• FUNGI_IN_THE_SPOTLIGHT//UNTITLED (2023)

    acrylic on wall
    acrylic and ceramic stucco on wood, 90x130cm

    In March 2023, eight young adults dubbed as the “Nestbouwers” joined the team at The Natural History Museum. They were a vibrant addition to the regular staff, always ready to voice their ideas and continually surprising the museum-goers. Their debut exhibition, ‘Fungi in the Spotlight’, served as an introduction to their unique group and their fascination with the under-appreciated group of organisms – fungi.

    The Nestbouwers transformed the museum’s Haverhorst Vestibule into a new exhibition space called “The Broedplaats”. In this revamped space, they aimed to bridge the gap between humans and nature, bringing their innovative ideas to fruition. ‘Fungi in the Spotlight’, the first exhibition by The Nestbouwers, debuted on July 8, 2023.

    During a guided tour through The Natural History Museum’s storage rooms, the Nestbouwers were captivated by the small yet exquisite fungi collection, predominantly encompassing mushrooms. Their curiosity led them to delve into how these organisms resonate with human life. ‘Fungi in the Spotlight’ allows visitors to learn more about the eight Nest Builders while simultaneously exploring the diversity, aesthetics, and functionality of fungi.

    Part of this exhibition involved creating a prominent painting that directly interacted with a striking mural in the center of the space. This functioned as a visual representation, accentuating the symbiotic relationship between the fungi and the environment

  • ARCHIVIST_1.0

    Assemblage, filing cabinet, computer, software, plastic, servo motors, CRT monitor (4:3), dot-matrix printer, 1000 pages continuous 90 grs paper, 135x45x125cm.

    Archivist 1.0 (2023) is an interactive art installation examining the relationship between time, technology, and human presence, through the exploration of the concept of ruins, metaphysics, and our evolving digital culture. It melds the physical and digital, autonomously searching for and capturing visages of everyone that appears in front of it and transforming them into binary data that’s then printed onto a 300 meter long scroll of paper.

    Questions arise such as who has the authority to govern the potential everlasting existence of our digital traces? How are these preserved or extinguished? The procedural aspect of Archivist 1.0 is a manifestation of the broader context of corporate data accumulation, where our data is stored clandestinely and indefinitely without our consent or input.

    Contrastingly, the use of paper in the installation underscores the vulnerability of digital media. It signifies the prospect of a “digital dark age”. Data degradation, platform shutdown, or simply losing access through forgotten passwords could result in parts of our digital existence becoming unavailable, misinterpreted, or erased – much like ruins that lose context over time.

    Derived from the term “post-digital”, the work advocates a shift from the traditional techno-positivist approach to digital technology. It eradicates distinctions between new and old media, reflecting technology’s pervasive role in contemporary life, changing meanings of words like ‘digital’ and ‘memory’, and the looming possibility of a ‘Digital Dark Age’ due to the lack of secure, permanent digital data solutions. The installation’s post-digital stance aims to reconcile both online and offline, material and immaterial, highlighting shared elements of the past, present, and potential futures.

    EXHIBITION HISTORY

    IMPAKT Festival (2023)
    Curation: Ezgi Aktug, Merit Zimmermann
    Stadsklooster, Utrecht

  • IDOL_1 (2023)

    Upcycled synthetic materials, LED light, bolts, ratchet strap, 45×250x45cm.

    Idol was commissioned to be displayed during the Motel Mozaique annual festival in 2023. This ambitious piece seeks to illustrate the fluidity of contemporary identity and the culture of Rotterdam by merging traditional iconography and archetypes with advanced digital techniques. The iconographic symbolism featured in this work strives to explore the ambivalences of present-day identity; by emphasising both a reflection of the past and a search for a new form of self-realisation. Its purpose further develops the notion of modern-day liminality, providing a window into a speculative future whilst simultaneously evoking the death of the traditional deity-image.

    EXHIBITION HISTORY

    MOMO FESTIVAL (2023)
    Curation: Nikki Georgiou
    Arminius Church, Rotterdam

    Re-build (2023)
    Curation: Nart Ozel, Samyuktha “Sam” Rajagopal
    Featuring works by: Brody van Muijden, Geertje Brandenburg, Niya Tsenkova, Sakhi, Jochem Mestriner, Joseph Thabang Palframan
    De Hillevliet, Rotterdam

    IN PROGRESS; IN SITU (2023)
    Curation: Borbala Magdolna Pal
    Featuring works by: Tyler Chan, Sina Dyks, Gaetan Langlois-Meurinne, Luvtoshima, Sunhyo Mast, Marysia Swietlicka
    Baanhof, Rotterdam


  • OVATION (2022)

    Acrylic on cast fiberglass and resin sculpture.

    Heart Work Heroes is the largest open-air exhibition of healthcare in the Netherlands, featuring over 41 statues adorned by local artists, scattered throughout Rotterdam. The exhibition seeks to show appreciation for healthcare workers in a positive and colorful way. The design ‘Ovation’, which won an art competition, was placed in a guest spot for an emerging artist and was shown from the 18th of May through the 27th of June 2022 at Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam.

    Unfortunately, riots following a Feyenoord football match damaged the artwork. In September, it was readjusted during a live-paint session at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. The artwork was auctioned off in October and sold to the municipality of Rotterdam, where it now resides in the Timmerhuis building.

    EXHIBITION HISTORY

    Heart Work Heroes (2022)
    With works by: Atelier van Lieshout, Iwan Smit, Barbara Helmer, Tymon de Laat, Clemens Briels, Joni Kling, Robert Rost, Ahmed Aboutaleb & the children from Bloemhof, Pietra Ligura & Ted Langenbach, Marcel Labrie, Vera Nederlof, Kiatisak Sukantha, Assadawut, AAA Fresh, Jenn Lärche, Beverwaard, Supisara Chotika, Kinderparadijs, Julia Tomecka, Robert van der Kroft, Nuttawit Pimros, Eelke Bekkenrutte, Chanatip, Supalak Thipsing, Sutasinee, Siwach Kwankaew, Nutsara Chuasamum, Kevin Langedijk, Egon de Regt, ELLE, Luxje, Paul Ouwerkerk, Lauressa Broos, Medina Liceyna, Evi Beek, Janneke Wing, Mignon Nusteling, Melissa Moria, Linda van Zanten, Kees Kreuter
    Schouwburgplein and Erasmus MC, Rotterdam

    Gemeente Rotterdam Permanent Collection (2022)
    Timmerhuis, Rotterdam

  • MARK_IT_DOWN (2021)

    Latex paint on wall, 1200m2 surface at Rhôneweg in Amsterdam

    Curation: Elias Rammelt, Babeth Rammelt
    Documentation: Artur Gierwatowski
    With works by: Dominique Latoul, Rowan van der Sterren, Candela Nadin, Dorien Spangenburg, Clotilde JNT, Titia Thomann, Luna Haverkorn, Silvana Araoz-Fraser, Christina Mastori, Dido Kok
    Rhôneweg, Amsterdam

    Art should be accessible to everyone, and this goal can be achieved by bringing creators and viewers together in a visual-spatial interaction. The “Mark It Down” mural initiative, realized on a 1,200m2 surface at Rhôneweg in Amsterdam, was made possible through a collaborative effort between Sikkens, the MAKERSTOREN, and a collective of international artists.