Female Voices in Art

Female Voices in Art: interview with Jacquelyn N. Coutré, Eleanor Wood Prince Curator at the Art Institute of Chicago

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:28:48 GMT

"Women have long helped to shape the art world in ground-breaking ways."

Jacquelyn N. Coutré (b. 1977, Reading, USA) is the Eleanor Wood Prince Curator at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since her arrival in 2019, she has overseen the reinstallation of the 17th-century Dutch and Flemish galleries; acquired paintings by artists such as Edwaert Collier, Maria van Oosterwijck, and Willem Heda; and curated Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape (2023) in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Prior to Chicago, she was the Bader Curator and Researcher of European Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University (Kingston, Canada), where she organized numerous exhibitions, including Leiden circa 1630: Rembrandt Emerges (2019). She has held positions at a number of institutions, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and Adelphi University, and has received research grants from the Fulbright Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. She received her MA (2003) and PhD (2011) from New York University.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I oversee the collection of Northern European painting and sculpture, which ranges from approximately 1150 until 1750, at the Art Institute of Chicago. I also serve as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art and as a board member of the American Friends of the Mauritshuis.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

One of my favorite things about this project is that it is a visual record of women in the arts. As specialists in the visual, I think it's particularly powerful to record the likenesses of those who have contributed to the field.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Rembrandt.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I have vivid memories of looking at picture books with my grandmother, who attended the School of the Art Institute in the 1940s. She had volumes dedicated to the great painters from across the eras—Diego Velázquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Monet—but my childhood favorite was Vincent van Gogh. His energetic brushstroke and sumptuous color stuck with me for decades.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women have always been in the art world, as collectors and dealers, curators and artists. Vincent van Gogh would have languished in obscurity without Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. The Art Institute would not be such a destination for Monet paintings without Bertha Palmer and Sara Tyson Hallowell. The first director of the Orsay was Françoise Cachin. Women have long helped to shape the art world in ground-breaking ways.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?

This photo was taken at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne during a conference, so I was wearing pieces that travel well.

What are you currently working on?

With a team, I am working on a highlights catalogue of our 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings at the museum. Some of these paintings are among our earliest purchases, and it's exciting to be able to systematically examine the collection from technical and art-historical perspectives.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Ronda Kasl, now Curator of Latin American Art at the Met, taught my Northern Baroque classes during my undergraduate years. She was then senior curator of painting and sculpture at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and she invited me to apply for an internship with her at the museum. During that one semester, she showed me how creative and intellectually gratifying curating in a museum context could be. She remains a model for me.

Female Voices in Art: Interview with Alma Wiersma, Marketing & Communications Officer at Museum Martena

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:01:18 GMT

“ I believe that women’s history, women’s art, and women’s stories in general are still shown and told far too little. “

Alma Wiersma (b. 1999, Leeuwarden, NL) is the communications mind behind Museum Martena in Franeker. She studied Communication at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden, where she later discovered her love for the cultural sector through an internship at the Jonge Harten Theatre Festival in Groningen. She now applies her passion for culture and storytelling in her role as Marketing & Communications Officer at Museum Martena.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
My role as a communications officer is, simply put, to place Museum Martena on the map. I personally dislike empty marketing talk, so in my work I try to give as much substance and meaning as possible to what I do. Storytelling is a key element for me in this. Sometimes I walk through the museum and feel instantly inspired by what I see: stories about the building, hidden bullet holes in the castle tower, and the remarkable lives of those who once lived in the Martenastins. It feels like a magical place, and I love sharing that feeling with potential visitors.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
I found it special that Carla wanted to portray me, and I actually felt a bit honoured. It was a very spontaneous moment: I walked into a room where Carla was already photographing three other women for this project. She asked if I wanted to be part of it as well, and of course I said yes. The photo was taken in just five minutes.

Do you have a favourite artist?
I am a huge fan of children’s books and their illustrations. I particularly enjoy Pluk van de Petteflet and the illustrations by Fien Westendorp. I am also very fond of the work of Matisse; I believe life should never be without colour.

What is your earliest memory involving art?
As a young girl, I drew a lot. I clearly remember being aware of colours at an early age and how they can work together. Colour fascinated me then and still does. At the time, my mother often painted landscapes in watercolour, and I could sit and watch her work for hours.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
I believe that women’s history, women’s art, and women’s stories in general are still shown and told far too little. There is a reason I work at a museum where Anna Maria van Schurman—the first woman to study at a university in the Netherlands—has a room entirely dedicated to her. I wouldn’t describe myself as an activist in the broad sense, but I certainly am one in the details.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?
My clothes say a lot about how I feel on a given day. On the day I was photographed, I felt combative and chose a comfortable outfit that allowed space for my masculine side.

What are you currently working on?
I am working on a plan to tell the hidden stories of Museum Martena online. What makes this especially interesting is that visitors cannot find these stories in the museum itself, which gives them added value.

Could you mention a project, an institution, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?
My boss, Manon Borst, director of Museum Martena, trusted me three years ago to write a strategic plan for the museum’s reopening, even though I had little work experience at the time. Over the past three years, I have been able to grow in an environment where I was given an enormous amount of freedom and trust. I am very grateful to her for that.

Female Voices in Art: Interview with Mariana Varchuk, Curator Khanenko National Museum of Arts, Kyiv

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:27:19 GMT

“The responsibility of my colleagues, regardless of gender, ensures that our country stands strong and our museum remains alive.”

Mariana Varchuk (b. 1987, Poltava, Ukraine) has a PhD in Art History and has been the curator of the collection of portrait miniatures at The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv from 2019. From 2011 to 2022, she worked as a senior research associate in the Department of Western European Art, and from 2022 to 2024, as a research associate in the Department of Collection Care. Mariana is now Assistant Director of the Museum Data Cataloguing and Digitisation Department. Her professional interests focus on attribution, research, conservation treatment, and storage of the museum’s collection. The most challenging experience has been the rescue and preservation of the artworks during the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February and March 2022.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I love to discover something new every day, both for myself and for the visitors at the Khanenko Museum. This is a place of visual art, world culture, a tradition of philanthropy, and a reflection of our history, people, and values. The museum offers me a vast array of opportunities: to study the collection, contribute to conservation, serve as a guide, participate in the restoration of historic buildings, run exhibitions, and at the same time, experience art objects up close. My role is to care for and to share the art of the Khanenko Museum.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The project idea connects both narrative and visual senses. It tells the story of women today on their everyday routine tied up with the cultural heritage; its creating, caring, studying, promoting and managing. A classical way of presentation of the portraits shows the women at their habitual place with dignity to every spot in art. It is a special honour to have a photoshoot seen through the empathic eye of Carla van de Puttelaar and to add information on the Ukrainian museum and team.

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favorite artist often appears in the process of an attribution — in that special moment when a previously unknown creator receives a name. I feel privileged to contribute to the discovery of women artists in our collection, such as Chiara Varotari, Rosalba Carriera, or Marie Duchatel. Delving into their biographies and works reveals the complex male-dominated world of past centuries, where details of women’s lives are often preserved only through the records of their more famous artist fathers or husbands. Each of these discoveries not only restores a name to history but also opens a deeper understanding of the artistic and social contexts in which these women created their work. Beyond this, my true engagement with a favourite artist lies in closely examining her or his work — studying its condition, materials, and techniques, and appreciating the unique manner in which it was executed. It is in these intimate encounters with the object itself that the artist’s presence truly comes alive.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

An early memory involving art is looking at the drawings in art books together with my grandfather. I still have an impression of my kid’s thoughts staring at the graphite lines on the paper, how many of these could create with simple instruments, skills and talent. I have experienced this again standing in front of the recently restored full-length Portrait of a Young Lady by Chiara Varotari at the Khanenko Museum, which I was able to attribute to this artist. A lively pink blush on her cheeks, curly red hair, and intricate textures of the Venetian dress made with simply brushstrokes on fishbone canvas, appeared before me from under a thick layer of centuries of dirt. My memories help me today to preserve the aura of an artwork while the galleries of the Khanenko Museum are empty to safeguard the collection during the war.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Right now, in Ukraine, we don’t really reflect on the role of women separately — we simply do our work. Every citizen is standing in defense of our country and of European values against Russia’s aggressive war. Women serve in the Ukrainian armed forces alongside men, and in the cultural sphere the situation is similar. In our museum, most of the team are women as three of our male colleagues are currently serving as well. And their dedication defines the resilience of the institution. The team curates projects, conducts research, conserves collections, and manages the museum, often while also caring for their families and supporting their communities. The responsibility of my colleagues, regardless of gender, ensures that our country stands strong and our museum remains alive.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?

I’m wearing a vintage Moschino men’s jacket and wide trousers – spacious garments that give me the freedom to think, move, and act with ease. My pink cashmere sweater keeps me warm and gently reminds me of the care that each of us deserves. Iit was a thoughtful gift from a dear friend. My phone cover, Be Brave Like Ukraine, was made in Kharkiv – a city that has been a vital center for Ukrainian literature and culture since the early 20th century. So close to the frontline, it faces Russian bombardments every single day. Yet it continues to produce and sustain cultural life, just as every Ukrainian city does, standing as a quiet testament to resilience, courage, and the enduring power of creativity.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the digitalization of the collection and data at the Khanenko Museum. Going with our collection online has for us two benefits at once: to present our cultural heritage to the world and to preserve it in digital images for physical safekeeping, which is the crucial task during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the summer of 2024 we launched a fresh direction with an enthusiastic group of colleagues to boost the desire for openness and accessibility of our museum to the public. I’m happy to be at the beginning of a brand-new digital experience both with an art collection of 25.000 objects and a motivated team, bringing exciting plans to life during these turbulent days.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The Khanenko Museum has been the most important institution in my career. Its history and the vision of its founders, Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko, have always been inspiring to me. In the early 20th century, they assembled a remarkable and eclectic art collection and generously bequeathed it, together with their mansion, to the city of Kyiv to make it available to the public. For more than ten years I have had the privilege to work at this museum, surrounded by a diverse group of people, by the aura of outstanding artworks, and by colleagues who share a deep love of art. This environment has given me constant inspiration for research, for sharing art with people, and for understanding how cultural heritage can connect communities.

Female Voices in Art: Interview with Hanna Melnykova, Photographer

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:30:06 GMT

"It is an honour for me to be connected with other talented women in this beautiful project and to see that there are so many women involved in today’s art world."

Hanna Melnykova (b. 1983, Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian photographer, founder of the Ukrainian women photographers organization. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Den Hague, the Netherlands. She developed her own study program in the field of visual arts and taught at the Bird in Flight school (Kiyv), Pinchuck art center (Kiyv), Karazin National University (Kharkiv), Kharkiv Academy of Design and Arts (Kharkiv). In 2020, during the lockdown, she created the Ukrainian Women Photographers Organization. Over the last several years Hanna was a curator of international exhibitions and residencies in Europe and the United States. As an artist she is currently researching and working with experimental techniques in photography. Her photographs are in private collections in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium. Her first book Largo dedicated to the study of gender in modern society was represented during the UNSEEN festival in Amsterdam. After the Russian aggression in Ukraine started Hanna moved to Germany where she is continue to develop her artistic practice.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I began my journey in art during my studies architecture in Ukraine and continued it at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, where I met Carla, who was one of the teachers there. It was the first time I was surrounded by so many talented people and had the freedom to experiment with my artwork. After returning to Ukraine, I shared my experiences with young photographers working as teacher and later organized Ukrainian women photography organization to support female photographers.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is an honour for me to be connected with other talented women in this beautiful project and to see that there are so many women involved in today’s art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

That’s a difficult question. As we evolve, our influences change, and sometimes what initially didn’t appeal to us can become a source of inspiration. I admire Rothko and was deeply impressed when I saw his large paintings during an exhibition in The Hague. I like Olafur Eliasson and how he is changing space with light and some projects by Joseph Beuys and Marina Abramović. I also impressed by Björk, I think she is a great artist.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

When I was around eight years old, my mother took me to Dali exhibition. I remember experiencing a variety of emotions I couldn’t fully understand or analyze as a child, but I was very impressed.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I believe that because of their life experiences, their history in society, their physical ability to give birth, women are able to perceive and feel things that men cannot, and as a result, their influence on art is very important.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?

I'm wearing a silk kimono by Sonia Rykiel. I like it because of its colour, which is almost skin tone. It is very light and nearly transparent, but not provocative or sexual. It feels dreamy and feminine, yet it also reminds me of the robes artists used to wear in their studios while working long time ago. For me, it’s timeless.

During the photoshoot, we focused on my experimental project about transformation and connection between people—it's a story about how each of us is not just an individual but a small part of a vast universe. In some ways, it’s also about timeless themes or the infinity of life.

What are you currently working on?

In recent years, I have focused on ideas of connection and presence over time. Currently, I’m working on several live performances that explore themes of memories, life stories, and society. One of these projects is based on the Victorian mourning jewelry tradition, for which I plan to cut my hair as part of the concept.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

In every period of my artistic journey I was lucky to meet people who supported me with their wise advise. Most of these teachers I met at the KABK but some people were even not working in art.

Female Voices in Art: Interview with Julia Alexander

Tue, 06 May 2025 20:41:19 GMT

"I think it is inspiring to see women taking leadership roles in all aspects of the art world and hope that we can, through that leadership, serve as agents for the creation of ever more inclusion of all types of people in the arts community, from artists to institutions, from collectors to audiences."

Julia Alexander (formerly Julia Marciari-Alexander) (b. 1967, Memphis, TN, US-d. 2025, Townson, MD, US) served as Head of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation since 2024. From 2013 to 2024 she was Executive Director & CEO of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD. The first woman to hold the post, she was inspired by the collaborative work that the museum undertakes to connect people with each other through the Walters collections, exhibitions and programs. A specialist in early modern European portraiture, she holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Yale University and an M.A. in French from New York University. Before that, she was Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at the San Diego Museum of Art, and Associate Director for Exhibitions and Publications at the Yale Center for British Art.

With sadness I heard today that Julia passed away on 4 May, after she had a heart attack. I wish her beloved ones much strength to bear the loss of this sparkling and warm-hearted woman. In 2019 I interviewed Julia for my Women in the Art World project. Please see her answers below.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I began my career in the arts as a graduate student in the history of art at Yale University, where I was able to use the university’s extraordinary collections—ranging from antiquity to the present, from across the globe, and of diverse media from paintings and sculpture to rare books and manuscripts both for my own research and in my teaching. Early on, I decided that working in museums afforded me the tremendous opportunity to bring the great works of human creativity from across time and the globe to the broadest audiences. As I have risen from PhD student to museum curator and most recently museum director, I have come to realize the great responsibility that cultural leaders have not only to steward the amazing objects that have lived long lives since their originary moment but also to employ them to spark authentic and often difficult conversations among the citizens of our current time. It is a great privilege to be the executive director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore Maryland (USA) in what is a seismic moment of change for global culture.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Meeting Carla, and having the honor of being one among the amazing women who are shaping the art world today.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Hmmmm. Rubens would probably trump all the others, but I’m also partial to Nicholas Hilliard, Edouard Manet, Howard Hodgkin, Jenny Saville, Rina Banerjee, and Titus Kaphar among others. Clearly I have a soft-spot for the figural tradition.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father had a transformational experience when he went on a scholarship from Tennessee to Oxford, England in the 1950s, and he and my mother felt it was important to introduce their children to travel and other cultures early on. Two moments of my travels with them in particular stand out for me as early memories of art—the first is from my earliest years when my parents and siblings would read children’s books like the Ant and Bee series or the Beatrix Potter books to me—more than the words, the illustrations opened my mind to fantastic worlds of figuration and abstraction—I still adore those books. The second took place in St. Peter’s Basilica on New Year’s Day in 1979 when I shared the collective experience that occurs in an architectural environment filled with people and great works of art. It was as if I were in a work of participatory theatre that had begun millennia before I even entered the world. Looking back, it seems it may have been that very moment in which I became destined to become a historian of visual culture.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

There is not enough space here! But, seriously, I think it is inspiring to see women taking leadership roles in all aspects of the art world and hope that we can, through that leadership, serve as agents for the creation of ever more inclusion of all types of people in the arts community, from artists to institutions, from collectors to audiences.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I love this portrait because it is both an homage to and the embodiment of “transactional portraiture,” a concept upon which my doctoral thesis depended. I came to the shoot wearing a business suit (pants and a jacket), and Carla started taking photos of me wearing that. It was, however, over the course of our talking during that early part of the shoot that we came to find that we both work on the same subject, the portrait painter Sir Peter Lely and 17 ^th -century portraiture and that we have all sorts of friends in common. Because of our discovery of a shared intellectual interests, she decided to base my pose on Lely’s portraits of women painted during the Restoration. As such, the portrait captures not just my appearance in a beautiful visual composition but also our shared scholarly interests and our relationship with each other as sitter and artist.

Female Voices in Art: Mercè Valderrey, Independent Art Advisor and Art Historian

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:45:07 GMT

"Economic disparity, access to opportunities, and decision-making power remain key barriers. Through societal structural change, women can achieve fair representation - not just as creators, but as key voices in shaping the policies and practices that govern the art world."

Mercè Valderrey (b. 1981, Barcelona, Spain) is an independent art advisor and art historian. She studied at the University of Barcelona and the University of Granada, Spain, and the University of Bologna (Italy) where she earned multiple scholarships and awarded honors across disciplines. She began her career at the National Bargello Museum in Florence before holding positions as Gallery Manager at Colnaghi in London and Gallery Director at Nicolás Cortés Gallery in Madrid. She established her advisory firm, Mercè Valderrey Art, in 2021. Mercè has curated and collaborated on numerous art exhibitions in renowned museums and galleries. Her work has been published on multiple occasions, primarily in exhibition catalogues for institutions such as Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, the Museo delle Cappelle Medicee in Florence, the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome, and the Reggia di Venaria Reale in Turin.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As an independent art advisor, I specialize in sourcing, researching, guiding clients through the acquisition and sale. I manage private collections, offer strategic sales advice, and provide end-to-end support for art transactions, including valuation, provenance research, and negotiation. My focus lies in European Old Masters, with a particular interest in how contemporary artists engage with and respond to these classical works. Additionally, I am deeply committed to highlighting the works of female artists and supporting fellow women professionals in the art world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I truly admire this initiative. Women's achievements have long been overlooked or dismissed, making it essential to celebrate our contributions, both within the cultural sector and beyond. I am deeply honored to be part of this series alongside such brilliant women in the art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It’s difficult to name just a few! I am drawn to artists whose work is politically charged and explores issues of gender, sexuality, oppression, and historical and contemporary injustices. I also appreciate those who critically engage with symbols and mechanisms of power, authority, and social dynamics. Additionally, I am interested in artists addressing sustainability, climate change, and ecological awareness. Some artists whose work I particularly admire include Laia Abril (Barcelona, b. 1986), Nuria Güell (Girona, b. 1981), Eulàlia Grau (Terrassa, b. 1946), Cristina Iglesias (San Sebastián, b. 1956), Ana Mendieta (Havana, 1948 - New York 1985), Reena Saini Kallat (New Delhi, b. 1973) and Otobong Nkanga (Kano, b. 1974).

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memories of art are with my parents, who frequently took my siblings and me to cathedrals, historical landmarks, and art exhibitions. I vividly remember visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona as a young child with my mother and sister. Both of my parents have a deep passion for art, literature, music, and theater. My mother, who studied Art History at the same university I attended in Barcelona after she retired, has always nurtured a love for the subject. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had such cultured and intellectually curious parents, who ensured that we were constantly surrounded by art, an influence that has profoundly shaped who I am today.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Despite many efforts to challenge the status quo and the male dominance in the arts ecosystem, it is disheartening to see how deeply gender bias persists. Addressing this issue requires looking beyond the representation of women artists and confronting the broader systemic inequalities that shape the cultural sector. We must engage with the political, social, philosophical and economic dimensions of these disparities, advocating for intersectionality, feminist pedagogies, institutional accountability, and the de-colonization of art institutions. Economic disparity, access to opportunities, and decision-making power remain key barriers. Through societal structural change, women can achieve fair representation - not just as creators, but as key voices in shaping the policies and practices that govern the art world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing something comfortable as I had a long day ahead at the TEFAF fair.

What are you currently working on?

I am working, together with Marta Staudinger, curator and founder of Latela Curatorial in Washington, DC, on a project around the artist Mil Lubroth (1926 - 2004). Lubroth was an American artist who lived and worked in Madrid for most of her life and was an important figure in the Spanish and American mid-century avant-garde.

Her work reflects a convergence of Jewish, Islamic, and Western artistic influences, shaped by the cultural environment of Spain. Despite exhibiting internationally - with solo and group shows at institutions across Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia - her career has been largely overlooked, reflecting the challenges faced by female artists in gaining historical recognition.

We are working on an exhibition in Spain and we aim to give greater visibility to her artistic production while also highlighting her contributions to the transatlantic artistic dialogue of her time.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Most definitely the National Bargello Museum in Florence, Italy. This was my first role after graduating, where I worked closely with the museum's leadership team. I am extremely grateful to my mentors, Dr. Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, Dr. Maria Grazia Vaccari, and Dr. Ilaria Ciseri, who guided and trained me, ensuring I was involved in various aspects of the museum’s activities, including research, exhibition organization, and conservation matters. I will always be grateful to these exceptional women, for whom I have the utmost admiration.

Female Voices in Art: Chloé Pelletier, Curator of European Art (before 1800), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:02:59 GMT

"The women in our field are great team players. We support one another dutifully and with enthusiasm. It is rewarding to watch one another succeed."

Chloé M. Pelletier (b.1991, Rochester, NY, US) is the Curator of European Art (before 1800) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where she stewards a collection of over 1600 European paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. After growing up in Texas, she completed her B.A. in art history at Johns Hopkins University and earned an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. A specialist in Italian Renaissance painting, she has additional research interests in Dutch and Flemish art, environmental studies, and historiography. She is a Fulbright scholar and has held research and curatorial positions at institutions including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2024, she curated Spotlight: Women Artists in the Early Modern European Art Collection. Her current exhibition project, Bad Girls Only: Women and the Seven Deadly Sins, is on view until 10 August, 2025.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I have the lucky job of caring for, researching, interpreting, and growing the Museum’s collection of historical European art. The work is collaborative and exciting – every day brings something new!

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed the spontaneity, which left no time for vanity or belabored self-fashioning. Even more, I enjoyed getting to spend time with the other women that were photographed that day. It was a bright, unexpected moment of joy and connection.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Carlo Crivelli, the Italian Renaissance painter who left Venice early in his career and flourished in the provinces, developing a style wholly unique and delightfully strange. I decided to pursue a degree in art history after getting lost in the backgrounds of his paintings.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I remember making little sculptures and jewelry out of cardboard, foil, and materials found around the house. I’ve always loved using my hands.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The women in our field are great team players. We support one another dutifully and with enthusiasm. It is rewarding to watch one another succeed.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?

Truth be told – I am wearing the last clean clothes in my suitcase. This photo was taken on day nine of a ten-day work trip. The gold jewelry is special, though. Each piece reminds me of different women in my life. The large hoops come from my mother-in-law, the small ones from a trip to Florence with my best friend. The cuff was a gift from a dear friend and colleague. But the necklace is most precious to me. It was my grandmother’s in Egypt and she gave it to me on my 18 ^th birthday. I never take it off.

What are you currently working on?

I just opened an exhibition on 16 ^th -century Dutch prints and drawings and am in the early stages of developing a project about the truth-value of images in Western art. I am interested in how people across time have grappled with art’s deceptive powers, especially thinking back from our current moment’s anxieties around AI.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

So many! But the Art Institute of Chicago, both the collection and the people, have been especially instrumental in my career. It was serendipitous that I got to do this photo shoot with Jacquelyn Coutré, who I first met while interning at the Art Institute during my PhD. She is a rigorous scholar and generous colleague in equal measure, certainly an inspiration.

Female Voices in Art: Claudia Walendy, Specialist in Old Master paintings and Gallery Director

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:30:15 GMT

“To me, true masterpieces contain a part of the soul of their maker; the more we can work together with shared passion and dedication, the further we can go in keeping those works alive.”

Claudia Walendy (b. 1994, Knokke-Heist, BE) grew up near Moerkerke. She is a Master of Laws and a dedicated specialist in Old Master paintings. She founded her gallery in 2019 and, as its director, is committed to preserving Old Masters for future generations through two key pillars: research and conservation, striving for their artistic and historical legacy to endure. Dedicated to piecing often forgotten puzzles back together, she focusses on researching the history and provenance of paintings, aiming to restore broken links in provenance-chains. Equally passionate about restoration, she sometimes also takes on works others deem too risky or not worthwhile, believing exceptional quality deserves a second chance. For her, honouring the legacy of the Old Masters goes beyond material preservation; it is also about keeping these works alive by maintaining their cultural significance, ensuring their history and beauty continue to resonate. Because of this, she is also very interested in finding ways to engage new audiences, exploring ways to connect them with Old Masters so that the works can hopefully continue to touch people for generations to come.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I work as a gallery director, with a focus on the preservation and research of Old Master paintings. In addition, I am always exploring new ways to reach broader and younger audiences, to share our common passion.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is a tremendous honour to me to have been invited to be part of this project, standing alongside so many remarkable and inspiring women who are making significant contributions to the art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

While I don’t have one specific favorite, I am particularly drawn to 16th- and 17th-century artists who can capture the intense character and psychological depth of their subjects with a life-like accuracy, such as Anthony Van Dyck, Bartholomeus van der Helst, Pieter Nason, Master I. S. and many more.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a young child, I would spend hours sitting in my parents’ hallway, captivated by a large triptych that my father had inherited. The piece featured an old German text, which I tried to decipher for a very long time. After many attempts, my father, taking pity on me, reached out to museums for assistance, and it was revealed to be an epitaph from 16th-century Weimar. Alas after this revelation, it was immediately offered for sale.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I am grateful to live in a place and era where we have made considerable progress, but there is still work to be done. Looking back at history, it’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come, and it’s equally important to keep striving for greater awareness about the challenges many women face.

