Letter for the Jos Brink Prize Winner and Nominees
Introduction
The Six Honorary Statements
Jos Brink Prijs 2026 — Main Award
The Making of the Main Award and Six Honorary Statements
Impressions of the Exhibition at Kunstbar Gallery, The Hague
About Jos Brink
Colophon & Acknowledgements
Dear Jos Brink Prize Winner and Nominees,
Working collectively on the design of the Main Award and the honorary statements has been a true privilege for us. By sharing with you the story behind the artworks that now belong to you, we hope to offer a glimpse into the thoughtful and dedicated process through which these designs came to life.
As in all creative collaborations, and indeed in any communitybased endeavour, respect, courage and hope are essential, and the hope that what we strive for together will foster love. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for entrusting us with this inimitable experience.
We hope that these artworks will serve as cherished charms, reminding you of your significance and of the support that surrounds you.
With appreciation, Students of Interior Architecture & Furniture Design, together with course teachers.
Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK) April 2026.
Introduction
Over the years, the Jos Brink Prize has been awarded to individuals whose significant contributions, hard work and courage actively help to make our society a safe place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Inspired by the aims of this prize, we — design students at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK) — have chosen to embrace what lies at the heart of this vision: the solidarity that exists among us. It is not sameness that binds us, but our willingness to be responsive, engaged and caring for one another. In doing so, we can build a society in which everyone can find both space and agency to express themselves safely, freely and without judgment.
The creation process of the main award and the honorary statements became a tribute to the community, reflected both in the way we worked together and in the design itself. We perceive community as a non-hierarchical and rhizomatic structure, therefore, we wanted to pursue the same approach in our design methodology. By looking at materials, not as merely the subjects of the design, but as active participants, we have decided on the materials and methods that allow this horizontal process. Thus, we hope that the award and the honorary statements will serve as a lasting reminder of the appreciation and support that come from the collective effort.
“The biggest argument behind our design decisions is coming back to the community. Whatever it is, struggle or something else, it always starts with the community. The power of the award and the honorary statements is that one would be impossible without the other. It’s not that we wanted to reduce the importance of the main award, but rather to show that with support, through collectivity and solidarity, it becomes possible to achieve big things together. And that is also how we worked. The power of the award and the honorary statements lies in the process, materials, and in the craft of casting. Many factors need to come together to make it happen.”
— Participating students of Interior Architecture & Furniture Design at the KABK
“There cannot be an aluminium cast without the mould. There cannot be an individual without the collective, and there cannot be a collective without the individual.”
“Everything comes back to the community and to the power of the collective. In the design, it’s important to look at what we did and how. For example, when we walked on to the streets of The Hague and talked with people, the act itself was more important than the aesthetic design decision. This award is a piece that we shaped together, from the bottom up. If someone wouldn’t have given a hand, something wouldn’t have happened — all these individual contributions are like pieces of sand building a shore.”
The Six Honorary Statements
As a regenerative alternative to a bouquet of flowers, we chose to honour the nominees with six art statements. Each piece is designed as delicate jewellery that can be showcased as an art object. Together, they form a family of shapes with each piece similar to another in size, weight, shape, and material language, while also maintaining their distinct identity through a unique keyword that guided their design.
The six themes represented in honorary statements are empathy, collectivity, infinity, fluidity, embrace and freedom . In The Hague, passers-by contributed by creating abstract drawings that interpreted the six themes. Subsequently, these drawings were shaped in sand and cast with aluminium.
Jos Brink Prijs
“We planned the steps, but only the ones that were necessary according to the craft or to actions that we had to undertake. But the shape wasn’t decided upon from the beginning. It started to emerge from experiences. Firstly, we cast the drawings in the sand, which were given out to people in the streets of The Hague, then people decided on the design by pressing the pieces in the casting moulds. Once we returned to the workshop, we assembled the moulds and prepared for pouring in aluminium. However, the final form was never predicted — it happened because of the involvement of others. We were working with the existing and always coming back to the community. We worked with what we had, we didn’t predict too much, what allowed us to rely on the self-organizing aspect of things. Like with the mechanism of a clock — you put it into motion and hope it does its thing.”
“We really tried to organise ourselves as a community and to organise with the broader community, beyond the Art Academy. And even as designers, we didn’t take the role of designers — we took the role of facilitators or catalysts that put things into motion.”
Jos Brink Prijs 2026
The Six Honorary Statements
Empathy
This art piece represents empathy through its soft, flowing shape that feels open and welcoming. We wanted to create something that shows how empathy is about understanding others and being there for them. The form is gentle and approachable, reflecting the feeling of being truly listened to and accepted. It is a small reminder of the importance of true connection on an emotional level.
