11 march 2022, Oscar van Gelderen
The gallery of... Pien Rademakers
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
I come from an entrepreneurial family with many contacts with other entrepreneurs, including artists, architects and musicians. Within that network of acquaintances I was always looking for the creatives. Especially the interior decorators and landscapers were my favourites. The urge to make something beautiful came to me very early on: I kept redesigning my nursery with posters or the art of my parents.
Joana Schneider, PAN 2019.
How did you come into contact with the art world?
Even before I had completed my studies in Art History, I was offered a job at a small municipality near Rotterdam. I was twenty-four years old at the time and had been hired to set up the art policy; I was allowed to carry out projects with a budget of two hundred thousand euros. This was a leap of faith. In this capacity I collaborated with Peter Struycken, set up educational programmes, made exhibitions, and it went so well that I knew afterwards: this is what I want! I wanted to start my own business, and I did. Looking back on this, it is especially art in the outdoor space that is still something on my wish list. I feel like art in public space a bit underappreciated lately, while this is where accessibility and connection with art can extend so much further. People with little contact with art are then approached/taken along. A popular initiative is the Art Zuid route in Amsterdam, which we participated in last year with the artist Natasja Alers. I wonder how we can organize more art in the public space again.
Atelier visit REM Atelier.
What was your first job in a gallery? Or did you immediately start a gallery yourself?
My first job in a gallery was as a gallery manager; I soon felt that I wanted to put my own stamp on it. For example, I had ideas about the artists I wanted to work with, and about the way of presenting in the gallery. But that has been a long way, because I took care of my two children on my own. Together with my youngest brother I started a gallery, already under the name Rademakers. After a few years bought my brother’s shares in the business. What is now Rademakers Gallery started more than 23 years ago. Having said that, it only began to feel like my gallery when we moved to the KNSM-laan. The road up to here was certainly not a sprint, but a step by step approach creating more opportunity. I started investing more and more time, energy and money in internationalizing Rademakers Gallery, for example by participating in art fairs abroad. Over the past decade I have participated in many international fairs in New York, Basel, Copenhagen, Milan, Germany and Miami. As a result, the gallery's clientele globalized.
Atelier visit Iwan Smit.
How would you describe your gallery’s profile?
Representing female artists is number 1; artists such as Joana Schneider, Jessie Strinxer and Sebiha Demir. Even during my studies, I could not bear it that so few women featured in lectures and textbooks. It just couldn't be that there were only so few female artists throughout history – and there aren't!
It feels like my mission to keep fighting for that, but I'm not just representing women these days. Everyone is welcome, regardless of gender. Furthermore, reuse of materials and sustainability are an important theme in the gallery. This applies to all different disciplines: art, fashion, jewelery and design. All these crossovers have a place at Rademakers Gallery.
The art world needs to be more inclusive and I don't believe in pigeonholing someone. An example of this was the collaboration between Iris van Herpen and Carla van de Puttelaar for the exhibition 'Synergia'; to me Iris' designs are just as much art as classical painting on canvas, which I also think is beautiful! How cool is it when someone who takes photos becomes involved in film or scenography or design? We all want to show and promote that.
Synergia, Iris van Herpen & photographer Carla van de Puttelaar.
What do you think is the best part of being a gallerist?
My mission is to make people happy through art. For example, when delivering a new artwork. I never get tired of that intense happiness of the collector when their new acquisition has arrived. That drives me very much, I get a lot of energy from it.
Another great aspect of this profession is that you can live your own adventure novel. I make beautiful trips to arts fairs abroad, I represent artists I strongly believe in and I surround myself with beautiful art every day, which is why I see being a gallery owner not as work but as a way of life.
Rademakers kunst transport.
Which national / international galleries do you feel an affinity with?
An inspiring example for me is a gallery from Milan which focuses on both art and design: Nilufar Gallery. Curated by Nina Yashar. It's colourful, bold and I love their eclectic collection.
In an ideal world, which artist would you most like to represent?
My number 1 would be Sheila Hicks! She really is a rock chick in the art world to me. Her way of dealing with materials in an innovative way really appeals to me. I once came across a work of art by her at TEFAF, a small work with rope, and of all things at the fair it was the work that appealed to me the most, it was by far the most beautiful and moving piece of art.
Also at number 1 :-) Zaha Hadid, architect, designer and artist. She always opted for curves and sensuality, innovative use of materials and was not afraid of experimentation. In addition, she has built a bridge between East and West with her designs.
Yamuna Forzani met Pien.
What has changed in the art world since you took your first steps?
The art world has become more open and transparent. 23 years ago I could not have imagined how much we sell to collectors abroad, who have never been able to visit the physical gallery in Amsterdam. That the role of the internet would become so great. The most beautiful change I think is the blurring of the boundaries; we are in contact with artists and collectors from all over the world. Whatever the future holds, I hope that the moment of falling in love with a work of art in the gallery will always last.
Pien Yamuna Forzani & Joana Schneider, 2021.
What / whose work do you collect yourself?
I mainly collect work by artists I represent, since you understand the intention behind the work, and have often experienced the artist's development. It is almost inevitable that you also want to collect it yourself. In my apartment I surround myself with works by Joana Schneider, Mae Engelgeer, Cathalijn Wouters, Bregje Sliepenbeek, Jesler Muntendam, Yamuna Forzani, Koos Buster, Florentijn de Boer, Nadja Schlenker, Jessi Strixner, Johannes Langkamp and Tomáš Libertíny and Iwan Smit.
Pien with Florentijn de Boer, Stillpoint.
Has the pandemic changed the way you see the artworld?
The gallery has gotten so much bigger; we've seen online sales increase sixfold, and I now employ four people. My team handles all online requests on Artsy, GalleryViewer and the gallery's website. In addition, we organize six to seven exhibitions a year in the gallery, and we prepare visits to trade fairs. Rademakers participates in Design Miami/Basel, Art Rotterdam, PAN Amsterdam, Enter Art Fair Copenhagen, but also, for example, Volta New York and in the coming years we will go for Volta New York and Volta Basel.
Enter ART Fair 2021.