What are you wearing, and tell the story behind it?

I’m wearing my favorite scarf, a souvenir from the MET museum. It features the motif of a Tiffany vase, a reminder of the artistry and craftsmanship that inspire me.

What are you currently working on?

I am involved in various cases, both restoration-wise and trying to find missing puzzle pieces in archives.

Could you mention a project, an institution, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The greatest inspiration for me has always come from meeting like-minded enthusiasts of Old Master paintings. The exchange of knowledge and passion with others in the field has been a constant source of joy and motivation, reminding me of the importance of shared dedication in the art world. We all share the same love and the more we can work together, the further we can come.

Female Voices in Art: Catriona McAra, Art Historian and Curator

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 14:57:47 GMT

“I try to lift the next generation up as well as celebrating the mid-career moment and the achievements of older artists”

Catriona McAra (b. 1985, Edinburgh, UK) is an art historian and curator. She studied for her PhD at University of Glasgow and post-doc at University of Edinburgh. Following a career path in the senior management of university collections in Leeds College of Art and University of St Andrews, she is now a lecturer in art history and honorary curatorial fellow at the University of Aberdeen. She has written a range of catalogue essays and interpretation texts for commercial galleries and public museums. Catriona is author of A Surrealist Stratigraphy of Dorothea Tanning’s Chasm (Routledge, 2017) and The Medium of Leonora Carrington (Manchester University Press, 2022), projects which took her to Arizona and Mexico. She is writing a third book on artist-women working in Scotland.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I love Carla’s work and have known about this project for while, so am very honoured to be included alongside so many creative women I admire (e.g. Gráinne Rice looks stellar in her portrait!). Getting to pose with my books outside the National Library of Scotland felt pretty special too.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Chardin, Morandi and O'Keeffe. I also deeply admire Michelle Williams Gamaker's activist approach to art-making. And Mieke Bal.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My parents took my sister and I to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Mod One) every Saturday as a child. I saw Alison Watt's solo show Shift when I was about 15 which clarified my direction. It was pretty special as I am now writing about her paintings 25 years later.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I've thought about this a lot. I went to a women's leadership event in London in 2018 and was made to feel like I had gone to the wrong floor. I was informed that I "looked young" (by which they meant too young, threatened rather than "wow, you must be brilliant! Please join us and let us work out how we can help each other") which made me realise how far we still have to go in terms of accepting the potential of different paths, appearances and experiences. Feminism is a long-term project. I try to lift the next generation up as well as celebrating the mid-career moment and the achievements of older artists.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

A Boden cardigan. I mostly wear monochrome but, when the occasion demands it, I also like wearing suffragette colours - purple is for dignity. I was speaking at the conference of the Scottish Society for Art History that day, so it's statement dressing.

What are you currently working on?

My third book with Edinburgh University Press which is about Scottish women artists. My wonderful publisher, Carol MacDonald, was at the conference as well, which feels very sisterly and super supportive.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

My mother, Lesley McAra, is a powerhouse - first woman to be Dean of Law at Edinburgh University and someone who fights for juvenile justice and rehabilitation. She lives her politics. I didn't initially plan to follow her into academia but she convinced me I could do this. We've co-written together for the Dangerous Women project (2016) and would like to do more of this.

Female Voices in Art: Sasha Samuels, Artist

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:26:13 GMT

"Women have always been involved in the art world - we are finally being seen, respected, and celebrated as significant contributors!"

Sasha Samuels (b. 1962, New York, US) began her artistic career as a teen, creating hyper-realistic pencil drawings for Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. She is a metal-arts graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. While attending its Rome-based European Honors Program, Samuels developed a life-long love of Italy – her Tuscan studio was for a time a 14 ^th century Romanesque church. In 2023 Sasha visited Ukraine, to paint portraits of their injured defenders, gifting each soldier his portrait. In 2024, she proposed and co-curated an exhibition of contemporary Ukrainian trench art at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. Sasha studied figurative painting with Venice Biennale exhibitor and Guggenheim Fellow Arvie Smith, as well as Florentine mosaic and cameo carving with Italian masters. She has garnered dozens of awards and enjoyed museum exhibitions in the US and Europe.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I view myself as a healer and activist through my art practice, especially through my war portraiture.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I loved working with Carla, and being honored as a woman impacting today's art world as both artist and museum curator.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I love Paula Rego, Marlene Dumas, Francesca Woodman, the Post-Impressionists, and the Italian Macchiaioli. Bronzino also has my heart.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I recall learning color mixing and honing my fine motor skills using Play-Doh at about age four.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women have always been involved in the art world - we are finally being seen, respected, and celebrated as significant contributors!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The kimono I'm wearing is from Carla's extensive collection. I love its bright colors.

What are you currently working on?

I'm working on a multi-figure oil painting celebrating what will be Ukraine's post-war Renaissance.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Visiting Ukraine in 2023 to paint soldiers recovering from their wounds was one of the most powerful experiences of my career and life as an artist. I was astonished that my work was broadcast all over Ukraine's national television; my biggest takeaway was to never underestimate the power of one's art to change the world.

Female Voices in Art: Marianne Fossaluzza, Heritage Professional and PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 23:26:03 GMT

“Women are not only reclaiming their roles as subjects but asserting their voices as creators, curators, and custodians of art. “

Marianne Fossaluzza (b. 1992, Penne d’Agenais, France) is a heritage professional and PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen. Her doctoral research examines Edward Atkinson Hornel’s photographic collection, focusing on themes of gender, identity, and working practices. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Art History and Museum Studies from the École du Louvre in France. Marianne has six years of experience with the National Trust for Scotland, where she contributed as a Collection Inventory Officer and guide at Drum Castle. During this time, she curated an exhibition showcasing Hornel’s photographs, bringing their stories to a wider audience. Her research has also led to two published articles in the Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History. In addition to her academic and heritage work, Marianne co-founded FineLines Studio, where she supports cultural institutions in creating engaging video content.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I feel that my role is quite multifaceted, as I have a hand in research, public engagement, and now even creation! While the PhD gives me the opportunity to dive deep in my subject and present new findings and perspectives, my work at the National Trust for Scotland is all about making art and heritage accessible to the public. I try to foster curiosity and provide insightful knowledge, in the hope of generating a desire to engage with art. Finally, I have now crossed over to the creative side, as the founding of FineLines Studio has seen me take on a more hands-on position, as I am in charge of the scriptwriting.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I think it is probably the fact that it gave me that realisation that ‘yes, actually, I am part of the art world!’ I would not really have said that about myself before. Seeing the other brilliant and inspiring women on the project, I am honoured and humbled to feel that I belong in their ranks.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It seems impossible to answer but I would probably say Caravaggio. I was doing an internship in the Musée Fabre of Montpellier when the exhibition Caravaggio: Bodies and Shadows was on, and I got to spend time with his paintings when the gallery was not open, in silence and solitude. It was a very special experience. It might sound cliché, but his use of light is masterful, and I find it fascinating.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father always had the travelling bug and even as children he would take us on long car trips. When I was about six, he decided to take us to Italy. We left during the evening, and he drove through the night as my sister and I were asleep. When he woke me up the following morning, he shoved a bowl of cereal in my hands, then with a smile told me to look out the window. There, a few hundred meters away from me was the tower of Pisa. It seemed so huge, so masterfully built, and it was bent! This image was seared into my brain, I don’t think I’ve had another such breathtaking reveal since!

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think the position of women in the art world is complex, shaped by a long history of both visibility and invisibility. Women have often been central to art as subjects—frequently idealised, exoticised, or reduced to stereotypes. My own research into Hornel’s photographic collection has made me keenly aware of how women were historically constructed through the artist’s lens, their identities often flattened to fit external narratives. I am happy to see that things are slowly evolving, with so many projects, exhibitions, or institutions looking to showcase and amplify women’s perspectives. Today, women are not only reclaiming their roles as subjects but asserting their voices as creators, curators, and custodians of art. There is, of course, much work left to do, but I trust the process and I trust my peers.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a simple red jumper, black skirt, and colourful scarf. It is an outfit I really like because I find it simple yet elegant. It is in line with my values because it is second hand! I am very aware of environmental issues, including the impact of fast fashion, so I am very proud to have found it in a charity shop. The scarf is a gift from my sister and has followed me almost everywhere since.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently in the writing stage of my PhD, with my thesis slowly taking shape. It took much longer than I anticipated, but I have been told that it’s actually pretty rare for PhDs to only take three years! In parallel, I am working on developing the small animation and video studio I created with my sister, FineLines Studio. I am particularly interested in collaborating with heritage institutions, if we can!

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

I have met a lot of people that had a profound impact on the direction I took my career in, I wish I could acknowledge them all. But for the sake of a concise answer, I will have to say the Musée Fabre, in Montpellier, France. I had a month-and-a-half long internship in their exhibitions service, and it was game-changing to me. I got to see how a museum functioned behind the scenes, understand the amount of work that went into making an exhibition, participate in some amazing projects, and talk to fantastic people, from the curatorial team to the administrative assistants. It gave me not only a view in the museum world, but also a sense that I wanted to be part of it, and thus a sense of purpose.

Female Voices in Art: Hannah Marples, Gallery Coordinator and Freelance Historical Costume Maker

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:10:09 GMT

“It's more recently being recognised that the work and skill women have is equal to men.”

Hannah Marples (b. 1995, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, UK) attended the Dukeries Academy in New Ollerton (2006-2013), and obtained a Foundation Art Diploma at West Notts College, Mansfield (2013-14). Hannah graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2018 with a first class degree in Costume with Textiles BA(Hons), whilst undertaking the degree she participated in a placement year which flung her into the world of historical costume with the help of Ninya Mikhaila of The Tudor Tailor. Since graduating, she has made historical costumes for English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces, Leeds Royal Armouries as well as reenactors, film and TV. Hannah has also entered the world of museums as a Gallery Coordinator for The Harley Foundation, which has entailed all sorts of activities like being a tour guide, a face for front of house and being able to curate a collection of miniatures for display. Currently, her passions lie in the world of early seventeenth century gloves and mittens both researching and recreating, and has recently begun a Masters by Research in the same topic.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I currently work as a Gallery Coordinator at The Harley Foundation, as well as freelancing creating historical costume and embroideries, I occasionally also do talks about historical costume and making for societies and museums. I enjoy sharing what I learn with others and I am eager for knowledge and the enjoyment of art to be accessible to everyone. I have also digitised patterns for historic costuming books, taking full scale, hand drawn patterns and transforming them into clean and clear versions for publication.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I really enjoyed meeting Carla, as well as other women within the creative industry. It was also interesting seeing how other professionals work within their specialism.

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favourite artist is Vivienne Westwood.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a child on a weekend I would be sat in the kitchen at home with a bright red plastic pinafore on, painting and making a mess.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I feel like women, not just in art, are only recently being acknowledged for the work that they do. I also believe that it's more recently being recognised that the work and skill women have is equal to men.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a piece of draped velvet that was given to me by my family, even though it isn’t obvious to the audience but something as simple as fabric shows that they surround me with their support. The ruff is my own work, to demonstrate my love of historical clothing.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently studying for an MA by Research at the University of Huddersfield, the working title for the project is “Ornate Hands: A Study of Embroidered Gloves between 1600 and 1630”. The purpose of the research is to find out how and why these extraordinary items existed and to explore how they were made, and how it would feel to wear such an item on modern hands. I hope to complete my MRes in April 2026.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Of course, Ninya Mikhaila has had such a tremendous effect on my career, without her encouragement and generosity I would not be where I am today. Ninya has given so much time to teach and mentor me in practical skills as well as analytical exploration, she gave me the confidence to flourish and to just go for it!

Female Voices in Art: Joanna Meacock, Curator of British Art at Glasgow Museums

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:15:47 GMT

“Women have too long been overlooked! My professional mission is to bring greater equality into our museum collections, exhibitions and art historical writing, telling the stories of female artists who have been marginalised or forgotten.”

Joanna (Jo) Meacock (b. 1975, Bolton, UK) is Curator of British Art at Glasgow Life Museums, responsible for paintings, sculpture, prints and drawings, 1600-1960. She gained an MA History of Art at the University of Glasgow in 1997, followed by a PhD there in 2001 examining D.G. Rossetti’s secularisation of religious iconography. Formerly the Scottish Regional Research Manager for the Public Catalogue Foundation, Jo has also worked as Data Editing Manager for the National Inventory Research Project, Research Associate for James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings: A Catalogue Raisonné and Editor for Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951. A Trustee of the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, Jo is passionate about inclusion and art for everyone. She has published on Pre-Raphaelitism and Aestheticism, Scottish 19th and early 20th-century art and women artists, and is currently working on a book on the Pre-Raphaelites and Scotland.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an art historian and museum curator with a particular passion for making art accessible and relevant to all. I feel very blessed to work for Glasgow Life Museums whose ethos is equality, anti-racism and the breaking down of social barriers.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Artfully Dressed is such an inspiring, affirming project. How marvellous to be celebrating women in the artworld in this way. And what a privilege to be part of it. Carla van de Puttelaar is a wonder.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I love the sculptor Mary Pownall. There is an amazingly dynamic sculpture by her in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum called The Harpy Celaeno (exh. Rome 1902), which is actually a self-portrait. It’s absolutely terrifying. Consumed by wrath Celaeno grasps her breast and issues her prophecy. You needed to be strong to make it as a female artist at the time – even more so to be a sculptor, considered a more masculine profession. I wouldn’t mess with her, that’s for sure!

What is your earliest memory involving art?
From a young age I was always drawing, always had coloured pencils on my desk. Art was my happy place. I remember discovering a book on Gustav Klimt in the school library which held me spellbound – the colour, the pattern, the gorgeous women. I kept coming back to it. I was also very lucky that my local art gallery, Kirkcaldy Art Gallery, had a fabulous art collection which I loved visiting. I was pushed down a more academic route at school but was delighted at university to find that art history was a subject – I had found my vocation!

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women have too long been overlooked! My professional mission is to bring greater equality into our museum collections, exhibitions and art historical writing, telling the stories of female artists who have been marginalised or forgotten. As a woman in the art world, it can be tough juggling motherhood and the demands of a career – there is still discrimination, although less overt – so we definitely need to stick together.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I love colour! There is not very much in the way of black in my wardrobe. Colour is life and energy. I buy clothes in charity shops – that’s where the jacket and shoes I am wearing come from. The skirt is by Kemi Telford and is a celebration of womanhood, a response in pattern to the work of Sonia Delauney, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Anni Albers. I feel empowered wearing it!

What are you currently working on?

I’m delighted to be working on a new display in the Looking at Art Gallery in Kelvingrove focusing on a painting by Manchester artist, suffragist and activist Annie Swynnerton, The Soul’s Journey – The Soul’s Awakening (1922–23). As a female artist, Swynnerton had to fight for equality and this painting of a mountainous landscape with an anguished-looking naked female figure, may be a reflection on the struggles that she faced in her career. It was painted when she was in her late 70s and had finally been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in London, despite exhibiting there since 1878. Shockingly, she was the first female Associate to be appointed since the organisation’s founding in 1768. The display looks at Swynnerton’s innovative artistic practice and how she had a habit of extending her paintings, adding on bits from other paintings. She really was a modern woman, recycling and fighting the patriarchy!

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?
Whistler scholar Professor Margaret MacDonald has made a big impact on me as an art historian. She took me on as a PhD student and not only rigorously critiqued my work but showed me great warmth and care. Then as colleague on the Whistler etchings catalogue raisonné project she taught me what it was to be passionate about the physicality of an object, the beauty of line and tone, the quality of paper, the richness of ink. Margaret is herself a wonderful watercolourist and always brings you back to the object – a very important lesson when researching and theorising.

Female Voices in Art: Alexandra Libby, Senior Administrator for Collections and Initiatives and Curator of Northern Baroque Paintings, National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 22:40:49 GMT

“I think we have a responsibility to support and uplift one another.”

Alexandra Libby (b. 1981, New York, NY ) is Senior Administrator for Collections and Initiatives and a Curator of Northern Baroque Paintings at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. She has (co-) curated several exhibitions, including Water, Wind, and Waves: Marine Painting from the Dutch Golden Age (2018); Vermeer’s Secrets (2022); and Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World (2025). Prior to joining the National Gallery in 2014, she was Assistant Curator of European art at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, and had also held various fellowship and research positions at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Colby College Museum of Art. She received her B.A. from Colby College (2003), her M.A. from Boston University (2007), and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (2014).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I must admit that it’s funny to me to acknowledge that I have a role in the art world at all. I did not grow up going to art museums. They weren’t really on my radar until I took an art history class in high school, so I never could have dreamed of being a museum curator or administrator. But through a series of important teachers, who believe in my and opened my eyes to the possibilities that exist, I found myself pursuing art history as a discipline and, eventually, a career. Today, I have the great privilege of working at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where I get to help shape a collection of magnificent paintings, a division of extraordinary colleagues, and the culture of our museum. One of my responsibilities here is managing our curatorial, conservation and collections budget, which at first glance may not seem terribly interesting. But, as a mentor once said, a budget is a moral document. Where we invest our dollars matters and it tells our staff and our publics what we care about. I report to and work very closely with our Chief Curator and Conservation Officer, E. Carmen Ramos, to guide those funds in ways the align with our mission, vision, and values.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Being in the company of so many extraordinary women – curators, directors, philanthropists – is a professional honor, to be sure. But perhaps what is most enjoyable about this is that the next generation of young women may look to this project and see a future for themselves. This project is celebratory of the women today and also a model for women of the future.

Do you have a favourite artist?

As I like to tell my children, favorite is a category not a singular thing. So, I have many favorite artists! One favorite is Dario Robleto, who is a Houston-based Renaissance man, if ever there was. His practice is interdisciplinary, research-driven, and places a high premium on craft. The result is an extraordinary range of artistic output: sculpture, print, film. A recent project of his involved transforming early measurements of heartbeats made by 19 ^th -century century pioneers of cardiography into photolithographs executed on paper hand-sooted with candle flames. These early heartbeats were recorded before the invention of sound playback, so Dario worked with a sound historian to digitally resurrect the heartbeats in audio form. One can hear the heartbeat of a man born during the French Revolution, a child being scolded, a woman laughing, and mother nursing her baby. It is so incredibly moving.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I always loved making art. When I was small, I told people I wanted to be an artist. So, I don’t have a first memory really, but rather a kaleidoscope of memories that swirl: coloring at the dining room table, copying pictures from magazines, drawing portraits of family and friends. Perhaps most of all I remember how supportive and loving my parents always were about my art making.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think we have a responsibility to support and uplift one another. Especially for the women who came before me, it was a long, hard ladder to climb. The most impactful women are the ones who don’t pull that ladder up but reach back to help those behind them.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I don’t know how artful it is, but it certainly was comfortable! This picture was taken during one of the preview days at TEFAF, where a team from the National Gallery spent some 8 hours walking the fair to look for potential acquisitions. It’s a wonderful fair for many reasons, but also absolutely exhausting! Comfort is key.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently helping to project plan and full-scale reinstallation of our Old Master collections. The process will take about five to six years, but will see the National Gallery’s collection reconceived, reinvigorated, and reinstalled. It’s daunting but also totally thrilling.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

In 2018 I curated an exhibition on 17 ^th -century Dutch marine paintings called Water, Wind, and Waves. The show was a “celebration” of the complex relationship between the Dutch and the water and included paintings of inland waterways, canals, the open ocean, and even ice skating. There were also some wonderful manuscripts, prints, drawings, and ship models. It was a lovely exhibition that got absolutely raked by the reviewer for the Washington Post for “skating over issues of slavery and colonialism.” And he was right. It was such a blind spot of the exhibition (of mine!) and it was a wake-up call for me that I had been indoctrinated into an uncritical view of art history that was out-of-date and out-of-line. Since then, I’ve had to reeducate myself and work hard to make sure that I approach all my endeavors with a posture of curiosity: who is centered here? Who is left out? What story am I privileging? What can I bring in? It was a hard lesson, but an important one that I carry with me.

Female Voices in Art: Anne Daffertshofer, Contemporary Art Researcher & Curator, PhD candidate, University of St Andrews

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 22:46:55 GMT

"I hope that my peers and I will contribute to more positive structures and systems as we move forward."

Anne Daffertshofer (b. 1995, Neuss, Germany) is a contemporary art researcher, writer and curator based in Fife. Before obtaining her postgraduate degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History at ECA in 2020, she studied Art & Visual History at Humboldt University in Berlin. Anne has previously worked for contemporary artists and commercial galleries, and more recently taught undergraduate tutorials. Currently, she is the Art Curator at the St Andrews Botanic Garden and is completing her doctoral thesis at the University of St Andrews. Her research explores the meanings of movement in times of ecological crisis in and through contemporary art by working with the term 'Anthropocene Mobilities'. Anne is interested in ecocritical ways of writing art history and holistic approaches to art and life. She has presented her work at national and international conferences. Inspired by her research, Anne founded and directed Looking North, a series of events with artists, writers and ecological conservation projects in Scotland and beyond.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a contemporary art researcher, writer and curator based in Fife. At the moment, I am also preparing to submit my doctoral thesis at the University of St Andrews, and just started a new position as art curator at the St Andrews Botanic Garden. Occasionally, I also work with artists and galleries on a freelance basis.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The photo you see was taken during the Scottish Society for Art History Study Day in Edinburgh. It was a pleasure to be asked to take part in the project and I liked the spontaneity of it. And of course I felt very honoured to be included alongside such wonderful and impressive women.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don't think I could choose a favourite artist, but I do have a soft spot for painting. A few months ago in Venice I came across the work of Salman Toor and Marlene Gilson, which I found very powerful. In Scotland, two of my favourite artists would be Hanna Tuulikki and Siobhan McLaughlin - Siobhan's abstract landscape paintings often use earth pigments collected from the place she is painting. I love this direct connection between the painting and the place. I am also very interested in the work of Lawrence Abu-Hamdan and, more generally, artists working with Forensic Architecture. But I should stop here; there are too many artists doing wonderful work - I could go on forever.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

One of my earliest memories of art would be my grandmother's impressive collection of art history books. And family holidays in Italy - my uncle would drag us from church to church, and I loved it. But the reason I wanted to study art history was the 'Fresh Window' exhibition at K20 in 2012. Our teacher took us there and I remember being fascinated by Duchamp's Fresh Widow.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I've been working in the art world since March 2017. In that time, I have been lucky enough to meet some of the most passionate, knowledgeable and incredibly competent people - including many women. Of course, it's still the case that many senior positions are held by our male colleagues, but I feel that more equality is on the horizon. I particularly enjoy hearing stories from or about women in the art world who have been working in the sector for many decades and who have managed to avoid replicating many of the more toxic dynamics that most of us will be familiar with. I always find that very inspiring and encouraging, even if it is not easy to come across. Sometimes I feel that some people see exploitation and toxic hierarchies as some sort of initiation process that you have to endure in order to move up - I am aware that it can be difficult to avoid recreating the situations that you have had to go through, but I hope that my peers and I will contribute to more positive structures and systems as we move forward. I hope that in the future everyone in the art world will do their best to create welcoming spaces that are accessible to all backgrounds.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Although this picture was taken in early spring, you can see that I am wearing quite warm clothes - but such is life in Scotland. On this day, I opted for a simple turtleneck to keep me cosy, and my winter coat from MaxMara. It's my best vintage find so far, and one of my favourite things to wear in the colder months.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently finalising our summer programme at the St Andrews Botanic Garden. We will be hosting an international artist for a month and have some really exciting events planned. I am also in the process of finishing the introduction to my PhD, which is both gratifying and unnerving.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

There are so many. I always feel very lucky to be working in the art world, a sector filled with immensely talented, inspired and passionate people. I would certainly mention Prof Nesselrath, who taught me during my undergraduate studies. His passion for art and immense knowledge definitely shaped my desire to pursue this path. But just as importantly, he has a unique talent for creating an atmosphere in the classroom that allows friendships to blossom - and it is because of him that I met some of my closest friends and confidants in the art world. I also felt very inspired by the FKA Six project space in Berlin, which was run by my friends Marlene A. Schenk, Pola van den Hövel and Laura Helena Wurth. It was one of the reasons I decided to start my own project, Looking North, two years ago. And this, I am now told, inspired friends of mine to start their own events - the most beautiful domino effect!

Female Voices in Art: Kirstin Mackinnon, Artist

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 21:00:40 GMT

"I believe women in the art world have the power to affect change in society as a whole and promote gender equality on a local and global scale."

