Starters on Their Way 2

How do students fare after graduating from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague? Since 1991, a special working group on behalf of Stroom has visited the final presentations of both day and evening programmes. During these visits, Encouragement Awards are granted to stimulate recent graduates in the development of their artistic practice. Following a previous exhibition in 1994, Stroom has invited the recipients of these Encouragement Awards from 1995 to 2000 to take part in Starters on Their Way. A total of 21 artists will show their work in two consecutive exhibitions at the Toussaintkade exhibition space. During two special gatherings, the artists will also present and discuss their work. Starters on Their Way offers an intriguing insight into the professional practice of a large group of young artists.

Information about the participating artists in Part 2

Tjebbe Beekman (1972)
"I’m not too fond of describing my work in just a few sentences—after all, it's visual art. I believe that any comment I make is only ever a snapshot in time and can at most provide a small addition to what’s being shown. That’s why I can never fully express my motives and drives in words. I constantly need to question my thought processes and motivations, and change my views about my work or subjects. If I didn’t do that, I could never be an honest and productive artist. One way to describe my work is as a layering of fascinations and questions that I try to shape through my art."

Annick van Elsacker (1974)
"Most of my (video) installations aim to involve the viewer directly in the work—literally luring them inside it or assigning them an unexpected role, to enable a more immediate form of 'communication'. The viewer takes the first step by physically entering the work. This act initiates communication. The viewer is no longer just a distant observer; instead, a sensory interaction takes place. An interaction between the work and the viewer—you hear, see, or smell something that cannot be ignored. In my latest installations, I mainly use video to explore the boundaries of reality, for example by projecting life-sized figures who interact with the audience. I often want to be engaged by a work myself. That’s why I strive to reduce the distance between the work and the audience as much as possible—so they can truly experience it."

Eva Gatell Breis (1963)
"My current work consists of drawings, collages, and 3D objects. I seek balance within the confined space between material, observation, and emotions. The Negro pencil is an essential tool for me. Through the material, contrasts and themes emerge. Not everything I draw is created consciously. For me, creating is entertainment, experimentation, and research. In my spatial work, I play with collections of found objects."

Nicoline van Harskamp (1975)
"Psychogeography, a development from 1960s and '70s Situationism, sees the city as a collection of memories and human connections rather than just buildings and streets. 'Drifting'—wandering through the city—is a way to gain new knowledge and understand the city as an organism. The randomness of chance defines a place’s vitality. I often encouraged chance in my work. Until 1997 in The Hague and later in London, I created situations or offered unusual services, often outside of an art context. This work was documented but was mainly meant to live on in the collective memory of the city or a group of people. This September and October, I returned to The Hague for the first time in years, to delve into the social structure surrounding the artists who invited me. I documented this ‘drift’ on video, without actually intervening in the structure."

Lies Lantinga (1959)
"The chair is a recurring form in my work at the moment. The chair 'speaks' to me. I 'read' a variety of atmospheres in the different designs and in how they are placed—alone or in groups—in space. Using this form, I give my own twist and tell a story about what I encounter in relationships (family, partners, friendships)—something about closeness or loneliness."

Mehdi Rouchiche (1972)
"I was born in Algeria and lived there for 17 years before moving to the Netherlands. I see my work as a journey of discovery, an attempt to build a bridge between the two cultures in which I was raised. The creation of a painting is marked by a search for balance between the old and the new. I often use symbolic imagery for this. I want to show that, through my view of daily life, a different image can emerge—an image in which I can capture a person at an arbitrary moment, portraying them in an unconventional, non-classical way. This allows me to mislead both the viewer and the portrayed. Perhaps even with the intention of pausing time and gaining a deeper awareness of our actions. Just as I experience a sense of alienation in the Netherlands, where everything is new, so too do my characters feel uneasy in a world they are learning to see again. It’s important to understand that everything can carry a different message, and that it’s not speed, but rather the slowing down of moments that can deepen our sense of beauty."

Pien Peeters (1963)
"My work usually revolves around landscapes. A human or animal figure often 'leads' the eye into the landscape. Sometimes it’s an interior space instead. A visual image usually emerges from within, though sometimes it's sparked by something I’ve seen that leaves a strong impression. The specific characteristics and contrasts between a northern (i.e., this) environment and a southern (subtropical) one—light, color, vegetation, architecture—are very important to me. But I also can’t do without the physical and psychological presence of the figure."

Quinten Smith (1969)
From the Alastor Star Guide:
Planet: Annares
Star: Cir 5454
Planet circumference: 15,000 km
Soil type: 1520 pl
Intelligence: Dar Sai 1503+

Quinten Smith’s Monster3D Incubator is a presentation of the planet Annares. This dry planet, inhabited by the Dar Sai, was developed for the company Insomnia-Creation. The company is working on a 3D computer game. Monster3D Incubator is concerned with the creation, management, and research of virtual worlds and the organisms that inhabit them. (Explanation of research progress of Monster3D Incubator by Quinten Smith to Stroom.)

Hakiem Tourdiev (1959)
"The ancient legend of the Tower of Babel was my main source of inspiration for the project Babylon, Tower of the 3rd Millennium, but it also marked the 'first stone' of my interest in architecture. I am now working on a new project, House of the Arts, based on the idea that art in general is blessed with eternal life. The house will be built solely from natural and ancient materials."

Marina Venendaal (1967)
"My horror at most human-made norms and values led me to become an artist. I want to live my own life, doing what I need at that particular moment. I always follow my deepest feelings. My ideas come to me naturally. The idea for The Chair emerged right after graduation. I needed rest at the time. Hence the title: A Moment of Rest."

Casper Warmoeskerken (1977)
"Portraiture forms the basis of all my work. Besides commissioned portraits, I mainly work on portrait series. By varying on an initial drawing or painting, I create multiple pieces that together form a larger work. The series ultimately reflect, both in subject matter (sometimes unconsciously) and in execution, the themes I’m currently engaged with."

Agnes de Wit (1958)
"My work features concise images composed almost entirely of very simple, often geometric forms. I’m fascinated by these simple shapes, which can be seen either as completely flat or as three-dimensional. In my work, I play with this tension between the flat surface and the illusion of space, always starting from a recognizable motif or symbol derived from reality. The title plays an important role in steering the viewer’s gaze in a certain direction."