Collectivity
In this design, we explored collectivity and shared experiences within the queer community. We believe that every individual is an important contribution to a bigger whole, something we aim to represent in our design. This art object is meant to express appreciation and honour those who bring people together and facilitate a sense of belonging.
We see infinity as an endless exchange of energy. Just like energy never disappears, it only transforms and travels, weaving connections between all things. In its wake, it leaves silent traces, embedded in this art object — reminders of motion, change, and continuity.
Fluidity
This art object resembles fluidity through its free form. To us, fluidity means embracing the in-between and moving beyond boundaries, as symbols of change and dynamism. Socio-cultural practice is unimaginable without the continuous crossing and challenging of boundaries. Thus, our unique piece is meant as a reminder and an encouragement to continuously embrace the change.
Embrace
Embracing something means being open to it and willing to accept it with enthusiasm. Not only as a way to express sympathy and affection, but also as a way to show true care. We believe that acceptance of one another for who we are is the core value of a welcoming community, and we created a shape that embodies this amalgamation of two embraces.
Freedom
In this design, we explored how contrasting elements — such as the solid, industrial feel of aluminium and its soft, fluid shape — can merge into one expressive object. The abstract form of the art piece resembles the human body in motion, forming cavities and shifting freely. It symbolises an ongoing transformation in our society. By touching the piece, you can experience a sense of strength, freedom, and connection through its dynamic shape.
Brink Prijs 2026 Main Award
Jos
Jos Brink Prijs 2026 – Main Award
The design of the Jos Brink Prize 2026 Main Award combines six core themes drawn from the development of honorary statements — empathy, collectivity, infinity, fluidity, embrace and freedom. Together, they interact in a coherent form, shaping the main award, with community participation playing a central role. We invited stories and voices of others to guide both the design and making process, emphasising the transformative power of collaboration. The base, made of lava stone, is cast by nature, while in contrast, aluminium is shaped by human hands. Metaphorically, the casting process embraces freedom, preserving the traces of its creation. By undertaking such design decisions, we aimed to create a unique piece symbolising solidarity between people, and for the person receiving the Jos Brink Prize to feel empowered by the community’s support and gratitude.
Jos Brink Prijs 2026 – Main Award
The Making of the Main Award and Six Honorary Statements
Aluminium casting is an ever-ongoing regenerative process. Free-casting aluminium facilitates a non-hierarchical collaboration between the designer and the material, in which we as designers don’t have to control the process fully, encouraging the movement to shape its final form. In contrast to the free-cast aluminium, lava stone is created with no human involvement, carrying the imprints of its surroundings. Its porous structure reminds us of the space in between, where things can merge.
“Organising gives people agency. I didn’t know much about casting at first. Other people had the necessary skills. It worked well together because we were bringing different powers to the table. Aluminium casting is a great metaphor, but how do you do it without others?”
“With aluminium casting, there’s not really an exact science. You do it many times and learn. It’s like organising a community. You get rejected, learn from rejection, try something different, and continue.”
The Making of the Awards
“Rejection doesn’t mean that it’s not working. By trying out, you’re opening dialogue and space for changes to emerge. With casting, you create the mould and allow the material in, but you can’t totally predict it. It does its own thing, and that’s part of the charm.”
“It’s how you treat the material. Is it your collaborator or is it something that you put your agency upon and just force it to become something? We really listened to the features of the materials and saw what kind of possibilities they opened up to us. It was more of a collaborative process than the traditional idea of designing or who a designer is. It was a good example of how materials can be collaborators in the creative process.”
Impressions of the Exhibition
at Kunstbar Gallery, The Hague
In June 2025, the Six Honorary Statements and the Main Award were exhibited and presented to representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). The exhibition took place at Kunstbar Gallery in The Hague under the theme “Embody / Empower: Fluidity in Form.”
Jos Brink
Exhibition booklet for Embody/Empower: Fluidity in Form, exhibition and presentation of Jos Brink Prijs 2026 awards.
About Jos Brink
Jos Brink
a
Jos Brink in front of a radio microphone in
studio in 1965, photograph by Ronald Sweering
Jos Brink (19 June 1942 – 17 August 2007) was a Dutch actor, radio and musical performer, film producer, television and radio personality, columnist and author. Brink was also a pastor engaged to the oecumenical congregation De Duif in Amsterdam. The performer was born in Heiloo, North Holland. He did much to promote acceptance of homosexuality in Dutch society and was a well-known out gay person. He started living with his artistic partner Frank Sanders in 1973.
The Jos Brink Prijs was initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, which is responsible for emancipation. It is awarded every two years to a person or organization working on the acceptance of lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people. The prize is awarded on or around May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
Jos Brink Prijs 2026 About Jos Brink
Colophon & Acknowledgements
This project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Interior Architecture & Furniture Design / IAFD Cohabitation department at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK) and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), marking the fifth edition of this partnership.