Kirstin Mackinnon (b. 1995, Scotland) is a fig urative painter from Glasgow. She is particularly interested in portraiture, painted from life, in oils. Kirstin studies gender representation in contemporary art. The work of female painters is currently valued at a tenth of their male contemporaries, so Kirstin questions why the art world is slow to progress towards equality. She encourages the viewer to question the way genders are viewed, represented and portrayed in art and why society values their works differently. Kirstin often uses humour as a tool to communicate her research findings. Since graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2023 with a First-Class Honours in Fine Art, Kirstin has won several awards. She has exhibited in prominent shows including the RSA New Contemporaries 2024. Kirstin’s paintings have been acquired for public and private collections. Her publications include Art World Gender Equality: UK and Scotland Today (2024).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an emerging artist based in Scotland, and my paintings challenge the continuing gender imbalance in the art world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It’s exciting for me to be a part of this project so early in my career, I am interested to learn more about the project, and the other women featured.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have a lot of favourites, it would be difficult to choose just one.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Learning how to draw dolphins as a child, my older sisters were much better than me!

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I believe women in the art world have the power to affect change in society as a whole and promote gender equality on a local and global scale.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a black corduroy dress, because I was speaking at a conference prior to the photoshoot, and I wanted to look smart (there’s no paint on that outfit, yet).

What are you currently working on?

I am studying for a master’s in research in Fine Art, working on a new body of paintings and writing about the place of painting in Scotland for the emerging artist.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

All the staff at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design were fantastic to work with. I am especially grateful to Dr Helen Gorrill, who introduced me to the subject of art world gender equality and continues to inspire me. I also attribute a significant amount of my artistic progress to the astute guidance of the painter Alex Roberts, who tutored life drawing throughout my time at university.

Female Voices in Art: Amy Orrock, National Curator for the National Trust

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 22:33:24 GMT

“I have enjoyed working with contemporary women artists, as their work often grapples with what it means to be a woman today.”

Amy Orrock (b. 1980, London, UK) is a National Curator for the National Trust. She has published and lectured widely on Northern European art and has co-curated the exhibitions Rubens & Women (Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2023) and Bruegel: Defining a Dynasty (The Holburne Museum, 2017). As the Senior Curator at Compton Verney from 2017 to 2023 she worked with contemporary artists on commissions, exhibitions and collection redisplays that highlighted the dialogue between the past and the present, including Sensing Naples (2023), Cranach: Artist and Innovator (2020) and Painting Childhood (2019). Prior to that, she contributed to curatorial projects at The Royal Collection and the National Portrait Gallery, London. Amy holds a B.A. in History and History of Art from University College London and completed her Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh, with a dissertation on Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Children’s Games.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an art historian and curator who specialises in Northern European art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I see my role as ensuring that this art remains relevant to audiences today. This is often about sharing knowledge generously. I passionately believe that art history should be available to all, and, in addition to cultivating a deep understanding of the past, I enjoy finding ways to enable everyone to engage with art; to celebrate the capacity historic works of art have to mean something to our lives today.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I think the series is a beautiful and powerful tribute to the enduring nature of portraiture, and the accomplishments of women in the art world. I like the focus on dress - as a historian of historical portraits this is always a central concern. I’m absolutely honoured to be included.

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favourite artist has for many years been Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I first encountered him as an undergraduate student and devoted several years of my life to him when I completed my doctoral dissertation on his painting Children’s Games (1560). He remains an enduring and fascinating enigma – capable, like all truly great artists, of combining technical skill and originality with powers of observation, storytelling and humanity that still sparkle across the centuries. I could spend a lifetime looking at his work.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I grew up drawing and making things constantly, and always thought that I would study Fine Art at art college. But on reflection, I was more interested in other artists and in the ways in which art can transport us to different times and places in history. I remember buying my first art history book - a second-hand blue hardback about Renoir which had lost its dust jacket - and pouring over the colourful images inside, imagining myself alive in nineteenth-century France.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I have been lucky enough to begin my career at a time when many pioneering women were paving the way in the art world. I have been inspired and supported by great and generous female colleagues, including scholars, curators and museum directors, who through their actions have helped me to see that anything possible. I have enjoyed working with contemporary women artists, as their work often grapples with what it means to be a woman today. Artists’ responses to the multifaceted nature of our lives - to the place of women throughout history, to current societal pressures, to the rich journey of motherhood - are often brave, eloquent and personal and I’m glad that these perspectives are being represented more often in art. Despite this, there are still inequalities in access to the sector - the art world is elitist, and far from being representative of the real world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing black trousers and a pink silk shirt by Sézane. I like the colour, and almost everything by Sézane.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a project for the National Trust involving over twenty of their most significant houses and collections. This is truly fascinating and is continually stretching me, as I think beyond the edges of a panel or canvas and consider the complex histories and latent potential of historic houses in the round.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The National Galleries of Scotland played a seminal role in shaping my career. I worked there as a part-time Gallery Educator in the mid 2000’s while studying at the University of Edinburgh. The experience of becoming intimately acquainted with such a fantastic collection of Old Master paintings and attuned to the daily rhythms of gallery life, as well as the connections forged with visitors, many of whom were children on their first outing to an art gallery, was fundamental in shaping my desire to become a curator. After completing my PhD I undertook two curatorial internships in London, and never looked back. Being a curator is a wonderful job, and a privilege I hope I never take for granted.

Female Voices in Art: Hana Seifertová, née Korecká, Czech Art Historian, Curator and former Museum Director

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:38:17 GMT

"Personally, I never really saw a difference between men and women in the art world and their roles, and I was also given leading positions early on."

Hana Seifertová, née Korecká (b. 1934, Tabor, Czech Republic), is a Czech art historian, curator and former museum director. After graduating from Prague's Charles University in 1958, specialising in Old Master painting, particularly still life, Hana became the director of the Oblastni Gallery in Liberec at a young age, turning it among other activities into a centre for non-conformist contemporary art. A courageous opponent of the communist regime, she was dismissed for political reasons in 1970 and moved with her family - daughter Barbora (1962-2024) and husband Jiri Seifert (1932-1999), an eminent Czech sculptor - to Řevnice near Prague. From 1971 until her retirement in 2012, she worked as curator and head of the Collection of Old European Art at the National Gallery in Prague as curator and director, producing a rich portfolio of publications and exhibitions, mainly in the field of Dutch, Flemish, German and Czech Baroque. An inspiring mentor and enthusiastic researcher and colleague, she has left an indelible mark on the world of art history and curating.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I consider it my great fortune and privilege to have been able to build bridges to Western countries, especially Germany and the Netherlands, even during the time of the Iron Curtain. Through publications, exhibitions and research projects, I was able to act as a mediator for Czech cultural and art history. I am glad that the borders of the past have now disappeared and that the younger generation is so well and efficiently connected thanks to networks such as CODART.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The photo session, which took place during my 90th birthday celebrations at the National Gallery in Prague, came as a surprise to me, as did the festivities and the publication dedicated to me on the occasion. It is a great honour for me to see my photo among so many remarkable colleagues.

Do you have a favourite artist?

If I had to choose: Carel Fabritius (1622-1654), even though we only know very few of his paintings. I am particularly fond of his Goldfinch in the Mauritshuis in The Hague. Incidentally, the Bohemian painter Johann Adalbert Angermeyer (1674-1740), whose catalogue raisonné I wrote after my retirement, made a very similar painting of a linnet on a perch in 1726 (Private Collection).

What is your earliest memory involving art?

In my parental home in Tábor, everything revolved around music, the fine arts played no role; my father Karel Korecký was a violin soloist and teacher. He also taught at Bechynĕ Castle, owned by the Counts of Paar. As a playmate of their children, I spent many wonderful days at the castle. I still remember being fascinated by a Portrait of a Lady by Angelika Kauffman that hung on the walls. However, it was actually my uncle Miroslav Korecký who introduced me to art. He was an architect and recommended that I study art history. My first seminar with Prof Jan Kvĕt – which was held bilingually in Czech and French - was dedicated to miniatures. In my first seminar paper, I dealt with the Water Castle Švihov ... famous from the Czech Cinderella film.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Personally, I never really saw a difference between men and women in the art world and their roles, and I was also given leading positions early on. The fact that women had to work in the communist era was a certain factor.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

As mentioned, the photo was completely unplanned and I'm actually wearing something quite every day and comfortable for my age.

What are you currently working on?

Unfortunately, due to my age, I no longer have enough energy for projects. But I still enjoy hearing and reading about new research and exhibitions. The fact that I was able to contribute to the catalogue of Judith Mann's exhibition Painting on Stone at the Saint Louis Art Museum in 2020 - a subject I have been working on for many years - was a nice way to end my career.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Despite his communist leanings, I must mention Professor Jaromír Neumann and his seminars and lectures on Bohemian Baroque. When we visited the National Gallery as students, each of us had to choose a painting and give a lecture on it: I chose Jerome by Jusepe de Ribera. My dissertation on Baroque still life in Bohemia, supervised by Professor Neumann, also had a lasting influence on my future research career.

Female Voices in Art: Hildegard Van de Velde, Curator of the Snijders & Rockox House, Antwerp

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:30:20 GMT

“I admire Carla’s perseverance and her very critical eye to create the perfect portrait.”

Hildegard Van de Velde (b. 1960) studied Art History and Archaeology at the University of Ghent and Library and Documentation Science at the University of Antwerp. Since 1995 she has been curator of the modern art collection of KBC and in 2001 she also became curator of the Museum Rockox House in Antwerp, also part of the KBC art collection. She has organized several exhibitions at the Rockox House, as well as abroad with artworks KBC's modern art collection. The Golden Cabinet, the Royal Museum at Rockox guest , is the last project she curated with Dr. Nico van Hout (2013-2017), before the renovation of the museum Rockox House. In 2018, the Rockox House expanded to include the Snijders House, the 17th-century patrician dwelling of stilllife and animal painter Frans Snijders, and became the Snijders&Rockox House museum for which Hildegard continues to curate exhibitions.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am curator of the Museum Snijders&Rockox House in Antwerp, the famous patrician dwellings of the Antwerp Mayor Nicolaas Rockox (1560-1640) and the one of the Antwerp animal and still life painter Frans Snijders (1579-1657), two eminent personalities during the baroque period in Antwerp. It is my role to keep alive their legacy, their ideas, their social and cultural role in the city of Antwerp during the first half of the 17th century and to illustrate that whit paintings and original object of art from the 16th and 17th century. The museum is part of the art collection of KBC Bank. I am also curator of this bank's modern collection, a collection that is not open to the public, but is frequently requested on loan.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is a great honor to collaborate on this project and at the same time, to be honored somewhere for the often intense work in the museum. But working with art is a gift in itself, offering me beauty every day. It gives me a lot of job satisfaction. It was surprising to witness the making of a portrait and to experience how small objects can give a person an extra appearance. It also taught me that to work on a portrait with Carla you have to set aside a couple of hours, that making a portrait is not easy feat. I admire Carla’s perseverance and her very critical eye.

Do you have a favourite artist?

This is a difficult question, especially since so many interesting artists during the Renaissance and Baroque periods put a city like Antwerp on the map. But one of my favourite is Anthonis Mor (Utrecht, circa 1519 – Antwerpen, 1575). He was a fantastic portrait painter who not only knew how to portray his models physically well, but at the same time could capture their character and authority in paint, a photographer avant la lettre.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Art was instilled in me from home. From an early age I went on holiday with my parents and sisters to the art cities in Italy. Florence and the Uffizi are my oldest memories. But on weekends we were taken on trips to visit castles and museums in our own country.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Female artists in the 16th and 17th centuries had a privileged position. They could only take lessons in painting art from their father or a brother, or in some cases, with the intercession of a good relationship, they could work for a professional artist. This does not mean that they had it easy, they remained dependent on their environment and it is still special how some female artists in a male-dominated world managed to develop their own personal style, which helped determine the evolution of a genre. That is admirable. But, of course, their situation cannot be compared to a woman who has to make her art career today. The world looks completely different, yet not obvious either.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I like to wear simple clothing that still stands out, for example, with a striking detail. For example, the sleeves of the cardigan I'm wearing are sleeves with flared cuffs, a subtle reference to the 17th-century cuffs of the dresses of wealthy burgers in the first half of the 17th century. For this photo shoot, I think it was import to reinforce my involvement with the 17th century patrician dwellings.

What are you currently working on?

The retrospective of Jan Davidsz. de Heem, curated by Dr. Fred Meijer, is currently running. But in the meantime we are already thinking further. Each exhibition project has a lead time of 2 years and without giving anything away, we are now preparing exhibition concepts and negotiating various loans that will of course deal with fascinating themes in the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition, a lot of public activities will take place in the near future, such as the Night of Museums and Open Monument Day for which we are also currently planning the necessary activities.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

It is not obvious to mention only one person or one institution that would have inspired me to pursue a career in the art world. Of course, it are the art trips with my parents that initially sparked my curiosity for art. But on my path I still meet interesting people every day, who inspire me, with whom I have fascinating conversations, with whom I savour art, from whom I still learn every day.

Female Voices in Art: Irma Braat, Visual Artist

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:52:54 GMT

"When I became a mother, I started to notice that people talk differently about fathers who are artists than they do about mothers who are artists."

Irma Braat (b. 1971, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) is a visual artist. After a receiving a degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Amsterdam, a teacher’s degree in Biology (trained by Rien van Krieken), and a two-year training in various coaching and counseling techniques by Erika Stern and Diana Shmukler, she started to study at the Wackers Art Academy in Amsterdam at the age of 29. Irma paints portraits, interiors and models in oils and is a teacher at that same academy. She lives and works in Amsterdam or on request as an artist-in-residence or guest-teacher elsewhere. In 2017 she won the first Dutch Portrait Award (De Nederlandse Portretprijs) with a self-portrait together with her twin sister. Her two children play an important role in her paintings. Irma Braat has exhibited her work regularly, mainly in the Netherlands.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My role is a small one: I am one of many artists who paint from nature: mostly portraits, models and interiors. But I see myself as one of the better craftswomen in portraiture and as a good teacher - for those who like my way of teaching. I am ambitious on a low level. To be one of the dots in a large picture is fine; someone once described me as having a small radius of action, but with a direct line to whatever is above us. I would like to think of my work as something that makes sense out of the chaos around me; to mold all the recurring shapes and forms in this crazy world into something I like to look at, and maybe point out to others the magical real-life things that I have in front of me.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Being part of a diverse group of women in art feels like being part of a giant web of daredevils. Also the fact that Carla shows real women, and is not making fake women out of her subjects. I appreciate that.

Do you have a favourite artist?

This changes over time, but at this moment it is Joan Eardley (1921-1963), a Scottish artist. The way she painted and drew children and their environment is so honest, so expressive - it humbles me. I look at her paintings, just to gather courage. Also, there are days I can’t stop looking at Matisse: his works are a breath of pure oxygen.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

At three I asked my mom to draw a girl, just like me. She scribbled a stick-figure with a high-hat (I am still wondering why!) and it struck me that this was something I would have to do myself. It took me five years, but then I painted my twin sister at the age of eight. At the age of six I saw a framed poster of a very odd face at our neighbors, which fascinated me. It was the first time that I came across a Picasso. Then, at the age of eleven, my class visited the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam where The Beanery by Edward Kienholz was exhibited. It still haunts my dreams. Whenever it is on view, I will go and enter that bar, just to enjoy the mere madness of this work of art.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I am grateful that I can work as a painter in this time and age in Europe. But at the same time, the inequality between men and women in the art world is still a fact. When I became a mother, I started to notice that people talk differently about fathers who are artists than they do about mothers who are artists. Men can have three to four children - they still are able to maintain a ‘fresh dynamic painter’ position and they are treated as such. And when men paint children, comments are made that it is so clever that they can quickly capture a moment in time. When women paint children, it is considered sentimental and sweet. Not a big thing but it tires me sometimes. Last year at a vernissage I heard a female spokesperson talk about her encounter with a female portrait artist; she spoke of her as highly professional. I thought, why mention that? Did you have doubts about her professionality? I also have a difficult relationship with books about women artists. Although they are beautifully made, and contain so much information I want to read and look at. At the same time, it is a box that all these women are put into. They are separated from ‘mainstream’ art, by putting them into a separate book.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

This apron has been part of my entire professional painting life. It is one of the most beautiful garments. Because, in the end a lot comes down to the work that I did, not to all my ideas that float around. And it helps me to make stronger compositions while painting self-portraits.

Has the Covid health crisis had an impact on your daily practice?

It has. I had enough commissions, but I could not teach the way I liked. The zoom lessons I gave were both a source of income and stress. My profession became a very solitary one. During Covid, I have felt so alone in a way, and also sad. But I always felt blessed with my profession and confident about it.

What are you currently working on?

I am always working on creating more free time for myself, as most artists do. Being an entrepreneur and having to earn your living keeps you efficient, but it is sometime killing your creativity. A real challenge to say the least. As a portraitist in heart and soul, I am planning to make portraits of models or friends, in a surrounding of graphic patterns on clothing, cushions and blankets. Perhaps I should focus on painting children a bit more? This will be my starting point. Who knows what will happen.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important in/inspiring for your career and why?

At the art academy (Wackers Academy in Amsterdam) I finally found the right teachers who taught me the magical knowledge about different ways of seeing, of translating all this chaos into something new. I was so eager that I felt I didn’t sleep throughout these four years. I learnt so much, even from the teachers that were less kind or involved. Also, I have two sisters (one of them is my twin). They always encourage me, and knew long before I did, that painting is what I should do.

Female Voices in Art: Shona Elliott, Lead Curator – Art and History for Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums

carla@carlavandeputtelaar.com — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:31:49 GMT

'Knowing about women who do great work with art collections is inspiring and motivational for me.'

Shona Elliott (b. 1982, Norwich, England) is Lead Curator – Art and History for Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums. She gained a First, then Master's degree in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London with a focus on ethnomusicology and also connections between early 20 ^th century music and Surrealism, Cubism, Dadaism and Futurism. Shona has worked with museum art collections for the majority of her professional career, and has a Masters degree in Museum Studies. Her article on ‘Changes in the University of Aberdeen’s Approach to Displaying Art, 1860-2010’ was published in the Volume 16 journal of the Scottish Society for Art History (SSAH) and she has been editor of the SSAH newsletter for several years.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I lead a team of curators, with a focus on developing Aberdeen City Council’s museum collections e.g. acquiring artworks, and sharing the art and history collections with the public through creating exhibitions, giving talks and tours, writing articles and assisting researchers.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Unexpectedly taking part in an impromptu photoshoot!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I enjoy Salvador Dali’s art. It was an amazing experience to visit the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres and House-Museum in Portlligat where he lived and worked for many years.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My great aunt was a keen painter and used to send lovely handmade cards with her artworks on them to me and my siblings on special occasions.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Knowing about women who do great work with art collections is inspiring and motivational for me.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I was smartly dressed as I had just been chairing a session at the Scottish Society of Art History’s annual Study Day in Edinburgh

What are you currently working on?

I am putting together an exhibition on artists’ depictions of Scottish Castles.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

I began my career at William Wordsworth’s home and museum in the Lake District. It confirmed for me that I wanted a future in the museum/ gallery sector, and I loved getting opportunities to closely examine stunning artworks that we borrowed for temporary exhibitions there.

Female Voices in Art: Francesca Baldassari, Art Historian

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:40:20 GMT

"I firmly believe that women possess the same capabilities as men."

Francesca Baldassari (b. 1963, Sarzana, La Spezia, Italy) distinguished herself academically by graduading from the University of Florence in 1986-1987 with highest honours. She was awarded scholarships for two consecutive years at the Roberto Longhi Foundation in Florence. Her esteemed scholarly contributions began with her first monograph on Carlo Dolci, published in 1995, and later revised for an English edition in 2015, followed by her curating the related exhibition 2017 in the United States. Since then, her scholarly contributions expanded to include significant monographs on Cristoforo Munari (1998), Giovan Domenico Ferretti (2002), and Simone Pignoni (2008). While her extensive body of work encompasses numerous books, articles, and exhibition catalogues, a noteworthy highlight is the 2017 exhibition at Palazzo Braschi in Rome, dedicated to “Artemisia Gentileschi and her time”.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am regarded as the foremost expert on Tuscan painting from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Additionally, I am recognized for my ability to discern both major and minor artists from other schools of Italian painting of those same centuries.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

To please friends who insisted I take part! They were right!

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favourite artist is Valentin de Boulogne.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest artistic memory is a childhood trip to Siena, where I stood with my parents in front of Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Maestà .

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I firmly believe that women possess the same capabilities as men.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a simple dress complemented by one of my most beautiful and cherished scarves, a gift from my life partner of fifteen years. Completing my ensemble is an antique ring and a Zendrini bracelet, which I bought at a charity auction in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, thirty years ago.

What are you currently working on?

I have recently completed writing a comprehensive two-volume monograph on Cecco Bravo, encompassing both his paintings and drawings. Currently, I am engrossed in researching and writing a new monograph about another key figure from seventeenth-century Florentine art, but I prefer not to reveal the subject matter yet.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

My true mentor was Piero Bigongiari, poet, art critic, and collector. However, my years of study at the Longhi Foundation in Florence, along with prolonged stays in London, Paris, and the United States, proved to be invaluable and fundamental. Thus, if Bigongiari played a crucial role in honing my writing style, my extensive periods abroad enriched my understanding of the world of antique markets and collectors.

Female Voices in Art: Alessandra Laitempergher, Curator and Creative Producer

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 10:22:08 GMT

“Today, women occupy leadership positions in various fields within the arts, including makers, curators, directors and researchers, to name just a few, and are reshaping our understanding of art history and the way we perceive the world.”

Alessandra Laitempergher (b. 1971, Bolzano, Italy) is a curator and creative producer based in Amsterdam. After her curatorial studies, with a focus on film and photography, she completed a Master's degree in museum studies, specialising in museum education and participation. She joined Museum Beelden aan Zee in 2003, where she held various positions for almost two decades, the longest as Head of Presentation and Education. Since 2020 she has been working as a freelance curator and creative producer, focusing on contemporary social art practice.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

After more than twenty years of working in museums, I changed direction about four years ago to explore what art can do in and for society and communities outside of institutions. I became a freelancer. Today, I dedicate myself to curating and producing, working closely with makers in the process and realization of projects that reflect on the big questions of our time, such as equality, sustainability, and the impact art can have on the wellbeing of the individual, and hopefully, reflect and impact on everyday life at various levels.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

There are several interesting aspects to the project. Firstly, I am usually standing outside the work, observing the finished piece. To find myself in the moment of creation, where idea meets reality, is extraordinary. Becoming the subject rather than the observer requires a different state of mind, which I found both refreshing and challenging at times.

I also enjoyed the element of play, dressing up and preparation, which in my 'imagination' is closely linked to the idea of femininity. More importantly, I felt part of a community of incredible women united by their commitment to the arts. A community brought together and created by Carla with loving attention and extraordinary skill.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have many favourite artists and discover new talent every year. My admiration goes to those artists who are dedicated to their craft, persistently evolving and embracing the constant challenge of self-improvement. Art is a lifelong journey of learning, with excellence only becoming evident over decades. While my list of admired artists is extensive, certain art projects have reshaped my perspective on the arts. These include Marina Abramović's Balkan Baroque at the 1997 Venice Biennale, William Kentridge's If We Ever Get to Heaven, Marc Quinn's provocative blood self-portraits and the incomparable Kara Walker, among others.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory is of running down the long corridor of the Uffizi in Florence, my mother pulling me fast in her hands against the current. I was about four years old and it was a hot summer. She wanted to show me Botticelli's Venus. The huge picture of Venus, with her glowing hair, emerging from the water in a shell, is the very first image of art I remember. The following year I wanted to look like her for Carnival, but I had to wear clothes...

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The historical neglect of women in the arts is undeniable. Often confined to roles such as muses or hobbyist, women's contributions have been marginalised. Today, we are aware of this misperception and are actively driving a shift in perceptions within the artistic field. While I believe in the value of art regardless of gender, it's clear that we've overlooked a rich wealth of talent. Today, women occupy leadership positions in various fields within the arts, including makers, curators, directors and researchers, to name just a few, and are reshaping our understanding of art history and the way we perceive the world. It's a long journey and it's only just begun.

What are you wearing in the portrait, and is there a story behind it?

We tried a few different outfits and finally chose a kimono from Carla's amazing collection because it reflects my taste, who I am and how I like to look, with elegant clean lines and beautiful details. The neckless I am wearing is by far my favourite piece, it was bought at a difficult time in my life as a gift to myself. It reminds me of the little beauties you can find in everyday life.

What are you currently working on?

Since moving into freelance work, I have been concerned about the gap between contemporary art and society. In order to bridge this gap, if only temporarily, I've focused on exploring the significance of art in our daily lives through various projects. These initiatives address important social issues such as the role of nature, the impact of art on well-being and the representation of women. Among these efforts, the Stimulus Project stands out as a significant undertaking. Working with healtcare professionals, artists, the Amsterdam Museum and researchers from University of Amsterdam, we're exploring the potential impact of art exhibitions on overall well-being. This collaborative effort promises to be a profoundly enriching experience.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

There is more than one, but for almost two decades I have been associated and I identified with, Museum Beelden aan Zee, where I grew up professionally. There I learned how to make exhibitions and communicate them to audiences. It was great effort and gift. The person within the institution who thought of me the most is the former director Jan Teeuwisse, from whom I learned (absorbed is the word I used to say) everything I know about sculpture and how to go on with all kinds of projects with a curious pioneer mindset.

Female Voices in Art: Aoife Brady, Curator of Italian and Spanish Art, National Gallery of Ireland

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:17:41 GMT

“To me, this project represents the growing power of women in the art world; Carla’s photographs are a physical manifestation of a changing of the tides.”

