Dutch Cupboard
Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler
1993, 19th century wooden cupboard, dinnerware, 82 x 83 x 21 inches open, Collection of Jack Wendler, London, England, From the exhibition: America Starts Here: Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler, Tang Museum, October 1 – December 30, 2005
For Sonsbeek 93, an international exhibition held in Arnhem, the Netherlands, Ericson and Ziegler replaced the normal place settings in a local restaurant that served traditional Dutch fare. Akzo Chemicals, based in Arnhem, is one of the leading chemical companies in the world and provides the economic foundation for the city. The artists produced gold-trimmed plates printed with the over eight hundred types of products made by the company and scenes from Dutch colonial history. Today the work exists as Dutch Cupboard, with the place settings displayed in a cabinet as one would display fine dinnerware. Its current owner uses the china for meals on special occasions.