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annual report 2023

Cover & back page Ying Liu and Alireza Abbasy | Black Mama ruimteCAESUUR | Lange Noordstraat 67 NL-4331 CC Middelburg www.caesuur.nu | caesuur@zeelandnet.nl K.v.K. 4111439 | NL65 RBRB 0787 6747 53 2

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teamCAESUUR | LONG STORIES, SHORT MOVIES

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in memoriam William Verstraeten (27-02-1951 • 24-09-2023)

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Vincent van Gogh by William Verstraeten

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Oleg Kharchenko (Kharch Oleg) | EVACUATION

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Giel Louws | residency at Slipvallen Stockholm - Sweden

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Ying Liu and Alireza Abbasy | Black Mama

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teamCAESUUR & Gallery Durden and Ray | Middelburg ADAPTATION

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JUXTAPOSE ART FAIR | Aarhus | Denmark

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Gallery Durden and Ray & teamCAESUUR | Los AngelesUSA CROSSING BORDERS

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Bo de Jong IETS MINDER BANGE MEISJES / SLIGHTLY LESS SCARFED GIRLS

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teamCAESUUR | LONG STORIES, SHORT FILMS

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Colophon | links

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About ruimteCAESUUR

long stories, short films December 20, 2022 - January 15, 2023

For years, on its windows, in the dark months during the transition of the year, CAESUUR presented video projections ‘poets on the window’. Curated by the poet F. van Dixhoorn, we showed work by Tonnus Oosterhof, Astrid Lampe, Tsead Bruinja, Rosali Hirsch and Mustafa Stitu, among others.

In 2021 we took up the tradition again. From more or less the same idea: bringing contemporary art into the street through light. We invited those artists whose attitude towards art we recognized and whose films we liked to show on the window. Our colleagues from Studio44 from Stockholm, among others, joined.

The artists in 2022 / 2023: Nikola Ivanov from the Czech Republic, Jean Godecharle from Belgium, Hester van Tongerlo, Noortje Haegens, Ying Liu from China, Marinus van Dijke, Harriet Rademakers, Annelies Jahn from Australia, Hans Eneman from Belgium and Françoise and Paul&Menno de Nooijer.

Click here for the catalogue.

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Lange Noordstraat 33 | Berbel

Lange Noordstraat 66 | Esmé & Bert

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Lange Noordstraat 23 | Gertrude & Jan

Lange Noordstraat 67 | ruimteCAESUUR

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in memoriam WILLIAM VERSTRAETEN 1952 - 2023

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Eind september bereikte ons het verschrikkelijke nieuws dat William Verstraeten is overleden.

Op de site van Omroep Zeeland werd William waardig herdacht.

Als een in memoriam plaatsten we in de week van zijn overlijden de mock-up van zijn tentoonstelling in CAESUUR in 2o15. Gul als hij ws schonk hij ons dit prachtige beeld.

Ook wij zijn William zeer aan het missen . . .

At the end of September the terrible news reached us that William Verstraeten had passed away.

As an in memoriam, in the week of his decease we exhibited the mock-up of his exhibition in CAESUUR in 2o15. Generous as he was, he donated this beautiful work to us.

We too are very much missing William . . .

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Vincent van Gogh by William Verstraeten January 28 – March 19, 2023

WILLIAM VERSTRAETEN presented the painting Landscape with horses, Drenthe 1883, by VINCENT VAN GOGH on which he has done extensive research. A small part of that research was exhibited along with the painting.

The painting and this exhibition are part of a more comprehensive art project on a number of unknown paintings by Vincent van Gogh that William - artist, connoisseur and scholar - has been working on since 2017. As such, this is the first installment in a series of presentations.

William Verstraeten's work examines and questions the structures of our reality and society and reflects on the perception of time in our daily lives.

Click here for the Dutch catalogue.

