'The things that pass / de dingen die voorbij gaan' 

Last year, the private museum dedicated to Louis Couperus closed due to a lack of public funding. Inspired by this, Siem Salaboem and Louisiana van Onna set out to rediscover Couperus in The Hague. What happens to a writer’s memory when a museum dedicated to their legacy shuts its doors? Is Louis Couperus’ work still relevant today? Our project explores these questions through a postcard series and a guided walk, functioning as both an exhibition and a tour of The Hague.

The exhibition features a series of postcards with images, and we will organize a walking tour starting at the Louis Couperus sculpture in front of Pulchri Studio. Using the postcards as a roadmap, we will guide participants through significant locations in Couperus' life and legacy.

In our search, we photographed sites across The Hague that bear traces of Couperus’ life and history. These include his former home, Sociëteit de Witte (a club he frequented), a tree he reportedly wrote under, and his gravestone. Each postcard highlights a location’s address, a quote from one of his works, and a batik-inspired design, reminiscent of the first editions illustrated by Jan Toorop, created by graphic designer Dans Jirgensons.

The launch is scheduled for the summer of 2025.