{"id":299,"date":"2026-06-28T12:55:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T12:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/?p=299"},"modified":"2026-07-04T15:13:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T15:13:24","slug":"constant-and-new-babylon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/?p=299","title":{"rendered":"Constant and New Babylon"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A realm\u00a0stripped of\u00a0frontiers.\u00a0A landscape\u00a0where the\u00a0drudgery\u00a0of toil\u00a0dissolves, supplanted\u00a0by the\u00a0ludic\u00a0liberty\u00a0to traverse the\u00a0globe. Constant Nieuwenhuys (1920\u20132005)\u00a0transmuted\u00a0these\u00a0radical musings\u00a0into\u00a0a sprawling,\u00a0phantasmagoric\u00a0tapestry\u00a0known\u00a0as *New\u00a0Babylon*\u2014arguably\u00a0the most\u00a0seismic endeavor\u00a0in\u00a0post-war\u00a0artistic\u00a0evolution.

It remains\u00a0a\u00a0potent, spectral beacon\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0contemporary soul, particularly as\u00a0our current\u00a0societal architecture\u00a0feels\u00a0increasingly\u00a0brittle. The Kunstmuseum\u00a0Den\u00a0Haag now\u00a0functions\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0custodian\u00a0of this\u00a0expansive archive, having\u00a0meticulously dissected\u00a0its intricate\u00a0fibers\u00a0through\u00a0exhaustive\u00a0scholarship.\u00a0Consequently,\u00a0the\u00a0institution\u00a0unspools\u00a0this\u00a0summer\u00a0a\u00a0colossal\u00a0retrospective;\u00a0a\u00a0vibrant,\u00a0sprawling interrogation\u00a0of the\u00a0project\u00a0that\u00a0serves\u00a0as the throbbing\u00a0heart\u00a0of\u00a0Constant\u2019s creative\u00a0legacy.\u00a0Like\u00a0an\u00a0architect\u2019s\u00a0blueprint\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0dream\u00a0left\u00a0half-finished,\u00a0this exhibition\u00a0invites\u00a0the\u00a0public\u00a0to\u00a0wander through\u00a0the ruins of a future\u00a0that\u00a0never\u00a0arrived,\u00a0flickering with\u00a0a\u00a0prescient,\u00a0incandescent urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Constant Nieuwenhuys\u2014a\u00a0luminary etched\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0annals\u00a0of the\u00a0CoBrA vanguard\u2014transcended\u00a0mundane\u00a0artistic boundaries,\u00a0devoting\u00a0two decenniums\u00a0of fervor to the\u00a0genesis\u00a0of\u00a0*New Babylon*.\u00a0In the\u00a0fractured\u00a0wake of\u00a0World\u00a0War\u00a0II,\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0gears\u00a0of\u00a0reconstruction began\u00a0their\u00a0relentless\u00a0rotation,\u00a0Constant\u00a0perceived\u00a0the\u00a0burgeoning\u00a0specter\u00a0of\u00a0automation not\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0mechanical\u00a0cage, but\u00a0as\u00a0an awakening. He\u00a0metamorphosed into a\u00a0prophet\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0plastic\u00a0arts;\u00a0his\u00a0studio\u00a0became\u00a0a\u00a0crucible\u00a0where maquettes, cartographic\u00a0oddities, and kinetic\u00a0environments\u00a0coalesced\u00a0to manifest\u00a0a\u00a0future\u00a0liberated\u00a0from the\u00a0drudgery\u00a0of\u00a0toil. The exhibition\u00a0serves\u00a0as a panoramic\u00a0lens,\u00a0peering\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0scaffolding of\u00a0his\u00a0conceptual evolution.

