Until 1 June theatremakers, actors, artists and dancers are forced to sit at home. As part of the official measures aimed at keeping the spread of the coronavirus under control, exhibitions are off and performances have been cancelled. What do these measures mean for Piket Art Prizes’ young artists? Part 8: Florentijn de Boer.
Impact of the measures
Despite cancelled art fairs, Florentijn is “working hard.” The KunstRAI will not take place, and neither will Art on Paper and several other art fairs. “But I’m getting a lot in return,” Florentijn says. “I will be taking part in the Enter Art Fair, in Copenhagen.” This art fair is scheduled to be held at the Tunnel Factory Nordhavn 2150, 27–30 August. Florentijn’s gallery, Rademakers Gallery in Amsterdam, also organizes online events via Instagram Live, where artists speak about their work, and Artland will be filming at the gallery on 24 April. In addition, Pien Rademakers, the gallery’s owner, presents her artists’ work in the gallery’s display window. Florentijn had, in fact, already been ‘in quarantine’ for some time before the corona measures became effective. “I broke my jaw when I fell off my bicycle,” she explains, “so I had to take it easy. But I’m okay again.”
So what now?
Florentijn spends a lot of time in her studio in the Laakkwartier district in The Hague. “I focus on making new work. Strangely enough, I’m actually working harder than usual.” Florentijn is converting drawings to silk-screen prints at the Grafische Werkplaats. She has also just published her art book Phantomride on which she collaborated with Lennarts & De Bruijn and Drukkerij Oproer. This limited edition, which is available via Florentijn’s Instagram, website and Facebook, contains 300 pages of early sketches and drawings. Her source of inspiration were the landscapes that are passing by when you travel by train. “My drawings enable people to make journeys through all kinds of landscapes.” The book is for sale at, amongst others, STROOM art centre and Concrete Fashion Store in The Hague, and at various book shops. “Concrete also presents two of my works,” Florentijn says.
Impressions of Florentijn Hofman’s work at the KNSM Docks
Toekomstplannen
For coming June, Rademakers Gallery has hired a warehouse at the KNSM Docks in Amsterdam, where Florentijn will be represented, too. “It’s a group exhibition. I’m making new work for it now.” She hopes people will buy substantial works of art even in these unusual times. In any case, her work for this group exhibition will be dynamic and interactive. “I’ll be presenting twelve enlarged drawings with applied silk-screen printing, additional drawing and perhaps even painting.” Florentijn actually quite enjoys taking it a little easier. “I have been really busy recently, but now I’m just happily working away in my studio.”
Photo: Hessel Waalewijn
