23 september 2022, Oscar van Geldern
The gallery of... Muriel Mager
In the section 'The gallery of' we talk to a host of gallerists from the Netherlands and Belgium: when and how did they start their gallery, what has changed in the art world since, what is their profile, what do they collect themselves, and what has been the impact of the pandemic on their gallery? In this part: Muriel Mager (Contour Gallery)
We’re you exposed to art while growing up?
My parents took my brother and me to museums every now and then, mostly during vacations. In the Netherlands it were my grandparents who took us to museum. To the classics, such as the Kröller-Müller, and the more cultural-historical museums such as the Open Air Museum in Arnhem and Museum Bronbeek. But for me, the real interest in art was peaked in high school. There were all kinds of opportunities to discover culture in a more active way. For example, I went to Introdans in Arnhem when I was fifteen years old. And at some point you could take a photography course; I loved it. That was my first encounter with the world in which I now in every day with my gallery.
Golden Light Green, Petra Laaper, November 2019
How did you come into contact with the art world?
When I started studying at the Art Academy in The Hague, in 1996, art was the only thing on my mind. At the academy, we went to the Venice Biennale, Kassel, Documenta, you name it. And of course Dutch museums and galleries were also heavily visited, which we as students assessed critically. After graduating from the KABK (Photographic Education), I also did the post-training Photography at St. Joost in Breda. So I've been surrounding myself with art for about 25 years. My boyfriend and I have introduced our children to the art world from an early age; they come to exhibitions in the gallery and go to museums and art fairs. We also regularly visit artist friends and openings of other gallery owners. It's really nice to see how they slowly come to understand what art is.
Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, 2018
What was your first job in a gallery? Or did you immediately start a gallery yourself?
In 2010, I was asked to set up a gallery in The Hague. This was the Sophie Maree Gallery, a fictional person, a tribute to my two grandmothers, Sophia and Marie. I ran it for seven years, together with a partner. In 2017, I started my own business. I bought a laptop with my last money, and in June 2018 the Contour Gallery opened its doors with an exhibition by the talented Jan Pypers.
Gallery Opening, Jan Pypers, June 2018
How would you describe your gallery’s profile?
We focus on contemporary photography where our knowledge of the medium enables the makers to present their work in an optimal way. At Contour Gallery, we look for the outlines of photography, creating a broad picture of what is happening in photography today. The collection currently consists of 90% photography and 10% sculptural 3D objects. We also offer space for hyper-realistic painting.
We are fascinated by the friction between the endless stream of images we consume every day and the meanings that lie behind that surface. This seems to run parallel, especially in photography, but is what you think you are seeing really what you see? Photography has undergone a major development in recent decades and no longer consists only of registering a moment. Playing with the viewer's perception is a common thread running through all the work presented by the Contour Gallery.
Paper, Rock Scissors, Tjitske Oosterholt, May 2021
What do you think is the best part of being a gallerist?
That you connect art to people, through an idea, beauty and/or emotion. Art is something you can draw inspiration from, it gives you the opportunity to learn to reflect and let you discover new insights. And it's exciting; as a gallerist you are always looking for new talent, and when you present it for the first time, you hope that others see what you see. Like last year, when we introduced the artist Alia Ali at Unseen and with a solo presentation in the gallery. It was a big success. I also love the work of Elsemarijn Bruys. She comes from the world of fashion and theatre, she can think big, and makes beautiful objects and performances. She is not stuck to one medium but moves fluidly within all disciplines of the arts. Escaping reality and embracing absurdity is what really appeals to me in her work. Yet, at the same time I can be moved by the subtlety and fragility of the works of someone like Tjitske Oosterholt. She experiments in great detail with materials and investigates what the medium of photography actually is. Three women at the start of their careers… I'm very curious where their journey will take them!
Opening Ruben Dario Kleimeer, September 2021
Which national / international galleries do you feel an affinity with?
Female gallery owners such as Tatjana Pieters, Cokkie Snoei and Magda Danysz, who built up their business themselves. They demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit, curate their own artist base, and work from integrity and passion for art. And, not unimportantly, know how to remain friendly.
In an ideal world, which artist would you most like to represent?
There are always artists on my wish list. Like Saidou Dicko. I discovered his work two years ago and I was sold there and then. I am now in talks with him and his gallery in Germany to see if we can work together.
Alia Ali, Unseen September 2021
What has changed in the art world since you took your first steps?
There were a handful of galleries specialized in photography in the Netherlands when I started. Now I think that number has doubled. Also, more and more young women entered the gallery world, but there are still not many. In addition, the internet was not yet as leading as it is now. There was still something novel about it. When I started Contour Gallery in 2017, the influence of the internet was already large, but I could not have imagined how strong it would grow during the pandemic. We now sell to collectors from all over the world who will never visit the physical gallery; it remains special that you get someone’s trust.
Finally, I notice that the will to work together in Rotterdam has grown in recent years. There is more cohesion. With a small group of galleries that appreciate and respect each other, we started a collective in 2019, called Art Central Rotterdam, through which we organize events. My first project was Bas Losekoot's 2019 solo show, 'Out of Place'. An impressive collection of images in which he captures the intimacy of human behaviour in megacities.
Bas Losekoot, Art Central, September 2019
What / whose work do you collect yourself?
At home we have an eclectic collection of old prints, work by Hans Citroen, Martijn F. Overweel, Alia Ali, Jan Borger, Cooper and Gorfer, batik paintings from Indonesia that I inherited, and work by my friend Markus Rummens, who was trained as an autonomous artist. All art that appeals to and touches us for various reasons.
Margriet Smulders, Make love not war, June, 2022
Has the pandemic changed the way you see the artworld?
There has been a standstill, which lasted almost two years. Fortunately, the engine seems to have been running again since July 2021. The challenge now is to find a nice balance between the consciousness for which there was room at the time, and the implementation of all the new insights we have received during that time!
Elsemarijn Bruys, Wrapping Nothing, 2022
See all artists represented by Contour Gallery
