On view day and night
June 9 to September 2, 2023
Bad’s window displays
Arendsweg, Rotterdam
Opening 5.30 p.m. Fri, June 9, 2022
Finissage and debate
‘Let’s talk about artists and Rotterdam’s environment’
2 September from 4 p.m.
‘Art creates a space, to the same extent that the environment creates art.’
Germano Celant
A decade ago, Borgerstraat Studios opened its doors, becoming a vibrant hub for artists to share their creative experiences. For example, their annual Borgerstraat Open Studios event has become highly anticipated, inviting artists from Rotterdam and beyond to participate. From 2014 to 2019, Borgerstraat Studios published booklets featuring contemporary artworks and insightful texts, cultivating a broader appreciation for the arts. Their online platform, in-proximity-to-the-arts.nl, further expands on these publications.
Now, for the first time, the artists of Borgerstraat Studios exhibit collectively at another artist complex. The exhibition, ‘Outside Borgerstraat,’ presented in Foundation Bad’s window displays on Arendsweg, encourages exploration and interaction with new artistic contexts beyond their individual studios.
Outside Borgerstraat is in collaboration with Stichting Cultuurhuis der Zotheid.
Sonja van Dolron. Winding Stairs, 2023, Oil on canvas, 60 x 90 cm
Amid a world consumed by superficiality, Sonja van Dolron explores a different notion of beauty. Rather than the glittering distractions, she finds inspiration in the nuanced details of ordinary places and everyday events. Grounded in the ‘everyday reality,’ her work celebrates the profound beauty that often goes unnoticed.
Annelies de Greef, No title. Oil on linen
Annelies de Greef’s paintings emerge from recollections of specific places, transcending traditional landscapes. The enduring qualities lie in capturing atmospheric attributes that evoke memories, creating a captivating and evocative experience for the viewer.
Michael van Kekem. Soms is stilte het beste antwoord, 2022. Risograph priint
Michael van Kekem is an illustrative designer, printmaker, and founder of Rotterdam-based Studio Michael van Kekem. He creates playful, sharp, and colourful editorial illustrations, brand identities, handmade products, screen printed poster design, and typography. Michael engages with the community by hosting screen-printing and design workshops for all ages, conducting sessions at events and printmaking studios.
Johan Kleinjan. Trump Pill, 2023. Wool, glue, fabric
Johan Kleinjan works in a distinctively unpolished style, characterised by a unique and deliberate colour palette. His creations come from a fascination with peculiar aspects of everyday life, including Formula 1, the participants of Temptation Island, the plants in his studio, and the Opsporing Verzocht television show.
Wilma Kun. Roots, 2016. Roots, wood , rubber. 150 x 150 x 45 cm
Wilma Kun’s artistic work centers around the concept of identity, which she expresses through the utilisation of her own image. Her research looks into facets of identity, such as sexual identity, self-perception, the impact of personal and collective memory on identity formation, and the role of media in defining identity within contemporary culture.
Julie Müller. Waiting, 2023. Photograph
Julie Müller, a fashion designer, interdisciplinary collaborator, curator, and art educator, researches interpersonal experiences to uncover their underlying motivations. Employing a sensory approach, she strives to acquire a profound understanding of the embodied knowledge that shapes our interactions.
www.fraumuller.com
Instagram: juliemuller
Marc Müller
Marc Müller’s meticulous drawings, layered with varying pencil darkness, evolve organically with a history of erasure and redrawing. Acting as a ‘work body’ and ‘house’ for his thoughts, they seek a sublime state beyond predetermined subjects. Influenced by architecture and philosophy, his artworks inspire contemplation through non-linear thinking.
Astrid de Pauw. Studie: Iedereen was alleen, 2023. Drawing on paper
Astrid de Pauw’s drawings serve as studies inspired by Mona Høvring’s novel, ‘The Waiting Room in the Atlantic.’ In this collaborative project with Dutch translator Liesbeth Huijer, Astrid’s drawings complement the unconventional nature of the novel, capturing life’s essence through themes of distraction and confusion.
Niels Smits van Burgst. Field, 2023. Oil on linen
Heyer Thurnheer. Reenactment of the Puzzle Series DAB 3 2023.
Hailing from Switzerland, Heyer Thurnheer graduated from the Rietveld in 1973 and has been based in Rotterdam since 2010. His artwork combines visuals and texts, driven by a fascination with the social sciences and the transformative power of art in shaping future societal conditions. Contextual by nature, his work reflects the interconnectedness between art and society.
Kathrin Wolkowicz. Wrapped Blue, 2019. Installation
Kathrin Wolkowicz’s practice encompasses performance, installation, objects, books, film, and video. Her work prompts a reevaluation of our relationship with objects and bodies through time-based or spatial scenarios. By exploring themes of dwelling, temporality, and communal spaces, Wolkowicz invites reflection on our interactions and shared environments.
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