Aoife Brady (b. Dublin, 1990) is Curator of Italian and Spanish art at the National Gallery of Ireland. A specialist in Bolognese painting, she was awarded a doctorate in the History of Art from Trinity College Dublin in 2017, and has held curatorial roles with The National Gallery, London, and the Paintings Department of The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Aoife is a member of the Old Masters vetting committee for TEFAF, Maastricht. Her curatorial projects have included an exhibition of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s series of paintings depicting the parable of the Prodigal Son, in collaboration with the Museo del Prado, Madrid, and the Meadows Museum, Dallas, and an in-focus display of sixteenth-century Florentine paintings representing the Christ Child and Saint John the Baptist. More recently, Aoife Brady curated a large-scale monographic exhibition examining the life and work of Lavinia Fontana (National Gallery of Ireland, 6 May–27 August 2023).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am the sole curator of our national collection of Italian and Spanish art in Dublin, Ireland, responsible for works spanning from 1300 to 1850. My primary research interests relate to the study of painting techniques, materials, and artists’ studio practices, with focus on seventeenth-century Italy and Spain. A lot of my work involves collaboration with conservators and scientists, using an interdisciplinary approach to investigate artists’ working methods and techniques, and to address questions of attribution. My recent research has focused on the workshop practices of women in the early modern period, an area of study currently underrepresented in scholarship.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I felt it a real privilege to be immortalised among a group of formidable women who I much admire. To me, this project represents the growing power of women in the art world; Carla’s photographs are a physical manifestation of a changing of the tides.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It changes all the time, but an enduring favourite for me since my days studying as an undergraduate has been Titian. The immediacy and dynamism of his brushwork has always made it easy for me to imagine him at work, transporting me to sixteenth-century Venice. And then, there is his handling of the female form: I remember encountering his Rape of Europa in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at 20-years-old. Seeing a woman’s body represented with such naturalism – cellulite and all – had a profound and lasting effect on me.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Being brought on a school tour to the National Gallery of Ireland – probably aged around six – and seeing Daniel Maclise’s monumental canvas, The Marriage of Aoife and Strongbow. The tour guide showed us a tiny square of dirt left in the corner of the painting, deliberately left after cleaning to show how dirty it had been. Around two decades later, I found myself interning in the Gallery’s Conservation Department, where they were embarking on another major conservation treatment of the same work. It felt like coming full circle.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think our positions are changing, and changing rapidly. I have been at the National Gallery of Ireland for five years now, and in that short time we have engaged in numerous exhibition and research projects focused on women as artists and public figures, seen the acquisition of a large number of works by important women artists (including Elisabetta Sirani, Rachel Ruysch, and Hannah Höch, to name but a few), hosted the first large-scale monographic exhibition devoted to a woman artist at the Gallery (Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rulebreaker), and witnessed the appointment of the Gallery’s first female Director, Dr Caroline Campbell, first female Director of Collections and Research, Kim Smit, and first female Curator of Dutch and Flemish Art, Dr Lizzie Marx. I feel lucky to be in such inspiring company.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

My clothes tend to be a mixture of vintage and high-street finds. The brocade gold skirt caught my eye in a window on Dublin’s Grafton Street, and I had to own it for its Baroque splendour. My top comes from Vero Moda’s sustainable fashion line. Around my neck is a small gold coin – a miniature cast of the Irish punt or pound, the currency used before we converted to the Euro – which has my year of birth on it. It was a gift from my husband for my thirtieth birthday, and wearing it is a nice reminder of my heritage.

What are you currently working on?

Following on from a major monographic project last year, on Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontana, I find myself occupied in 2024 primarily with publications. I am currently writing an essay on Fontana’s workshop management for a volume being published by Brill later in the year, and another on Fontana’s interaction with Renaissance theatre for a Routledge publication celebrating a conference hosted last year between the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and Julliard in New York. I’m also contributing to a catalogue for an exhibition on Guido Reni’s workshop at the Musée des beaux-arts d'Orléans.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

There have been so many people who have supported and inspired me during the course of my career, but here I’d like to mention Dr Peter Cherry, Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art, Trinity College Dublin, and my former PhD supervisor. Peter was the person who encouraged me to pursue a PhD and a curatorial career, and has remained a friend, confidant, and trusted advisor ever since. His object-focused approach to art history has inspired the way that I work, and he is a staunch supporter of women in the art world. He will retire from Trinity this May, and his presence here in Dublin will be sorely missed.

Female Voices in Art: Sook-Kyung Lee, Director of the Whitworth and Professor of Curatorial Practices of the University of Manchester

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 21:24:41 GMT

“It is great that there are many women in art and I would like to see more diversity in the art world and the wider society.”

Sook-Kyung Lee (b. 1969 Seoul, Korea) has been Director of the Whitworth and Professor of Curatorial Practices of the University of Manchester since 2023. She was previously Senior Curator, International Art at Tate Modern and Curator, Exhibitions & Displays at Tate Liverpool. Lee also headed Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational at Tate. She holds a BA and MA in Art History & Theory from Hong-ik University, Korea, an MA in Arts Criticism from the City, University of London, and a PhD in Art History & Theory from the University of Essex, UK. Lee served as Artistic Director of the 14 ^th Gwangju Biennale, Commissioner & Curator of Korea Pavilion of the 56 ^th Venice Biennale, and Curator of Japan Pavilion of the 60 ^th Venice Biennale.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’ve been curating contemporary art internationally for 30 years, and now am leading a university museum that holds transhistorical collection of art, textiles and wallpaper. My interest in global art history feels more relevant than ever, in this well-connected, increasingly globalised art world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I was fascinated by Carla’s personal yet highly informed approach to the genre of portrait, and the way this project highlights many different stories of women working in the art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Not one, but many, which changes quite often and regularly.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

One very strong and formative memory I have is watching Nam June Paik’s Good Morning, Mr Orwell on the first day of January in 1984. I was surprised and excited by the fact that an artwork could be a TV programme, and also by the colourful and dynamic visual images on the screen.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

It is great that there are many women in art and I would like to see more diversity in the art world and the wider society.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Nothing noteworthy, as I was not expecting to be photographed but persuaded to do so by Carla.

What are you currently working on?

As a new director, I’m making plans for some years ahead, focusing on themes that resonate with our time and place, such as ecology, decoloniality and resistance. I am interested in strengthening the Whitworth’s social connections and impacts through multiple global perspectives and partnerships, while positioning Manchester’s people and history at the centre.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

Working at Tate for 16 years was formative in learning the value of art in different communities and cultures. Researching, acquiring, presenting art from across the world was a privilege as well as a challenge, and I am proud to have been an integral part of Tate’s journey to be a global institution that champions art and artist.

Female Voices in Art: Marisa Anne Bass, Professor of Art History at Yale University

carla@carlavandeputtelaar.com — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 19:19:55 GMT

"To be a woman in academia demands using one’s whole self. You can’t really keep anything in reserve."

Marisa Anne Bass (b. 1981, Peoria, IL, US) is Professor in Art History at Yale University. She joined the Yale faculty in 2016, after teaching previously at Columbia University and Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a B.A. in Humanities from Yale and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University in the History of Art. Her publications include Jan Gossart and the Invention of Netherlandish Antiquity , Insect Artifice: Nature and Art in the Dutch Revolt , and her forthcoming The Monument’s End: Public Art and the Modern Republic . She is also the co-author of Beyond Bosch: The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master in Print and Conchophilia: Shells, Art, and Curiosity in Early Modern Europe .

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
As a professor of art history, I consider my foremost role not only to train future academics and curators in the field but also to teach undergraduate students how to look at the works of art they encounter in their diverse future lives, and how to appreciate history through them. My specialism in the art of the early modern Netherlands is a starting point, not a limit, for the work I do in the classroom. In addition to writing and teaching, I have engaged curation as a form of mentoring, most recently as a faculty advisor to the student-curated exhibition Thinking Small: Dutch Art to Scale.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
Carla and her studio! I love the way Carla pays homage to history through a modern medium. Sitting for this portrait surrounded by her collection of antique costumes and chandeliers, illuminated only by the natural light of a beautiful gray December morning in Amsterdam, was the most peaceful I can remember feeling in months. I will treasure the memory of being photographed as a woman by a woman with such sensitivity to people and to history.

Do you have a favourite artist?
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, hands down! His painting The Procession to Calvary in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum first set me on the path of becoming an art historian. Bruegel could paint everything—people, landscapes, animals, stuff—in ways that still feel fresh 500 years later.

What is your earliest memory involving art?
I have a collection of associated memories: the skylight in my mother’s art studio, her palette of oil paints, looking at the pastel portrait of me as a baby looking up at a mobile above my crib, for which my mother had won first prize in an art show; looking through the screen door in my bedroom at the fields of grazing cattle on the farm where I grew up, my mother’s favorite subjects, and watching the light change.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
To be a woman in academia demands using one’s whole self. You can’t really keep anything in reserve. I often feel that students expect me to engage them, to care for them, and to see their whole selves, in ways that my male colleagues are not asked to do in quite the same way. It is not harder for women to get jobs as professors of art history, but it is still harder for women to be in those jobs. Since I became a mother, I feel that even more acutely, and it’s hard to know how much of that comes from me. Caretaking is so much a part of my life now, and caretaking is the hardest job, but I don’t agonize over it. Becoming a mother has also brought me closer to other brilliant women in my life, and it has made me a better teacher and thinker.

What are you wearing in the portrait, and is there a story behind it?
I am wearing my favorite category of clothing item, a black turtleneck, with earrings that the incredible jewelry designer Jenna Fennell of East Camp Goods made for me reusing diamonds from one of my grandmother’s old cocktail rings. I remember my grandmother’s fabulous rings from when she taught me to needlepoint as a child, between her martinis and ciggies.

What are you currently working on?
I am starting a new book project on the Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus and his impact on the art of the European Renaissance. It’s not about what Erasmus thought about art but about how artists thought with his writings and ideas.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

When I was still a graduate student, my former advisor Hugo van der Velden told me on a drive through Hungary that the best advising is about friendship. He is a wonderful friend and an inspiring one, and he taught me the invaluable lesson that as a scholar, one should never take oneself too seriously.

Female Voices in Art: Alice Strang, Associate Director and Senior Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at Lyon & Turnbull

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 13:37:26 GMT

"I enjoyed Carla's generosity of spirit in celebrating the achievements of women in the art world and her inclusive approach to image-making."

Alice Strang (b. 1973, Leicester, England, United Kingdom) is an Associate Director and Senior Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at Lyon & Turnbull, Scotland's oldest auction house. She joined L&T after twenty-two years as a Senior Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland. She holds a B.A. Hons and M.A. Cantab in Art History from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge. Her publications include Modern Scottish Women: Painters and Sculptors 1885-1965 and the Scottish Colourist Series of books about F.C.B. Cadell, J.D. Fergusson and S.J. Peploe. She is part of the team who are the market leaders in Scottish Art auctions, including establishing world record prices for artists such as Joan Eardley, Bessie MacNicol and William Strang.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I enjoy working across the public and private sectors, liaising directly with collectors, being 'hands on' with works of art and sharing my research with art lovers, It is a wonderful moment when I bang the gavel on the rostrum and declare a work 'SOLD!' as it passes on to its next guardian.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Carla's generosity of spirit in celebrating the achievements of women in the art world and her inclusive approach to image-making. She gave me the opportunity to reflect on my new professional role and I am thrilled to be part of this project.

Do you have a favourite artist?
Whenever I am in need of solace, I seek out works by Barbara Hepworth, Winifred Nicholson and Anne Redpath, as if they were old friends.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My Godmother leading me around the magical Kettle's Yard in Cambridge, former home of Jim and Helen Ede, in which a spiral of stones has as much aesthetic importance as a sculpture by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska in the role of daily life.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I was lucky that the National Galleries of Scotland were a wonderful employer regarding Maternity Leave and in allowing me various working patterns whilst my children were young. And they have just appointed Anne Lyden as their first ever female Director-General!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Training to be a BBC Expert Woman taught me the power of bright, non-patterned colour. This works well on the rostrum too, as our auctions are broadcast live for on-line bidding. The necklace was a leaving present from the National Galleries of Scotland and so signals that part of my career.

What are you currently working on?

I am co-curating a touring display of the work of the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson, to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, in partnership with the Fleming Collection and to be shown in L&T's London and Glasgow galleries.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The late Michael Harrison, Director of Kettle's Yard, who taught me to see rather than just to look, when I was an undergraduate volunteer there.

Female Voices in Art: Marleen Ram, Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum, Haarlem

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 11:04:52 GMT

"I am grateful Carla took my portrait when I was pregnant, portraying me both as an art professional and a mother."

Marleen Ram (b. 1988, Hilversum, The Netherlands) is Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum, Haarlem. Before that, she worked as Junior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and the Fondation Custodia, Paris. She holds an M.A. in Renaissance Studies from Utrecht University and specialises in Old Master drawings. She has collaborated on several exhibitions, including Home and Abroad: Dutch and Flemish Landscape Drawings from the John and Marine van Vlissingen Art Foundation (Rijksmuseum/Fondation Custodia, 2015-2016), Frans Post: Animals in Brazil (Rijksmuseum, 2016-2017), John Constable (Teylers Museum, 2020-2021) and Hockney’s Eye (Fitzwilliam Museum/Teylers Museum, 2022-2023).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
My work as Curator of Art Collections at Teylers Museum is very diverse, from organizing exhibitions and writing acquisition proposals, to assisting with the annual dusting of the frames on display in the art galleries. If there is any time left, I conduct research on the museum's collection of Dutch drawings from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. The results of this research will be published in a collection catalogue. Only a small group of scholars worldwide specialise in Dutch drawings. With my research, I hope to keep this field alive, fun and relevant.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Carla's project Women in the Art World has existed for some time. I feel honoured to join the long line of inspiring and influential female artists, curators and museum directors. I take great pleasure in the fact that our ideas – and quite literally our faces – are captured and preserved for the future in this special way.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are so many: Rembrandt, Constable, Dumas. But if I have to choose one, it is Hendrick Goltzius, the famous 16th-century Dutch draughtsman, engraver and painter. Teylers Museum holds the largest collection of drawings by his hand worldwide, including the phenomenally drawn portrait of Giambologna. This group of drawings was once owned by Christina of Sweden, another favourite historical figure of mine – though not an artist.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I drew a lot as a teenager, especially during vacations by the sea where I secretly made sketches of other bathers. To encourage drawing, my parents gave me a model drawing book containing images of famous nudes, such as the work of Modigliani. I have long since stopped drawing, but I think this planted the seed to later study art history.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

When I conduct research, nine times out of ten I refer to male scholars: Benesch, Sumowski, Boon, Schatborn, and so on. This is slowly changing now. I am doing my best to do my part, and hopefully one day I too will become an important reference work. I do realize that I set the bar high, because combining a full time job with research and a family is a challenge. More awareness and understanding of that in the art world – and in society in general – is needed. For that reason, I am grateful Carla took my portrait when I was pregnant, portraying me both as an art professional and a mother.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

In the photo, I am 33 weeks pregnant with my second child. My favourite outfit was leggings and a loose-fitting sweater, not really elegant for a photo shoot. So for this special occasion, I borrowed a dress from a friend. I do that often, for example, for openings of exhibitions. This way I don't have to buy something new every time.

What are you currently working on?

I am preparing an exhibition on Christina of Sweden and her renowned art collection (2027). The core of the museum’s drawings collection, including works by Michelangelo, Raphael and Goltzius, once belonged to her. The exhibition will focus on the role art played in Christina's self-presentation, with a special focus on her gender fluidity and sexuality.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

During my work as Junior Curator at the Rijksmuseum and the Fondation Custodia I met many inspiring people, including Jane Turner, former Head of the Print Room. She showed me that you can combine a demanding job with a family.

Female Voices in Art: Laura-Maria Popoviciu, Pre-1900 curator at the UK Government Art Collection, London

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 20:37:39 GMT

"Throughout the years I have had numerous opportunities to work with art historians, curators and scholars who have inspired me and motivated me. They have been true role models for me, and I look at them with great admiration."

Laura-Maria Popoviciu (b. 1986, Oradea, Romania) is a London-based art historian, researcher, and curator. She is the pre-1900 curator at the UK Government Art Collection. She holds an MA and a PhD from the Warburg Institute and specialises in Italian Renaissance Art. She enjoys making connections between historical and contemporary art. Her portfolio includes internationally curated exhibitions, scholarly publications, teaching appointments, conferences, video, and audio podcasts.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As part of my role at the UK Government Art Collection, I get to work on stimulating curatorial projects in London and around the world. Placing works of art in a diplomatic context allows for new stories and unexpected connections to come to life. I am constantly in awe of how there is always a work of art, among the 15,000 in the Collection, which can fit perfectly within a specific location around the world, and how its story can bring different cultures together. Knowing that some of these works of art have moved or surprised audiences is rewarding.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I first encountered Carla’s photography work in London at her Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World exhibition in 2018, and have been a great (and secret) admirer of her work ever since. I love that our recent meeting happened by chance, and that there was nothing staged as she photographed me. It all happened naturally, and the joy of this long-awaited and surprising encounter is captured in Carla’s photograph of me. The coincidence of our meeting, however, made me think that nothing in life happens by chance, and that there is a right moment for everything.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Fra Angelico

What is your earliest memory involving art?
My first visit as a child into an artist’s studio which happened to be my uncle’s in Bucharest, the late painter Ioan Dreptu. I remember stepping into a mysterious attic and him showing me a painting called ‘The Big Fish’, which was the most extraordinary and fantastical depiction which moved me very deeply. That image stayed with me for a very long time. Now, every time I enter an artist’s studio, I feel like I step inside an almost sacred, intimate space. I never take photographs because I feel like if I did, that powerful and authentic, unmediated encounter between the eye and the work of art would vanish, so I just keep everything in my mind’s eye.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Throughout the years I have had numerous opportunities to work with art historians, curators and scholars who have inspired me and motivated me. They have been true role models for me, and I look at them with great admiration.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress that my mother bought me. In fact, all that I am wearing on the day is from my mother: the jewellery, the perfume. I love the combination of colours on this dress and how the lace discreetly reveals and conceals at the same time. On that day, like a true Renaissance scholar, I felt inspired to wear a perfume made after a recipe invented in 1533 by the Medici family perfumer, Renato Bianco, and I love that the olfactory memory of the citrusy notes comes back to me every time I look at Carla’s photograph of me. One of my rings also has an interesting story: it was given to me by a nun who I met in Venice while on a fellowship there during my PhD. I was attending daily mass first thing in the morning at St Mark’s Basilica, and we became friends. Before she gave me this ring, which is a Lord Prayer’s ring, and which I wear every day, she asked the cardinal who celebrated Mass to bless it for me.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a number of projects: curating an international display, writing an article, and teaching a course on the illustrated history of bees.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The community of scholars and friends I have made during my time at the Warburg Institute as an MA and PhD student and beyond, has been transformative in who I am today as an art historian. I am very grateful to everyone I met there for every idea exchanged, every collaboration, encouragement and support I have received throughout the years.

Was there a moment or an occurrence that proved to be crucial for your career?

Moving to London after finishing my BA studies in Bucharest 15 years ago was instrumental in opening new opportunities for me. I am grateful to have had this incredible chance to follow my dream to have a career in the art world, to work on some incredible projects and to have so many role models in my professors, friends and in colleagues. I look ahead with hope, gratitude, and enthusiasm towards new and equally exciting projects.

Female Voices in Art: Marjan Brouwer, Director of Museum Klooster Ter Apel

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 21:26:27 GMT

"There is still a world to be won in terms of female representation in the art world"

Marjan Brouwer (b. 1979, Groningen, The Netherlands) is currently director of Museum Klooster Ter Apel, but in this photograph she was still curator of Museum Martena and the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker. She holds an MA in History from the University of Groningen, and has a preference for the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Marjan has been working in Museum Martena since 2005 and has made various exhibitions about Frisian (art) history, such as Pjutten en beukers. Frisian children's portraits 1550-1800. Marjan is also curator of the important collection of works of art and manuscripts by the artist and scholar Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678). Since 2019, Marjan has been enthusiastic about a multi-sensory approach to make the museum tangible and lively. She strives for an accessible and, above all, fun museum visit for everyone.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I think about the role that objects play in the experience of history, and the tinge of sanctity that surrounds museum objects. I try to make objects come closer: no strings and as few display cases as possible. This gives a different experience and makes history more accessible.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I feel honoured to be able to participate in this project, wearing clothes by SeeFeel and holding a work of art by Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678), not coincidentally also a woman.

Do you have a favourite artist?

One of my favorite artists is Anna Maria van Schurman, because she is so versatile and unique as a female artist in her century. She made fantastic paintings, woodcarvings, drawings, glass engravings, cuttings and sculptures, all in miniature format.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I don’t recall …

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Anna Maria van Schurman profiled herself much more as a scholar than as an artist. Since the female sex was considered incapable of such activities, her art and science attracted a lot of attention from men. This is certainly no longer the case, but there is still a world to be won in terms of female representation in the art world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I wear clothes by SeeFeel, a label, designed by Rachel Lourens. The clothes are specially designed for women with a visual impairment and are interesting to touch. It’s very important to me that the museum collection is accessible to people with or without a disability and this clothing label is therefore made for me.

What are you working on?

I have been working on making Museum Martena just as accessible for people with and without a disability.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important in/inspiring for your career and why?

My visually impaired son has been an inspiration to me lately. A few years ago we visited a large museum together and I suddenly realized: there is nothing for him to experience here. From that moment on I've been dealing with the question: what does a successful museum visit look like if you can't see, hear, walk, or if you can't read or concentrate very well? A world of possibilities has opened up for me, from which everyone benefits, with or without a disability. Museum Klooster Ter Apel, the museum I work these days, will be built on the same footing in the coming years.

Female Voices in Art: Lizzie Marx, Curator of Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland

Fri, 19 May 2023 16:11:45 GMT

"The art world is progressively dealing with the issue head-on: at the National Gallery of Ireland we recently welcomed our first woman director in the Gallery’s 158-year history"

Lizzie Marx (b. 1992, London, England) is the Curator of Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. She received her doctorate from the University of Cambridge with her thesis titled Visualising, Perceiving, and Interpreting Smell in Seventeenth-Century Dutch Art . She also holds a B.A. and M.Phil in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of Cambridge. Lizzie was the 2018-19 Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. She has worked on various exhibition projects of Dutch and Flemish art, including the 2021 exh ibition Fleeting – Scents in Colour a t the Mauritshuis, The Hague, and exhibitions at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the University Library, Cambridge. Before joining the Gallery in 2022, she was a post-doctoral researcher on the Horizon 2020 Odeuropa project. She currently sits on the Board of the Historians of Netherlandish Art (HNA).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am the Curator of the Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland, where, broadly speaking, I look after, research, display, and expand the collection. My wider aim is to share the relevance and brilliance of Dutch and Flemish art; to show how, although centuries old, it is able to resonate today.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
I’m honoured to be invited to be a part of Carla’s project, and to join fellow contributors who I greatly admire. The photograph was taken in a small window during the buzz of TEFAF Maastricht, and I appreciated Fred stepping in to assist Carla on getting the right shot.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I can almost hear the collection reeling if I were to pick one over the others. While the Rijksmuseum’s Vermeer exhibition has been open, I cannot help but think of him as one of my favourites. I do miss our painting, Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid, while it is away from the Gallery. But its absence has also granted the space to enjoy other artists in the collection (the exquisite precision of Gabriel Metsu, the delightful chaos of Domenicus van Wijnen, and of course the sheer bravado of Rubens). There is an artist for every occasion, mood, and even time of day.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My grandmother was an artist specialised in landscape and still life painting. Our shared enthusiasm for all kinds of art meant that she was a good companion for exhibition outings, even up until she was 99. My earliest recollections are painting and drawing with her.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
The art world is progressively dealing with the issue head-on: at the National Gallery of Ireland we recently welcomed our first woman director in the Gallery’s 169 year history, Dr Caroline Campbell. We also opened the marvellous exhibition Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rule Breaker , curated by Dr Aoife Brady, on the first woman artist to achieve professional success beyond the confines of a court or a convent. At other times, however, I am seeing interactions in the art world that recall a culture that I had assumed was behind us. A reminder that there is still work to be done.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?
The shirt comes from a visit to Melbourne last autumn, made of raw shot silk. I was recently writing about costume in Dutch and Flemish art, and studying the ways in which artists depicted the draping of textiles, lustre of armour, and diversity of accessories, such as jewelled brooches and aigrettes. There is something to be said about wearing and engaging with materials that were worn by the figures depicted in the art we study.

What are you currently working on?
I am collaborating with wonderful colleagues at the KMSKA on our Turning Heads exhibition, which explores Dutch and Flemish artists’ fascination with the human face. The exhibition opens in Dublin in February 2024. The Gallery’s collection is rarely static, and we are working on shaping the collection by expanding and diversifying it. The latest acquisition for the Dutch and Flemish collection is a beautiful flower still life by Rachel Ruysch, painted in her 78 ^th year. It is our first painting by a Dutch woman artist to join the collection. I am also getting acquainted with our spectacular collection. I have been visiting the stores to study the paintings that I would love to bring out on display and research further. I am speaking with my colleagues, some of whom have been at the Gallery for as long as four decades, who have been very willing to share their knowledge too.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

I am grateful to fellow Women in the Art World contributors from the Mauritshuis who I could work with on the Fleeting – Scents in Colour exhibition. Bringing the doctoral research to life through works of art was hugely gratifying. While I was living in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum was also instrumental for me. Working in the prints and drawings study room brought in artworks and visitors most days. I learnt a lot from my colleagues, it was a privilege to be there.

