ADRIAAN IS ALIVE: 04/11/09

Prague Revolution

A folow up on Wednesday's post "Prague 1984"
http://adriaanisalive.blogspot.com/2009/04/prague-1984.html :
and of Thursday's post "From Some Secret Archives"
http://adriaanisalive.blogspot.com/2009/04/from-some-secret-archives.html
.
Jacques van de Vall has sent us these blasts from the past.
All pictures were taken by Stanislav Tuma (1950-2005) a.k.a. Standa
.

After an openings act at Mitsy's exhibition 1983
(Adriaan + Jacques + Mitsy)

In Prague, 1984

(Jacques and Adriaan)

The first location of the gallery (Van der Have) 1984.

from left to right: Mitsy, Jacques, Adriaan and Standa (Stanislav Tuma).

Adriaan at the wedding of Stanislav Tuma in Prague 1985

(Adriaan is thrith from the left)

Two buddies take Takashi Murakami

Nico writes: "twee oude maatjes pakken Takashi Murakami volta 2006
adriaan en ik nico delaive al meer dan 27 jaar maatjes speciaal in teveel eten
nico delaive"
.
Translation: "Two old buddies take Takashi Murakami at Volta 2006 (Miami).
Adriaan and I have been buddies for more than 27 years; especially into eating too much
Nico Delaive"

Rebel Rebel: 1982: Adriaan and Nico protesting

Nico Delaive writes: "Ik en adriaan in protest voor de eerste kunst beurs zelfs de politie kreeg ons niet weg zo rond 1982 ?1983 adriaan en ik zij aan zij "
.
Translation: "Me and Adriaan protesting in front of the first Art Fair. Even the police couldn't get us to leave. About 1982 or 1983. Adriaan and me; side by side."

Nico explains more: "was een kunst beurs in amsterdam een van de eerste wij ik en adriaan mochten er niet op staan dus uit protest deden we dit we hadden ook plastic tassen laten maken met mijn gallery toen nog G I N heette en adriaan zijn winkel maar nog niet de naam torch.

de beurs mensen vonden het niet leuk en stuurde de politie op ons af maar slim dat we waren hadden een vergunning gekregen . plus de tasjes dat was het mooiste iedere bezoeker had er een en liep in de beurs met onze naam niet slecht nico "

Translation: "It was one of the first art fairs in Amsterdam. We (Adriaan and me) were not allowed to participate. Out of protest: we had a tent outside the artfair (at the entry). We had also made plastic bags with my gallery name on it (which was then called GIN and Adriaan had his shop which was not named Torch yet.)

The artfair people did not like what we did and they sent the police at us. But we were smarter and had obtained a permit. With the plastic bags: the most satisfying was that every visitor on the fair was running around with our names. Not bad. Nico "

====================

COMMENTS:

Helen said...
Nico, That is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.
April 13, 2009 4:09 PM

Uncertain 2008

2008 was a very stressful year. No one knew which road Adriaan's health would take. Their New Year's card perfectly symbolizes that to me. Allow yourself a giggle and notice the sticky fly trap hanging from the ceiling.

(The card reads "Just a Happy 2008...")

-- click the picture to see it bigger - or rightclick it and then leftclick "open link in new window" --

October 2007 (Zeeland / Amsterdam)

Wouter writes: After years of not really knowing what was deteriorating Adriaans health, it is my understanding that the cancer was discovered in June 2007. When the treatment (a very advanced way of stem cell transplant) was proposed as the only way out, Adriaan very bravely did all the necessary treatments. In July he wrote me "Kahler is inderdaad erg heftig....helaas.... We doen ons best to kill the motherfucker ! (Kahler is very heavy indeed. Unfortunately. We do our best to kill the mf)".

It was all much harder than expected. Radiation, medicines, … But Adriaan kept organizing future ArtFairs and exhibitions. The right attitude. But the stemcell operation was planned around the time of ParisPhoto November 2007, so he canceled that one.

Early August he wrote "I hope I wasnt braver when I decided it than when I have to undergo it... I didnt really realize all I guess...perhaps good in the end I didnt...I need to become in a comateus situation first before getting the right cells...this means that I am technically spoken dead for a while. didnt realize either that I need 2 to 3 weeks hospital in complete isolation... (all happens oktober or early november....) So I hope when I resurrect ,that you , Ed ,Nicolas & Nathan are extra proud of me !"

In September Adriaan wrote: "Misschien lukt het niet..., Zou een medisch wonder zijn is me reeds verteld. Maar ja , dat is meteen ook een uitdaging voor me... 1 okt. 4e en laatste chemo kuur, 1/2 okt. Stamcellen inwinning, operatie hoop ik half November, dan moet 14 dagen in quarantaine...., daarna hoop ik ziekenhuis uit te mogen...misschien wishful thinking.. (Maybe it won't work ... it would be a medical miracle ... but then that's also a challenge for me ... Oct 1: 4th and last chemo treatment, mid Oct gathering stemcells , operation hopefully mid-November, have to be then 14 days in quarantine..., then hopefully leaving the hospital... maybe wishful thinking.. )

The fear kicked in and my friend and I decided to fly over to Amsterdam to try and cheer up Adriaan. That was October 2007. See pictures above.

November 2007: Treatment seems to go "well". Ofcourse Adriaan was a wreck, but he did the art fair Pulse in Miami. See pictures below (in my former posting). Upon return (Dec 12): Adriaan wrote: "Arrived few hours ago from Miami. Tomorrow early I will leave for hospital and hopefully they let me go again early january. If so that would be a good sign. No feastdays for uncle TORCH this year I am afraid.Very strange..Never was in these circumstances before...".

2008 was an unsure time for Adriaan. Not knowing which road the cancer would go. Sometimes it did seem to go quite well and doctors told him “you shouldn’t be alive now”. Many of us really thought he was a unique survivor. The treatments did give Adriaan another year. Doing several art fairs including ArtDubai, Pulse NewYork, Pulse Miami, … It all seemed to go better. We all thought that denying the cancer would trick his destiny. Then Adriaan told us maybe 1 more year. Then 5 more months. Then 2 months. And suddenly 5 days later he was gone.