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OLEG KHARCHENKO (KHARCH OLEG) EVACUATION

a small excerpt from the gigantic war April 1 – May 21, 2023

“March 1 we had train tickets and a head full of fear and uncertainty. Our feet led us to walk to the Kiev train station. (…)

Above the border near the village of Radekhiv, Lyuboml district, Volyn region, 16 kilometers from the Polish border and 40 kilometers from the border with Belarus, a security fighter jet flies in the sky.

I felt confused and I asked my son-in-law to get some paper. They also found a ballpoint pen and some paint and I started drawing something.

It was always easier to watch the sunset after hard work.”

Click here for the catalogue with the drawings and the texts by Oleg 18

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Giel Louws | residenty at art initiative Slipvallen Stockholm - Sweden exchange program residency | June 19 - July 08, 2023 exhibition | July 08 – July 23, 2023 .

ruimteCAESUUR also functiones as a hub for international exchange in recent years. Collaborations with platvvorm in Belgium, Luxfer in the Czech Republic, Studio44 and Slipvallen in Sweden and Durden and Ray Gallery in Los Angeles attest to this.

This year we supported residencies by Giel Louws and Bo de Jong, indeed the painter you will encounter further on in this annual report.

We hope to expand the collaborations in 2024 with contacts we made in Aarhus, during the Juxtapose Art Fair ( see page 36 ) 24

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Ying Liu and Alireza Abbasy | Black Mama June 24 - July 30, 2023

Ying and Alireza’s artistic practice approaches notions of nothingness and stillness.

It questions the role of the artist’s analytical mind in the creative process and invites the audience to enter other modes of thinking, different from what Western ways of thought assume to be 'normal'.

Black Mama for us is much more than just an installation project.

It is a being, full of darkness, and yet full of glow.

You are invited to enter, as gently and silently as you can, and let her embrace you with her forgiving arms.

Darkness is our loving origin, as the womb is indeed a very dark place.

This work intends to engage with darkness, as a healing force, as the alternative reality in which the solid self disappears from the sight and the individual is relieved of the paralyzing grip of the mind.

This work is inspired by the work of Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. The writings in this installation are free translations (into Persian, Chinese and Dutch) of passages from two of her books, “Opening to darkness”, 2023 and “The deepest peace: contemplations from a season of stillness”, 2020. The meditative quality of the act of manual translation into our mother tongues played a crucial role in the development of this work.

YingLiuandAlirezaAbbasy | the catalogue 28

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ADAPTATION Adapting to physical and psychological barriers or obstacles August 12 –September 24, 2023

Adaptation | Adapting to physical and psychological barriers or obstacles How we adapt to obstacles or challenges in our lives, be that our physical or psychological situation will be explored through different techniques and media in this exhibition, Adaptation.

This exhibition features three American artists and three Dutch artists showing work together that delves into the concept of adaptation and how we adjust to a new circumstance or condition. Be it the rapidly changing environment, global migration, a continent coming to terms with a new war or dealing with our own psychological adjustments to personal or art related challenges, the diverse perspectives of these artists coalesce into a visual expression of our current time and place.

From September 16 till October 8 the same artists will present their works in Los Angeles.

Artists from Durden and Ray Valerie Wilcox, Arezoo Bharthania, Ben Jackel Artists from ruimteCAESUUR Jorieke Rottier, Giel Louws, Hans Overvliet 32

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Juxtapose Art Fair | Aarhus | Denmark September 1-3, 2023 ruimteCAESUUR presented itself with the art works of Giel Louws and Hans Overvliet

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Exhibition at Durden and Ray Gallery in Los Angeles U.S.A. CROSSING BORDERS

September 16 - October 7 Click here for the joint catalogue

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Giel Louws and Valerie Wilcox

Jorieke Rottier and Arezoo Bharthania

Ben Jackel and Hans Overvliet 45

Bo de Jong IETS MINDER BANGE MEISJES SLIGHTLY LESS SCARFED GIRLS October 7 - November 17

A series of paintings, black acrylic, pigment and ink on patterned printed fabric.

