mw. prof. dr. E.E. (Esther) Cleven
-
Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen
-
Herengracht
286
1016 BX Amsterdam
-
E.E.Cleven@uva.nl
Bauhaus-Museum Weimar
As of January 2011 Esther Cleven will be working at the Bauhaus-Museum in Weimar, Germany. To get in contact, please call +49 (0)3643 545 397 or mail to e.e.cleven@uva.nl.
Esther Cleven is an art historian interested in the production, reception and use of non-artistic imagery and objects, especially in the context of the modern, highly organized, commercial and technological society. Her research is focused on the historiography of art and design history, the history of design and media as well as socio-economic history of the 19th and 20th century. Practically involved in the museums practice, her theoretical museological attention is focused on the effect of the museum on the design object and the history and theory of exhibition design.
Cleven has been investing in the development of design research infrastructure and talent in the Netherlands, and involved actively in the management of the Design Heritage. From 2001-2010 she has been a full-time curator at the Graphic Design Museum in Breda. Cleven has been developing and implementing the museums mission, position and policy until the opening in 2008 , and has been acting as a curator collections and research.
At the Universiteit van Amsterdam Cleven has been Honorary Professor of Modern Typography and Graphic Design (2004-2010). Her research there has been revolving around the role of the medium, the effect of the democratization of mass-media in visual communication and the development of a Creative Industry, especially after World War II.
Furthermore, she established the inter-institutional 'Grade - Network for beginning graphic design historians' in order to enable young researchers to connect, broaden their view and develop a more professional research practice.
Cleven acts regularly as an adviser for institutions, foundations and researchers in the field of (graphic)design heritage, history and education.
Advisory functions (recent) & Memberships
2013-2017, Raad van Advies Cluster Kunst & Cultuur, Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam)
2009-2012, Programma adviesraad History & Heritage, Premsela (Amsterdam)
2005-2010, Adviescommissie Lectoraat Visuele Retorica, Avans Hogeschool (Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch)
Member ICOM
Member Vereniging Nederlandse Kunsthistorici
Member Verband Deutscher Kunsthistoriker
Member Dutch Postgraduate School for Art History
Member Design History Society
Member Designgeschiedenis.NL
Member Gesellschaft für Designgeschichte
Member Deutsche Gesellschaft für Designtheorie und -forschung
Books & essays (2004 - today)
- 'Anthon Beeke. It's a Mircacle', Li Edelkoort, e.a., Amsterdam: BIS publishers, 2013.
- 'Man and Image. Hans Belting's Anthropology of the Image and the German Bildwissenschaften', in: B. Baert, A.-S. Lehmann e.a. (eds.), New Perspectives in Iconology. Visual Studies and Anthropology, Brussels, AspEditions, 2011, 143-161.
- 'De Citroën-advertenties van Karel Suyling. De mythe van de auto en de democratisering van de reclame', in: Archief Karel Suyling, Amsterdam/Eindhoven, [Z]OO producties, 2009, 48-75.
- 'Design is geen vrijblijvende zaak. Organisatie, imago en context van de ptt-vormgeving tussen 1906 en 2002', Arnold Witte, Esther Cleven (ed.), Breda/Rotterdam: Museum De Beyerd/NAi Uitgevers, 2006 .
- 'Added value and the museum', Proceedings of theDesign History Society Conference: Design and Evolution (2006), TU Delft 2007 [CD-Rom].
- 'Mens en beeld. Hans Beltings beeldanthropologie in context', in: Jong Holland, nr.4, 2006, pp. 32-37.
- 2007 - Inaugural speech at Universiteit van Amsterdam, published as: Irrationeel. Grafische vormgeving en decontext van de beeldcultuur, UvA, Amsterdam: Vossius Pers, 2010 .
- 1999 - Ph.D. of Utrecht University for a dissertation on the history of the concept of the image in (Dutch) advertising theory between 1917 and 1967, published in German language: Image bedeutet Bild. Eine Geschichte des Bildbegriffs in der Werbetheorie am Beispielder Niederlande, 1917-1967, Utrecht: Proefschrift Universiteit Utrecht, 1999 [no longer available].
Short articles (2004-today)
- Review of 'Goed in vorm.Honderd jaar ontwerpen in Nederland', Mienke Simon Thomas, Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010, 2008, in: Bijdragenen Mededelingen betreffende de Geschiedenis der Nederlanden BMGN, Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap KNHG, 2010.
- 'Knippen & plakken', in: Graphic Design Museum Magazine 2, 2009, 8-10.
- 'Hollywood Interfaces', in: Graphic Design Museum Magazine 1, 2009, 14.
- 'Voorwoord', in: J. van der Spek e.a., Het gezicht van de staat, Breda/Den Haag 2009, 5-7.
- 'Missing link. The Netherlands begins to value its design history - with a new society', Eye blog, 29 October, 2008.
- 'Voorwoord', in: F. Wilbrink, Kunst in de Philips-reclame 1891-1941, Eindhoven: [Z]OO producties, 2005, 4-5.
- 'Onder professoren', in: Vormberichten, nr. 6, 2005, pp. 8-9.
- 'Leerstoel Moderne typografie', in: Vormberichten, nr. 2, 2004, p. 27.
Conference organisation (collaborations)
- Art and the City, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities, Amsterdam: May 2006.
- Grafische Vormgeving en idealisme (Graphic Design and Idealism), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Arts, Amsterdam: April 2005.
