''Peanut-Butter Platform'' (, ) is an artwork by Dutch artist
Wim T. Schippers
Willem Theodoor "Wim T." Schippers (; born 1 July 1942) is a Dutch artist, comedian, television director, and voice actor. During the 1960s, he worked mostly as a visual artist, associated with the international Fluxus-movement. As a television w ...
. It consists of a floor covered with
peanut butter
Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners, or emulsifiers. Peanut butter is consumed in many countri ...
and nothing else.
Background
The idea for ''Peanut-Butter Platform'' evolved from some of Schippers' earlier work. He installed two floor sculptures in a 1962 exhibit at
Museum Fodor
Museum Fodor () is a former art museum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The museum was located at the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam-Centrum in the building that currently houses the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.
The concept for ''Peanut-Butter Platform'' dates from 1962, a time when he began his association with the
Fluxus
Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product. Fluxus ...
movement; during the 1960s, he gained a reputation for absurdist and controversial works of art. He worked on short films as well, with Wim van der Linden and others. However, gis relations with the established art world were troubled. By the early 1970s, he was working almost exclusively on writing and making television shows for the
VPRO
The VPRO (stylized vpro; originally an acronym for , ) is a Dutch public broadcaster, which forms a part of the Dutch public broadcasting system. Founded in 1926 as a liberal Protestant broadcasting organization, it gradually became more soc ...
. Schippers referred to television as "the greatest gallery in the world".
Execution
''Peanut-Butter Platform'' was first executed in 1969 in the Mickery gallery in
Loenersloot
Loenersloot is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It was a part of the former municipality of Loenen. Since 2011 it has made part of the new formed municipality of Stichtse Vecht. It lies about 12 km west of Hilversum. It is located ...
. The work was redone in 1997 in conjunction with a Schippers retrospective at the
Centraal Museum
The Centraal Museum is the main museum in Utrecht, Netherlands, founded in 1838. The museum has a wide-ranging collection, mainly of works produced locally. The collection of the paintings by the Northern Mannerist Joachim Wtewael is by a lon ...
in Utrecht, and again in a gallery in 2010.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from the two most important collectors of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. It is located at ...
in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
bought the concept in 2010 and installed it in 2011. Museum director Sjarel Ex stated that it was "one of the most important acquisitions made in 2010". The purchase price was not officially disclosed, but it was reportedly over . The artwork has flexible specifications, and may be installed in various ways. While previous installations were square, the piece constructed in the Rotterdam museum had dimensions of , and consisted of of peanut butter. According to a museum newsletter, "Schippers' works are known for their beauty and their senselessness."
At least three visitors accidentally walked onto the floor, and were held responsible for the damage. Schippers fielded more than 500 questions asked via video on the blog ''Pindakaaspost''.
On the occasion of Schippers' seventieth birthday, a replica/duplicate of the artwork was installed in the Willy Dobbeplantsoen in
Olst
Olst is a town in the Dutch province of Overijssel, about 8 km north of Deventer. It is located in the municipality of Olst-Wijhe.
History
The village was first mentioned in 947 Holsto. The etymology is unknown. Olst is an ''esdorp'' which ...
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from the two most important collectors of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. It is located at ...