On Friday, June 26, 2026, Galerie Stigter Van Doesburg will open an exhibition featuring works on paper (and prints) by the renowned American author Dave Eggers, to mark the release of his new novel *Contrapposto*. The exhibition will run for exactly two days and will therefore close—albeit with a spectacular party on Saturday afternoon—on June 27, 2026.
All proceeds will go to the VAD Foundation (founded by Valentino Achak Deng, the protagonist of *What Is the What*) and Noordjes Kinderkunst!
Dave Eggers is not only a versatile author—known for books such as *The Circle*, *What Is the What*, A Heartbreaking Story of Dizzying Genius, and The Parade—but also a gifted artist and designer (the literary magazine McSweeney’s, which he published, stood out for its highly unusual design: one issue appeared in a cigar box, and another came with a comb—always handy for those who like to keep their hair well-groomed).
What’s on the agenda?
Dave Eggers will be giving interviews to newspapers in the gallery, but unfortunately, these are not open to the public. The good news: his conversation with Edo Dijksterhuis is open to the public, and there will be readings by authors from unpublished works under the banner “Elbow Giraffe”—here, too, your presence is welcome, even encouraged.
We’re organizing the exhibition and festivities in collaboration with De Bezige Bij Publishing and OvG Management.
On Friday, the opening reception will take place in the gallery from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
On Saturday, we’ll kick things off at 12:00 with an edition of Elbow Giraffe. At 2:00 p.m., this will be followed by an art talk with Dave Eggers and Edo Dijksterhuis, concluding with a book signing with Dave Eggers at 3:00 p.m. The gallery will also be open to visitors.
Athenaeum Bookstore will handle book sales for 48 hours.
Dave will be interviewed in public on Friday evening, June 26, at 8:00 p.m. (by Nieuwsuur host Jeroen Wollaars) at Tivoli (Utrecht) during a so-called—and very catchy—Book Talk, all under the auspices of the acclaimed ILFU.
For the hardcore fans: on Sunday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m., Eggers will appear at Bozar in Brussels, where he will be interviewed by the editor-in-chief of Knack Magazine, Bert Bultinck. Bultinck already interviewed Dave in 2000, when his debut *EHVVDG* was published, so he knows what he’s talking about. You can attend this event as well: https://www.bozar.be/nl/kalender/meet-writer-dave-eggers Meet the Writer—yet another incredibly exciting teaser.
And one more thing. You might be wondering why Dave is spending two days at an Amsterdam gallery. Well, here’s why—read the irresistible blurb.
Cricket Dib grows up in a broken home on the American prairie. His future prospects aren’t bright, until he discovers in elementary school that he can draw. Shortly after, he meets the slightly older Olympia Argyros. She’s precocious and full of energy, and Cricket quickly falls under her spell. Olympia recognizes his talent and manages to persuade him to deface a playground with vulgar drawings. He, now in love, doesn’t think twice about it, and so begins a relationship that will last sixty-five years—sometimes businesslike, sometimes friendly, and sometimes loving.
*Contrapposto* is a moving, wild, and often funny novel about friendship, love, art, and what it means to be an artist. The love between Cricket and Olympia is always in flux, but their devotion to one another is complete, as is their unshakable belief that art can save the world.