In\u00a0the\u00a0architectonic\u00a0philosophy\u00a0of\u00a0Constant,\u00a0the\u00a0denizen\u00a0of\u00a0tomorrow\u00a0is reborn\u00a0as *homo ludens*\u2014a\u00a0sentient\u00a0being whose\u00a0raison\u00a0d’\u00eatre\u00a0is the\u00a0pursuit of play,\u00a0unshackled from the\u00a0iron yoke\u00a0of\u00a0productivity.\u00a0Imagine,\u00a0if\u00a0you will,\u00a0a\u00a0vast,\u00a0translucent\u00a0epidermis\u00a0stretched\u00a0above\u00a0the\u00a0calcified remains of our current\u00a0metropolises, a labyrinthine\u00a0sanctuary\u00a0where\u00a0movement\u00a0remains\u00a0fluid\u00a0and\u00a0unconstrained\u00a0by borders.

*New Babylon*\u00a0defies\u00a0the\u00a0cruelty\u00a0of\u00a0rigid\u00a0blueprints;\u00a0it stands\u00a0not\u00a0as\u00a0a prison\u00a0of concrete,\u00a0but\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0scaffold\u00a0of infinite\u00a0potentiality.\u00a0Constant merely\u00a0ignited\u00a0the spark of\u00a0suggestion,\u00a0leaving\u00a0the\u00a0embers\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0fanned\u00a0by\u00a0the\u00a0collective\u00a0audacity of\u00a0humanity.\u00a0Indeed, he\u00a0posited\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0architecture\u00a0of\u00a0existence must\u00a0remain\u00a0as mercurial\u00a0as quicksilver:\u00a0“All must\u00a0remain\u00a0within\u00a0the realm of the possible,\u00a0for the\u00a0environment\u00a0is\u00a0but a vapor,\u00a0coalescing only\u00a0through\u00a0the vitality\u00a0of human endeavor,\u00a0never\u00a0the\u00a0reverse.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.ftn-books.com<\/a> has several Constant titles on the New Babylon project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A realm\u00a0stripped of\u00a0frontiers.\u00a0A landscape\u00a0where the\u00a0drudgery\u00a0of toil\u00a0dissolves, supplanted\u00a0by the\u00a0ludic\u00a0liberty\u00a0to traverse the\u00a0globe. Constant Nieuwenhuys (1920\u20132005)\u00a0transmuted\u00a0these\u00a0radical musings\u00a0into\u00a0a sprawling,\u00a0phantasmagoric\u00a0tapestry\u00a0known\u00a0as *New\u00a0Babylon*\u2014arguably\u00a0the most\u00a0seismic endeavor\u00a0in\u00a0post-war\u00a0artistic\u00a0evolution. It remains\u00a0a\u00a0potent, spectral beacon\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0contemporary soul, particularly as\u00a0our current\u00a0societal architecture\u00a0feels\u00a0increasingly\u00a0brittle. The Kunstmuseum\u00a0Den\u00a0Haag now\u00a0functions\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0custodian\u00a0of this\u00a0expansive archive, having\u00a0meticulously dissected\u00a0its intricate\u00a0fibers\u00a0through\u00a0exhaustive\u00a0scholarship.\u00a0Consequently,\u00a0the\u00a0institution\u00a0unspools\u00a0this\u00a0summer\u00a0a\u00a0colossal\u00a0retrospective;\u00a0a\u00a0vibrant,\u00a0sprawling interrogation\u00a0of the\u00a0project\u00a0that\u00a0serves\u00a0as the throbbing\u00a0heart\u00a0of\u00a0Constant\u2019s creative\u00a0legacy.\u00a0Like\u00a0an\u00a0architect\u2019s\u00a0blueprint\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0dream\u00a0left\u00a0half-finished,\u00a0this exhibition\u00a0invites\u00a0the\u00a0public\u00a0to\u00a0wander through\u00a0the ruins of a future\u00a0that\u00a0never\u00a0arrived,\u00a0flickering with\u00a0a\u00a0prescient,\u00a0incandescent urgency. Constant Nieuwenhuys\u2014a\u00a0luminary etched\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0annals\u00a0of the\u00a0CoBrA vanguard\u2014transcended\u00a0mundane\u00a0artistic boundaries,\u00a0devoting\u00a0two decenniums\u00a0of … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=299"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299\/revisions\/305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ftn-blog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}