Ortus is the Latin word for birth or origin. With this baby rhino, Miriam Knibbeler (b. 1981) hopes to draw attention to the white rhino, a now almost extinct species. ‘Somehow I hope, against my better judgement, to send something of a “birth energy” for the white rhino out into the world with this
... sculpture,’ Knibbeler says. She is inspired by the philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), who drew attention to humankind’s ‘capacity to change’ allowing it to initiate processes.
This baby rhino was acquired for the collection in 2015 and given a place in Museum MORE’s garden. A smaller version, the preliminary study, has been on display in Kasteel Ruurlo since 2017.
The size of Knibbeler’s sculptures does not always accord with reality: they either fit in your hand or are enormous. By enlarging Ortus, she wants to emphasize the animal’s vulnerability. Ortus is also literally at risk as a work of art: to protect the material (polystyrene foam, polyester and epoxy mixed with sand) from the elements, a new layer of polyurethane must be applied every few years.
Born in New Zealand, Knibbeler attended the Minerva Academy in Groningen (2008-2012). Her animals are above all bodies – present and tactile (unfortunately, touching is not allowed).
Text: Evelien Verheij, collection coordinatorOrtus is the Latin word for birth or origin. With this baby rhino, Miriam Knibbeler (b. 1981) hopes to draw attention to the white rhino, a now almost extinct species. ‘Somehow I hope, against my better judgement, to send something of a “birth energy” for the white rhino out into the world with this sculpture,’ Knibbeler says. She is inspired by the philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), who drew attention to humankind’s ‘capacity to change’ allowing it to initiate processes.
This baby rhino was acquired for the collection in 2015 and given a place in Museum MORE’s garden. A smaller version, the preliminary study, has been on display in Kasteel Ruurlo since 2017.
The size of Knibbeler’s sculptures does not always accord with reality: they either fit in your hand or are enormous. By enlarging Ortus, she wants to emphasize the animal’s vulnerability. Ortus is also literally at risk as a work of art: to protect the material (polystyrene foam, polyester and epoxy mixed with sand) from the elements, a new layer of polyurethane must be applied every few years.
Born in New Zealand, Knibbeler attended the Minerva Academy in Groningen (2008-2012). Her animals are above all bodies – present and tactile (unfortunately, touching is not allowed).
Text: Evelien Verheij, collection coordinator