Stefan Hoffmann on the Juncto Art Project in the C-Hall
Artist Stefan Hoffmann was invited by the Leiden Law School to create a large transparent screen-printed fresco in the C-Hall.
On 1 September, Rector Magnificus Sarah de Rijcke presented his artwork, Juncto, during the opening of our academic year at the faculty.
We spoke with Stefan Hoffmann about his artwork and the process behind it, during which he overcame numerous obstacles and had to rely heavily on flexibility and his ability to improvise.
How did you experience the creative process behind Juncto?
‘It was an unparalleled technical challenge. The work consisted of hundreds of small glass blocks, each of which had to be printed individually using specialised ink. Every step required both improvisation and precision. It was a constant balancing act between ambition and the limitations of the material. In the end, it became a narrative composed of recognisable visual elements, creating a visual interplay that allows the wall to be read as an imaginary timeline.’
What was the most remarkable aspect of this collaboration?
‘The exchange with students and staff. I worked right in the middle of the faculty, surrounded by seminar rooms and the everyday conversations taking place along the C-corridor. Their encouragement gave me the strength to persevere. It was the most inspiring and profound interaction I have ever had with my ‘audience’ while creating a work. I immersed myself in themes such as Roman law and Leiden’s history to ensure that the artwork connected with its surroundings. Also, the support and insights I received from Egbert Koops and Tim Lubbers has helped me a lot. That synergy between art and science was truly unique.’
How did you arrive at the final design?
‘I started at the outer edges and worked inwards. Quite early on, I knew what the edges would look like, and from there I gradually worked my way towards the centre. It was only when I incorporated the bubbles, an iconographic motif from the Dutch Golden Age, that I found the final twist. Bubbles symbolise transience (memento mori), but they can also represent planets and gravitation. They connect the solidity of the law with the fleeting nature of human existence. Once that connection felt right, the work was complete.’
What will you take away from this project?
‘A reflection on the intersections between law and the natural sciences. Law is a system that has evolved over centuries, much like a building or a cathedral. It stands firmly, yet it is continually tested against reality, just as the laws of nature are. And what appears solid can suddenly become fluid, or even gaseous. It dissolves into its elemental building blocks. In the artwork, my junctis and the bubbles capture this tension between permanence and change, between order and chaos.’
Finally, why are there T-shirts hanging in the C-Hall?
‘I would like to invite everyone to hang a T-shirt in the C-Hall, together with your name on a sticker sheet. You will already see a few hanging there. During the week of 28 September, I will screen-print them on site with motifs used in the project, chosen at random. In this way, the owners receive a small piece of Juncto. The project can then continue to spread organically throughout the building, serving as a playful reflection on the larger artwork.’
Call for participation
The complete artwork can be viewed in the faculty building. The T-shirts will be printed during the week of 28 September. Until then, you can hang your T-shirt in the C-Hall.
On 29 September, Stefan Hoffmann will also attend a meeting of Philips van Leyden b.p., the Roman Law and Legal History society, where he and Tim Lubbers will discuss the Juncto project. Everyone is invited to attend. See: Stefan Hoffmanns Juncto: over de verbinding tussen kunst en recht
About Juncto
Juncto is a screen-printed artwork applied to a glass wall in the C-hall of the Kamerlingh Onnes Building. The work connects the history of the building as a physics laboratory with the origins of the Leiden Law School.
Visually, the artwork references a technical drawing of Kamerlingh Onnes’ famous helium liquefier, as well as late seventeenth-century engravings by Romeyn de Hooghe. These engravings were originally designed to help law students memorise the Digest, an important compendium of legal texts on Roman law.
A third visual element is inspired by the way contemporary students take notes and use colourful sticky notes to create connections between different legal provisions.
W: hoffmannprinting.com | Insta: @hoffmannprinting
