FTN-blog

Wojciech Weiss (1875-1950) may very well be the most influential Polish artist of the early twentieth century. Like his contemporaries Mondrian and Kandinsky, he sought new ways to intertwine spirituality and art. Music and photography were indispensable forms of art for him, aiding in his pursuit. While Weiss is a historical icon in Eastern Europe, he has largely escaped the attention of the Western world. However, with the first comprehensive exhibition of Wojciech Weiss outside of Poland, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag seeks to change that. It is a remarkable opportunity to discover this grand master.

Living through a tumultuous era, Wojciech Weiss experienced the First World War, which drastically altered the boundaries of Europe. In 1939, Hitler and Stalin divided the newly formed Poland. Prior to the Second World War, Europe had an international character, with artists easily traveling around the world. They maintained international networks and kept abreast of the major developments in cities like Paris, Munich, and Vienna. As such, Wojciech Weiss was a member of the Wiener Secession, where he exhibited alongside Gustav Klimt and Jan Toorop. The Iron Curtain abruptly ended this cross-pollination between Eastern and Western Europe, resulting in a biased telling of the art history circa 1900. After living separately for half a century, a cultural gap emerged, meaning that – despite the end of the Cold War and subsequent economic exchange – only now are we able to rectify this one-sided perception.

www.ftn-books.com has te inviation for his great solo exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag now available

Karin van Dam (1959) is renowned for her installations, composed using materials such as boat bumpers, rope, and insulation pipes. She has even used complete pre-fabricated plastic ponds, hanging them in the space of the Vleeshal in Middelburg. Van Dam sees her installations as spatial drawings, allowing the viewer to walk through them. The installations are always prepared in small-scale drawings, often incorporating spatial objects such as rubber caps, rope, and wooden sticks. Urban structures and street patterns are an important starting point in her work, where she creates a free, intuitive translation using the possibilities offered by the materials and objects she finds.

For years, Karin van Dam has been working on her ongoing project titled “Cities in Transit/Traveling Cities.” The title is a reference to Italo Calvino’s novel, “Invisible Cities,” in which Marco Polo tells Kublai Khan about imaginary cities. Van Dam’s early works in this series were inspired by Italian Renaissance towns: black facades with arches and battlements made of cardboard, combined with wool and other materials. Over time, the cities become more abstract and are freely hung in space. In recent years, she has collaborated extensively with the Textielmuseum Tilburg, where she has complex round knitted coverings made for her work.

www.ftn-books.com has several publications on van Dam now available.

In the year 2025, Unseen will make its home in the expansive NDSM Loods, a monumental cathedral of industry situated on a former shipping wharf in a radically revitalized area. This venue perfectly embodies the essence of Unseen – its charm, character, and allure – yet surpasses all expectations. Additionally, it boasts convenient accessibility, with a spectacular ferry ride directly from the central station or a simple drive. The surrounding area is brimming with a multitude of dining options, from upscale restaurants to charming bars ingeniously constructed from old shipping containers.

www.ftn-books.com has several UNSEEN publications now available.

Famous Dutch photographer, Robin de Puy (born 1986), has a compelling desire to encapsulate her own narrative through the poignant faces of others. Whether it be the youthful, sprinkled with freckles, whom she stumbled upon while stopping for gas in Wyoming; or the acclaimed Dutch wordsmith, poet, and columnist, Remco Campert; or even the young boy, Randy, whom she encountered during her American road trip in Nevada – de Puy regards the camera as a tool to delve into the intricate characteristics and histories of each individual, which also shed light on her own persona. These encounters are often fleeting, mere snapshots into the lives of others before time resumes its frenzied pace. However, some – like those with Randy – result in profound and enduring relationships. Despite their varied outcomes, de Puy’s photographs consistently exude a sensitivity and timelessness that compel the viewer to take a leisurely look at the human experience. Her images offer opportunities for genuine human connections, and by sharing them with the world, they allow us to partake in these fleeting moments.

www.ftn-books.com has the inviation for her first major exhibition now available.

This what Ton of Holland says about himself and his home.

Ton Hoogerwerf, also known as artist Ton of Holland, has resided in his abode situated in The Hague’s Zeeheldenkwartier for four decades. “The edifice boasts a fascinating past. Updates on the conclusion of the Second World War were received here through covert radio contraptions concealed within the attic,” Ton recollects. “My knowledge encompasses the previous inhabitants and all events that transpired within these walls. I have thoroughly researched it all.”
When Ton relocated to this residence in the late 70s, it retained its original state. “Thankfully, modular ceilings were not incorporated. The doors were embellished with plywood panels, but upon removal, the original fixtures were revealed. I take great pleasure in inhabiting this tranquil abode on this unassuming street.”
The interior of the dwelling, however, is anything but mundane. This grandeur estate is adorned with artwork, from the ground floor to the rooftop. Ton’s own creations share space alongside those of fellow artists and designers. And it is a lived-in space. No arrangements reminiscent of a museum, for someone calls this place home, art and all. “Over the years, my collection has accumulated, and thus, the layout has changed. The Memphis pieces dictate the arrangement of the interior; I am not inclined to relocate them to the attic. The first piece I acquired was Metten Koornstra’s etching, which still hangs on the wall of my studio. I was only ten years old then, and my passion for collecting has endured since.”
The residence is a burst of color; each room exudes a distinctive ambiance, a fusion of contemporary and classical elements. “I am an avid lover of color, it was not created in vain. People often assume that after creating the world in six days, God rested on Sunday. However, on that day, after sipping his coffee, he decided to introduce color. Initially, everything was shrouded in black, grey, and white, but he deemed it too dull.”

www.ftn-books.com has the scarce beer coasters published by Ramakers gallery now available.

