Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Honors Wim T. Schippers with Peanut Butter Installation
博伊曼斯-凡·博寧根博物館以花生醬裝置藝術向 Wim T. Schippers 致敬
Introduction
The Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam has created a large peanut butter floor to remember the late Dutch conceptual artist Wim T. Schippers.
位於鹿特丹的博伊曼斯-凡·博寧根博物館打造了一個大型花生醬地板，用以紀念已故的荷蘭概念藝術家 Wim T. Schippers。
Main Body
The installation, called 'Pindakaasvloer,' features a 25-square-metre hexagonal area covered in about 800 pounds of Calvé peanut butter. To ensure the surface was perfectly smooth, the museum followed strict rules set by Schippers in 1962, using 15.6kg of peanut butter per square metre. Specialized 'peanut butter plasterers' were hired to complete the work with high precision.
這件名為''Pindakaasvloer''的裝置藝術，是一個 25 平方公尺的六角形區域，表面鋪設了約 800 磅的 Calvé 花生醬。為了確保表面絕對平滑，博物館遵循 Schippers 在 1962 年設定的嚴格規則，每平方公尺使用 15.6 公斤的花生醬。館方甚至聘請了專業的''花生醬抹灰工''來完成這項工作，以確保極高精準度。
Throughout his career, Schippers was known for his interest in the absurd and the principles of Dadaism. As a co-founder of the A-dynamische groep, he wanted to challenge the commercial side of art by using unusual materials such as salt and glass. Furthermore, his influence reached beyond galleries into Dutch television, where he worked on the show 'Hoepla' and provided voices for the Dutch version of 'Sesame Street'.
在整個藝術生涯中，Schippers 以對荒謬事物的興趣以及達達主義原則而聞名。作為 A-dynamische groep 的共同創辦人，他希望透過使用鹽和玻璃等不尋常的材料，來挑戰藝術的商業面。此外，他的影響力不僅限於美術館，還延伸到荷蘭電視界，他曾參與節目''Hoepla''，並為荷蘭版的''芝麻街''提供配音。
Museum officials believe this installation encourages visitors to question what actually defines art. Acting Director Sandra Kisters emphasized that the work's ability to confuse people is a key part of its value. Interestingly, past versions of the piece faced different challenges; for example, students in Utrecht once added bread and chocolate sprinkles to the floor in 1997, which Schippers actually liked. However, a 2011 exhibition at the same museum led to a visitor slipping on the peanut butter.
博物館官員認為，這次裝置藝術能鼓勵訪客質疑究竟是什麼定義了藝術。代理館長 Sandra Kisters 強調，這件作品能讓觀眾感到困惑，正是其價值所在。有趣的是，該作品之前的版本面臨過不同的挑戰；例如 1997 年在烏得勒支時，有學生在地面上添加了麵包和巧克力碎，而 Schippers 實際上很喜歡這樣做。然而，2011 年在同一家博物館展出時，卻發生了一名訪客在花生醬上滑倒的意外。
Conclusion
The exhibition will be open until September 6 and will include themed food and products for visitors to buy.
該展覽將開放至 9 月 6 日，並將提供主題食物與產品供訪客購買。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'B2 Leap': Moving from Simple to Sophisticated
At the A2 level, you say: "The artist used peanut butter. He liked weird things." At the B2 level, you connect ideas and use more precise verbs. Let's look at how this text does that.
🧩 The Magic of 'Connecting Words' (Connectors)
B2 speakers don't just make short sentences; they build bridges. Look at these three words from the text:
- Furthermore Use this instead of "also" when you want to add a strong point.
- Interestingly Use this at the start of a sentence to show you are surprised by a fact.
- However Use this instead of "but" to create a professional contrast.
Example Upgrade: A2: He liked salt. He also liked glass. But a visitor fell. B2: He used unusual materials such as salt and glass. Furthermore, his influence reached television. However, a visitor once slipped on the floor.
🛠️ Precision Verbs: Stop using 'Make' and 'Do'
To reach B2, you must replace general verbs with specific ones. The article provides a great roadmap:
| Instead of... (A2) | Use this... (B2) | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Make/Create | Ensure | It means to make sure something is correct. |
| Change/Fight | Challenge | It means to question if something is right. |
| Make | Define | It describes the essence of what something is. |
| Emphasize | Highlight/Stress | (The text uses emphasized to show importance). |
🧠 The 'Absurd' Logic
Vocabulary Spotlight: The Absurd (noun/adj) In B2 English, we describe things that are logically impossible or ridiculous. Instead of saying "This is a very strange floor," a B2 student says "The installation focuses on the absurd." This moves you from describing feelings to describing concepts.