Female Voices in Art: Carol Pottasch, Conservator of Old Master paintings at the Mauritshuis, The Hague

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 10:48:06 GMT

"Women should unite and support each other."

Carol Pottasch (b. 1958, Boulder, Colorado, US) is Paintings Conservator of Old Master Paintings at the Mauritshuis, The Hague. She joined the Mauritshuis in 1990, after two years at the conservation studio of the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem and an extended internship at The Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge. She holds a B.A. and a M.A. in Art History from the University of Groningen. She has published on the painting technique of a broad variety of artists, such as the Early Netherlandish Rogier van der Weyden, Dutch 17 ^th century Johannes Vermeer, Frans Van Mieris, and Rembrandt, and 18 ^th century Pellegrini and Adriaen Coorte.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an conservator of Old Master Paintings at the Mauritshuis. I am fortunate to perform research to discover how these paintings were created, which provides the context of how to restore these unique treasures.

I am also a committee member for the TEFAF Showcase and Museum Restoration Fund.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The focus on each individual woman and on women in the art world as a group. In other words, it made me feel special and at the same time part of the growing importance of women in this field. Women should unite and support each other.

Do you have a favorite artist?

Painting is the field of art I love most. Within that field I love the artists that appear to be able to paint effortlessly, and who can render their subjects convincing way and at the same time make me part of the image. To really feel the breeze in Vermeer’s Delft. There are many fascinating artists, such as Rogier van der Weyden, Lucas Cranach, Rubens and Rembrandt, but also Picasso and Marlene Dumas.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

When I was about five, I visited the Mauritshuis with my parents and grandmother. There were hardly any other visitors. I was a little bored and had lied down on the floor in a patch of sunlight coming through the window. Then, I had a conversation with my grandmother about why the men in the painting had wanted to be painted with a dead man. She made a game out of it, and we came up with all kinds of reasons.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The art world, artists, dealer, trade, museums, art historians, nowadays it is a place where women increasingly have an important role, although high positions still often go to men. The female aspect has made it less elite.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

In the picture I am dressed in a beautiful drapery of a pink silk brocade of venetian fabric by Rubelli suggested to me by Carla. I had just treated a 15 ^th century painting where the artist had rendered precious materials, such as silk brocade. The photo provided the opportunity to unravel time and understand the tactile part of the painting better and its implications to the contemporary viewer.

What impact had the health crisis on your daily practice?

The closing of museums made me realize how fortunate I was to work in one and how much comfort art can give. But it has also opened a whole new world of online possibilities, such as high res images and online tours.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It has underlined the importance of art and how daily live evolves around perception.

Have you created new initiatives and ways of working?

I try to spend more time at my desk at home as I realize that quietness and reflection are powerful means of working.

Female Voices in Art: Manon Borst, Director Museum Martena, Franeker

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 12:18:31 GMT

"When we had to develop a new brochure for the museum I made a selection of the works I wanted to show. Months later I realised there were only portraits of women to be seen. After centuries of men having been to the forefront it was a breath of fresh air!"

Manon Borst (b. 1964, Soesterberg, The Netherlands) is Director of Museum Martena in Franeker. She studied art history at Groningen University and majored in modern art. After working at the natural history museum in Leeuwarden she became director of Museum Martena in 2005, a historic town house in the centre of the former university town Franeker. She is also a board member of the Academy of Franeker

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
I am Director of Museum Martena in Franeker. When we had to develop a new brochure for the museum I made a selection of the works I wanted to show. Months later I realised there were only portraits of women to be seen. That wasn’t a conscious choice. But after centuries of men having been to the forefront it was a breath of fresh air!

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
I felt very lucky to have been asked by Carla to join this wonderful project. It was an honour to work with her. I loved being photographed with my youngest daughter Jitske Boonstra (19).

Do you have a favourite artist?
This is like asking: ‘which of your children do you love the most!’

What is your earliest memory involving art?
My father was an amateur antiques dealer. He also restored antique clocks and watches. I remember us cleaning up an old wooden picture frame in our garden. He showed me a very special thing, there was a painting on the front as well as a painting on the back side of the canvas.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
They are there to stay.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?
I wear a jacket designed by Eiske Henneman. It was part of a suit I bought 25 years ago for a special occasion. I love digging in my wardrobe and rediscover clothes I haven’t worn for years.

Has the Covid crisis had an impact on your daily practice?
We all too soon forget there was a health crisis. The things we thought we learned are all but forgotten.

What are you currently working on?
I am working on the refurbishment of the museum.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important in/inspiring for your career and why?
My best friend at university was Jonieke van Es. We went to Venice together to do an internship at the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim. This was a defining period in my life. Jonieke died about ten years ago. She was a brilliant art historian.

Female Voices in Art: Marie du Chastel, art curator and expert in digital and new media art

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 23:24:23 GMT

"Nowadays, society is tending towards greater representativeness, but there is still a long way to go, not only in terms of representation in the art world but in many other sectors of society."

Marie du Chastel (b. 1984, Brussels, Belgium) is an art curator and expert in digital and new media art. She holds an MA in interactive media from the University of the Arts of London and an MA in advertising from IHECS Brussels. Since 2011, she’s been working as the main curator of KIKK, a non-profit association based in Namur (BE), exploring the crossovers between art, science, technology and society. She curates KIKK festival, an international festival of digital and creative cultures gathering 35,000 people every year in Namur. Marie is also the curator of Le Pavillon, an exhibition space which brings together artistic works, scientific research projects and technological innovations. Moreover, she runs KIKK's artistic production platform and residencies. Marie has been a member of the Digital Arts Commission of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation since 2014. In 2020, she was elected Francophone Woman of the Year 2020 by the AIMF (the International Association of Francophone Mayors).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I find it really interesting because I explore what is happening at the borders between different fields: art, science, technology and society. I observe transformations of a world in rapid evolution and question the implications of the development of new technologies and their impact on society. The speed of technological evolution and the resulting societal changes form a breeding ground for new artistic expressions that question the implications of these rapid transformations. The advent of new scientific discoveries or new technological advances such as the development of big data, data sciences, artificial intelligence or the appropriation of synthetic biology by non-academic communities, open up new perspectives of research, questioning and experimentation for artists. The field of exploration is becoming increasingly broad, as are the creative tools available to them. Many artists are interested in scientific discoveries and technological realities in order to explore the underlying social, ethical, environmental or philosophical issues. As artist James Bridle states, it is vital today to re-politicize our technological tools: "Those who cannot understand technologies are doomed to be consumed by them. [...] Technologies are political. Everything is political. If you don't see where the political is, you are the object of the political.”

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed discovering the variety of profiles and stories of women in the art world. I think those kinds of initiatives putting women in the spotlight are still necessary at the moment. It enables to raise awareness on the issues of systemic imbalance and invisibility of pioneering women in the art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Impossible to name one, what is interesting in my field is the diversity of media and practices.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My mom works as an expert in ancient art, she’s been working for several auction houses in the past and so I’ve been involved in art since a very young age. Our family flat in Brussels is decorated in a very Baroque style, there are frescoes and trompe l'oeils painted on the walls, tapestries and quantities of objects gathered over 50 years on the tables in every room. When my sister and I were little, we were always getting yelled at because our parents were afraid we would drop things when we ran around the house. Maybe that's why I turned to more contemporary art later in my career :-)

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Nowadays, society is tending towards greater representativeness, but there is still a long way to go, not only in terms of representation in the art world but in many other sectors of society. Moreover, a great number of drifts are still threatening us. Knowing well the effect of role models when it comes to awakening vocations, I really appreciate those kind of initiatives. I make it a point of honour in my curation to represent the diversity of our society and program as many female or non-binary artists as males. In addition to that, since 2019, I have been developing the AfriKIKK project, in collaboration with curators based in Dakar, in which we highlight the artistic & digital creativity of Africa and its diaspora. We make a point of breaking stereotypes and raising awareness among future designers of the importance of building inclusive and ethical technologies by inviting artists, scientists, authors and researchers to share their approaches to the world, their thinking and their professional practice.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a coat by Krjst Studio, an artistic duo of two women; Erika Schillebeeckx & Justine de Moriamé, making contemporary tapestry projects. They create vibrant contemporary tapestries, alive as landscapes. They started as fashion designers with high-end ready-to-wear collections for women and men to gradually shift towards weaving and the production of exquisite, and sometimes monumental, tapestries. The jewellery is from my sister Caroline du Chastel, she is inspired by the ancient and antique jewellery’s tradition and history that she combines with modern designs. Her designs are timeless and entirely handmade by artisan goldsmiths and silversmiths using centuries-old traditional techniques. On one of the photographs I am wearing a costume made out of ‘Tati bags’, large bags made out of plastic with gingham pattern, that are made by Preci Numbi, an artist we exhibited at KIKK festival 2021 in the context of our AfriKIKK program. The project contrasts the cultural appropriation of these bags in the fashion world with the use of these bags by migrants and displaced populations.

Did the pandemic have an impact on your work and did you create new initiatives?

Yes a lot, we had to cancel all our events in 2020. As there were still uncertainties for the organisation of activities involving international artists in the following year, we privileged a more local approach with artists from Belgium or countries close-by. This also pushed us to reflect on the carbon impact of international travel and we’ve decided to limit overseas flights and favour train transport, when possible, for our next events.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on Le Pavillon, a new exhibition space run by KIKK in Namur, Belgium, exploring the crossovers between art, science, technology & society. The inaugural exhibition of the Pavilion in Namur entitled Biotopia: human & non-human coexistence ran from 18 June to 27 November 2022. Biotopia explores the world of living beings and matter by deconstructing the distinctions between plants, animals, micro-organisms and machines, and invites us to reflect on a better understanding of ourselves as human beings and the ecosystems in which we live.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important in/inspiring for your career and why?

My 5th grade secondary school headteacher who ‘hacked’ the official educational program to teach us art, drawing and literature. Every week she was reading us the story of the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer so vividly we were all fascinated by her words and the story. She also taught us to draw comics characters and to look at the beauty of the world.

Female Voices in Art: Ricarda Fox, Gallerist

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:18:01 GMT

"It is not easy to initiate any changes in the circles and associations that are still dominated by men."

Ricarda Fox (b. 1950, Essen, Germany) has been a gallery owner for contemporary art since 1993. She has studied sculpture and painting at the Düsseldorf State Art Academy and has obtained an M.A. in art history and pedagogy at the Ruhr University in Bochum. In 1980, she founded a painting and creative school for children from the age of 3, which she ran until founding her gallery in 1993.

Can you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I initiated and ventured into exhibition and outreach projects in the 1990s that were rather unusual at the time. I left the gallery space and realized many cross-disciplinary projects with visual and performing artists, scientists and athletes in industrial halls, on sites, in churches and also boxing halls. It was the themes and content that had a lot to do with the people at the exhibition venues, and that built the bridge to the understanding of art.

What did you like about participating in this project?

Of course, it is the focus on women in art. There are so many outstanding women among them that I didn't know before, and I feel honored to be a part of it.

Do you have a favorite artist?

I can't say this spontaneously. I love Giacometti, Goya, Kitaj, Heisig... But I also keep discovering new things in old and new art that excite me.

What is your earliest memory that has to do with art?

A small booklet with works by El Greco. I was given it as a communion gift at the age of 10. It made a big impression on me and made me curious to experience more.

Do you have any particular thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Yes. I have experienced myself that it is not easy to initiate any changes in the circles and associations that are still dominated by men.

What do you wear, and is there a story behind it?

I wear black, always and again black, because I don't want to compete with the wonderful colors of all the artworks that surround me.

Has the pandemic affected your work, and have you taken up new initiatives?

Yes, I have been thinking a lot, also about closing the gallery, but then decided to start again with a gallery partner, a more modern appearance, new young, mostly female artists and with an increased focus on me, my competences and experiences.

What are you currently working on?

On the preparation of our current exhibition Bright Light and Dark Shadow, with works by Carla van de Puttelaar, on a project in a chapel in Röttingen and the presentation of our gallery at Kunst Zürich.

Can you name a project, institution or person that was important or inspiring for your career and why?

Eva Thomkins, the wife of the Swiss artist Andre Thomkins. She was my art teacher in high school and has always encouraged me to follow the path of art. I later studied with André Thomkins for a few semesters at the Düsseldorf Art Academy.

Female Voices in Art: Diana Scarisbrick, Jewellery Historian

Mon, 02 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

"I enjoy the freedom to continue working at an advanced age"

Diana Scarisbrick, MA, FSA (b. 1928, Echuca, Australia) studied at Oxford University (1947-1950). She enjoys using her training as a historian to explain the cultural, social and political significance of jewellery and engraved gems. Over a 50-year career, she has written over 20 books and catalogues, including Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty and Portrait Jewels: Opulence and Intimacy from the Medici to the Romanovs , as well as mounting exhibitions at home and abroad, and engagements with museums, auctioneers, collectors and the Parisian jeweller, Chaumet, for whom she wrote the monograph.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I enjoy the freedom to continue working at an advanced age. Present projects include the biography of Margaret de Flahaut (1788 – 1867), a Scottish heiress who married a Napoleonic general, and lived at the centre of British and French political and cultural life in a period of great change. As a Research Associate of the Beazley Archive in Oxford I collaborate with Professor Sir John Boardman on catalogues of ancestral British collections of engraved gems, most recent being ‘The Beverley Gems’ (2016) for the Duke of Northumberland. I am also writing a history of diamond jewellery from 1360 to the present, and the catalogue of a private collection of 300 rings. I’m proudest of having, on behalf of S.J. Phillips, traced the provenance of a Book of Hours to a purchase by François I in 1538, and which has recently been acquired by the Louvre. In spite of the many obstacles, I have learnt how to turn my independence to advantage and hope my example of starting a career in the art world late in life will be followed by other ‘outsiders’.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The session with Carla made me feel like one of Sir Joshua Reynold’s sitters, for she engaged me in an interesting conversation and I was fascinated by her professionalism – her study of the light, the experimenting with different poses, the exemplary patience. Thomas Carlyle declared that he could learn more about a person from a portrait than from one hundred books, and in my case Carla certainly seems to have captured the continuing quest for knowledge which enthrals me!

Do you have a favourite artist?

Giovanni Bellini

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Aged 9, I was impressed by the monument to T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia, died 1935) by Eric Kennington in the Anglo-Saxon church of St. Martin in Wareham, Dorset.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I don’t think women can complain today about a glass ceiling: they seem to have succeeded as museum directors and curators, as teachers and scholars, as publishers and dealers. None have emerged as a critic in the Brian Sewell mould, nor are there many women collectors following the example of Isabella d’Este and the Comtesse de Béhague: Barbara Johnson spent a fortune on works of art but seems to have bought them to make a profit. The exception today is an anonymous enthusiast for medieval works of art, which she combines with an interest in contemporary painting, and I have not encountered any other similarly dedicated women.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

There is nothing much to say about my spinel cross except that it is faceted both front and back, and bordered by rose diamonds which enhance the rich colour. It is 18th century in date, with provenance to the German princely family of Lichtenstein. The dress and jacket were bought in Paris some time ago. I think most jewellery looks good on green.

What impact has the Covid health crisis had on your daily practice?

Being confined to my home for so many weeks free from outside distractions has given me more time to concentrate on publications and answering queries. Since libraries were inaccessible I have had to rely on my own books and documentation and thus discovered that on my shelves there was lots of information I had forgotten I had.

Has it changed your views on Art?

No, except it has made me even more aware of how an interest in art gives a purpose in life, so that one is never bored, since there is always something to discover and learn about. i.e. never a dull moment.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

No- I’m too old to change my method!

Female Voices in Art: Maya Meijer Bergmans, Art historian, Co-owner of MeyerBergman Erfgoed Groep

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:02:02 GMT

"Work to do! I am a feminist with a to-do-list in the Art World"

Maya Meijer-Bergmans (b. 1945, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) studied art history at Leiden University. With her husband Ton Meijer she is founder/owner of MeyerBergman Heritage Group and the driving force behind the Creative Office within the group. From 1992 to 2007 Maya was the owner and director of the Promenade Hotel Holding. And till 2018 she was owner/managing director of the Westergasfabriek events site in Amsterdam. Maya is board member of several cultural and medical institutions.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am the initiator of The Hague Sculpture and have been its managing director for 10 years. I am an art collector, assembling an art collection in Buitenplaats Doornburgh (Exhibitions with artists in Residence, and the present exhibition Vorm aan de Vecht ). I organized some big outdoor Sculpture Exhibitions in Bordeaux, Le Havre and Paris.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Creativity, to show art for a general public not used to contemporary art. To be asked by a well-known artist like Carla van de Puttelaar, as a woman of interest in the artworld to be part of this special project. She captures your soul in her pictures, not just beauty or composition.

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favourite artists are Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, but also young ones, such as the Korean Chae Um Rhee and Jammie Holmes

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I made several abstract paintings myself when I was 16 years old and sold them quite well.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Work to do! I am a feminist with a to-do-list in the Art World

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress from Duncan Lantink. He creates clothes made out of several old designer pieces. He won the Amsterdam Art Prize in 2020.

What impact has the health crisis had on your daily practice?

A lot, I could not visit museums or galleries, no expo’s, or only without visitors. No travelling to other countries, no Art Basel, no Frieze, no TEFAF etc.

Has it changed your views on Art?

No, not my views on art, but I was surprised in a very negative way about how governments acted on Culture and Art as ‘not important’.

Have you created new initiatives and ways of working?

I have been working like usual and my ideas and creativity have not diminished. Of course I had to work much more from home and I missed the social contacts we had before Covid.

Female Voices in Art: Ariane van Suchtelen, Curator at the Mauritshuis, The Hague

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMT

“Like in other branches of society, there’s definitely room for more women in the art world.”

Ariane van Suchtelen (b. 1962, Hengelo, The Netherlands) is curator at the Mauritshuis, The Hague. She studied Art History at Groningen University and did a graduate internship at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Before joining the Mauritshuis in 1995, she worked at the Rijksmuseum for five years. In 2014-2015 she served as acting curator at the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem. The most recent exhibitions that she curated include Dutch Self Portraits of the Golden Age (2015-2016), Jan van Scorel in Haarlem (2015-2016), Jan Steen’s Histories (2018), Nicolaes Maes (2019-2020), Fleeting – Scents in Colour (2021)and presently, the exhibition In Full Bloom about Dutch and Flemish flower still lifes of the seventeenth century at the Mauritshuis.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My position at the Mauritshuis with its fabulous collection has enabled me to curate many exhibitions. I have published about a range of subjects, mainly in the field of Dutch painting of the seventeenth century.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I really enjoyed watching Carla work, to witness her creative process, her attention to detail, to hear her ideas, and see how eventually everything came together in a photograph. The wide range of women in the project is amazing. So many different backgrounds, so many different stories, so many extraordinary portraits – it’s heartening to see and hear them all.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have many favourite artists and many favourite artworks. There is too much to choose from.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the Rijksmuseum as a child. I was deeply impressed by Jan Asselijn’s Threatened Swan.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Like in other branches of society, there’s definitely room for more women in the art world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing the dress that I wore at the opening of the Nicolaes Maes exhibition at the National Gallery in London, our partner for this show. This was in February 2020, just before the first Covid lockdown.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

Working at home most of the time has had advantages and disadvantages. The fact that museums were closed for such a long time during the first lockdown, and that it was almost impossible to see and enjoy any art, made me feel disconnected. Having online meetings with colleagues was quite efficient most of the time, although it is all about the right balance.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It hasn’t changed my views on art, but confirmed that art is of vital importance to me.

Have you created new initiatives and ways of working?

For the exhibition Fleeting – Scents in Colour (which was installed in the middle of a lockdown) we made a scent box which included four smell pumps: I gave a virtual tour through the exhibition inviting viewers to look at the art and smell at the same time. This was a way to ‘open’ the exhibition while the museum was closed. We had to think of new ways to reach out to our visitors.

Female Voices in Art: Martine Gosselink, General Director of the Mauritshuis, The Hague

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 06:11:30 GMT

“I realized the eternal power of bliss some works of art give us.”

Martine Gosselink (b. 1969, Utrecht, NL) is General Director of the Mauritshuis in The Hague since 1 April 2020. Martine has been active in the cultural field, particularly the museum sector. In 1995, she graduated in art history at the University of Amsterdam under Professor Ernst van de Wetering. In that same year she started -with a partner- her first venture: the art-historical consulting and research bureau Art & Culture. Six years later she founded the cultural collective De Nieuwe Collectie, with products such as exhibitions and publications for museums in the Netherlands, New York, Iran and Sri Lanka. From 2009 until 2020, she was Head of the History Department at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, with responsibility for the museum’s historical programming. In this capacity Martine was committed to the growth of the History Department, provenance research into the museum’s colonial collections, the publication of the eight-volume Country Series, changing terminology and interpreting the collection by means of multiple perspectives.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

What’s important to me is the process of democratization of art. It belongs to all of us. That literally means that all of us can enjoy it, make it, criticize it.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

To see how many disciplines are involved in the arts.

Do you have a favourite artist?

No, my taste is very eclectic. I can admire a Roman mosaic as much as a Modigliani, a Ghandaran Buddhist sculpture as much as a Bernini.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father took me to the Rijksmuseum when I was 8 or 9. I do not remember a specific work of art, but I do remember how much the building impressed me.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

No. See answer 1.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Ah, yes, that’s an antique Chinese silk jacket that belonged to my mother. It’s a bit tight, she was much smaller than I am. We both love Asian textiles. I have a whole collection at home. Unfolding them, smelling the cloth, it brings me back to ancient memories, not particularly my own.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

I missed working together with my colleagues immensely. Mainly because I started my new job when the first lockdown just had been imposed. How to build up working relations without genuine contact?

Has it changed your views on Art?

Yes, even more than I did already, I realized the eternal power of bliss some works of art give us.

Have you created new initiatives and ways of working?

Yes, I started making vlogs. First every week, than on a monthly base.

Female Voices in Art: Kati Wieg, Art Historian and Advisor

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 11:18:47 GMT

"In the old master world, I came across many men. But when I saw all these beautiful portraits, I realized that there are so many brilliant women in arts. It feels very empowering."

Kati Wieg (b. 1966, Bussum, The Netherlands) is an art historian and art advisor. She studied art history in Amsterdam and worked as an art expert for auction houses such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. In 1993 Wieg Fine Art was founded by Kati and her parents, Andris and Julia Wieg, who had fled Hungary in 1956 to start anew in The Netherlands. For 21 years they participated in various large art fairs such as PAN Amsterdam, specializing in Dutch and Flemish Old Masters. Kati has knowledge of all the aspects in the art world, such as art advising, lecturing and art dealing. After the death of her parents and brother she founded Wieg Inventory Brokers, where in addition to art and antiques, she focuses and on all aspects of the settlements of estates.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

Over the past 30 years I have combined my experience in art advising, curating and lecturing, and have built up a very versatile art business. I have an interest in both the old masters and contemporary art.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is rewarding to be connected through this portrait project with many other amazing women in the art world. It visualizes that we are with many and it makes it very tangible.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I do not have a favourite artist, but I enjoy artists from many periods. Art periods are not isolated. Artists and periods are woven together through time.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

The seventeenth-century paintings that hung above the bed of my grandmother who lived with us in the same house.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

In the old master world, I came across many men. But when I saw all these beautiful portraits, I realized that there are so many brilliant women in arts. It feels very empowering.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The necklace I am wearing is a gift of a friend of mine. She is a strong and wonderful person. In difficult times we encourage and strengthen each other and we cope with difficulties in live with a lot of fun.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

I have to take smaller steps, but I am creative in making the best of it. But have missed the direct contact with art, because museums and other venues were closed.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It has strengthened my love of art even more. No crisis can take away or diminish my passion for art.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Always.

Female Voices in Art: Charlotte Rulkens, Assistant Curator at the Mauritshuis, The Hague

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 09:03:40 GMT

“There still is a lot of implicit gender bias, and I think that it is very important for everyone to become aware of this and act upon it in order to achieve gender equality. Naturally, this is a society-wide issue, not limited to the art world."

Charlotte C. S. Rulkens (b. 1991, Leiden, The Netherlands) is Assistant Curator at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. She earned her B.A. in Art History from the University of Amsterdam and her M.A. Curating Art and Cultures from the University of Amsterdam and the VU University, with a specialization in Dutch seventeenth-century flower painting and the relationship between art and science. Before joining the Mauritshuis in 2016, she worked as Curatorial Trainee at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and as Ayesha Bulchandani-Mathrani Research Intern at The Frick Collection in New York. At the Mauritshuis, she contributed to the exhibitions Slow Food: Still lifes of the Golden Age and National Trust - Dutch Masters from British Country Houses and was curator of the exhibition Rembrandt and the Mauritshuis that was organized on occasion of the Rembrandt Year 2019. Currently she works as curator and project manager on the renewal of the Prince William V Gallery, a second location of the Mauritshuis in The Hague .

