Overview of the Exhibition

The exhibition Nul 1965, held at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1965, stands as one of the most significant presentations of Dutch Zero art during the movement's most active period. Organised in close collaboration with the Nul group — and with Henk Peeters playing a central coordinating role — the exhibition brought together works by the group's core members and positioned their practice firmly within an international avant-garde context.

The Stedelijk Museum had already established itself as one of Europe's most progressive institutional spaces for contemporary art, and its decision to present the Nul group gave the movement a degree of institutional legitimacy that reinforced its critical standing.

Participating Artists

The exhibition included works by the principal members of the Nul group alongside invited international participants. Dutch contributors included:

  • Henk Peeters — feather works and transparent material pieces
  • Jan Schoonhoven — white relief constructions
  • Armando — black paintings and early object-based works
  • Jan Henderikse — assemblage and found-object compositions

International artists associated with Zero were also represented, reflecting the transnational character of the movement and the connections Peeters and others had cultivated across Europe.

Critical Reception

The exhibition received significant critical attention in both Dutch and international art press. Critics noted the visual coherence of the group's presentation while also identifying the considerable individual differences between the artists. The reduction of painterly gesture, the emphasis on surface and material, and the formal rigour of the works were widely discussed.

Some critics were resistant, viewing the rejection of expressive gesture as cold or intellectually arid. Others recognised in the works a genuine and necessary response to the exhaustion of Informel, and a productive engagement with new materials and perceptual experiences.

Peeters' Contribution and Curatorial Role

Peeters' involvement went beyond exhibiting his own work. His organisational and curatorial energy was essential to the exhibition's realisation. He managed correspondence with participating artists, worked on the installation concept, and contributed to the accompanying publication. This dual role — as artist and organiser — was characteristic of his contribution to the Nul group throughout its active years.

Historical Significance

Nul 1965 is now recognised as a landmark moment in Dutch art history for several reasons:

  1. It consolidated the Nul group's identity at a time of peak international interest in Zero art.
  2. It demonstrated the institutional viability of the Zero aesthetic within a major museum context.
  3. It produced documentary materials — catalogues, correspondence, installation photographs — that remain primary sources for ongoing research.
  4. It placed Dutch Zero art within a visible international frame, connecting it to developments in Germany, Italy, and France.

Archival Materials

The Henk Peeters Archive holds documentation relating to the Nul 1965 exhibition, including correspondence and catalogue materials. Research into the exhibition's organisation, reception, and legacy continues, and the Archive welcomes contact from researchers working in this area.