Studio Visit: Pris Roos
Curious about the creative process of an artist? This January, Pris Roos invites us into her studio for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look. A unique opportunity to meet her in the space where her ideas come to life.
Pris Roos is an artist, teacher, curator, researcher and storyteller. As a child she grew up in the toko of her family who emigrated from Indonesia. For, Pris Roos, the toko symbolises a space of being together, colours, smells, food, stories and a mixture of people from different backgrounds. The toko is a source of wealth for her art practice. As an artist she works with different mediums such as painting, spoken word, video, performance and installation. By listening and observing the people she encounters, she reflects on topics such as identity, migration and memory.
Gallery Tour: Amsterdam
Do you enjoy visiting galleries but hesitate to step inside on your own? Or do you want to catch up on the latest developments in the world of contemporary art?
Join this gallery tour, where you’ll explore the Amsterdam gallery scene together with other art enthusiasts. We’ll visit three galleries that are within walking distance of each other. During the tour, you’ll discover the works of emerging talent and established names, while also getting to know Amsterdam’s gallery owners better.
Fair Visit: ceramic brussels
Ceramics are hot: artists like Grayson Perry, Anne Wenzel and Koos Buster are utilising this medium to delve into contemporary themes and social issues. On 25 January, we will visit the second edition of the ceramic brussels art fair, where we'll enjoy a guided tour. Afterwards, you'll have the opportunity to explore the fair at your leisure, which will feature works from over 60 galleries.
Historically, ceramics, much like textile art, often went unrecognised as a legitimate art form, partly due to its association with ‘women's work' and traditional crafts. These disciplines were predominantly the domain of women, leading to their marginalisation within a male-dominated art world. However, the field is now open to new experiments, and the medium has been in the limelight for some time now.
Photo: Geoffrey Fritsch
Studio Visits: Loïc Van Zeebroek and Charlotte Vandenbroucke
There’s nothing more exciting than a behind-the-scenes look, and nothing more personal than a studio visit. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover how an artist thinks, feels, and — by extension — works. At the end of January, we’ll visit the studios of two artists located in the same building in Ghent. Both are represented by Dauwens & Beernaert Gallery in Brussels.
Loïc Van Zeebroek’s paintings explore the construction of images, moving seamlessly between abstraction and figuration. His work evokes a sense of emptiness — a serene, pressure-free space that invites reflection. By carefully selecting what to include and what to omit, he creates contemplative spaces within the traditional medium of painting. His inspiration stems from romantic landscape painting and both self-made and found educational geographic imagery. Stripped of their original context and meaning, these sources give rise to new, imaginative spaces. His work is included in notable collections such as Museum Voorlinden and SMAK.
Charlotte Vandenbroucke’s paintings captivate through their layered complexity and inherent ambiguity. With a unique interpretation of abstract visual language, she crafts spaces that balance emptiness and intensity, light and shadow, and the contrast between the lightness and weight of existence. Her work blends subtle colour gradients with distinctive textures and unusual materials, such as graphite powder, resulting in paintings that exude both warmth and restraint. Her pieces reflect a deeply personal response to the complex emotions and events that define life. They function as visual poems, distilling life’s big themes into forms where every viewer can find their own perspective.
Private Collection Visit: Nigel Bagley & Lorraine Dean
Rather than being ‘collectors’, Nigel and Lorraine consider themselves as ‘accumulators’ of art. And, over the last 25 years, they have accumulated more than 300 contemporary art pieces that fill every available surface in their apartment.
Whilst skewed towards photography, with work by Dutch artists including Viviane Sassen and Awoiska van der Molen and international artists including Pieter Hugo and Micheal Wolf, the accumulation also includes traditional paint on canvas, including work by Katinka Lempe and Esiri Erheriene-Essi, sculptural work from the likes of Hans op de Beeck and Adam Jeppesen, conceptual works and even sound pieces.
They are often asked what is the ‘red line’ that connects the art that they have. For many years they struggled to answer this question. However, looking holistically, through their apartment, visitors will notice that the portrayal of people and the absence of people are themes the unite the collection/accumulation.
Img. A typical corner in Nigel and Lorraine’s apartment with work by Paul Richard, Marjolein Rothman, Wang Zi Wong, Navid Nuur, Studio Drift, Koos Booster, Gijs Assmann and Tracey Snelling.
Access Granted? Breaking In and Breaking Down the Art World
Stepping into the art world can feel like entering a curated dream—sometimes yours, often someone else's. It is a space where expressions intermingle with power structures and cultural narratives.
But behind the white cube of the gallery walls and the polished name cards lies a more profound question: who gets to create, participate, and belong? What are the barriers to not only enter the art world but also thrive within it? How are the boundaries of access, recognition, and visibility shaped?
Together with SPUI25, we delve into the systemic and personal challenges that may arise for cultural professionals who are about to enter the field. This program aims to identify critical issues and propose actionable solutions for cultural practitioners aiming to navigate and reshape the art world. Together with a number of guest speakers from within the field, we will focus on addressing these barriers and ways to overcome those. The evening will include a brief masterclass on the innerworkings of the art world and how you can secure your spot right at the centre of it.
Access Granted? Breaking In and Breaking Down the Art World is for anyone who is curious to learn more about the inner workings of the art world or has questions on where to start after graduating with a humanities degree. How can we examine the interplay between who participates and how spaces are accessed? What are the ways in which we can nurture a creative ecosystem where individual and collective voices can thrive and feel welcomed? Together, we will imagine an art world that breaks boundaries, fosters dialogue, and welcomes all to create, experience, and belong.
Travel: Cape Town
South Africa's dynamic Cape Town is home to Investec Cape Town Art Fair. This art fair brings the international art world together in Africa: more than 100 leading galleries present more than 500 artists from four continents, and is above all a great place to discover artists and galleries from the African continent.
Our four-day program includes a.o. visits to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz Mocaa), the largest museum on the African contintent, studio visits with Cape Town-based artists and a wine tasting and art tour at the Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch, about 30 minutes outside of Cape Town. The Spier Collection is South Africa's largest collection of contemporary art. This trip will take place Feb. 20-23, 2025.
More information on travel, lodging and costs can be found here.
Travel: Riga
Join us for a trip to Riga from 16 - 18 May. Explore the vibrant world of contemporary art at various galleries, museums, and exhibition spaces across Riga, where you can witness innovative works by emerging and established artists alike. We will visit the newest generation of Latvian artists at PILOT, an experimental art space that is part of the Latvian art academy and explore the cities project spaces that are known for operating on the intersection of art, sciences and cutting-edge technologies that give new artistic forms and expressions.
One of the cities most impressive art venues is Zuzeum, originally a cork factory that site been reborn into the hippest art space in Riga. It hosts the private collection of art collector couple Jānis and Dina Zuzāni, showcasing works that span from the 19th century to the present. During our walks in the city we will encounter lots of street art as well, as the city is knows for its colorful murals. A group dinner and welcome drink are included in our program.
Deadline for registration: February 1. More information about the program, registration and costs can be found here.