artBahrain.org

How did you get your start in the art world?

I started working with Eastern European art when I was just 24. While still a student I had a pick-up truck and I drove to Poland, which at that time was part of the Eastern bloc. I bought works very cheaply and I sold them quite expensively. I did this with Fran Hof, who for 20 years was my business partner.

When did you open your gallery?

Frans and I opened our gallery in Amsterdam in 1993. We started as an agency for foreign artists, but the beginning years were quite hard. We thought it would be easy to sell art, but it wasn’t.

What kind of art did you show?

We showed figurative paintings and installation art by artists from Poland, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands, along with the new generation of artist from America.

Did you prefer to discover artists or show established ones?

We always preferred to discover artists.

Did you show any artists of note?

Yes, later on in our program we showed a number of established artists. The gallery lasted for 15 years.
It ended two years ago.

What led you to start Art Rotterdam?

We weren’t satisfied with the main art fair in the Netherlands, the KunstRAI in Amsterdam, because it was mainly mainstream galleries. We thought it would be more interesting to have an art fair with a very broad spectrum of art, for example painting, ceramics, sculpture, silver, etc. We had a beautiful location in Rotterdam, which wasn’t considered to be the most cultural city of the Netherlands.

It began as a regional fair, but has grown into an international gathering. Was that always your intention?

After five years, Fran Hof, who was also my partner in organizing the fair, and I decided to focus the fair only on cutting-edge, international art. Our intention was to make it different from the Amsterdam fair.

What about Object Rotterdam? What is it and why did you start it?

It’s a fair for autonomous design, which we started six years ago. It started in conjunction with Studio Job and Marcel Wanders creating design that is linked to contemporary art. At the beginning we hoped to organize it in Amsterdam, but we ended up launching it in Rotterdam, where a lot of well-known designers, such as Richard Hutton and Joris Laarman, are working.

Is that what led you to the role as General Director of the Zuiderzee Museum?

Yes, because my predecessor, Erik Schilp, had constructed a program based on the relation between craft and contemporary design. The museum saw that what I was doing in Rotterdam was the same thing and it started to sponsor my fair, which was quite unique. When Erik Schilp left for another position, I applied for the job and got it.

For those that don’t know anything about the Zuiderzee Museum, how could you sum it up in a few words?

It’s a museum focused on Dutch heritage. It’s focused on the Dutch with water. It’s an outdoor and indoor museum, as well as a nature reserve. There are a quarter-million visitors each year.

The outdoor museum is really about Dutch living and its history, while the indoor museum is about making a link between craft and contemporary design. For example, the current show, which is curated by Dutch designer Jurgen Bey and architect Rianne Makkink, is about new product processes. We always try to link the past with the future. It’s not a design museum rather we are interested in telling a story that uses the collection and designers to tell it. It’s one of the few museums to continuously do commissions.

What shows stand out for you that you accomplished at the Zuiderzee Museum?

I commissioned Martin Baas to make the Zuiderzee Clock and that year he won the Designer of the Year Award from DesignMiami. In the period of two year, I did fifteen shows. The best show is probably the one we have on now, Industrious|Artefacts, the evolution of crafts, which I mentioned is curated by Jurgen Bey and Rianne Makkink. The collection is really well connected to young designers.

You also organized shows off site, right? In Milan and Antwerp?

We did a large show with Studio Job in Antwerp. It was a show about farming, which certainly relates to Dutch heritage. Studio Job made two large stain-glass windows that we also showed in Milan, during the International Furniture Fair. Sometimes we have done large commissions and at other times, smaller ones, like commissioning Richard Hutton to design a new chair, which is something you can use. I think this will be the model for the upcoming years.

What led you to Abu Dhabi and your new position at Manarat Al Saadiyat?

I didn’t plan to go there, because I really like what I have been doing; but a headhunter found me and made me a offer that I couldn’t refuse. The space is really big, where four shows can co-exist, and their ambitions are extremely high. They want to make it a cultural hub, a destination. They liked the way that I have been able to connect heritage with contemporary art and design. There are a lot of possibilities. I’m looking forward to working with the Guggenheim Museum, the Louvre, and the British Museum. It’s another skill. I want to make a shop and I’ll be involved with Abu Dhabi Art. There are a lot of things to do. It’s curiosity that killed my cat, actually.

When did you first visit the region?

Eight weeks ago, but I studied political science in college and know the region quite well. However, that was 20 years ago and the region has changed a lot. The level of working with the people from the Emirates is very high. People are very curious and willing to explore what they’ve never done before. I won’t be setting up Picasso shows. I’m much more interested in working with Arab culture.

Have you been following the recent art developments in the Gulf and the Middle East?

Yes, the Sharjah Biennial is quite a good biennial. The level of the artists is high. And the developing gallery scene is also quite good. I feel like a pioneer. What I did in the past I will do in the future. Art Rotterdam became popular as soon as we defined its identity as a venue for international, cutting-edge galleries. As soon as we focused on the relation between craft and contemporary design at the Zuiderzee Museum, it created its own brand or identity, and its international success. I want to structure the space in Abu Dhabi as a destination that’s different than others.

Will you be focusing on a international program or a regional one?

We’ll be focusing on both, and there will be a large educational program. On one hand there will be a global perspective, with the Guggenheim, British Museum and Louvre, while on the other hand it has to, of course, connect to the local population

Will you be bringing art and design from other parts of the world to the center?

Yes, but I won’t be the curator of the shows. I’ll be working together with all of the stakeholders of the place. It will be a combination of the connections that I have and the connections of the museums and the local government. We’ll see how much influence I will get; ask me again two years from now.

Will the Manarat Al Saadiyat be a tourist destination or a cultural one?

It will be both, as well as a destination for the local population. My plan is to combine more difficult shows with more mainstream shows and educational shows. You have to find a good combination to attract different kinds of audiences.