As I await replies from the recording studios—where we will, hopefully, conduct the interviews with the ten voices—an idea came to my mind: to write about the artworks that Babs Haenen has collected over the years. These works now live with her and bring warmth, memory and beauty to the space she calls home. It is always a special experience to visit an artist’s house and see the artworks they have chosen to surround themselves with. You begin to understand what drew them to certain pieces and how these connections reflect their own practice.
As I walk into Babs Haenen’s home, the first artwork I see is what she lovingly calls “my animal.” According to her, it invites all visitors into the house. She bought it while she was teaching at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, from one of her students, Elisa van Schie. It is a hybrid-looking creature— a swimming ring covered in colourful textiles with two heads.
While working in her home, scanning her archive, I was often accompanied by two anthropomorphic Chinese porcelain pillows from the 18th century. Babs bought those in New York and they are two of her favourite pieces. What struck me was not just their unusual human form—so different from the square pillows I had seen elsewhere—but also that she refers to them as “family.” Their presence clearly holds deep emotional value for her.
The table where we did most of our work is also a piece of art. It was designed by Ettore Sottsass, renown Italian architect and product designer from the Memphis group. Babs especially enjoys the blue line that cuts through the edges of the table—a small but striking detail.
On the walls, the story continues. Two paintings by Dutch artist and friend Jacobien de Rooij – one of a horse’s nose and the other of pieces of wood- decorate the space. A third, larger painting, also by Jacobien, hangs in front of the couch where Babs often sits to drink tea and read. On the right side of the painting, there is a sculptural piece by Dutch artist Piet Warffemius—made from cardboard layered with paper and painted to resemble a branch of bamboo. Like many of her pieces, it connects to nature, which continues to inspire her both emotionally and artistically. Of course, no collection would be complete without a work by her dear friend Jacqueline Poncelet. What I like most about this sculpture is that its position can be changed—every time you move it, it looks completely different.
Then, by the window, she shows me another piece she calls “family.” It is a vibrant, multi-coloured sculpture by the renowned American artist Viola Frey, depicting three figures: a man and two women. Viola spent some time working in the Netherlands and, during her stay, Babs showed her around the KunstRai, with wonderful jewellery and bought her marzipan sweets. As a thank you, Viola gifted her this beautiful work. It is not porcelain, but stoneware, hand-painted in bold hues.
From that same window, you can see a giant tree just outside. Babs tells me it inspired her to create her porcelain branches drawing, which was exhibited alongside her work in The Turbulent Vessel show at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1998. In front of the window sit two small sculptures by Richard Slee—one shaped like a leaf and the other as a flower.
and two artworks by Richard Slee, photo Christianna Asprouli
Turning left again, there is a painting by François Morellet, a well-known French artist. It is a white canvas with a cast line, a red line, and finally a branch line. Again, nature appears, reimagined and abstracted, but always present.
One of the more touching pieces in the house is a print which depicts two tree trunks, by artist Eric Roos, who was originally meant to live in the apartment that Babs now inhabits. He passed away and Babs bought this artwork in memory of him.
On the floor, in front of the kitchen island lies another work by Jacqueline Poncelet—this one made of rubber and depicting leaves. Nature again, coming in through yet another material.
On top of the kitchen island sits one of Babs’s own pieces, from the Putnam Camp series. It was slightly damaged during an exhibition, but was restored. She plans to leave it to her family someday. Beside it stands a miniature sculpture of a Japanese house—or more precisely, a Tokyo fish market stall—created by her friend Jake Tilson. The level of detail in the work is stunning and fits perfectly in the space.
As we continue through her home, we arrive at the bookcase, where Babs shows me a charming ceramic piece by Betty Woodman. The decorative detail looks like it was piped with a pastry cornet—it almost looks edible! Finally, in the bedroom, Babs shares a piece made not by human hands, but by nature: a large, off-white coral.
At the end of our tour, Babs turned to me and said—and I couldn’t agree more—that this house, built like an American loft, is a wonderful place to live. Quiet, surrounded by nature, far from the noise of the city. A home filled with stories, memories and artworks that continue to inspire her. It certainly appears to be the house of her dreams!