A series of images about wenches and brats, who climb trees without hesitation.

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Giel Louws About a series of paintings, black acrylic, pigment and ink on patterned printed fabric. A series of images about wenches and brats who climb trees without hesitation. lass dich nicht unterkriegen / sei frech und wild / und wunderbar Astrid Lindgren For a long time we have underestimated trees, only recently we have learned that trees are so much more than just plants. The fact that trees communicate with each other surprised us all. That made me wonder what happens when a tree is pruned into shape. Trees play a major role in many of Bo de Jong's works. In her works trees are not just trees, no these trees are characters in a story.

The trees in Bo's paintings are pruned, climbed, inhabited, or admired. These trees seem to symbolize the possibility of looking at the world from a different point of view. You take a ladder, you climb a tree, and you are disconnected from everything. It takes some courage to climb these shaky ladders or put your feet on the lowest branches. But once you're high up in the tree, you get a better idea of how absurd it looks down below.

In the recent series 'less scared girls', Bo challenges her fellow men to risk this climb. I think it says something about Bo's approach to life, how she looks around her, and is amazed.

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long stories, short films

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Lange Noordstraat 59, 66 & 67 December 9, 2023 – January 7, 2024 in cooperation with Urban Gallery Middelburg artists Noortje Haegens | Marinus van Dijke Menno, Françoise & Paul de Nooijer N888K | Nils Westergard special guest | Jochem Weststrate We asked Jochem Weststrate to make a video especially for this project. So Jochem created Snarling Starling.

In his words: The starling, protected, threatened and seen as a pest. By moving in swarms, they have developed a technique that protects them from their natural enemies.

What if they started applying the same technique to their greatest enemy?

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Jochem Weststrate | Snarling

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Jochem Weststrate | Snarling 61

Noortje Haegens | on the way

Noortje Haegens | z.t.

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Marinus van Dijke | z.t.

Marinus van Dijke | z.t.

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Paul&Menno de Nooijer | plusminus | 1991

Paul&Menno de Nooijer | the end | 1997 64

Paul&Menno de Nooijer | blauw geel | 2003

Paul&Menno de Nooijer | toten op&af | 2017 65

Urban Gallery Middelburg | N888K | ‘Time’

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Urban Gallery Middelburg | Nils Westergard | The Amsterdam Cyclist 66

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colophonphon

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long stories, short films Jean GodecharleBelgium Nikola IvanovCzech Republic Ying LiuChina Hester van Tongerlo Noortje Haegens Marinus van Dijke Harriet Rademakers Annelies JahnAustralia Françoise and Paul&Menno de Nooijer Hans EnemanBelgium Production Photos Video editing Neighbours Special funding Catalogue

Watou_v1 Day For Night Later Before I Forget 108,883 02-12-2014 For a while Eye The Great Underwater Show The water comes The tide and the weeds Yellow: Walk #4074, 2020 After the rain PAINTING BLACK MIND! NEVER MIND! - Angel MIND! NEVER MIND! - The Crossing

teamCAESUUR | Jorieke Rottier and Willy van Houtum Joan Kruse Jochem Weststrate Berbel Esmé & Bert Gertruida & Jan Province of Zeeland / pilot | special thanks to B. Lippe hans overvliet

Vincent van Gogh by William Verstraeten Work and texts William Verstraeten Photography Charlie Verstraeten | Willy van Houtum Catalogue Hans Overvliet Oleg Kharchenko (Kharch Oleg) | Evacuation exhibition DTP prints Giel Louws Prints / scaling de Witte Print&Design Installation teamCAESUUR Opening Anna Kokirilenko catalogue Photos / texts Introduction Photos opening Layout

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Kharch Oleg Anna Kokirilenko Joan Krüse Hans Overvliet

The parallel exhibition with the originnal works of Kharch Oleg in Biruchy in the Ukraine.

