Now or never #3, GEM, The Hague

In Now or never #3 GEM presents artists who graduated from the Royal Academy (Koninklijke Academie – KABK) in The Hague in 2014 and 2015. This year’s is a particularly good edition, not just because of the good artists but also because their works are very well exhibited. There is a sense of unity in the show in spite of all the differences. Every artist has a space of his/her own.

Some of Mirthe Klück’s works were shown at a small exhibition in Billytown’s Kitchen this summer (I reported about it here). I am eagerly awaiting even more new works.

The setting of Bjorn Barendse’s work in this show could hardly differ more from his presentation at the graduation show this year at the Royal Academy. His works, open to different interpretations, work very well together as an installation, as they did in his graduation show, but there is more breathing space for them in the GEM’s setting.

The works of Jordan Herregraven seem to be animal embodiments of human nature and compared to Herregraven’s graduation show they look quite naked and vulnerable in the bright lights of the GEM.

Martin Gabriel mixes virtual reality, “real” reality and inner space in his paintings and computerworks.

A very recent and quite interesting interactive work was on show at Noordwal 117 during Haags Hoogtij (the seasonal gallery night in The Hague). Disappointingly the program didn’t work when I visited GEM (please GEM/Gemeentemuseum, take care of these kind of things!).

Juuke Schoorl applies the human skin as artistic material in video and photography.

In the GEM Elise Sothys’ word-works have far more impact than they had in her graduation show. The you-me relationship between work of art and viewer in Sothys’ case is a strong and egocentric one that doesn’t tolerate any visual noise by other artists.

Lynne Brouwer explores the colours in waiting rooms etc. Though her photo book is interesting, i don’t very much see the point in her more monumental photo works. What is the point in duplicating the waiting room experience?

Vincent Both paints and draws on paper, or rather, he seems to draw from the paper, like a writer who sees his paper and thinks his text may be more in the paper than on it.

Olya Oleinic shows her Universal guide to everything again.

Those who admired Mickey Yang’s graduation show, as i did, will be familiar with her works presently on show.

I remember there should be smoke coming from this bowl, but didn’t see it when i visited GEM.

Esther Hovers’ presentation is about people in public space as seen by surveillance cameras. People become usually de-individualized in public space, but from the point of view of surveillance and security each person becomes an individual in another way. What’s more, these individuals could be you or me. What are you hiding in public space, while walking there? What makes you change your mind on a street corner?

Rixt de Boer shows a video-essay-triptych about haystacks in relation to people and landscape in Central Europe. Surprisingly, the haystack is a monument of solidity in this work. It is also a peaceful and pastoral finish to this fine exhibition.

(More pictures of the graduation shows can be seen here and here)
(full reviews in Dutch of the graduation shows can be read here and here)

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

Bertus Pieters

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