Velvet Room Offers Landmark Roel van Timmeren Sculpture for Sale After More Than Two Decades

2 days ago
3 min read

A defining work from the gallery's founding collection makes way for a new chapter.

After more than twenty years as one of the defining works in its collection, Velvet Room has announced that it is offering This is not a Lamp (2003), a monumental sculpture by Dutch artist Roel van Timmeren, for sale.

Measuring an extraordinary 7.1 metres in length, the sculpture has been part of the gallery since its earliest days and has become one of its most memorable and recognizable works. However, as the gallery continues to evolve its curatorial focus, and due to the practical realities of housing such a monumental installation, the time has come for the work to find a new home.

"Some artworks define a gallery's identity," says Velvet Room curator Kris De Meester. "This sculpture has been with us almost from the very beginning. It has amazed visitors for years, but our programme has gradually shifted towards works on paper, paintings and more intimate sculptural practices. We feel this extraordinary piece deserves to be experienced again rather than remaining in storage between exhibitions."

A Submarine That Glows in the Dark

Created in 2003, This is not a Lamp is a meticulously constructed full-scale wooden replica of the German Biber, the one-man submarine developed during the Second World War. Built from wood, polystyrene glass and plastic, the sculpture was coated with phosphorescent paint that allows it to glow in complete darkness.

The work transforms dramatically every three minutes. Originally presented in a darkened exhibition space, a timer alternated the lighting, allowing the submarine to absorb light before disappearing into darkness, where its ghostly phosphorescent surface emerged with an almost supernatural presence.

The result is an installation that blurs the boundaries between military history, childhood imagination and surrealism.

Inspired by Lewis Latimer

Despite its military appearance, This is not a Lamp is fundamentally a work about invention and light.

The sculpture was originally commissioned for a manifestation celebrating Black inventors, with American inventor Lewis Latimer—whose work was instrumental in the development and commercial success of the incandescent light bulb—serving as its conceptual inspiration.

The title itself, This is not a Lamp, playfully references René Magritte while questioning our assumptions about objects, technology and perception. Rather than illuminating its surroundings, the sculpture itself becomes the source of an uncanny light.

Museum-Scale Provenance

The sculpture has previously been exhibited at:

De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam
Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam

Its impressive exhibition history, combined with its monumental scale and conceptual richness, makes it one of Roel van Timmeren's most ambitious early works.

An Exceptional Opportunity

Works of this scale rarely become available on the market. More than an artwork, This is not a Lamp is an immersive installation requiring significant exhibition space, making it ideally suited for museums, public institutions, sculpture parks or ambitious private collections.

After more than two decades, Velvet Room believes the moment is right for this remarkable sculpture to begin a new chapter.