House of the Book becomes Embassy Monera Carkos Vlado during NAVO

• Date: 19 June
• Time: 12:00
• Location: Huis van het Boek

House of the book becomes Monera embassy during NATO summit

On the occasion of the NATO summit, a new embassy will open in The Hague: that of the state of Monera Carkos Vlado, temporarily located in museum House of the book.

On Thursday, June 19, at noon, museum director Yoeri Meessen and artist Gerard van Lankveld will open the embassy. Monera has been the empire of Gerard van Lankveld (Gemert, 1947) since 1967. With the raising of the flag on the facade, the museum is officially declared the Embassy of Monera in the Netherlands.

This symbolic empire forms an independent world with its own language, flag, currency and identity, based on peace and hope. By hosting the embassy, the museum aims to convey a message of hope and peace to all world leaders attending the NATO summit.

Artist Gerard van Lankveld

Several showpieces of this empire created by Gerard van Lankveld, such as the scepter, a steam train, an airplane model and the flag, are currently on display in the “Myths and Possibilities” exhibition at House of the Book. In this exhibition, the museum explores, through books and visual art, the human quest since time immemorial for alternative worlds. Tormented and misunderstood in his youth, Gerard van Lankveld found an outlet in creativity, resulting in a unique artistic and cultural legacy. In 1967, Van Lankveld founded his own sovereign state: Monera Carkos Vlado. His work has been internationally recognized and exhibited in leading museums such as the Dr. Guislain Museum in Ghent and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt. Currently his work is on display in the exhibition “Aussi loin qu'ici” at the Art et marges museum in Brussels.

Ceremony June 19

Prior to the raising of the flag, Yoon Hee Lamot, curator at Museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent and board member of the Monera Foundation, will explain Gerard van Lankveld's work during the luncheon lecture at House of the Book. Members of the public can register at [email protected] to attend the lunch lecture and opening ceremony.

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