Michel Lemaire
Historian Michel Lemaire describes the DSM Collection as “history wrapped in art.” For him, the value also lies in the older, figurative works.
As a former city historian of Heerlen and co-author of The Post-Industrials, he knows the mining history better than anyone. While packing and moving the DSM Collection, he literally handled every work. From mining landscapes and portraits of workers to modern installations, the breadth and layers of the collection left a strong impression. Lemaire sees in the earliest works not only artistic value but also reflections of pride, labor, and the evolving perspective on the mining region. It is precisely this historical foundation that, in his view, makes the collection so valuable.
Read his full story in the Rooted in Change magazine, packed with interviews and background on the exhibition. Available from the end of October in the SCHUNCK museum shop.
Michel Lemaire door Dani Silvia