‘Jeroen Olyslaegers meets Hilma af Klint’

We know him first and foremost as a dramatist and author of historical novels. Jeroen Olyslaegers regularly allows themes like alchemy and art to creep into his novels. As part of the Swedish Ecstasy exhibition, the author talks about his love of spiritualism, occultism and the visual arts – through the work of Hilma af Klint. He reflects on the old, pre-scientific philosophies of the alchemists, among others: the predecessors of modern chemists who sought unity and connection with others and the planet.  

“Literature is a form of alchemy. By alchemy I mean the transition from one state to another; for example, from self-assurance to doubt and vice versa. Literature has the power to make people think.”