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am Assistant Curator at the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I very much enjoyed the fact that I was asked spontaneously by Carla, and her making the photo at an improvised studio at the hotel in Maastricht where she was staying during TEFAF in 2020. I admire the kind of freedom you have as photographer to be able to work anywhere, as long as you have your camera with you.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I do not have one favourite. It very much depends on the context, my mood and in which capacity I am looking at art – professionally or from a private point of view. I feel like I can enjoy art from outside my own specialism more unrestrained and spontaneous, like contemporary art, film and literature for example. It is a disadvantageous form of deformation by the job. But that does not take away my love for seventeenth century Dutch painting, and Rembrandt in particular.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I remember being blown away by my first visit to the Guggenheim in New York as a child. I was fascinated by architecture, made drawings of buildings I liked and created my own designs.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

There still is a lot of implicit gender bias, and I think that it is very important for everyone to become aware of this and act upon it in order to achieve gender equality. Naturally, this is a society-wide issue, not limited to the art world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a silk dress, that has no particular story behind it. Since the shoot was planned spontaneously, I did not choose it specifically for the Artfully Dressed project.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

Other than the consequences of the lockdowns everyone experienced, the crisis and the abrupt change in circumstances made me reflect even more on the role and significance of the museum in society, but also on my own ambitions in this regard.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It has not changed my views on art, but did evoke a lot of creativity to transform the ways of reaching our audiences as a museum.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

One of the issues in which I am creating initiatives, is the question how to involve young professionals in decision-making committees, institutions and boards to make sure their fresh views and creative ideas are heard and implemented. Bringing about this cross-generational influence takes courage from both fully accomplished professionals as well as those early in their careers.

Female Voices in Art: Lisanne Wepler, Art Historian and Research Assistant at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 12:56:55 GMT

“I like to think about human beings in the art world rather than of men and women.”

Lisanne Wepler (b. 1980, Bad Hersfeld, Germany) studied art history and German philology in Kassel, Germany. She completed her dissertation Bilderzählungen in der Vogelmalerei des niederländischen Barocks at the University of Bonn, Germany, in 2013 (published in 2014, at Imhof Peterberg). Subsequently she worked as junior curator at the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig (2013-2015). From 2015 to 2020 she did research on animal fables in art as a postdoc at Leiden University. This research resulted in a book, entitled Tierfabeln von Äsop bis La Fontaine in Gemäldeserien seit 1600 (Imhof Petersberg 2021). Presently, her work involves both Contemporary Art as well as works by the Old Masters. As a research assistant, she is involved in the second edition of the Rijksmuseum's catalogue of paintings, first published in2007. In addition to her academic work, since two years, Lisanne has also been engaged in print making . Since February 2021 she runs her company drukdrukpaint , which is also the name of an artists’ collective Lisanne is part of. The collective shares a studio for printing and painting.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As an art historian, I find it exciting to get to know not only theory but also the practice of art production. This way you can better understand what you are seeing.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I always enjoy working with Carla and experience her thunderous temperament in a moment of complete and most creative silence.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are too many fascinating painters and graphic artists to pick one or one ... At the moment I'm also fascinated by prints. In the manufacturing process it is the total opposite of the lightness of Japanese ink paintings – that I also adore – and yet both expressive possibilities are combined in the effect of black on white (to name the two extreme points of the scale). The etching offers endless possibilities to create spatial depth, and with Japanese paintings it is inspiring to see how an artist depicts movement and the essence of a form with as few brushstrokes as possible.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My grandfather drew a bird consisting of only circles with a very soft green Faber-Castell pencil (surely 6 B) on a yellowish sheet of paper that stank of paint thinner.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

No, I like to think about human beings in the art world rather than of men and women.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress by Claes Iversen. It is a funny design. It looks very classy at first glance - which it undoubtedly is, but this impression is created by the details that the designer has taken from the hardware store range: keys, washers, hinges, screw nuts, etc. decorate the - therefore also very heavy - dress.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

I really enjoyed being able to finish my book with full concentration on only this task. Personally, I noticed how flexible you can be and how quickly plans can change - and how little that matters often and opens up new ways. In the end, everyone had to get along with it, which created a sense of unity. I found that liberating and inspiring.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It made it even clearer how much art can heal and how existential it is.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Several months ago we founded an artist collective drukdrukpaint . Together we rent a studio and we would like to exhibit our work and give workshops in printing techniques. You learn a lot from each other and stimulate each other while making art and thinking about how you can change and improve things.

Female Voices in Art: Fru Tholstrup, Art advisor and Curator

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 14:08:50 GMT

'Women are now a commanding and spiritous stronghold in the art world – a force that has been gaining momentum by the day.'

Fru Tholstrup (b. 1969, London, UK) is a London-based art consultant and curator with a deep knowledge of the contemporary global art market, advising collectors and international businesses on building museum-quality art collections. She is best known for her role launching Sotheby’s flagship London Art Gallery, S|2 in 2013, working closely with S|2 New York and Hong Kong curating exhibitions. Fru guided the gallery to commercial and critical success with an ambitious and diverse programme. Her trademark is a creative approach to making engaging and original exhibitions; An ability honed during 10 years as Director of London’s Haunch of Venison Gallery. Fru Tholstrup and Jonathan Yeo curated the Soho House Art Collection, which began with the West Hollywood House and more recently Fru curated the extensive art collection for the Saudi Royal Family’s Hotel de Crillon in Paris and presented 21st Century Women at Unit London, an iconic and acclaimed group exhibition celebrating the centenary of women receiving the right to vote.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My role in the art world has taken many guises, I started at Sotheby’s very young and remained there for 8 years, this preliminary knowledge was invaluable. I then moved on to work for Haunch of Venison where I stayed for 10 years loving every second engaging with artists, embracing and supporting their practice, I then went back to Sotheby’s to set up their first gallery platform. Currently I am an Independent curator and art advisor, championing and promoting artists and honing all the skills from my auction house and gallery days.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I think Carla’s diverse portrait project, Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World, is utterly genius – it’s such a celebration of women involved in the arts and an extraordinary historical and visual documentation of women’s roles in the artworld forevermore on record.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Too many to mention but my passion is Barbara Hepworth, I dream of owning a work one day, her spirit and form is mesmerising and takes my breath away.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My Father was passionate about art and with a seminal eye introduced me to many aspects of art – it was in my blood very young, I knew it was my path.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world ?

Women are now a commanding and spiritous stronghold in the art world – a force that has been gaining momentum by the day – when I started my career in the artworld we were a minority. My mentor at Sotheby’s was Melanie Clore, she was so innovative and brave in a very male dominated world as it was in my youth, I am very grateful for her leadership and vision.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing an almost military like dress designed by Alice Temperley that I bought specifically for the opening of my 21st Century Women show that I curated with Jane Neal, at Unit London, which was an iconic highly acclaimed group show of British female artists celebrating the centenary of women receiving the right to vote. The exhibition was a survey of emerging and established British female talent working across a wide range of disciplines. The show included artists who use their work to examine the body politics surrounding the female body and the role of women in contemporary society. The exhibition also involved artists who address the fractured sense of being that many women today express in terms of the creation and division of their identities.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice ?

I miss not being able to have the interaction with Artists in their studios to guide and encourage and I miss not being able to talk to my clients in their own environments and visually engage with artworks and galleries and art institutions. But it’s been a moment of reflection and there has been an abundance of overwhelming incredible digital inspiration that we wouldn’t have had access to without this pandemic.

Is it changing your views on Art?

I think that the platforms that have been created have made us all think outside the box on multiple levels. I am delighted that the art world has now had to become more transparent which is a remarkable and stimulating way forward.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Yes definitely – myself and artist W.K. Lyhne co-founded The Sequested Prize — an invented shorthand for ‘ sequestered ’ — which was an open call initiative for portrait artists that championed hope and creativity at a time when the art market was widely suffering across all areas during the Covid-19 pandemic which has been a massive success. The art world has shifted and in many aspects in a positive way and I will do all that I can with initiatives to support and inspire artists and galleries during these unprecedented times, I really think it’s a meaningful, dynamic and energised moment.

Female Voices in Art: Mary Gelman, Visual artist/Photojournalist

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 15:52:58 GMT

"Despite the fact that the art world has become more gender-balanced, there is discrimination of women and there are a lot of gender stereotypes. I guess we should pay more attention to discrimination and not be silent."

Mary Gelman (b. 1994, Penza, Russia) is a visual artist/photojournalist and a VII Photo Agency member based in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. In 2016 she graduated from Docdocdoc, School of Modern Photography in St. Petersburg and was a participant in various international and local workshops. Mary works as a photojournalist and teacher. The most important part of her professional life consists of personal projects. In the projects she has a strong personal approach to documentary and conceptual practices. Mary focuses on issues of gender and body, boundary and identity, discrimination and the human relationship with the environment. Mary is the recipient of several awards including The Leica Oskar Barnack Award Newcomer 2018, the first place in the 77th annual Pictures of the Year competition’s portrait category, Portraits - Hellerau Photography Award (Residence award), and in 2020 she won the third prize (series) in the portrait category of the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest. In 2020 Mary has been selected for the prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a visual artist, photojournalist and teacher from Russia.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed of the process of taking the picture.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t like to put artists in a specific order.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I started as a street photographer, and I took a lot of pictures every day. Once I was on a market in my native city and took pictures of birds. It was quite nice geometry and so on. And after some time, the security guy took me to a secret place and threatened to break my camera if I wouldn't delete this picture. He said that it is a private place, but I did not see any symbols about that. It was such a confusing situation, and it was my first time when I lost a picture.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Despite the fact that the art world has become more gender-balanced, there is discrimination of women and there are a lot of gender stereotypes. I guess we should pay more attention to discrimination and not be silent.

What are you wearing and holding, and are there stories behind it?

I was wearing my T-shirt and jeans. On these shirts original quotes have been printed from students of the ‘Anton is here’ center, which helps adults with autism.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

It has had no impact.

Is it changing your views on Art?

No.

Female Voices in Art: Sarah de Clercq, Managing Director of Sotheby’s, The Netherlands

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 09:08:57 GMT

‘In the Netherlands we have great women in prestigious positions in the art scene, including prominent female museum directors.’

Sarah de Clercq (b. 1971, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) studied at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, and the University of Groningen where she received her degree in Art History in 1997. After 17 years at Christie’s Amsterdam as Senior Specialist of Nineteenth Century, Impressionist and Modern Art and as head of various departments, she became Managing Director of Sotheby’s in The Netherlands in 2018. Sarah works closely with leading collectors, art professionals and institutions on their acquisitions and collection management. Besides this, she on the board of numerous cultural institutions, including the Panorama Mesdag, castle and estate Duivenvoorde, the Titus Circle of the Rembrandt Society and the Grachtenfestival. She is the author of numerous articles, books and exhibition catalogues on Dutch paintings from the nineteenth century.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

In January 2018 I became the Managing Director of Sotheby’s, The Netherlands. As we do not hold live auctions in Amsterdam anymore since 2011 our team is completely focused on sourcing and selling top end artworks from our Dutch clients within our international auction platforms. Furthermore, I strive to (re)introduce top Dutch artists to our sales in London, Paris, Geneva and New York. I feel privileged to work with and be part of an international team that includes so many passionate colleagues worldwide and love to continue to learn about art every day. It is a real joy to be able to work amongst the finest examples of unique objects, from fine art, jewellery, design to cutting edge contemporary art.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I felt honoured to be included in this special project and loved to see Carla working. She was really relaxed, and she knew exactly what she wanted to achieve. After laying on the ground in her studio in a slightly too tiny dress, I was amazed by the beautiful and professional result.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Too many to choose from - I discover favourite new artists every day! After following an academic painting course in Florence in my gardening leave in the autumn of 2017, I have an even better understanding of how difficult it is to be an artist. I have a strong admiration for artist who were able to discover something breathtakingly ‘new’ within their own era and look forward to seeing where today’s artists will take us.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I grew up in a house full of everything from Old Masters to Modern sculptures my mother made, so from a very young age we as a family had conversations about art and the beauty of art. But the first memory is probably a visit with my parents and sister to see the Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna and the Doge Palace in Venice which I will always remember.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

No not particularly. In the Netherlands we have great women in prestigious positions in the art scene, including prominent female museum directors. Equality is important, but I have the feeling women in The Netherlands have the same possibilities as men and are well represented.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

For my photoshoot with Carla I wore an incredible dress by Addy van den Krommenacker. I visited his atelier in Den Bosch where we tried on some of his creations, all in size 0 which made it an even funnier experience.

What impact does the current health crisis have on your daily practice?

The disruption caused by COVID-19 and all the related measurements changed the auction business (and the whole art world) drastically and probably forever. The traditional auction calendar was disrupted and in a short period of time our live sales turned into a huge increase of online sales and the market showed to adapt and be strong. Our traditional Evening Sales, previously attended by hundreds of collectors, were adapted into a pioneering livestream format that introduced dynamic global broadcasting with millions of views from all around the world. It was great and exciting to be in the middle of all these changes and experience that we continued to succeed with our innovative approach, even in these difficult circumstances. Personally, of course I miss the travelling, the direct contact with my international clients and colleagues and to be able to attend the sales in person and see all the amazing art pieces we sell. Our focus is much more local, for example we sell a lot of private sales of top Dutch art in The Netherlands and our time at home gave us the opportunity to really invest in our relationships with our clients. Art collectors did not pull back due to financial uncertainty. Clients spend more time at home, and this lead to many people redecorating and attention for their direct surrounding and thus art. Nevertheless, we all hope to get part of the live auctions back, when life will start getting back to normal.

Is it changing your views on Art?

The crisis made it even clearer to me how important art is for all of us. Art feeds us and inspires. Recently, we had a selected group of clients in our office to see a spectacular painting by Vincent van Gogh and the reactions were sometimes even emotional. People were so touched to be in direct contact with great art again. It showed how important it is to see art in person.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Our business model has changed significantly due to the global pandemic and we try to be improve our way of working every day. With these private viewings for example we organize in our office, like we did with the Van Gogh last week, we bring the art to the collectors, as travelling is not possible for our clients. We also organize virtual appointments with international specialists, we create the most amazing digital catalogues and we see that our clients are increasingly confident in buying high value pieces online. Our new digital tools and frictionless experiences also brought a record influx of new (and young) buyers. A professional and personal approach remains essential to buy and sell art, but with the new techniques a lot is possible.

Female Voices in Art: Ann Korijn van der Borgh, Artist, Patron, Investor

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 08:48:09 GMT

‘The curators, artists and museum directors in the Art World that I respect and follow are all female! And yet, if I think about what is hanging on museum and gallery walls, the majority tends to be male.’

Ann Korijn-van der Borgh (b. 1960, Plainwell, MI, US) has lived in the Netherlands for more than 35 years. Growing up, she was constantly exploring forms of expression by creating her own clothes and following the tradition of her female lineage, by making wool braided rugs and quilts. Later, she worked as a stockbroker to support her love of the arts and she is active as an investor in pursuing companies that have creative solutions to environmental issues. Any spare moment, she can be found painting in oils, she cannot imagine a world without pigments, painting, theatre, literature, film and Nature. She remains fascinated by a feather or a leaf, and is in awe of the umbers, ochres and madder lake that nature gives us.

C o uld you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I paint with oils daily to explore a world where surrealism and poetry meet (see an art work below). Beyond that, I am on the collections committee at MAD, a design/art museum in NYC, as well a collector of contemporary art. I get peace of mind through continually visiting museums and galleries.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I appreciate the premise that Carla is showing diversity of Women in the Arts, and I was curious how Carla, as an artist, would use us through her photography to support that premise.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Georgia O’Keefe, Emily Dickinson and Virginia Woolf remain my base for continually finding my new favourites.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Loving crayons and play-dough (which my mother made by hand and added colourings and scent).

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Interesting. In answering this question, I realise that the curators, artists and museum directors in the Art World that I respect and follow are all female! And yet, if I think about what is hanging on museum and gallery walls, the majority tends to be male.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The designer is Roksanda and it was a purely an object of desire! I loved the design, colours and sleeves.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The impact is mixed. On the positive side, I was given a commission that I might not have accepted because of the time commitment, but I had the time and, the mixed media collage for the Embassy of the Free Mind turned out beyond my expectations—could that have been the peace and lack of usual meetings? Also, I have been able to paint far more than usual. On the negative side, a unvaried life style has settled in. I miss the energy of people, museums, accidental meet-ups——the connections of others—and mostly touch.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Yes. I am more critical of the meaning of Art. ‘Art’ is now everywhere on your Instagram, etc.—all on tiny little phone or computer screens. It creates 'noise'. Distraction. Lack of engagement. Filling voids without content. I have learned that art is in the interaction, whether at a museum, in your studio, talking with fellow viewers or participants. Zoom, Instagram and our restricted lockdowns have sterilized art. Luckily, in nature, I can find beauty everywhere.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

haven’t yet. I am frustrated with myself for not taking this “gift of time” and allowing myself to explore more. I do find myself drawn to painting on wood; Nature is much more present and felt in my work. ‘Terre verte’ and ‘raw sienna’ have become steadfast friends.

Female Voices in Art: Marian Spier, Social Entrepreneur and Board Member

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 11:13:14 GMT

‘If we buy art created by women, create new business models, (online) platforms and communities we can create change.’

Marian Spier (b. 1970 Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is a social entrepreneur and board member. She has been a manager and lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam for eight years. In 2012 she started consulting and has since built a diverse portfolio of clients that range across industries and sectors, such as the United Nations, City of Amsterdam, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to name a few. Marian founded TEDxAmsterdamWomen in 2010 in order to give women in the Netherlands a platform to spread their ideas. She continues to do so through her work as a social entrepreneur, whilst mentoring and coaching many young female entrepreneurs throughout the world. She founded the first Female Startup Awards in the Netherlands and serves as an advisor and board member of several non-profit organizations, such as The Van Gogh Museum, Rutgers and Van den Ende foundation.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a supervisory board member at the Van Gogh Museum and a board member at the Van den Ende Foundation.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The way Carla and I met and connected at an art fair and she spontaneously contacted me to take my picture. Also the fun during the photoshoot of course.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Vincent van Gogh, but also a contemporary artist named Marlou Fernanda.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father was a painter and student of Nola Hatterman a famous female Dutch painter. She had a house in the woods in Suriname. When I was 11 years old she would use me as her model because I was good at sitting still. I loved the way she loved art. To my delighted surprise years later I saw her work hanging in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The sale of women’s artwork in the global auction market comprises only TWO percent of the total market share, according to researchers. If we buy art created by women, create new business models, (online) platforms and communities we can create change.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress I bought in Accra, Ghana. I wanted to buy a dress made and designed by female African designers. And when I saw the dress I immediately fell in love with it.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The impact it has is that I take better care of my health. I eat healthier and sleep better. I have a better daily routine. In the beginning, I was a bit stressed about it because I was used to traveling a lot. But now I take more time in enjoying my surroundings, by taking long walks in the dunes and the beach. Fortunately, as an entrepreneur, my work did not suffer. It has increased because I have less traveling time, and I can accept more work.

Is it changing your views on Art?

No, it has not changed my views. I am saddened that we cannot visit museums because I love traveling and visiting museums while visiting a country. During curfew time, I browse a lot online and look up the new initiatives of young artists. A lot is happening now in the video and multidisciplinary art space. The way they can express themselves. It is like a new wave.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I started www.fem-start.com , a global initiative to demystify the world of funding for female entrepreneurs. I also started a Dutch non-profit called www.fempreneurhulp.nl , A platform of mentors that consult female entrepreneurs whose businesses are affected by covid for free. I have worked a lot virtually before the pandemic, so that has not changed negatively exponentially. It only increased.

Female Voices in Art: Mee-Seen Loong, Director of INKstudio

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 22:37:30 GMT

"The changes in women’s rights and education since the mid-20th Century has brought in great women artists...creative, daring and unbound by tradition."

Mee-Seen Loong (b. 1948, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya) has played a key role in the field of Chinese art for over 40 years. She earned her B.A. in Art History from Wellesley College and her M.A. in Far Eastern Art from Columbia University. Her long career at Sotheby’s has included the roles of Managing Director of Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Vice-Chairman, Chinese Art and Asian Paintings worldwide. She is now a director of INKstudio, a gallery based in Beijing, and remains a consultant to Sotheby’s, providing art advisory services to collectors, corporations and museums worldwide, as well as representation and promotion of contemporary ink artists and ceramicists.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

For the four decades I was with Sotheby’s as a Chinese art specialist, I was privileged to have worked on some of the most significant collections of Chinese art sold at auction. I also developed the field of Chinese contemporary ink art. I have organized auctions and exhibitions, and helped build private collections. As a director of INKstudio, I now work with some of the most renown contemporary ink artists.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I loved the collaboration of ideas, admiring Carla’s warmth, sense of humor, great creativity and art historical memory. I especially enjoyed her visual speed and the way she conjured up angles and postures, coaxing and exacting. It felt like a painting in process, and in the hands of a master.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Liu Dan, a brilliant Chinese Ink artist I have known since the 1980’s and have worked with ever since. The other is Botticelli who first sparked my interest in paintings.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I grew up in Kuala Lumpur and a vine known as the ‘love’ or ‘bee’ vine grew wild along the hedges in our large garden. It has numerous very small pink heart-shaped blossoms, serrated leaves and tendril-entwined vines. From the age of four I would weave the vines into ‘artsy’ arrangement and used individual little blossoms in my miniature bottle-cap mud cookies. That was when I appreciated ‘beauty’ and the sense of color and smell.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

For centuries they have been kept in the background, mostly unable to find a place in art and creativity by being denied education and freedom. The changes in women’s rights and education since the mid-20th Century has brought in great women artists...creative, daring and unbound by tradition. I hope to be able encourage and work with some of them.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I grew up in Malaysia and have always loved batek, the old craft of Indonesia and Malaysia, for its combination of earthy colors, intricacy of lines and geometric rhythms.

I have a silk batek shawl by Josephine Komara (Obin) of Bin House, the great Indonesian batik designer I most admire and collect, for the complexity of the design and the luxurious combination of old batek traditions with dazzling modern techniques. The silk dress is by Asiatica, a Kansas-City based gallery known for their use of antique fabrics, using Japanese ikat patterned silk, inspired by Indonesian fabrics. The black dress is Issey Miyaki. The red lacquer rose rings are from a flea market in Beijing. The amber beads are gathered from old strands and remains of Chinese 18th century court beads. The lipstick and nail color are by Tom Ford, who liked my nail color on a trip to China over ten years ago!

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

It has severely impacted my art practice as I am in a kind of cocoon, unable to travel internationally and domestically. Over the past 40 years I have travelled to Asia three or four times a year for auctions, art fairs or visits with artists and clients.

Everything is now virtual and I miss the interaction with people and viewing ‘real’ art. We took for granted the joys of meals together, and almost a year of no group dinners has made me realize that food events are the major art forms taken from almost all of us. I am clearly starved for company even though I spend a lot more time cooking these days.

Is it changing your views on Art?

It has not changed my views on art but I miss being able to see first-hand, changes in art. It makes me acutely aware of how important art is to our lives and mental health. Fortunately, technology has made it possible for see new works in the absence of seeing the real work.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I have been forced to rely on technology as I have to navigate the internet and to present ideas and images online...skills not second nature to me , the way it is for the younger generation. I would like to expand my client base but I find that I concentrate on communicating with my usual group of collectors. The one positive aspect of the shut down in travel is that institutions, museums and my more creative colleagues have made it possible for me to participate in webinars all over the world. Clusters of like-minded individuals have formed zoom groups to share ideas, drink together and ‘visit’ so in 2020, in the midst of this uncanny isolation, I have actually reconnected with old friends from grade school and college.

I have even found new hobbies but these are just distractions as what I really want to do is travel again to visit family, old friends and to see what my circle of artists are doing. This last group, the artists, have found the year of living as hermits quite invigorating. Without the need to visit and with no visitors bothering them, they have found time to do new works. I can hardly wait to disturb them!

Female Voices in Art: Shirley Young (1935-2020) was a founding member and Governor of the Committee of 100, and Chair of US-China Cultural Institute

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 16:58:24 GMT

“Women have to struggle much harder and often give up because it is so hard to be accepted or acknowledged. It has remained a man’s world and social environment for too long.”

Shirley Young (b. 1935, Shanghai, China, d. 2020, New York, US) was a founding member and Governor of the Committee of 100, and Chair of US-China Cultural Institute. From 1989 to 2000, she was Corporate Vice President of General Motors and co-leader of its entry into China with the Shanghai-GM joint venture. Earlier, she was Executive Vice President of Grey Advertising and President of Grey Strategic Marketing. Shirley served on many corporate boards including Salesforce.com, Bank of America, Verizon, and Target. She focused on cultural-educational activities and served on the boards of the New York Philharmonic, Lang Lang International Music Foundation, National Dance Institute and The Nature Conservancy – Asia Pacific. She was Senior Advisor and trustee of Wellesley College and served on the boards of Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Associates of Harvard Business School, and Philips Academy, Andover. She received many awards for her business and cultural activities.

With sadness I read that Shirley Young died on 27 December 2020. In 2019, I had the honour and pleasure to portray Shirley for my project, Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World, and I also did a short interview with her. Please read below:

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

Nurturing Chinese Artists for the international world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Seeing the range of women contributing to the arts in so many different ways.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Xu Bing, Cai Guo-Qiang, Lin Tianmiao

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Creating a baroque sculpture from a block of sandstone for Madrigal Art class.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women have to struggle much harder and often give up because it is so hard to be accepted or acknowledged. It has remained a man's world and social environment for too.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

A Manchu dynasty imperial robe from the seventeenth century belonging to a family friend but bought at Sotheby’s auction.

