DUTCH ARTISTS’ BOOK:
THEN AND NOW
This is the Dutch edition of “Japanese Artists’ Book Then and Now,” a 2019 title that explores the evolution of art books in Japan through the words of creators. This year’s event will showcase interview videos with leaders of modern Dutch publishing culture on how they first discovered the print media scene, their raw experiences and how those experiences led to their current work, and the various print media that inspired them. Interviewees will share their personal experiences as they discuss the path of Dutch publishing’s extraordinary progress, the relationship between artists, designers, and bookstores, the unique ideas that the platform of print media makes possible, as well as the role of creativity at the height of today’s COVID crisis.
Armand Mevis & Linda van Deursen(Mevis & Van Deursen)
A design duo based in Amsterdam. Their main focus is on book design in the fields of art, fashion, architecture, and design, designing numerous publications and exhibition catalogs, including the Dutch cultural publication Metropolis M.
Irma Boom
Born in 1960. Boom is a graphic designer specializing in bookmaking. She founded the Irma Boom Office in 1991 and has been working in cultural and commercial design both nationally and internationally.
Experimental Jetset
Founded in 1997, Experimental Jetset is an independent graphic design studio by Marieke Stolk, Erwin Brinkers, and Danny van den Dungen. They focus on printed matter and site-specific installation, describing their methodology as “turning language into objects.”
Erik Kessels
Born in 1966. Artist, designer, and curator. He founded the communications agency KesselsKramer in 1996. Projects for clients include collaborations with Nike, Diesel, and Vitra. As an artist and curator, Kessels has published over 70 photobooks.
Karel Martens
Born in 1939. Graphic designer. Martens began work as a book designer for small presses like Socialistiese Uitgeverij Nijmegen (SUN) for whom he designed many book covers and has been active since the dawn of graphic design. In addition to contributing to a wide range of design commissions including publications, stamps, coins, and building signs, Martens has always produced print and three-dimensional works.
Klara van Duijkeren & Vincent Schipper(Studio The Future)
Amsterdam-based artist duo who co-founded the publisher Studio The Future in 2013. They have been providing experimental ideas through installations, curations, workshops, and more in the realm of the print medium.
Christien Meindertsma
Born in 1980. Artist and designer. Having both domestic and international clients, Meindertsma is known for her research-oriented work that explores the relationship of raw materials with their product.
Hans Gremmen(Fw: books)
Designer and editor. Gremmen founded the publishing house Fw:Books in 2004. Major clients include the Aperture Foundation and Roma Publications. He has designed over 200 books and won various awards for his experimental designs.
Mark Manders
Born in 1968. Contemporary artist. Since Manders adopted the concept of “Self-Portrait as Building” in 1986, all his works have constituted part of a single, mammoth, self-portrait. His drawings and sculptures evolve continuously and organically according to how they are combined in his “imaginary rooms.”
Jan Voss(Boekie Woekie)
Born in Germany, in 1945. Artist. Boekie Woekie Owner. Voss studied at the Dusseldorf Academy of Fine Arts under Dieter Roth. His multimedia-based work includes editions, graphics, painting, objects, drawing, literature, as well as more than 100 artist books.
Ruth van Beek
Born in 1977. Known for her collages, which are reconstructed from vast amounts of found photographs clipped from old photobooks and magazines. Some major photobooks include The Hibernators (2011), The Arrangement (2013), The Levitators (2016), and How to Do the Flowers (2018).
Roger Willems (Roma Publications)
Born in 1969. Graphic designer. Co-founded the independent art publisher Roma Publications with the artists Mark Manders and Marc Nagtzaam in 1998. In addition to publishing their own books, Roma Publications serves as a platform to produce and distribute works by contemporary Dutch artists, focusing on the field of contemporary art.