The exhibition at the newly established showroom at Willemsparkweg is dedicated to unseen and iconic works from the Bildhalle artist portfolio. The first presentation shows premiere works by our Dutch artists Casper Faassen, Ilona Langbroek and Bastiaan Woudt.
After Bildhalle opened its first gallery in the Netherlands at Hazenstraat 15 in October 2020, the second one followed just a year later at Willemsparkweg 134. The warm welcome in The Netherlands motivated and convinced Bildhalle to expand and take new talents into its program. Now comes the next step to say thank you to the artists, who made this development possible.
Ilona Langbroek’s series “Silent Loss” is a personal series based on her family history in the former Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands has a long history with the Dutch East Indies, which leaves all kinds of traces that are reminiscent of the vast but also complex colonial past between these two countries. In fact, her work is about the lost identity of the large number of people who were forced to leave their country after the Independence and their emotions regarding this loss which are dormant but still very much alive.
Bastiaan Woudt’s photography feels like stepping into a modern painting. Light and shadow dance elegantly. You will find a hint of surrealism as the sober shades ask you to see only the essence and awakens every detail. His work is minimalistic yet moves, playing with the beauty of imperfection — again, inspired by 50s, 60s and 70s photography. He honours this photography while exploring how modern in-camera methods and post-production can elevate the style of today.
Casper Faassen’s work is characterized by his continued innovative utilization of material, techniques, and disciplines. In addition to painting and graphic art, Faassen devotes much of his time to the medium of photography. It is in his photographic work that we once again see the 17th century Leiden painters who inspired him. His distinctive works depict the classic 17th century themes such as cityscapes, vanitas paintings and flower arrangements. By combining photography with painted layers, Faassen could be described as either a photographing painter or painting photographer.