Groninger Museum explores brick culture in 'Bakstain' exhibition
The Groninger Museum presents 'Bakstain', an exhibition dedicated to the cultural history of Groningen through the humble brick. The show features stacks of bricks laid by local craftsmen, highlighting both the material and its craftsmanship. Alongside the bricks, photographer Gus Drake (born 1995) presents a VR installation titled 'Corridors of Memory' (2026), which depicts the destructive force of earthquakes in Groningen in an immersive, colorful experience. The VR work offers a contemporary counterpoint to the static displays of bricks and tools, ensuring the exhibition does not remain stuck in history. The province once had many brick factories producing the characteristic reddish-brown bricks, but most have now closed.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Bakstain' at Groninger Museum focuses on brick as a cultural material
- Bricks in the exhibition were laid by local craftsmen
- Gus Drake's VR installation 'Corridors of Memory' (2026) shows earthquake destruction in Groningen
- The VR work was made especially for the exhibition
- Groningen province once had many brick factories, now mostly closed
- The exhibition includes decorative tiles and patterned brickwork
- Red bricks are visible even at Groningen train station
- The museum building itself rests on a brick base
Entities
Artists
- Gus Drake
Institutions
- Groninger Museum
- Museumtijdschrift
Locations
- Groningen
- Netherlands