Paul Panhuysen – Biography

B / W photography. About two people hanging on a electric guitar.

Paul Panhuysen (21.08.1934–29.01.2015) was one of the pioneers of sound art.

He studied in art at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht from 1954 to 1959. He then turned to the study of the sociology of art at the University of Utrecht till 1961. In Leeuwarden, he was director of the Kunstgewerbeschule, and worked as curator in Den Haag and Eindhoven. Influenced by Situationism, he then advanced to become the leading member of the second generation of the Dutch Fluxus movement. Beginning with painting, he then extended his repertoire throughout the 1960s in the fields of media, urban planning and music, going on to found artists’ associations, and to become a member on numerous committees on museum education. Furthermore, with hundreds of performances behind him, he is one of the protagonists of time-based arts working, until today, with the Maciunas Ensemble. He is also intensively occupied with generatively created music. In collaboration with his wife Hélène, he founded the artists’ platform »Het Apollohuis« in Eindhoven, in 1980. The platform closed in 2001, and the archive is currently housed and managed by the ZKM.

Curriculum Vitae

  • 1934 Born in Borgharen, Niederlande
  • 1954–1959 Jan van Eyck Academie Maastricht, free and monumental art
  • 1957–1961 Universiteit Utrecht, sociology of art
  • 1962 Mention d'Honneur, Prix Europe de peinture, Oostende
  • 1963 Frisiana Award, Leeuwarden
  • 1962–1964 Director of the Kunstgewerbeschule Vredeman de Vries, Leeuwarden
  • 1964–1967 Founded the artist's group  »Bende van de Blauwe ;Hand« (the Blue Hand group), Leeuwarden
  • 1966 Member of the Educational Service of the Municipal Museum Den Haag
  • 1965–1974 Inventor and organizer of »situasies«
  • 1966–1967 Museum education and public relations at the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
  • 1968–heute Maciunas Ensemble
  • 1967–1968 Founding of the »Free Community of the Global City of Peace and Pleasure«
  • 1969–1981 Member of the board BBK, Federatie van Kunstenaarsverenigingen, founder of the artist's unions OBK and VBBKZN
  • 1970–1981 Member of the board CRC, Foundation Kunst en Bedrijf, Artists' Social Funds, member of the Dutch Arts Council
  • 1971 Participant of ther 7e Biennale de la Jeunesse de Paris
  • 1970-1975 Member of the urban planning team »de Kraal« Grote Bos, Geldrop
  • 1971-1977 Town and country planner in Eindhoven: Wilgenroosstraat, Van Abbemuseum, Municipal Theater, market place, school yard Norbertuslaan
  • 1974-1984 Art consultant in public sector Consulting, in Nieuwe Schans and for the urban planning team in Zoetermeer/Buytenwegh de Leyens, Utrecht/Lunetten as well as 's-Hertogenbosch/Maaspoort
  • 1980–2001 Director »Het Apollohuis«, Eindhoven
  • 1982–heute »Long String Installations« (till 1991 in cooperation with Johan Goedhart)
  • 1983–1987 Jury member of the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst, Amsterdam
  • 1984/85 Festival ECHO. The Images of Sound I, Het Apollohuis
  • 1986 New Works Grant des Massachusetts Council for the Arts, Boston, USA
  • 1987 Festival ECHO. The Images of Sound II., Audio Art Symposium II, Het Apollohuis und Activiteitcentrum 2B Galerie
  • 1990–heute Projects with animals and plants
  • 1993 Artist in Residence Exploratorium, San Francisco, USA
  • 1994 Artist in Residence Yellow Spring Institute, Chester Springs, USA, Jury member des Ernesto de Sousa Fellowship, Portugal
  • 1996 Culture Award Noord-Brabant
  • 1998 Ritter des Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw
  • 2000 Award for »Best Exhibition 2000«, Galerie Klatovy/Klenová, Klenová, CZ
  • 2002 Artist in Residence Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori Japan
  • 2004 Acknowledgement (Honorary Mention), Prix Ars Electronica, Linz
  • 2010 Winner of the German Award for Sound Art 2010
  • 2011 Gerrit Benner Award, Leeuwarden
Author: Matthias Kampann