Art Rotterdam takes place every year at Van Nelle Fabriek, a 1920s factory complex that has been a a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014. Expect big crowds at this commercial art fair, bringing together art galleries, collectors and the general public. If you manage to cut out the bustle, you may be able to see some interesting art and trends. Here are 5 artists to watch out for from Art Rotterdam 2018.
Morgan Betz
Morgan Betz is a Dutch American artist that lived in Amsterdam, New York and Tokyo. His work is reminiscent of Matisse blended with pop art and comics. The Gemeente Museum in The Hague is running an exhibition of his work until 3 June, 2018 titled Flies on Milk, Green Eggs & Ham
Caroline Kryzecki
Caroline Kryzecki was born in the German Ruhr region and lives in Berlin. She makes abstract compositions using only a ballpoint pen in blue, black, red and green. The precision of those line patterns and the scale produces remarkable results.
FAMED
They are an artist collective from Germany and their work tackles contemporary topics such as the impact of technology on language, identity, and the financial crisis. Placed at the end of one corridor, The Art of the Deal from 2017 is a neon indicator flashing intermittently the words “New deal – no deal” that was rather captivating. Donald Trump, who wrote a book in 1987 with the same name, should take note.
Gino Saccone
Gino Saccone (1979) is a British artist. His aquarelle paintings are also interpreted through weaving on canvas, showing some skills in this elaborate technique. It reminded me of Alighiero Boetti, a representative from the Arte Povera movement.
Sanne van den Elzen
Mondriaan Fonds, a grant given to artists in the Netherlands, had a parallel exhibition called Prospects with up and coming artists working in the Netherlands. Whilst walking around this pavillion it was hard not to notice a rather peculiar exhibit of six big portrait high definition screens with small monitors underneath and a pair of headphones. The subjects in the films were Sanne van den Elzen herself, a photographer and video maker, and friends and family of the artists. The top screen showed the artist while the bottom monitor showed a close person. Each subject’s gaze was filmed for a number of minutes, while background noise could be heard through the headsets. The idea behind is to explore how people close to us are important in forming our identities. You could see real emotions played by their facial expressions, small laughter, or even crying. The idea is quite novel in the sense that video can make this possible. If you have 6 minutes to spare it is worth to explore this idea by watching her piece below.
Next edition
Art Rotterdam Week 2019
6 feb 2019 – 10 feb 2019
www.artrotterdamweek.com