From the museum website
With this exhibition the goal is not to dazzle people with the glitter of this precious metal, but it is meant to intrigue. What is the meaning of gold? What qualities are attributed to it? And what is really the value of gold? What powers are derived from it? What is gold in the proportion of religion and the philosophy of life? Plenty of questions and Aziz has surprising answers. Gold plays an important role in themes such as protection, decoration, power, immortality, value and worship. These roles are either symbolic or actual. Crowns, sceptres, icons, masks and jewellery are some of the objects that have been fashioned from gold from time immemorial, and for various reasons. Until today, gold remains a valuable commodity, in many aspects. Take, for example, a golden Olympic medal, golden logo’s from fashion designers, a golden i-pod or laptop and golden creams promising an everlasting young skin.
The collection of Museum Catharijneconvent comprises many stunning, gold-embellished paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, chalices and vestments. These illustrate the religious tradition that gold is the only material worthy of praising the Lord. In the exhibition Gold, Aziz enhances the museum’s own collection with remarkable, thought-provoking, surprising, old, modern and contemporary works on loan. For example, there will be crowns, sceptres and jewels from the collection of the State Museum in Moscow. And, for the first time, the spectacular ensembles from Aziz himself – in which he frequently made use of gold – will be shown to the public. Gold will present a diversity of objects: costly, unique, special, attractive and unexpected. The styling and remarkable associative skills of Aziz, combined with his unique vision will guarantee a spectacular exhibition in which amazement, astonishment and desire go hand in hand with each other.