Graduation Festival, Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague

The other day I went to the Graduation Festival at the Royal Academy of Art (Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten – KABK) here in The Hague, to write a review for Villa La Repubblica. I made more than a thousand pictures, so this is just a tip of the iceberg.

I started my tour properly in Marijn Ottenhof’s Waitingroom in the basement. A well done project, both technically and ideologically.

I continued to the old building’s courtyard. As the exhibiting artist had some technical problems with her installation i went back inside, to see

these copies of the Bamberger Reiter and of Donatello’s Cantoria. But the venerable

old building itself isn’t either Gothic or Renaissance. Although my main interest is the fine arts

i always take a look at the works of the graduates of the other departments. At the Textile & Fashion department i was particularly intrigued by presentations of Gino Anthonisse and

of Bastian Visch. Continuing my tour on the ground floor i glimpsed into the room where once i had my own graduation show, more than three decades ago.

Jet Smits shows liquid crystals, while in the next room

Sebastian Frisch lets you listen to growing young maize plants. His work

is combined with Jef Stapel’s works.

I went to the first floor of the old building. Whose work is this?

You bet!

I saw Lynn van Asperen´s fine presentation, although i preferred the stills to the video.

Interior Architecture & Furniture Design had its own publication,

while others represent themselves in another way.

The weather was still a bit gloomy.

Urban happiness.

Kim Verkade made a project about so-called beauty vlogging, where young teenage girls are compulsively busy with their appearance. One of the dark sides of the internet. In the same room

Wardie Hellendoorn has a sympathetic project about people using the ferry (pont) in Amsterdam.

A statement by Leroy Sankes. Can’t agree more. And just next to his almost perfect photographs

Lorena van Bunningen has this great presentation, showing you the wonders of this imperfect world.

This reminded me of Marijn Ottenhof’s Waitingroom.

Henri Verhoef’s just-over-the-top photos. And again

something was waiting here.

Juuke Schoorl’s very beautiful work.

Going to the second floor of the old building i ran into Stefanie Crombach’s work on my way to see

Alexandra Martens Serrano’s great installation. She shared the room

with painter Vincent Both. Not a bad combination at all.

This probably prepared me for

this greenish room and

this pinkish room by Silben de Jonge. These rooms are green and pink, as you can see.

For me the interludes were short, for the graduates they are a bit longer…

Some attractive refreshments while watching Isabel Cavenecia thirsty video.

There are some good movies this year. This great one is by Thamar Martin while

as for this one by Biljana Kanevche, i have the feeling it could have been taken a step further.

And still the weather is a bit gloomy.

On the second floor the rooms are a bit cramped, but for Santeri Taurula’s installation that’s no problem at all.

There was a fine series of paintings by Eva Lagrange too, while

in the next room Hannah Polak shows her fine installation and

Tessel Vooijs shows her paintings.

The two sides of Samara Mitri’s installation.

Fiona Henriquez.

Maja Klaassens welcomes you to the dark.

Thomas van Rijs.

Anna de Vries has her presentation in the corridor. While it’s a fine presentation it runs the risk of not catching the attention of the visitors.

Graphic Design graduate Erik Muusse made a constitution for a dictator, and some machines to apply it. Here you see the voting machine.

On my way to the new building i saw a picture by Wim Steijven of his hilarious tall people project (club tall people Gives you space).

In the new building Nathalie Mannaerts has this solemn room for her solemn pictures (and rethinking Marijn Ottenhof’s Waitingroom?).

These days a graduation show can’t be complete without some vulnerable animals. Jordan Herregraven’s presentation is quite good, although i’d rethink showing works on paper in this context (the works on paper are not in the pictures here, as it was too dark).

Some details of Gitte Hendrikx’s great installation and the flowers she got for it.

Somebody seems to have had it.

Stephan van Zijp is omnipresent amongst the painters while

Mariska Baars brings you back to some refinement and

Lisette Frimannslund shows you rearrangements of remembrances.

And again Stephan van Zijp. His monumental pictures

next to the no less monumental but much smaller pictures by Akycha Tegelaar.

Outside, in the shed, Marijke Everts’s installation. Her motto is Only in my mind home exists which reflects her travelling mind, combining different cultures.

Back to the building, on my way to

Jonathan van Sloten’s sculptures.

There’s always a way out!

Mechteld van Dijk.

She is sitting there every day.

This text reminded me of Erik Muusse’s constitution and Marijn Ottenhof’s Waitingroom. So i didn’t wait.

Evelien Gransjean clearly wants the world to be bigger.

Through Leslie Nagel’s work you can see what is awaiting you in the next room. But

first have some fun with Leslie’s machine.

Aura Rendón Benger.

Well well well….

And some more waiting…

Helen M. Hintjens shows an interesting video and other works on the theme of the present and the colonial past.

Cuculus canorus. This bird is parasitic on nests of smaller birds. In forests, wetlands, farmland and moorland.

Is this art? ….. no

Adrian Mazzarolo is stealing the show with his movie.

While on my way out R.D.P. Schelfhout had unlocked his room.

In the mean time the sun had started shining, so i went to one of my favourite haunts. The KABK has become an extremely good institute. But why calling a graduation show a festival? In that case i’d expect something in more venues in the city or maybe some pop-up performances in the city centre.

(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

Full article here (in Dutch): http://villalarepubblica.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/hoogland-graduation-festival-kabk-den-haag/

Bertus Pieters