- Archief in Vorm (Shaping the Archive), De Beyerd, ICN, NAGO, Premsela, RKD,The Hague: March 2004.
- Onderzoek in musea (Research in the Museum), Dutch Postgraduate School for Art History, Modern Art Section, Amsterdam: December 2003.
Presentations (2002 - today)
- New museums of design and their permanent exhibitions, Seminar “Architecture and Design Museums in Germany Today”, OCCAS Oslo Centre for Critical Architectural Studies, May 31, 2013.
- Beeke provoziert, Symposium 'Schrift-Macht-Welten', Gesellschaft für Designgeschichte, Gutenberg Museum Mainz, May 5, 2012.
- Zum Beispiel Rietveld, Klassik-Stiftung Weimar, November 2011 & April 2012.
- Views on the West, Zeebelt, Den Haag.
- Jubileum Ontwerpbureau Kees Zwart, Graphic Design Museum Beyerd Breda, December 12, 2008.
- Studiemiddag 'De verleiding vanhet beeld. Reclame en visuele cultuur in de Lage Landen', Werkgroep visuele cultuur, IISGAmsterdam, November 28, 2008
- Symposium 'TV Versierders, ontwerpen voor omroepverenigingen', Nederlands Instituutvoor Beeld & Geluid Hilversum, Oktober 31, 2008.
- Symposium 'MissingLink', Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Rotterdam, Oktober 8,2008.
- Symposium Title? What title?, een avond over filmtitle-sequenties, 't Hoogt Utrecht,May 14, 2007.
- Symposium 'Archief in Vorm 2', KB, May 31, 2007.
- D.A.R.E. Syposium, Utrecht, September 6, 2006.
- Design History Society Conference, Design and Evolution,September 2, 2006.
- Symposium 'Philips', Design Academy, April 27, 2005.
- Symposium 'De nostalgie van het boek', Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag, Oktober 28, 2004.
- Symposium 'Archief in Vorm', RKD, March 24, 2004.
- Symposium 'Hitweek', De Beyerd, June 22, 2003.
- RKD-Studiemiddag 'Kunsthistorische archieven', Den Haag, February 28, 2002.
Exhibitions
- '100 Years of Dutch Graphic Design', permanent exhibition, Graphic Design Museum, opening 2008.
- 'Golden Age: Highlights of Dutch Graphic Design (1890-1990)', traveling exhibition, Premsela, traveling since 2007.
In the News (2004-today)
- 'Interview Esther Cleven', Website Nederlandse Vereniging van Kunsthistorici, Februari 2013.
- 'Interview with Esther Cleven, Curator of the Graphic Design Museum, Breda, The Netherlands', Maddalena della Mura, Website maddamura.eu, Januari 2010.
- 'Unsichtbares sichtbar machen', in: Page. Ideen und Know-How für Design, Werbung, Medien, nr. 8, 2009.
- 'Allein fürs Grafik-Design', Markus Zehentbauer, in: Form. The Making of Design, nr. 222, September/Oktober 2008, 92-94.
- 'Polyphnic playground', John L. Walters, in: Eye. The international review of graphic design, vol. 17, nr. 68,54-57.
- Niederländer sind unkonventioneller', in: Art Magazin, 20 juni 2008.
- 'Graphic Design Museum geopend door koningin Beatrix', NOS Journaal,11 juni 2008.
- 'Nederland voorop in grafische vormgeving',RTL Nieuws, 11 juni 2008.
- 'Portret van het Graphic Design Museum', TV Brabant, 9 juni 2008.
- 'Esthetisch lef. Koningin opent eerste museum ter wereld voor grafische vormgeving in historisch pand in Breda', in: Elsevier, 7 juni 2008, 102-103.
- 'Een beeldhistorische benadering van typografie en grafische vormgeving', UvA-persbericht oratie, september 2007.
- 'Grafisch vormgeven is een mooi vak dat zich door de hele media heen worstelt', Mirjam Windrich, in: Nieuwsbrief Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen, nr. 68, april 2004.
- 'Esther Cleven benoemd tot bijzonder hoogleraar', Marc Vlemmings, in: Items, tijdschrift voor vormgeving en visuelecommunicatie, maart-april 2004.
- 'Moderne typografie en grafisch ontwerpen', Teleac, Hoe?zo!, 29 april 2004.
- 'Een bierviltje is geen geïsoleerd ding', Cor Hospes, in: Adformatie nr 12, jrg. 32, 18 maart 2004, p. 42.
- 'Een slechte letter danst', Berber Rouwé, in: Folia, weekblad voor de Universiteit van Amsterdam, jrg. 57, nr. 26, 12 maart 2004.
Teaching (2004-today)
- (2004-2009) Annual course on writing a contexualized
history of graphic design.
- (2004-today) Supervision of Bachelor-, Master-, PhD-thesis'.
2009
- E. Cleven (2009). De Citroën-advertenties van Karel Suyling: de mythe van de auto en de democratisering van de reclame. In M.C. van der Sman & Nederlands Archief Grafisch Ontwerpers (Eds.), Archief Karel Suyling - Citroën (pp. 48-75). Eindhoven: [Z]OO producties.
- E. Cleven (2009). Voorwoord. In J. van der Spek & et al. (Eds.), Het gezicht van de staat (pp. 7-9). Breda/Den Haag: NSOB en Graphic Design Museum.
2009
- E. Cleven (2009). Knippen & plakken. Museum Magazine, 2, 8-10.
- E. Cleven (2009). Hollywood Interfaces. Museum Magazine, 1, 14.