We’re you exposed to art while growing up?
I grew up with art. Modern art decorated the walls of our childhood home, including works by Cobra artists, Zadkine and Ad Dekkers. The furnishing was also modern, such as Rietveld furniture, which my parents had inherited from my grandparents. My father regularly bought contemporary art from Amsterdam galleries, including Galerie Balans, Espace and Rob Jurka, and we also regularly went to museums at home and abroad. I was interested in art from an early age.
After high school I went to study history, but thanks to my boyfriend – who is still my partner today, Steven Aalders – who studied at the art academy in London and later at the Ateliers, and in dealing with other artists I also started studying art history. As a student, we visited many exhibitions at home and abroad, such as the 1982 Documenta and the Venice Biennale in 1984. As a part-time job, I occasionally spent afternoons in Galerie Van Krimpen on the Prinsengracht.
In 1987, Wim van Krimpen asked me to assist him at the contemporary art fair, the KunstRai, which he had set up. I took care of the catalogue for a few years and did other odd jobs. Two years later, I became his right-hand man in setting up the Kunsthal Rotterdam. Then I learned a lot in a short time: initially from the construction of the new hall under designed by Rem Koolhaas, but also from the programming and management that had to be set up. As a project manager I was present everywhere and I was given a lot of responsibility.
What was your first job in a gallery? Or did you immediately start a gallery yourself?
After the Kunsthal opened its doors in 1992, I spent two more intensive years organizing the most diverse exhibitions – ranging from Indonesian court art to contemporary art from China – after which I decided to start my own business and opened my own gallery in 1994 in the vacant space of Galerie Brinkman, under our house in the Kerkstraat in Amsterdam.
At that time, in the early 1990s, several prominent galleries in Amsterdam closed or relocated. Not only Brinkman, but also Art & Project, Van Krimpen and The Living Room. Several artists I knew were looking for a gallery. So there was room for a new gallery. The architect, Herman Postma, designed a functional and timeless interior, which has not been changed to date.
How would you describe your gallery’s profile?
I made my first exhibition with work by Alice Schorbach, an artist with whom I still work today. Large white minimalist, object-like paintings, which entered into a relationship with the sleek gallery space. In retrospect, this proved to be exemplary for the gallery's further policy. A connecting factor between the different artists of the gallery can best described as a reflective attitude towards art and attention to the tangible aspects of the material. The gallery's programme hasn’t changed significantly over time. Most of the artists I started working with then are still associated with the gallery and exhibit here regularly, such as Michael Jacklin, Joris Geurts, Martina Klein and Krijn de Koning. The emphasis on traditional media, especially painting, still applies. On average, there are about seven solo exhibitions a year by Dutch and foreign artists. They are occasionally accompanied by a catalogue, a video film or podcast. Occasionally, I make a group exhibition with a theme or I invite a guest curator, such as former museum director Rudi Fuchs, former director of the Dutch opera Pierre Audi, graphic designer Irma Boom, and John Snijders, pianist, connoisseur and interpreter of contemporary music. This resulted in interesting exhibitions due to the works of guest artists and the interdisciplinary approach.
What do you think is the best part of being a gallerist?
The great thing about a being gallerist who represents living artists is the contact with those artists. Being close to the origin of their art and being able to follow their development closely. The visits to their studios are inspiring. In addition, organizing an exhibition together with the artist is always exciting. And, of course, the satisfaction when a work is sold and ends up in a good place.
Which national / international galleries do you feel an affinity with?
I feel a connection with several galleries abroad that I work with, such as Galerie Tschudi in Switzerland, Paula Cooper in New York, Galerie Stein in Milan, Konrad Fischer Galerie and Walter Storms Galerie in Germany. I work with them because we share some artists, and there is also a kinship in the type of art and attitude.
In an ideal world, which artist would you most like to represent?
I don’t have a wish list of artists with whom I would like to make an exhibition. The artists I work with come naturally to me. Intuition plays a part, strategy does not.
What has changed in the art world since you took your first steps?
A lot has changed in the past 25 years. The art fairs have claimed a greater role in selling and exhibiting contemporary art. Until the pandemic, I participated in several international fairs each year. The Internet, however, has brought about the biggest change yet. Due to these developments, the exhibitions in the gallery are frequented less. Incidentally, this does not have much effect on sales. People interested in acquiring works of art keep coming, as you have to see a work in real life to do that.
What / whose work do you collect yourself?
Over the years I have regularly bought work from the artists after an exhibition. There are many works by the artists I represent in our quarters. I live with these works and I enjoy looking at them every day. I couldn't live without it.
Has the pandemic changed the way you see the artworld?
The pandemic has slowed down life, as it has for everyone. However, I was able to continue my programme. Due to these circumstances, exhibitions by foreign artists have been postponed. There are now more exhibitions by local artists. There is no longer any international travel for exhibition, artist or fair. Everything has become local again, which is also pleasing and may become more the norm. There have been no fairs for over a year, except for Art Rotterdam this year. The attention for gallery exhibitions is increasing again and hopefully this will remain the case.
See all the artists represented by Slewe Gallery.