with this upbringing and found a way to make it the main subject of her artistic practice.
Secret societies, a mixture of science fiction and esotericism, supernatural beings from other planets – as a child, she was told it all and developed a strong autonomous rationality to make sense of everything.
The title of the exhibition Ankhmania, Lutjenhuis’ total installation at 1646, touches upon an intimate memory. It references the name of an extraterrestrial entity that was very present in Lutjenhuis’ family household. It was both a healing instrument and messenger channelled by spiritual mediums. It also refers to the ancient Egyptian symbol ‘Ankh’, which represents eternal life, immortality, death and reincarnation, and was an integral part of her home decorations.
In the exhibition, themes such as the supernatural, death, god(s) and religion are explored. Amidst bread baking, psychedelic environments, a sense of parallel worlds, confusion and humour, the artist will make us reflect on the influence that imaginary worlds can have on our understanding of reality.
The exhibition is made possible by the generous loan of Museum Helmond and Dordrechts Museum.
About Fiona Lutjenhuis
Fiona Lutjenhuis (Zevenaar, 1991) lives and works in Amsterdam. She studied at ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem (2010-2014) and since 2022 she has been a resident at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. Fiona Lutjenhuis makes illustrations, publications, paintings and animations in which she makes the religious heritage of her youth visible: from installations to artist books and from commissioned work to self-initiated projects. Her speculative imagery fits perfectly into the contemporary discourse about a post-positivist society. In every image we can feel the humour and courage to delve into worlds without strongholds. In a sense you could say that she is ahead of us in being intimate with supernatural beliefs and also everyday knowledge.