Weller (1974) depicts images, but in a unique manner unlike the familiar pictures we encounter. They become echoes of visuals ingrained in our collective consciousness, their original forms obscured by the layer Weller applies on top. To be frank, Weller is not the most skilled painter I have come across in recent years; his portraits are stiff and far from expertly painted.

But I don’t see Weller as just a painter; he is someone who uses the medium to raise questions about these collective images and how they can be distorted. This results in some strong pieces, while others may be less impressive. The hint of smudges and streaks sometimes feels contrived and serves more to smooth out the images rather than enhance them.

In this sense, I view Weller more as a thinker who utilizes visual aids, transforming them into paintings. Perhaps he should focus more on this aspect and even embrace his lack of expertise. This reminds me of Tuymans’ recent work, which clearly has nothing to do with painting, but rather with the resulting image.

www.ftn-books.com has the galerie Helder invitation now available.

Embracing iconic American imagery and iconography from LIFE magazine, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, the American West, the atomic bomb, and more, he delves into how the relentless pursuit of an illusory utopia throughout American history has influenced ideas of national identity. Jackson’s own personal experiences and embodiment of the past and present take center stage in his artistic process. At the heart of his work lies a profound fascination with finding similarities within binaries and dichotomies, particularly the coexistence of beauty and horror.

The research and experimentation that forms the core of Jackson’s creative process challenges the mythologies of artistic genius often associated with his distinctive style. Using a diverse range of traditional, industrial, and found materials – such as Formica, molten lead, and scorched wood – the artist synthesizes new meanings and interpretations. His materials hold as much significance as the conceptual foundations of his pieces, often subverting viewers’ initial expectations and impressions. Layered and complex, his works invite contemplation and provoke questions about medium, materiality, and meaning, all of which can only be answered through sustained examination, analysis, and inquiry.

Evident of Jackson’s ongoing exploration of art historical references and the intersections between physical and digital mediums of art, his latest creations delve into the complexities and ambiguities of authorship. Drawing parallels between the political and social issues of the 19th century and those of the present day, Jackson homes in on the role of memory as a central component of his practice. Utilizing a semi-autonomous laser process that infuses colors and forms with an otherworldly essence, the artist delves into the history of landscape painting, drawing connections to the conventions of landscape in science fiction, film, and literature, where the unfamiliar and the familiar collide.

www.ftn-books.com has the GEM invitation nowe available.

Van Kempen hails from Balikpapan, Borneo, his hometown where he spent his formative years. Despite no formal training in the arts, he pursued a career in photography and honed his skills as a self-taught artist. In the late 1960s, he became a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists.

Throughout the 1960s, Van Kempen gained recognition in professional circles as a photographer. In the 1970s, he was part of the core team of videographers at the Lijnbaancentrum in Rotterdam, along with Henk Elenga, Frédéric Kappelhof, and Erik van Dieren.

In 1975, Van Kempen took the initiative to publish small, affordable photo books featuring contemporary photographers under the name Gemeen Goed. The first series of ten books was funded by the municipality of Rotterdam. The premiere book in the series was “De laffe nomaden” with photographs taken by Van Kempen and curated by Henk Elenga.

From 1980 to 2010, Van Kempen worked part-time as a photographer for the Centre for Visual Arts in Rotterdam, and also contributed to various theater productions as a photographer. Between 1981 and 1986, he organized four festivals on performances for Lantaren/Venster. Following this, he and Henk Tas organized a talk show in 1989 for the Rotterdam Centre for Photographic Perspective on the diverse forms and vitality of photography.

In the new millennium, Van Kempen collaborated with Henri van Zanten and Wim van Egmond on the photo theater, presenting a full-color movement painting with choreographer Camilla Ulrich in 2002 at TENT Rotterdam. His work is in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, among other prestigious institutions.

www.ftn-books.com has the van Kempen/Mapplethorpe invitation now available.

Grazing cows in a marshy pasture, a fan of sunlight. Ducks in a pond, splashing along the water’s edge. No place captures the familiar image of the Dutch landscape quite like the paintings of the Hague School. Willem Maris (1844-1910) was one of the most prominent artists of this influential Dutch art movement of the 19th century. He was also the only one who truly embraced impressionism, using bold colors and a loose brushstroke.

Maris depicted the simple life of farmers with broad, impressionistic brushstrokes, giving his paintings a vibrant quality. “I do not paint cows, but rather light effects,” Maris once said. Although he had been featured in many exhibitions, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag had the honor of presenting the first posthumous solo exhibition of this lyrical interpreter of the Dutch landscape in the winter of 2012.

The exhibition showcases the development of the young and talented Maris who became one of the most important and prolific representatives of the Hague School. Maris had been working outside in the countryside since his early childhood. His older brothers, Jacob and Matthijs, were also painters. However, Willem was the only one of the three brothers to experience success and fame throughout his career. He maintained friendships with Anton Mauve and Hendrik Willem Mesdag, and together they founded the Hollandsche Teeken-Maatschappij in 1876.

www.ftn-books.com has several pubications on Willem Maris available.

It appears as though De Wit has always thought in clear forms, which he leaves standing, lying, or rising. His art always begins with a form that he then develops into a new form. In this way, he spots potential and works to bring it to fruition. As a child, he would cut shapes out of paper, and he would be amazed to see that the remaining paper formed a complementary shape. He was fascinated by the idea that you could play with form and complementary form. For example, you could mirror them or arrange them rhythmically. And if you made them three-dimensional, you could stack them as well. Ah, now gravity also came into play. It brought energy! This resulted in the forms he created seeming to experience exciting adventures, showing earthly or heavenly tendencies, in short, becoming forms of life. Geometry was no longer just about calculable data, but it had also become poetry. This is the essence of Niko de Wit’s sculpture.

www.ftn-books.com has then galerie Ramakers invitation now available.