Saskia Noor van Imhoff: Liminal Spaces
The work of Saskia Noor van Imhoff often explores transformation - the way time changes objects or places, and the (often hidden) role of humans in that process. For the past three years, Van Imhoff has lived with her partner Arnout Meijer on a farm in Mirns, in the southwest of Fryslân. At this location, named REST, Van Imhoff and Meijer conduct artistic research into the history of the land and how it has evolved, in part through human intervention.
This interest in history, rootedness and the impact of human influence also led Van Imhoff to become fascinated by the Pier Pander Temple in the Prinsentuin park in Leeuwarden. Built in 1924, the temple was designed by the renowned Frisian sculptor Pier Pander (1864-1919) as a symbolic space for the artistic creation process. Five sculptures represent the stages of creativity: courage, feeling, yearning, thought, and strength - a sacred space that celebrates the act of making.
In her new installation Liminal Spaces (2025), Van Imhoff transforms the Pier Pander Temple into a new kind of ecosystem, in which her own work enters into a dialogue with that of Pander. By placing the temple 'under construction,' duplicating it, and responding to it, she reanimates Pander's sculptures - reintroducing movement, inviting reflection, and exploring the space between nature and culture, past and present, silence and sound.
Second part at REST in Mirns
A second part of Van Imhoff's work is on view at REST, the artistic research site in Mirns, Gaasterland. This area holds a long and layered history and is known for its varied landscapes. REST, initiated by Van Imhoff and designer Arnout Meijer, views the farm and its land as a fusion of materials that function as a kind of memory. They reveal the past, shed light on the present and open windows into possible futures.
In the field next to the farm, Van Imhoff ploughed a perfect circle, identical in size to the Pier Pander Temple. In this circle, she planted five trees - rowan, linden, hornbeam, sweetgum and plane - living symbols of growth and transformation, echoing the five temple sculptures in Leeuwarden.
Looking closely at something small can reveal a whole world. A deep trench in the soil shows how the landscape has evolved over millennia. A core sample from an old beam reveals centuries of deforestation and reforestation. Even microscopic chemical traces in the soil can influence how the land will grow tomorrow. REST offers a wide range of perspectives through art, design and food - helping us to better understand both our environment and ourselves.
From 22 June to 17 August 2025, REST presents the group exhibition Twee Hectare featuring Aliki van der Kruijs, Boris Acket, Giulia Cenci, Kinke Kooi, Lennart Lahuis, Marte Mei, Our Rags Magazine (Elisa van Joolen and Aimée Zito Lema) and Sander Wassink. Their works engage with the land and stories of REST, bringing forgotten, hidden or emerging narratives to light.
