A great article by Egon Adel about the major exhibition of our visual work The Secret Life Of Objects, on display at Museum Eicas in Deventer until September 13, 2026. It appeared on the website of the NVP-Unima, the Dutch branch of the UNIMA theatre organization (Union Internationale de la Marionnette).

Recently, we were already awarded the prestigious Wim Meilink Award for TAMTAM’s entire oeuvre by this professional organization for puppetry and object theatre.

The article:

The everyday object enchants in The Secret Life of Objects – experienced and written by Egon Adel

With the exhibition *The Secret Life of Objects*, TAMTAM object theatre shows just how poetic, surprising, and moving the world of everyday objects can be. At Museum EICAS, a fascinating journey full of imagination unfolds, in which discarded materials transform into artworks with a character entirely their own.

Moreover, the exhibition provides an impressive overview of the oeuvre of makers Gérard Schiphorst and Marije van der Sande. Since 1979, they have been creating internationally acclaimed object theatre with TAMTAM, in which visual art, music, video, and performance merge into a unique artistic language. Their work has toured festivals and theatres in 34 countries and is known for its aesthetic power, subtle humor, and great originality.

I knew TAMTAM’s work primarily from their theatre performances, but this exhibition managed to surprise me once again. Here, visitors get the chance to view all the ‘actors’ up close: the objects themselves, the installations, and a glimpse behind the scenes of these iconic object theatre productions.

A world full of fantasy creatures and theatrical installations
Even in the first room, there is so much to see. A procession of wondrous creatures seems ready to gallop out of the room at any moment — with bench legs, saw wings, a rusty scythe, or a wheelbarrow wheel as a body part. At Just Pawns in the Game, a complete performance unfolds in the mind’s eye, in which small pawns lead their everyday city lives as residents of an apartment building, complete with an elevator and petty human concerns.

The second room immediately brings movement, sound, and image to life as soon as you step inside. Theatrical installations together form an almost cathedral-like altar of objects, surrounded by intriguing assemblages and curiosities. In the final room, works hang that were never part of a performance, but in which sculpture and painting come together. Here, too, the typical TAMTAM signature remains visible: playful, melancholic, and impressively refined.

As I walked around, I continued to marvel at the richness of the works. Everywhere you see ingenious constructions, poetic assemblages, and imaginative objects that are both playful and moving. You notice how much attention, craftsmanship, and above all imagination goes into every piece. Old materials, weathered items, and found objects transform here into small wonderworlds full of character and meaning.

Relation to other artists and movements
What makes this exhibition particularly interesting is that TAMTAM’s work cannot be placed solely within the realm of theater. Their visual language touches upon various art movements and artists. Associations with objet trouvé and ready-made art immediately come to mind.
The work *Health and Happiness* reminded me of the unsettling atmosphere that Edward Kienholz’s work can evoke. Spoiled food lies in an old-fashioned lunchbox; during the performance, objects even came to life, a sandwich moved, and worms wriggled through the image. That alienating combination of humor and decay lingers.

I frequently thought of Kienholz’s *The Beanery* at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. For example, regarding the miniature worlds featuring a prison cell and crazy apartments. Tinguely is an artist who came to mind with the mechanical figures made of springs, forks, and rusty parts.
Works full of glimpses through windows, light, and darkness — somewhat oppressive and at the same time irresistibly fascinating.
What the contemporary art world could sometimes use a bit more of is humor. That is precisely where TAMTAM’s great strength lies. While you sometimes see similar comical imagery in Picasso, they go further. Their work also aligns with the absurd humor of Monty Python and the alienating visual language of Terry Gilliam.

An exhibition that evokes wonder
The Secret Life of Objects is ultimately much more than a retrospective. You see how theater and visual art are constantly interwoven in TAMTAM’s oeuvre. Some installations feel like frozen scenes from a performance, while others function completely independently as autonomous artworks.
Together, they form a unique world where fantasy, humor, alienation, and beauty converge. For me, this is above all an exhibition that evokes wonder. You start looking at materials, objects, and perhaps even the world around you differently. It is inspiring to see how TAMTAM manages to transform everyday things into art full of emotion, stories, and imagination. The exhibition is on view from May 12 to September 13, 2026