Juxtapose Art Fair | Aarhus | Denmark | September 1 – 3, 2023 We presented ruimteCAESUUR and the art work of Giel Louws and Hans Overvliet.

Thanks Board | Cecilie Bernts, Pamela Grombacher, Jacob Juhl, Sasha Rose Richter, Staff | Christian Salling, Simone Nybo Jantzen Photos | Mariana Gil. Ying Liu and Alireza Abbasy | Black Mama Work & texts Black Mama | Ying Liu and Alireza Abbasy Photos Ying Liu, Alireza Abbasy, Jorieke Rottier and Willy van Houtum Catalogue Hans Overvliet

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Giel Louws | residenty at art initiative Slipvallen | Stockholm - Sweden exchange program Thanks to Team Slipvillan Rikard Fahreus, Laetitia Deschamps, Masoed Shahsavari Curator Asian Art Museum Stockholm Michel Lee The supporters who bought a brush from my multiple Donations my parents, Peter Steutel Support friends, Collectors of Asian Art Adaptation | Adapting to physical and psychological barriers or obstacles From September 16 till October 8, 2023. Parallel exhibitin in the DurdenandRay Gallery in Los Angeles with the title CROSSING BORDERS.

Artists from Durden and Ray Valerie Wilcox, Arezoo Bharthania, Ben Jackel Artists from ruimteCAESUUR Jorieke Rottier, Giel Louws, Hans Overvliet Photos Hans Overvliet Catalogue of both the exhibitions | Hans Overvliet

IETS MINDER BANGE MEISJES / SLIGHTLY LESS SCARFED GIRLS

Work Text Photos Catalogue

Bo de Jong Giel Louws | read by Willy van Houtum Bo de Jong | Willy van Houtum Hans Overvliet

LONG STORIES, SHORT FILMS

Douwe&Margriet | Lange Noordstraat 59 Work Paul&Menno de Nooijer Urban Gallery Middelburg | Lange Noordstraat 66 Works N888K, Nils Westergard Photos Bert&Esmée CAESUUR | Lange Noordstraat 67

Works

Jochem Weststrate, Noortje Haegens, Marinus van Dijke

Photos

video stills ©artists

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teamCAESUUR Willy van Houtum | Jorieke Rottier Giel Louws | Hans Overvliet annual report 2023 Hans Overvliet in 2023 ruimteCAESUUR was supported by the happy shareholders & ditto friends of CAESUUR the municipality of Middelburg About CAESUUR Since 1995, some hundred plus exhibitions of contemporary art have been made in ruimteCAESUUR (spaceCAESUUR). From 1999 on at the Lange Noordstraat 67 in Middelburg.

Visual arts, in relation with the contemporary art discourse, are always the guiding principle for an exhibition, but a historical and social perspective also determine our choices. ruimteCAESUUR stands for the autonomy of art embedded in larger systems, and puts the artist’s oeuvre at the center of organizing its (solo) exhibitions. Young, novice as well as "arrived" artists are offered a platform in order to present their work in a non-commercial environment.

Real meeting and learning from each other play important roles within the annual planning of ruimteCAESUUR. We form a private initiative, without any profit motive, with Willy van Houtum and visual artist Hans Overvliet at its core; they form the board of the CAESUUR foundation. teamCAESUUR is more than completed by the artists Jorieke Rottier and Giel Louws. The unique composition of this team crosses borders of art practices, gender, and generations.

ruimteCAESUUR | Lange Noordstraat 67 NL-4331 CC Middelburg www.caesuur.nu | caesuur@zeelandnet.nl K.v.K. 4111439 | NL65 RBRB 0787 6747 53 Back photo View from the tent of BLACK MAMA | photo Jorieke Rottier 72

Three generations visitors at the exhibitionof Bo de Jong 73

ruimteCAESUUR

2023

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