Female Voices in Art: Emilie Gordenker, Director of the Van Gogh Museum

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 10:12:52 GMT

“Women are underrepresented as directors of museums that collect and display Old Masters and older art, particularly prominent institutions with a large operating budget.”

Emilie Gordenker (b. 1965, Princeton, NJ, US), a dual US-Dutch national, is Director of the Van Gogh Museum. Previously, she was Director of the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis (2008-2019). She earned her Ph.D. in 1998 from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, with a specialty in the history of seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish art, the history of dress of that period and the artist Anthony van Dyck (dissertation, Van Dyck and the Representation of Dress in Seventeenth-Century Portraiture , published 2001). In New York, Emilie worked for the Met and the Frick Collection. She taught at several colleges and the Bard Graduate Center. She moved to London in 1999, where she worked for companies providing new media solutions for museums and galleries and was appointed Senior Curator for Early Netherlandish, Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh in 2003. At the Mauritshuis, she has led the major renovation and expansion of the museum, which was completed in June 2014.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an art historian and Director of the Van Gogh Museum.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The fact that the artist put women in the arts at front and centre; and also the unexpected way in which she chose to portray me.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t have one - it’s like asking a mother which of her children is her favourite.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with my mother in the 1970s.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women are underrepresented as directors of museums that collect and display Old Masters and older art, particularly prominent institutions with a large operating budget.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress by Roksanda, specially bought for the Duchess of Cambridge's visit to the Mauritshuis in October 2016.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The Van Gogh Museum was closed for about 6 weeks, and since reopening we can only admit a fraction of our usual number of visitors. The crisis also has a considerable financial impact. So everything is different now.

Is it changing your views on Art?

People often say that Vincent van Gogh inspires and offers comfort. You can see that in our visitors.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

We are re-orienting to our Dutch visitors, in the hope that more will come and will come back. (Previously 85% of our visitors were foreigners.) We have also modified our exhibition schedule.

Female Voices in Art: Jeannette Sanders, Collector

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:56:10 GMT

"The basic issue for me is quality, for the work of women as well as of men."

Jeannette Sanders (b. 1944, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) studied at the Sociale Academie in Rotterdam and Advanced Social Studies in Amsterdam. She has been the head of the social work department specialized in adolescents with drug related problems at the GGD (Municipal Health Service) in Rotterdam. Together with her husband, Martijn Sanders, Jeannette started to collect art in 1972. They have been lending pieces from their collection to international museums such as MoMA, New York, and Centre Pompidou, Paris. A unique, large scale survey of works from the collection was exhibited in 2014/15 in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam under the title Bad Thoughts . The Sanders Collection is one of the most important private collections in the Netherlands and contains a diverse array of several hundred paintings, sculptures, assemblages, photos, drawings, text-based artworks, films, videos, and installations by over 350 mostly European and American artists, among them Anselm Kiefer, Cindy Sherman, David Claerbout and Robert Longo.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My husband and I started to move into the artworld in 1972. We were 27 years old, just married and thrilled to discover that artists can confront you with the zeitgeist and make you aware of your deeper reflections, emotions and secrets. As a collector, the ultimate act is to buy and to exhibit the work you acquired, which I find very satisfying. If I can lend the work to a museum so other people can enjoy it as I do, I am happy. For years I was on the board of the Groninger museum.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I was honoured to be asked by Carla. I have known her work since she was exhibiting at the Van Zoetendaal gallery in Amsterdam. The way she is photographing women in their favourite clothes while retaining their own personality is professional.

Do you have a favourite artist?

The advantage of collecting is that I can have many favourites. One of them is Cindy Sherman. She developed herself as an amazing artist using herself in all kind of settings from cute, sexy to horrendous, on top of that she is not afraid of getting older.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory were the visits I made with my parents to the museum Boymans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, where I lived. I vividly remember that I saw my first Andy Warhol there. I did not understand it, but I loved the colours.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The position of women in the art world must not be underestimated in comparison with that of men and the other way around. The basic issue for me is quality, for the work of women as well as of men.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing one of my favourite jackets and a blouse by Issey Miyake. I love the textures and colours he is using. I discovered him before he started Pleats Please , and I am still a fan.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

Well, I have never been at home for such a long time. I enjoy our house with the art around us. I am sad to have missed several important exhibitions as the Jan van Eyck in Gent and more.

Is it changing your views on Art?

I think that the art fair world will be closed for the coming year, which will force the art lovers to rediscover the galleries in their neighbourhood. For young artists it is important that people can see their work in reality because I think that unknown art deserves the real confrontation, not only on zoom.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Female Voices in Art: Lydia Vincent, Picture Restorer

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 16:32:22 GMT

"I think that there is still some way to go before we see parity. I’d particularly like to see an end to unpaid internships, as the system disadvantages lower income applicants, and often disproportionately affects women at the very start of their careers."

Lydia Eileen Vincent ( n ée Kennard) (b. 1981, Wiltshire, UK) is a Picture Restorer in Kew Gardens, London. She specialises in Old Master Oil Painting Restoration and Conservation. Her training began in Florence, Italy, where she studied classical art techniques and then went on to study History of Art at East Anglia University. Over the years she has worked as a Gallery assistant in London for West End Galleries specialising in a variety of genres such as Old Master Pictures, Pre-Raphaelite and Contemporary. During this time she gained an apprenticeship to train under renowned London-based Master Picture Restorer Henry Gentle in 2004, and since completing this prestigious training, has continued to work with Henry to the present day.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My role in the art world is to preserve our artistic heritage through the restoration and conservation of important and significant works of art. Within my role as a Fine Art Restorer I support galleries, private collections, individuals and Museums across the world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was an exciting opportunity to be part of this powerful artistic project, championing women’s contribution and importance in the art world. It was an unusual and enjoyable experience to be the subject of a picture, instead of my more anonymous role behind the easel. Through Carla I felt empowered, and visible in a way I’ve not experienced before.

Do you have a favourite artist?

This is a tough one – I work with and am inspired by so many artists, it’s impossible for me to single any one out. Some of my favourites include sketches, both drawing and painting, by Old Masters such as Leonardo de Vinci and Van Dyck. Since childhood I have felt particularly drawn to the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood, particularly Leighton, Rossetti and Waterhouse.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Sitting in my dad’s art materials and picture framers’ business, drawing and painting on paper bags on the floor.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think women can and should have a powerful voice within the art world. Sadly, apart from a few notable exceptions, I think that there is still some way to go before we see parity. I’d particularly like to see an end to unpaid internships, as the system disadvantages lower income applicants, and often disproportionately affects women at the very start of their careers.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I chose to wear my favourite high-necked long-sleeved black dress, with close-fitting cuffs, and I am holding the paint brushes that I use every day (Windsor and Newton, Series 7 sable, No.1). In my left hand I am holding my Maalstick, which I use during the course of my work to steady my painting hand while I work on wet paintings to prevent touching the surface. My black outfit minimises the light reflection onto the surface of the paintings as I restore them, and also the sleeves don’t drag into solvents or across the paint that I have mixed on my palette; I have found that this is my secret weapon!

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The impact has been significant, and may be so for some time yet. Currently, I am furloughed for the duration of the pandemic. I continue my own artistic projects at home. I am now an advanced responder for the NHS and the Royal Voluntary Service in addition to some other voluntary roles as a way of supporting my community during this crisis.

Is it changing your views on Art?

I love my vocation, and I appreciate the last 16 years all the more now that the pandemic is changing the art world in unforeseen ways. The future is uncertain and my role within it may have to change, however, I believe that restoration and conservation will continue to be a valuable and essential part of preserving and protecting our artistic and cultural heritage for future generations.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Yes, I currently have a building project for a purpose built studio which will enable me to work from home so that I can continue to restore paintings remotely. I will also be able to work on larger artistic projects of my own. There are new collaborative projects that are beginning to emerge within my artistic sphere and beyond. I am an advocate for promoting the talent and value that women bring to the art world, and seek to support my peers and create a safe space where people can thrive and learn from each other.

Female Voices in Art: Laura Ruth Bidwell, Founder of the Transformer Station, Collector, Philanthropist, Artist/Photographer

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 22:55:09 GMT

“It is crucial to find what really fulfills you. Once you start looking to others to define your happiness, you are lost.”

Laura Ruth Bidwell (b. 1954, Akron, OH, US) graduated from the University of Akron with a B.F.A. in painting. To earn extra money for college, Laura worked as a portrait artist. After college, she was hired to work in the advertising department of the M. O'Neil Company. Her next job was as a graphic designer at Malone Advertising. She and her husband, Fred, began collecting contemporary photography in 1991 when they were married. They opened the Transformer Station in 2013 to store and exhibit their collection. Laura is currently a photographer, book maker and collage artist living in Cleveland.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My role is to collect contemporary photography and help curate shows at the Transformer Station in Cleveland.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed working with the photographer, Carla van de Puttelaar. We both love the natural light on the skin and working with the beauty of real people.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I am always thinking about painting when I am photographing and I really love Bronzino paintings.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Making paper dolls and their wardrobes at the kitchen table. Art has always been my friend.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I feel that women are the equals of men in the art world.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I always wear black and my many rings have become a sort of trademark for me. The rings I always wear:

Index Finger - "Siamese" ring that many young women wore in High School in the 70s in Northeast Ohio. I never had one but bought this on eBay a few years ago. I bought a few and give them to my female friends since they can't find them.

Middle Finger - Gothic Cross Ring designed by Dana Schneider. Dana lives in Ohio and makes most of her jewelry for the film industry. Cher wears a version of this on her middle finger, as does the designer.

Right Ring Finger - I have worn this skull ring longer than any other. I wear it in tribute to Keith Richard, the coolest human on the planet, because he wears a skull ring.

Thumb and Pinky finger change.

Other Hand has my traditional wedding, engagement and forever rings.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice? I have asked 2 people to sit for a portrait in my studio. I said that I would wear a mask and stay 6ft. or more away and keep time under 15 minutes. One person ignored me and the other said she was too afraid, would think about it and never got back to me. So, my portrait photography is definitely on hold for the foreseeable future.

We have reopened the Transformer Station museum with masks required, a plexi shield at front desk, sanitizing procedures in place, reserved tickets and limiting the number of visitors. So far people are coming. We are planning a new show for September so we'll see what fall attendance is like.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Art seems more like a luxury than ever, but it also seems more necessary than ever to inspire and to keep minds working. My views on art keep changing not just because of the health crisis but also because of the persistent racism in this world. Change is in the air and I hope that it remains that way.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I have discovered that I still know how to draw! I have been investigating watercolors and collaging on 3-dimensional objects that I make from all of the cardboard that comes into this place. As an artist, I had to get past the growing sense of busy work that lockdown encourages. It is crucial to find what really fulfills you. Once you start looking to others to define your happiness, you are lost.

Female Voices in Art: Sofie Muller, Artist

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 22:38:44 GMT

“There’s a definite lack of female energy in this world, it’s missing in politics, it’s missing in art... in everything. We are in urgent need of empathy, something that women tend to convey more often.”

Sofie Muller (b. 1974, Sint Niklaas, Belgium) lives and works in Ghent. She received master degrees in Painting from Academie Antwerp (1996) and Graphics & Sculpture from Sint-Lucas Ghent (2002). Her complex oeuvre displays an ongoing, profound research of the human condition and the beauty of our individual vulnerability. She taps into the breaking point of the mind and body and portrays it in smoke drawings and sculptures in bronze or alabaster. Solo shows of the past four years include: Gallerie Michaela Stock, Vienna, Geukens & De Vil, Antwerp, Martin Kudlek, Cologne, Fondation Francès, Senlis, Biala galeria, Lublin, Poland, Odapark Venray, The Netherlands, Felix Art Drogenbos, Belgium, Projectos Monclova Mexico and Fox Jensen Gallery Sydney. Group exhibitions of the past four years include: Bildraum Bodensee, Austria, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Brussels, Museum Ghent, Belgium, Museum Beelden aan Zee, The Netherlands, Gallery Maskara, Mumbai and Kunsthalle Nürnberg.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a Belgian mid-career artist who makes drawings, sculptures and installations. My work focuses on the human condition, the deeper layers of human psychology. I create mental portraits that allow universal recognition. I prefer to work with traditional media such as bronze and alabaster. I love working with alabaster because the stone is fragile and often marked by imperfections. To me, these cracks and marblings are material echoes of human injuries, physical and psychological wounds. In my – at first sight – traditional sculptures, I try to work around subtle changes that bring about minor mental landslides...

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I’m truly honoured to be part of Carla’s project. We had never met before, but I knew her work through a common group exhibition at KMSK. It was already obvious back then that we share a mutual sensitivity in our work. We’re soulmates, we speak the same language.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are so many masterpieces that move me; a family portrait by Hans Holbein, Giorgione’s ‘La Vecchia’, ‘Jewish Boy’ by Medardo Rosso, ‘La petit chatelaine’ by Camille Claudel, ‘The Kneeling’ by Georges Minne, Marlene Dumas’ ‘Black Drawings’, to name only a very few. My roots lie in Ghent, and I feel connected to artists that live and work nearby; Michael Borremans, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Thierry De Cordier en Dirk Braeckman. There’s an aura of melancholy and uneasiness that binds these artists.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I was born in to a family of antique dealers; three generations of art collectors and merchants. Growing up, I was surrounded by art and antiques, because my father was specialised in 17th century painting and 15th and 16th century sculpture. Art and images have played an important role in my life from very early on in my childhood. I still remember the passage to the bathroom at my grandparents’ house that was filled with art. Every time I passed there was a little journey that confronted me with various frightening scenes, sculptures of saints and religious objects.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

There’s a definite lack of female energy in this world, it’s missing in politics, it’s missing in art... in everything. We’re in urgent need of empathy, something that women tend to convey more often. I don’t fool myself; we’re living in a male-centred world. We’re overpowered by male energy, by sheer rationality, oppression and aggression. In our daily reality, so in the world of art as well. It’s very difficult to keep going as a woman artist, unless you start behaving in a male way. One of the challenges of women in the arts is to keep away from imitating our male colleagues.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I’m wearing a Veronique Branquinho coat. It’s vintage. Branquinho’s designs are timeless, strong and romantic at the same time. I’m holding one of my alabaster sculptures: Alabaster Mentalis AL/LIV/17.
It’s a portrait of my little nephew, Vidas, who was just a couple of months old when I made the sculpture. The white crust and clay residue remind me of the skin of a new-born, unwashed baby. You can see it as a dialogue between the fragility of his young life and the solemn strength of the stone. This sculpture will go on auction in June at Philips in London. A benefit-auction for h’Art magazine – Belgium.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

As an artist, I spend a lot of time alone in my home and studio, so I’m used to living in self-imposed quarantine. My daily work process has changed much in that regard. But, we will have to learn to deal with the new feeling of uncertainty. And this is quite intense… it’s very confrontational. Unfortunately, some of my family members got infected with covid-19 so things got scary. I have felt a strong urge to return to my roots. Where do I come from? Who are my ancestors? It has drawn me even closer to my family. I’ve been browsing old family archives and started making relics of some sort, based on the memories of beloved family members.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Things are certainly put into perspective because this latent existential threat of getting sick helps you focus on what is really important in life. What’s going on in the art world these days, passes me by without much interest. Many exhibitions are currently canceled or postponed, and the few projects that are set up attract much less attention.This is a time for reflection for the art houses, the galleries and also for us, artists. We all feel the financial repercussions, and I’m afraid things will get quite difficult. But Corona can't stop creativity…

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I am exploring various new paths, experimenting with new materials. A very large project is currently still in the process of creation, which I will hopefully finish in two years' time. But that is top secret.

Female Voices in Art: Rachel Kaminsky, Art Dealer

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

“I have had numerous professional roles in the art world, which have led to an equally important and rewarding one – mentor to young women looking to pursue a career in the Old Master market and succeed in a male-dominated field.”

Rachel Kaminsky (b. 1961, Boston, MA, US), raised in New York City, studied at New York University and began her career at Christie’s. She rose to become Department Head of Old Master Paintings in 1989. In 1994, Rachel was appointed Director of Otto Naumann Ltd., the foremost US gallery for northern Old Masters, and from 2002 to 2006, she was the Managing Director of Colnaghi, London. In 2006, she started her own business dealing in Old Masters and nineteenth century paintings. In 2014, Rachel was engaged as a Special Advisor to the National Gallery, London, for their $25.5m acquisition George Bellows, Men of the Docks . On behalf of Sotheby’s, she was an expert witness on auction house procedures in a London High Court trial (2013-2014). Rachel is on the TEFAF International Advisory Board and a selection committee member for the TEFAF Showcase and Museum Restoration Fund. She was a trustee of the Worcester Art Museum, MA (2012-2019). Rachel is the Program Director for Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World .

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’ve had numerous professional roles in the art world including auction house department head, art dealer, art advisor, agent, museum trustee, expert witness in a London high court trial, as well as art fair advisory board member and art fair exhibitor. These various roles have led to an equally important and rewarding one – mentor to young women looking to pursue a career in the Old Master market and succeed in a male-dominated field.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

As the first female Head of Old Master Paintings at Christie’s New York and the first female Managing Director of Colnaghi, established in 1766 and 1760, respectively, I am proud to participate in this landmark exhibition featuring women in the art world – and to be in the company of so many accomplished professional women.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Rather than favourite artists, I tend to have favourite schools, although the list changes as my career and interests evolve. Right now, I am particularly excited by British Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Belgian Symbolism and artworks produced in Germany and Austria during the interwar period, a time of extraordinary creativity, social change and crisis.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest art memory comes from my mother. During childhood museum visits, I would stand in front of paintings by Edgar Degas and imitate the ballet step.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

My background is in the commercial world of Old Master paintings where historically few women have held prominent or senior positions. Professional women have made great strides in so many areas, including some sectors of the art world – as witness by this exhibition. Yet, remarkably, in 2018 there are almost no Old Master dealerships owned and run by women, and it was twenty-nine years before the most prestigious art fair for Old Masters, TEFAF Maastricht, named a woman to its board.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a floor-length white organza shawl by a Chinese designer and friend Han Feng, who I first met in Shanghai in 2007. Like much of her work, it features geometrical shapes and an asymmetric design. These abstract fabric flowers are her signature design and feature in much of her work. Han Feng launched her first ready-to-wear collection in 1993 and made her costume design debut with Anthony Minghella’s Madama Butterfly at the English National Opera and Met Opera. Her clothing design and installations have been featured in major exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Neue Galerie and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, amongst others.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

My art dealing business, like the art market in general, is cyclical. Spring is usually a busy buying time, but since COVID-19 burst into the world auctions and art fairs have been cancelled, and travel is impossible, so my activities have been considerably reduced. That said, I have been surprisingly busy with work related things and recently completed one of the most delightful and serendipitous transactions of my career with an important collector, new to me. So far we have only met on Zoom. There are silver linings to every situation.

Is it changing your views on Art?

No. Although recently, the Black Lives Matter movement in the America has initiated an important discussion around art, in particular statuary, and what is appropriate in public spaces.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working and communicating?

The last few months have provided a unique opportunity to decompress and address some long overdue personal and professional projects, like finally creating a LinkedIn profile and reflecting on the next chapter of my career. Looking back, my previous pace seems almost unimaginable. As the world begins to open up, it will be interesting to see what the new-normal looks like and which short term changes turn into long term changes. My immediate wish is that I could get on a plane to Europe - and that I owned stock in Zoom.

Female Voices in Art: Aliona Adrianova, Photographer

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"Since men and women often see things from a different perspective, it is best not to have gender dominated areas and to create a balanced society whether that is in art, politics or any other field."

Aliona Adrianova (b.1986, Kharkiv, Ukraine) holds a M.Sc. in International Business Management from Kyiv National Economic University. Having pursued an early career in finance in London, Aliona quickly discovered her true personality and calling as an artist. In particular, she developed a strong interest in photography, engaging with the idea of an enduring quest for absolute truth in the photographic record of the sitter. Adrianova’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including Tatler, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Country Life, Forbes, NatGeo Channels and many others. Her latest book Artist in the Portrait was published by The Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 2018.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am a London based portrait photographer who believes that no single person can break a camera. If you look at your sitter with loving eyes, it’s impossible to take a bad picture.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was such an honour to be captured by Carla. Being a photographer myself, I was very much impressed by her dramatic lighting. Carla’s way of seeing a woman, intense use of chiaroscuro and the representation of her sitters in striking ensembles of colours gives a sensual jolt to the viewer and illustrates inner and outer beauty. All her portraits are so powerful and direct that I was instantly involved, and wanted to discover more and to get to know each sitter. Also, I see a parallel to Carla’s flowers series. Images of these artfully dressed women became an allegory of a divine garden where their talents and visions make this world a better place.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It was a spontaneous decision to become a photographer after studying and working in finance. Since then, I have been on a rollercoaster of self-discovery as I learn more about art. By constantly studying new artists and movements, my artistic taste changes and develops. For example, last year I was mesmerised by and started to practise Japanese Sumi-e. Whereas this year, I am captivated by Arabic calligraphy.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My mum not only used to read to me a lot when I was a kid, but she also did illustrations of the imaginary characters. This experience was like a portal to different worlds and first showed me the power of art.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Since men and women often see things from a different perspective, it is best not to have gender dominated areas and to create a balanced society whether that is in art, politics or any other field.

What are you wearing and holding, and are there stories behind it?

I am wearing a vintage Japanese kimono from the 1940s which was a present from my husband. He had observed me practicing Sumi-e and Ikebana and thought that I would be further inspired by total immersion into the Japanese aesthetic. No need to mention that I was delighted with the gift.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

Looking on the bright side, I have seen the lockdown as an opportunity to reflect on my past artistic experiences and engage with other people’s ideas through reading and research. And of course, to try out things that I always have been planning to do but kept postponing due to immediate work deadlines. For instance, I am now learning how to gild and also am designing a stained glass niche for my home.

Is it changing your views on Art?

I think that current events have reassured me that creative practice, specially in times of crisis, brings me a touch of comfort and helps me to escape everyday worries.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Although this break in my normal work practice has been disruptive, it has also provided me with the stimulus, the space and the time to experiment with different techniques. In actual fact, I am currently in the process of developing a new style in my portraiture.

Female Voices in Art: Zoé Whitley, Director Chisenhale Gallery

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 20:21:06 GMT

"Guerrilla Girl ‘Frida Kahlo’ has said ‘unless all our voices are included in the history of art, it isn’t a history of art, it’s a history of power’."

Zoé Whitley (b. 1979, Washington, DC, US) is Director of Chisenhale Gallery in London, prior to which she was Curator, International Art at Tate Modern and Senior Curator at the Hayward Gallery. She has conceived numerous site-specific artist commissions, film screenings and special projects internationally. Exhibitions to her credit include curating the 2019 British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and co-curating the acclaimed Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power . Zoé earned her B.A at Swarthmore College, an M.A. from the Royal College of Art in the History of Design and a Ph.D. in Contemporary Art at University of Central Lancashire. Author of The Graphic World of Paul Peter Piech , she has also wrote written publications and interviews on Frank Bowling, Grace Wales-Bonner, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Lubaina Himid, Alexander McQueen, and Jack Whitten, among others. Zoe was named one of Apollo Magazine’s ‘40 Under 40 Thinkers in Europe’, and one of ArtLyst’s 2017 ‘100 Alternative Powerhouses’ in the not-for-profit contemporary art world.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

There isn’t one, single ‘Art World’. There are art worlds – plural. Some are professional, others are social; they can be intimate and under-the-radar, while others have a higher public profile; there are subversive ones, and those that represent the Establishment. It’s possible to occupy more than one of these so-called worlds simultaneously. Besides, a group of individuals might be deemed radical by some, and mainstream by others. It all depends on your vantage point. The most important people in my conception of any art world is the community of artists that sustains it. My role is to use my voice to champion artists. I’m lucky some of them have become friends and mentors along the way.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I have always loved clothing and fashion. My grandmother and her sisters were all accomplished clothing designers, part of a dynamic organisation of talented black women called NAFAD, the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers. Some of the group’s items are now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. I grew up as part of a generation who sought out black fashion models on magazine covers and in their pages, few though they were. At the time, it was stated plainly that black girls weren’t as marketable and that sales went down when they were featured prominently. My whole life, the women in my family rushed to the newsstands to support (in our small way) black representation in fashion. Franca Sozzani’s Black Issue of Vogue Italia was a genuine affirmation. I’m no model, but it’s super flattering to have been asked!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have so many favourites that the very term becomes pretty meaningless. I usually deflect this question altogether by saying it’s like, as a parent, naming a favourite child. My daughter is an only child, so that is an easier question for me! But using my voice to champion artists, it feels right to name some of those I respect most (with the caveat that the list is incomplete). Artists whose work matters greatly to me runs the gamut from Otto Dix to Ed Ruscha, Lubaina Himid to Ben Osawe, Anthea Hamilton to Betye Saar, Barkley Hendricks to Candice Breitz, Edward Krasinski to Mikhael Subotzky, Cauleen Smith to Jack Whitten, Frank Bowling to John Akomfrah, the Guerrilla Girls to Paul Peter Piech.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a child, I often made art and crafts projects with my grandmother. One of our most ambitious was a hot air balloon for my stuffed animals, made from a laundry basket, a crocheted blanket and clothes-hanger armature suspended from a hanging plant hook. In art-speak, it would be a ‘site-specific installation of found objects’. To me, it was just a delight to help make an idea become real.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I usually quote other, wiser, people on this. Guerrilla Girl ‘Frida Kahlo’ has said ‘unless all our voices are included in the history of art, it isn’t a history of art, it’s a history of power’. Women curators and scholars are doing such important work in redressing those silences in art history. I’m trying to do my part in this collective endeavour. But then, I’m ever mindful of artist Phyllida Barlow’s view of external validation: ‘Achieving public recognition and approval [is] a very small part of being successful… Success happens in all sorts of ways. There’s sensational success. There’s youth success. And there’s the lifetime success of an artist keeping going, against hell and high water’. The women in the arts who impress me most have certainly persevered through hell and high water, irrespective of the accolades.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Like so many things in my working life, the dress I am wearing starts with a visual artist. When I was in Johannesburg to curate the special projects for the 10th anniversary of the Johannesburg art fair, I met Bronwyn Katz. Katz is a talented young artist who is also a member of iQhiya, a formidable collective of women artists I follow via social media, as well as through their respective art practices. On top of being talented, Bronwyn is stylish. I asked her where she got her outfit on the day we met and, ever generous, she introduced me to her friend, designer Thebe Magugu. The Matron Dress is a signature design of his and I was very excited to buy it in red, where previously it had been a black and white design.

