13 september 2024, Wouter van den Eijkel
Opening gallery season 2024: part 2
The gallery season is about to begin. This weekend all galleries will open their doors again. Below is an overview of all exhibitions opening this weekend in Amsterdam.
Stephan Balkenhol, AKINCI
AKINCI
Stephan Balkenhol
German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol gained international recognition with his exploration of the human form. Since the 1980s, Balkenhol has held over 100 solo exhibitions and completed numerous public space commissions. His sculptures are characterised by consistent simplicity, making them easily recognisable. At AKINCI, a new series of his work is on display, comprising sculptures, works on paper and reliefs. The pieces are tailored to the gallery space, creating an installation-like experience in which the individual works form a whole and resonate with each other.
Casper Faassen, Matching pine trees, 2022, Bildhalle
Bildhalle
I see you – 14 artists in a dialogue | Group Exhibition
Bildhalle asked seven of their artists to each invite an artist they appreciate, artists who deserve to be seen. As a result, I see you not only features work from established names such as Margaret Lansink and Casper Faasen, but also emerging talents. In addition to paintings, there are ceramics, textiles and photography on display. I see you is the first exhibition in a series of collaborations with Harper’s Bazaar Netherlands.
Hemaseh Manawi Rad, Nightingale, 2024, Galerie Bart
Galerie Bart
Heard It Through the Grapevine | Hemaseh Manawi Rad
Hemaseh’s work constitutes a dialogue between cultures, between her Iranian roots and the Western world in which she lives and works. This inspires her to create tactile and textile work that honour both cultures. Hemaseh seeks to embrace the space between two cultures as a single whole. In Heard It Through the Grapevine, she combines her textile art with the transformative power of narrative. Through bold colour palettes and intriguing textures, she brings personal anecdotes and cherished stories to life.
P (Parking) | Kevin Bauer, Galerie Bart
Galerie Bart
P (Parking) | Kevin Bauer
Kevin Bauer’s P (Parking) is exhibited in the garden of Galerie Bart. A car stuck in the ground raises questions about the ever-changing world. What do we leave behind? How will today’s everyday objects become part of future generations or ecosystems in the distant future, once they are no longer in use? In Bauer’s installation, even the car—long a symbol of technological progress, independence and mobility—has been stripped of its function.
BorzoGallery
Echo | Ronald Zuurmond
In his new series of paintings, Ronald Zuurmond elevates his exploration of the meaning of form, colour and texture to a new level. For the first time, he eliminates all traces of figuration, yet there is never any doubt that we are looking at his work, evidenced by the characteristic layering, scraping of the paint and surface textures. “The paintings have value solely because they exist and do not aim to argue or comment on anything," says Zuurmond. This neutrality is further emphasised by working in series: the distinction between the works exists only in the viewer's perspective, not in that of the artist.
Iva Gueorguieva, Butterfly, 2024, Bradwolff & Partners
Bradwolff & Partners
Recordings | Iva Gueorguieva
Bulgarian-American artist Iva Gueorguieva is known for her dynamic, layered compositions that combine colour, line and texture. Discover the complexity of human emotions and balance between chaos and order in her vibrant artwork. Gueorguieva’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in such prestigious collections as LACMA and MOCA. In the back room, there is a special selection of collages and sculptures by Carel Visser, a pioneer in Dutch abstract art.
Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Annet Gelink Gallery
Annet Gelink Gallery
When it’s almost dark | Giorgio Andreotta Calò
Calo’s first solo exhibition at Annet Gelink presents the project ΙΚΑΡΟΣ (ICARUS). ICARUS was originally a film, but Calo decided to translate the poetic essence of the film onto the gallery walls. The labyrinthine installation of cages in the gallery mirrors the butterfly garden from the film and structure that Daedalus designed in the myth. Branches and cocoons, cast in silver and bronze, are brought to life by the sudden emergence of moths, shifting the traditional concept of still life into that of living nature.
GRIMM
Sowing in half-light | Anders Davidsen
Danish painter Anders Davidsen works on linen, composing his pieces from an underlying layer of weathered brown. Multiple layers of oil paint are then applied straight from the tube in thin, dry layers. Davidsen scrubs and wipes away the paint to reveal reflections on the water’s surface as the paint dries. It’s a race against time. Davidsen is careful not to overwork the surface, allowing the coloured layers to gently dance across the linen.
Pietà, Millefleurs | Rini Hurkmans, Lumen Travo Galerie
Lumen Travo Galerie
Pietà, Millefleurs | Rini Hurkmans
In Pietà, Millefleurs, Rini Hurkmans explores themes of absence, loss, ethics and politics, inspired by Michelangelo’s Pietà and the La Dame à la Licorne tapestries. Through 55 woven pieces, sculptures and multimedia works, Hurkmans invites viewers to reflect on human values, societal crises and our relationship to the environment.
Stigter Van Doesburg
Garden Of Lies | Andrei Nitu
Telling lies is like being in a garden where we can shelter and hide from our deepest fears, the most primal one being the fear of death. On the macro level of civilisations, our fears are numbed by rituals, objects and myths, but what is the cost of deadening our fear of mortality? Nițu explores this through a cinematic approach to oil painting. Oil paint has long been used to distort reality and shape cultures, telling the lies that have formed human identity. Nițu examines clichés and romance, asking questions about the comfort we seek and what it conceals: our fear of mortality.
Yamuna Forzani, Goddess Energy, 2023, Rademakers Gallery
Rademakers Gallery
SOFT! Textile Art: Healing Powers of Textile | groepstentoonstelling
Each year, Rademakers focuses on the influence of textiles on our well-being during the SOFT! exhibition. This edition explores how textile art nurtures emotional well-being and evokes feelings of safety and connection. In line with the mission of Rademakers Gallery to blur disciplinary boundaries, SOFT! features work by artists who blend art, fashion and design. The exhibition features work by Anne von Freyburg, Julia Kiryanova, Joana Schneider, Simone Post, Sofie Aaldering, Mae Engelgeer, Yamuna Forzani, Coen Derickx and Antoine Peters.
Matthijs Scholten, Circling, 2024, SmithDavidson Gallery
SmithDavidson Gallery
Angels & Demons | Matthijs Scholten
With Angels & Demons, Scholten is clearly taking a new step in his oeuvre. Although he remains true to his personal emotional experiences as a source of inspiration, Scholten adds such figurative elements as flowers, animals and angels. Constructivist elements and symbolism come together in his recognisable style, characterised by energetic and spontaneous brushstrokes and complemented by impasto and fine details, resulting in recognisable forms. Scholten’s works have a naivety reminiscent of the CoBrA artists, street art and graffiti, also referencing contemporary pop culture.
