Lidewij Edelkoort curates Anthon Beeke book archive at EDIT Napoli
Trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort has curated an exhibition of the personal library of late Dutch graphic designer Anthon Beeke (1940-2018) at the Archivio di Stato in Naples, as part of EDIT Cult, the diffuse curatorial project of EDIT Napoli. The show, titled 'Antologia del Grafico Anthon Beeke,' required over two weeks of intensive work by Edelkoort and collaborator Charlotte Grün. It presents Beeke's extraordinary collection of books—spanning art, politics, eroticism, novels, and graphic design manuals—preserved intact to reveal his creative lens. Edelkoort, Beeke's longtime partner, described the project as a natural process stemming from her confrontation with his legacy. The installation uses light wood shelving and color blocking, a choice inspired by the discovery that erotic books in Beeke's library are always red with black lettering. Edelkoort, founder of Trend Union and former director of the Design Academy Eindhoven, distinguishes herself as a 'trend forecaster' or 'archaeologist of the future,' not a trend setter. The exhibition will travel to the Royal Academy of Amsterdam after Naples.
Key facts
- Anthon Beeke (1940-2018) was a prolific Dutch graphic designer and autodidact.
- Beeke founded the 'Man and Communication' department at Design Academy Eindhoven and directed it until 1997, continuing until 2008.
- Lidewij Edelkoort is a world-renowned trend forecaster and founder of Trend Union in Paris.
- Edelkoort directed the Design Academy Eindhoven from 1998 to 2008 and founded Designhuis and the School of Form in Poznan.
- The exhibition 'Antologia del Grafico Anthon Beeke' was held at the Archivio di Stato in Naples as part of EDIT Cult.
- Edelkoort curated the show with Charlotte Grün, requiring over two weeks of work.
- The exhibition features Beeke's personal library of books, preserved intact to show his creative process.
- The installation uses light wood shelving and color blocking; erotic books are all red with black lettering.
- Edelkoort calls herself an 'archaeologist of the future' rather than a trend setter.
- The show will travel to the Royal Academy of Amsterdam.
Entities
Artists
- Anthon Beeke
- Lidewij Edelkoort
- Charlotte Grün
Institutions
- Archivio di Stato
- EDIT Napoli
- EDIT Cult
- Design Academy Eindhoven
- Trend Union
- Designhuis
- School of Form
- Royal Academy of Amsterdam
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Nordiska museet
- Museum of Architecture Moscow
- mudac Lausanne
- TextielMuseum Tilburg
- Design Museum Holon Tel Aviv
- 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT Tokyo
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Naples
- Italy
- Paris
- France
- Eindhoven
- Poznan
- Poland
- Chicago
- USA
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Moscow
- Russia
- Lausanne
- Switzerland
- Tilburg
- Holon
- Israel
- Tel Aviv
- Tokyo
- Japan