In Material Memories, the materials carry the memory

Material Memories has been on view in the lower gallery of Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo since 3 October 2026. It runs through 7 March 2027 and brings together six installations by Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien. This is her first museum solo exhibition in the Netherlands.

The title concerns more than what materials can represent. According to the museum, Manlanbien explores the body, care and what people pass to the next generation. She works with textiles, copper, organic matter and crystals, materials with their own shapes, weight and origins.

The exhibition opens with Take Care (2023), in which a copper spiral runs alongside a tapestry. Copper reminds the artist of her family’s workshops, the museum says. That gives the spiral a personal association while leaving the physical presence of the material intact.

Mémoires des Corps (2025) and Temple du Soin / Temple of Care (2024) are among the six installations. The latter was made in an old monastery and uses water fountains and blue textile. Space, water and fabric offer different material ways to approach care.

Two works are new: Myriades and Un Pied de Chance, both from 2026. They bring together textiles, fragrant plants and flowers, essential oil, texts and sound. They grew out of a year-long residency at the Villa Medici in Rome, where Manlanbien researched plants, tapestries and pharmacopoeia, among other things.

Manlanbien was born in France in 1990; her mother comes from Guadeloupe and her father belongs to the Akan people of Côte d’Ivoire. Her work is on view at Keulsepoort 1 in Venlo through 7 March 2027. The museum is normally open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm; the checked ticket page lists adult admission at €13.50. Check hours and prices before visiting.