The world has changed significantly since the photo shoot 2,5 years ago. How have recent circumstances impacted you?

The simultaneous need to grieve and the desire to build can feel like working at cross-purposes right now. I know I’m struggling; between physical, emotional and intellectual labour, I’m leaning on lots of other people in my life to find moments of joy. And Black Life is so joyous. That cannot be forgotten.

In text, I have been turning to bell hooks’ Love as the Practice of Freedom: “Working within community, whether it be sharing a project with another person, or with a larger group, we are able to experience joy in struggle. That joy needs to be documented. For if we only focus on the pain, the difficulties which are surely real in any process of transformation, we only show a partial picture.”

Female Voices in Art: Alison Smith, Chief Curator, National Portrait Gallery, London

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 10:58:36 GMT

“During the time I have worked as a curator women seem to have dominated the profession. I would welcome curators from more diverse backgrounds and that would include men.”

Alison Smith (b. 1962, Brighton, Sussex, UK) holds a BA in the History of Art from Nottingham University and an MA and Ph.D from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, in the same field. She has been Chief Curator at the National Portrait Gallery since 2017. Before that she spent eighteen years at Tate Britain working as a curator of nineteenth-century British art. The exhibitions she curated and co-curated there included, Exposed: The Victorian Nude; Millais; Watercolour; Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde; Artist and Empire; Burne-Jones.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As Chief Curator I have overall responsibility for the running of the Curatorial and Collections teams at the NPG, including acquisitions, the care and display of the Collection and research.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was nice to meet the other participants and I liked the way Carla got everyone involved.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have worked on so many exhibition and display projects in my time that it is difficult to name a favourite artist. I have a soft spot for those artists who have been the focus of shows I have curated especially Millais and Burne-Jones.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory involving art was a reproduction of Vermeer’s The Milkmaid that hung on the kitchen wall in my parents’ home. The bread struck me as very hard and I was to curious to know what was going on outside.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

During the time I have worked as a curator women seem to have dominated the profession. I would welcome curators from more diverse backgrounds and that would include men.

What are you wearing and holding, and are there stories behind it?

In the photograph I am wearing a 1960s Italian suit found in a vintage sale at Chelsea Old Town Hall. I gather it belonged to someone who took great care of her clothes and was pleased to hear it was bought by someone who was going to make good use of it.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

At the moment I am working remotely and rather miss the human interaction.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Only in that less is perhaps more: we are surrounded by so much art, it’s refreshing just to focus on a few things at a time.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I am thinking about new initiatives but will only be able to test them when we are through with this extraordinary situation we find ourselves in.

Female Voices in Art: Diana Scarisbrick, Jewellery Historian, Author

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:54:58 GMT

"I don’t think women can complain today about a glass ceiling: they seem to have succeeded as museum directors and curators, as teachers and scholars, as publishers and dealers. None have emerged as a critic in the Brian Sewell mould, nor are there many women collectors following the example of Isabella d’Este and the Comtesse de Béhague."

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Do you have a favourite artist?

Giovanni Bellini

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Aged 9, I was impressed by the monument to T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia, died 1935) by Eric Kennington in the Anglo-Saxon church of St. Martin in Wareham, Dorset.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I don’t think women can complain today about a glass ceiling: they seem to have succeeded as museum directors and curators, as teachers and scholars, as publishers and dealers. None have emerged as a critic in the Brian Sewell mould, nor are there many women collectors following the example of Isabella d’Este and the Comtesse de Béhague. Barbara Johnson spent a fortune on works of art but seems to have bought them to make a profit. The exception today is an anonymous enthusiast for medieval works of art, which she combines with an interest in contemporary painting, and I have not encountered any other similarly dedicated women.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

Is it changing your views on Art?

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

No, I’m too old to change my method!

Female Voices in Art: Joyce Roodnat, Journalist, Author

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 21:51:25 GMT

“I know many incredible female artists. I write about them, many people are writing about them. And still they are routinely being overlooked. Which means that the world misses a lot, all because of sexist prejudice.”

Joyce Roodnat (b. 1955, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) studied at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. She has been a reporter and art critic for the Dutch daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad since 1979. She was head of the art department for ten years (1995-2005) and is now editor for cultural affairs, writing editorials, a weekly ‘critic’s notebook’, and essays. She has written short stories and two novels for which she was awarded several literary prizes. Her book on the films of photographer Ed van der Elsken Hee … zie je dat!? (2017) was awarded the Louis Hartlooper Prize for film critique. Joyce wrote two volumes of essays on women and the arts. Her lifestyle guide for women over 50 Een kwestie van lef (2007) was a bestseller.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I have written about the arts throughout my career. And I never stop feeling compelled to push everyone to go and see, hear, feel what I saw, heard, felt.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I admire the idea of this growing collection of photos combining fashion and women dedicated to the arts. And I felt blessed to experience first-hand the artist Carla van de Puttelaar at work.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have many. Novelist Hilary Mantel for her incredible sensitivity. Novelist Elena Ferrante for her audacious story telling. Filmmaker Federico Fellini for his self-evident exuberance. Choreographer Hans van Manen for his bold austerity. Performance artist and musician Melanie Bonajo for her freedom of thought and quest for beauty.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a ten-year-old I attended a concert in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw organised for school kids. I did not know orchestras existed, let alone Tchaikovsky or his ‘Capriccio Italien’. It changed my life. I never forgot the name of the conductor: Anton Kersjes.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I know many incredible female artists. I write about them, many people are writing about them. And still they are routinely being overlooked. Which means that the world misses a lot, all because of sexist prejudice.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

A creation by Rotterdam designer Isabell Schulz. I saw it in Carla’s studio and immediately wanted to put it on. It reminded me of Holbein’s lady portraits and it made me think of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. Wearing it I felt like Isabell Schulz was sculpting me.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The health crisis has a raging impact on my views and with that on my daily practice as an art critic and art writer. As an ardent art watcher I can’t help seeing that in the end all art seems to reflect on live, health, decay, death.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Art pieces I know and love now reveal a deeper layer of meaning that I never noticed before. So my thinking distinctively differs from the times of innocence, when no one knew the word Covid-19, let alone its meaning and its severe impact on ‘our little lives’, as Shakespeare so aptly has defined our time on earth.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I am a writer. I write.

Female Voices in Art: Gráinne Rice, Adult Programme Coordinator at National Galleries of Scotland

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 08:31:03 GMT

"we do need to do more work on genuinely diversifying artworld power structures – carefully considering race and class too - it makes for better exhibitions, better art and better more complex art histories."

Gráinne Rice (b. 1975, London, UK) is Adult Programme Coordinator at National Galleries of Scotland. She joined NGS in 2014 after two years of art school teaching in Glasgow and Edinburgh. She previously worked in the Exhibitions Departments of Dovecot Tapestry Studios, Edinburgh, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Glasgow School of Art. She has an M.A. (Hons) in History of Art from University of Glasgow and an M.A. in Exhibition Interpretation from Edinburgh Napier University. She has a PhD from Edinburgh College of Art/ University of Edinburgh. She sits as a Board Director of Upland CIC and The Steven Campbell Trust.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I currently work in the Learning and Engagement Department at NGS looking after the adult programme which includes exhibition talks, tours, music concerts, performance in the galleries and special events. It is basically the strand of ‘live’ interpretation for exhibitions and collections for both expert and general adult audiences, producing some digital content too. Before coming to NGS I gained a lot of experience of researching, organizing and curating exhibitions. I have just finished my PhD at Edinburgh College of Art/ University of Edinburgh which is a critical biography (and catalogue raisonné ) of Scottish artist Steven Campbell (1953-2007).

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was amazing and quite unexpected to be asked. I very much enjoyed watching Carla work and the experience of having my portrait made. It was very interesting to meet the other women being photographed on the same day, gave a sense of the scope of the project. The first book and collection of images provide a very interesting map and reflection of formal and informal artworld connections and structures. Also, with its emphasis on artistic self-fashioning, it provides beautiful documentation of how women artists and curators choose to present themselves in a highly visual professional context

Do you have a favourite artist?

No – but top five would probably include: Steven Campbell, Leonora Carrington, Niki de saint Phalle, John Akomfrah, Stanley Spencer.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Going to Tate with school as part of their outreach programme. I fell in love with the Pre-Raphaelites, Francis Bacon and Spencer.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Just the observation that despite the overwhelming numbers of women students at art school and in art history departments, and the over-representation of women at the operational end of curating and exhibition-making, men are still usually in charge of running galleries, museums, universities and art schools. The picture is changing but we do need to do more work on genuinely diversifying artworld power structures – carefully considering race and class too - it makes for better exhibitions, better art and better more complex art histories.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing one of my Bernat Klein gowns which are part of a larger collection. He was a fascinating man, a Serbo-Hungarian artist and designer who moved to Scotland in the post-war period. He created an amazing brand, owned several mills in the Borders producing innovatory tweeds and selling to couture houses in Paris, New York and London. He later went into printed textiles which were all based on his abstract paintings. He was a classic modernist at heart and commissioned architect Peter Womersley to design a stunning house and studio for him and his family in the Scottish Borders. I met him more than 15 years ago as part of a Scottish design research project I was working on and began collecting his garments then.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

It has changed everything. At the beginning of the lockdown my organisation closed to the public and I had to cancel almost a years’ worth of work which was sort of heart-breaking. The artworld is so interconnected and so much activity is linked, so many people have entirely lost their livelihoods and none of us know what the future holds. I am lucky my organisation has some central funding and a public remit; smaller organisations, artists and freelancers are in a very difficult situation. The lasting impact COVID on culture and cultural production will be huge.

The hiatus has forced us and our audiences to engage with the digital possibilities in way we would never have done whilst the usual in-gallery activities were available, and this could be positive. Nothing will ever replace the shared experience of being in a room and learning together but there is something very powerful about being able to reach and respond to more people, across wider geographies. Museum closures have given us all pause to think about how we want to work going forward, and it will be different. Like many though I am finding it hard to focus, it is hard to ‘be productive’ in a crisis.

Is it changing your views on Art?

In a way, no - I have long known the potential for art and culture to bring people together and to challenge orthodoxies. As an art historian I have a deep understanding that art and culture has always reflected what is going on around artists at the time of production, whether explicit or implicit in the work. There is an extent to which the COVID situation has made more obvious some of the decadence of the contemporary artworld and revealed elements of cultural production and consumption that are not sustainable.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Yes, having been quite resistant to working through the online platforms in the past I am now embracing the potential of digital communication tools. I have probably attended more talks and online activities in the last month than I had in the six months before lockdown which is good for informing my own practice. The first few zoom meetups with our regular gallery audiences were so moving, everyone so pleased to see one another and to be able to talk about something other than viruses and health. Really important! Access to broadband is now absolutely essential to daily life, it should be freely available to all, like water.

I have also had more time to start to develop future research projects which has been really positive. I think there will be a lot of great art historical research that comes from this period, the concern will be shrinking of available research funding and lack of access to archives and primary sources but it has bought me some more thinking time.

Female Voices in Art: Lidewij de Koekkoek, General Director of the Rembrandt House Museum

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 08:28:06 GMT

"In museums and cultural institutions there is a very healthy invasion of talented and strong women specialists and leaders, especially in The Netherlands. It does diffuse my outlook, I tend to forget that the outside world is not as women friendly. So, there is still a world to win, not only in art."

Lidewij de Koekkoek (b. 1963, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) studied art history at Leiden University in The Netherlands. After a start in contemporary art and architecture, she ventured into the field of heritage. In 2008 she was appointed director of the Alkmaar City Museum. Under her leadership, the Alkmaar museum was privatized, rebuilt and refurbished and now the museum profiles itself primarily with old and modern art. In the fall of 2016, Lidewij became General Director of the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I have an enormous drive to get people, young and old, of all backgrounds, excited and involved in art, architecture and heritage. I suppose this missionary role defines my role in the Art World. Though my career could be characterized as quite ‘criss-cross’, this drive is at the core of what I do and hope to contribute to society and the Art World.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Carla had an exhibition of a special series she made for the Rembrandt House Museum in 2016. When I was approached for the directorship of the museum, in the summer of 2016, her work really stood out. I loved discovering Carla’s distinct work. So when she asked me to be part of this project, I felt really honoured. The afternoon spent at Carla’s studio was great fun. I love the reclining portrait that captures Millais’ Ophelia. I see it as a memento mori portrait of a woman of a certain age and wisdom. Though for me, every day is more carpe diem !

Do you have a favourite artist?

Well, of course Rembrandt, but also many, many others. His contemporaries like Gerrit Berckheyde, Jan Van der Heyden, Jan Vermeer. But also earlier artists like Rogier van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Memling, Holbein. I love portraiture, landscapes, still lives. I started my career however, in contemporary art and architecture. I love the classics Anish Kapoor, Mark Rothko, Bruce Nauman. I’m an omnivore when it comes to art, don’t ask me to choose!

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Well, visiting museums, churches and castles with my parents when on holiday in Italy. But even earlier, at my grandfather’s home: a small house in Amsterdam filled with late 19th century Dutch art and furniture. And at a very early age, I loved to look through my father’s art books. I could hardly lift the heavy volumes on Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer, but my love of art must have started then.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I remember in the early eighties reading Germaine Greer’s ‘The Obstacle Race: The Fortunes of Women Painters and Their Work’ and feeling such anger and frustration. It’s good to see that there is finally a bit more interest in women artists. In museums and cultural institutions there is a very healthy invasion of talented and strong women specialists and leaders, especially in The Netherlands. It does diffuse my outlook, I tend to forget that the outside world is not as women friendly. So, there is still a world to win, not only in art.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The young Dutch fashion designer Edwin Oudshoorn is a true craftsman with a keen interest in the history of fashion and art. He has presented his collections in many museums. I worked with him in the exhibition on the 17th century Dutch classicist painter Caesar van Everdingen at the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar. I find his work mesmerising , and so befitting the historical ambiance of my work at the Rembrandt House Museum.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The Rembrandt House Museum reopened early June, and we are very happy to be welcoming visitors again. Especially because we were able to extend our current exhibition (Black in Rembrandts Time), an important project that is even more relevant and urgent at the moment and is attracting a lot of attention.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Our financial situation is of course quite worrisome. It’s all hands on deck to overcome shortages and prepare the museum for a future that will be fundamentally different for the coming years. Less foreign visitors, less income, new efforts needed to attract more domestic and Amsterdam visitors, an adapted programming that is more local and community oriented. Most expensive loan exhibitions have been put on hold for the time being.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I do find this to be very interesting times. The whole perspective is changing, and calls in part for a redefinition of not only our museum, but many cultural institutions. Museums in Amsterdam have been particularly hard hit, our (financial) success is in large part due to the many foreign visitors. With us, 75% of our visitors come from abroad. Many parameters will be different in the comings years, not only for our revenue model, but also for our role in society. A big challenge that requires an open and creative approach.

Female Voices in Art: Nynke van der Ven - van Wijngaarden, Art Historian and Researcher at Vanderven Oriental Art

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 09:56:15 GMT

“Presently, there here are very talented women leading major museums in the Netherlands; a testament to what women can achieve in the art world.”

Nynke van der Ven - van Wijngaarden (b.1968, Zaandam, The Netherlands) is an art historian and responsible for research and communication at Vanderven Oriental Art, international specialist dealers in Chinese art and ceramics. After school in England, she studied for an M.A. in Art History at Leiden University, writing a thesis on early interiors. Her first job was in London working for a specialist arts PR agency, going on to join the TEFAF Maastricht fair organisation in the press department. Following a period working as an event manager at a private bank, she joined Vanderven in 2005. Since 2012 she primarily focussed on the academic aspect of the business, researching and writing scholarly catalogues and regularly attending specialist diploma courses. She is on the board of the Dutch Antique Dealers Association (KVHOK) and is on a mission to reignite the love antique objects amongst the younger generations.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

Apart from being an academic art historian, I am involved in the commercial side of the art business. This puts me in a unique position to view all aspects of the art world, trying to build bridges between them. By uniting forces with museums and academics, we can form a stronger and unique eco-system for encouraging the love art and antiques.

2 What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I am very proud of being a woman in today’s art world, and have been following this unique project since its inception. I am truly honoured to be the company of so many incredible women. I love the diversity of the roles each plays in the various aspects of the art world: from patrons and dealers to curators and scholars a great sense of belonging to this community.

3 Do you have a favourite artist?

Since my studies I have always been a particular aficionado of the decorative arts and in particular the function they had in of everyday life and interiors. Even though some objects have a known maker, sadly there are so many more from the hands of anonymous craftsmen, who have made truly incredible objects in the course of history. Chinese porcelain and pottery is just one such example. So my favourite artists are these mysterious craftsmen who have given us so many joyous things to love.

4 What is your earliest memory involving art?

When I was young we lived in Peru, and I clearly remember seeing the beautiful Incan artefacts there. A fascinating testament to the country’s ancient history and its people. As long as I remember, I have always enjoyed beautiful things and studying them in the context of social history.

5 Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world ?

I think in the past, working with art was considered a ‘softer’ profession, which fortunately has now completely changed. Presently, there here are very talented women leading major museums in the Netherlands; a testament to what women can achieve in the art world. This photo project attests to the fact that there are so many interesting women working with and in art. This changed dynamic, will no doubt give new insights and perspectives in the years to come.

6 What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it ?

I have chosen Chinese silk, as this is rich and ancient culture keeps opening my eyes and is teaching me new things every day. Chinese art is so diverse in its use of materials, decorations and sheer mind blowing craftsmanship – it never bores. The multi –layered symbolism and hidden meanings also keep me interested – it’s like learning a new secret language. And I am holding a Pottery Figure of a Court Lady, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907).

7 What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice ?

The art market has been more or less dormant since March 2020 after COVID 19 hit Europe and TEFAF Maastricht closed its doors for us prematurely. We are now coming to terms with this new reality and the fact, that in the short term there will not be any large scale international art events or much international travel. Even though we are all now digitising our collections, I don’t believe ‘online viewing rooms’ will ever truly replace experiencing art in real life. So we are now searching for ways that allow live exchanges to take place, such as small exhibitions and pop-ups.

8 Is it changing your views on Art?

I think our views on art evolve over time anyway, changing for everyone individually with each experience and increased knowledge. This is why it’s so important for me to keep learning and gaining new insights! The current crisis is certainly one of the factors in changing perspectives.

I also believe that art, expression and creativity are actually fundamental to all humans. The history of art started with the cave drawings of ancient civilisations, and has developed from there to digital art, video installations and photography today. Creativity and artistry developed over thousands of years simultaneously in all parts of the world, sometimes inspiring or influencing each other. Art, no matter when or where it was made, has always been a magnificent way of expressing emotions, telling stories and showing skills.

9 Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working ?

We still believe, one of the underlying tasks of an art dealer, is to promote the all-round appreciation of art and antiques in the long term. Not only to attract new buyers, but also to generate enthusiasm and foster art appreciation amongst the next generation. To that end we are always thinking about new ways to communicate by telling the story of objects and sharing our enthusiasm and knowledge.

We had already invested in a new website and have become even more active on social media - which will certainly play a key role in all future developments. Our recent collaboration with an interior designer lead to the refurbishment of our gallery spaces into a contemporary interiors, with the idea of bringing our objects to life for a next generation and audience. We believe this is a vital part of keeping our business alive for the coming years. We will also be increasing the amount of small scale in-house events, welcoming people to our gallery.

In the meantime, we need to be on our toes and keep ourselves well informed on the developments, and hope that we will have art fairs again soon, perhaps a few less in the over crowded calendar!

Female Voices in Art: Adelaide Damoah, Artist

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 12:10:25 GMT

"I feel like we are living in exciting times for women and things are changing. More women are moving into positions of power and we are having this conversation frequently. Women are joining forces to create positive change everywhere."

Adelaide Damoah (b. 1976, London, UK) is an artist of Ghanaian descent working at the intersection of painting and performance within the context of diaspora, migration, belonging and memory. She graduated in Applied Biology from Kingston University, London, and she worked in the pharmaceutical industry before taking the decision to follow her passion for art in 2005. She was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2000 and battling constant recurring pain, art was a refuge and a healing tool for her. Her diagnosis caused her to re-evaluate her life. Adelaide is a founding member of the BBFA Collective (Black British Female Artists Collective) and has exhibited in the UK, Hungary, Venice, USA, Dakar, Lagos, and Morocco. She is represented by MTArt Agency in London.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an artist working between painting and performance. I use my body as a tool to paint and perform and I am interested in my personal family history and culture, colonialism, feminism and identity. I am a founding member of the BBFA Collective, a collective of female artists to address the lack of representation for black British female artists in the UK.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I really enjoyed the whole process of dressing up and being photographed by Carla! It felt like a kind of collaboration (with Carla expertly directing) and it was great to work with such an accomplished artist in this way. I felt comfortable and relaxed and able to be myself. This had a lot to do with being photographed by a woman. The absence of the male gaze made a significant difference to how I felt and moved in each moment. Being a part of such a significant project focused on women was a big plus for me.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t really have a favourite, but my first art love was Frida Kahlo. Every day I am inspired by living artists who are my friends and colleagues. My BBFA collective sisters are immensely talented and supportive. They include Enam Gbewonyo, Ayesha Feisal and Carleen De Sözer. My friend, the sculptor Arlene Wandera is a big talent as is my friend Phoebe Boswell. Another one of my favourites and a huge inspiration and friend is Rachel Ara. She is a genius.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

A GCSE art class trip to see an exhibition called Frida Kahlo, Day of the Dead. We met David Hasslehoff AKA Knight Rider as he stepped out of a limousine on that day! After getting over Hasslehoff, I was entranced by the exhibition and that is when I fell in love with the life and work of Kahlo. That is also when I fell in love with painting and the possibilities of self-expression it brings.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Talking specifically from a Western world perspective, we all know what the position has been historically and that the problem of representation, recognition and inequality still persists. However, I feel like we are living in exciting times for women and things are changing. More women are moving into positions of power and we are having this conversation frequently. Women are joining forces to create positive change everywhere. I feel positive about the future for women in art.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a regal peach and gold embellished dress that I bought at an old souk in Dubai in 2016. I stopped there for a few days en route to Ghana with my sister Abigail. It was our first holiday together since we were children and it was just before my birthday. My sister bought a blue version of the dress and we wore them when we got the plane from Dubai to Ghana. If not for the fact that we were in economy, people would have thought we were royalty! It brings back beautiful memories of that holiday and the time spent with my sister.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

It has had a major impact in that I developed symptoms quite early on, in combination with a quite severe endometriosis flare up. The symptoms have thankfully cleared up now and included a persistent cough, difficulty breathing and crushing chest pain. To add to that, I had chronic, intense fatigue so just getting out of bed was incredibly difficult and I was honestly afraid that it could get very serious. While this was going on, I rested as much as possible and engaged a lot more in the research side of my practice. My current project is called, “Confronting Colonisation”, therefore, a large part of the project is historical research. This means I have done an awful lot of reading, which I love. I am now looking at materials and the research is starting to manifest into exciting ideas and ways of working which build upon my already existing techniques. Focusing on this project really kept me feeling hopeful and optimistic about the future.

Is it changing your views on Art?

If anything, this crisis has highlighted to me just how crucial art and artists are to making sense of the world we live in.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I’ve always had a collaborative approach to working but the crisis has brought me much closer to the people I work with and has contributed to the development of new relationships with other artists I might not have considered working with before. This feels rather odd considering the fact that we have been unable to be in each other’s presence. I have started two reading circles too. We get together once a week on Zoom to read works that are important to our respective practices as artists, writers, curators and art advisors. We discuss what we learn and we each apply that learning to our work in unique ways. I had never used Zoom before this crisis. I have a feeling I’ll be doing a lot more Zoom meetings in future- which will save time and money compared to the numerous physical meetings I used to do all over London.

Female Voices in Art: Stephanie Manasseh, Entrepreneur in the Arts and Cultural Consultant

Fri, 22 May 2020 09:02:40 GMT

"I think this project goes beyond the photo to tell the viewer to look at the woman standing in front of you and find out who she is because chances are there is a fascinating story to tell.""I think this project goes beyond the photo to tell the viewer to look at the woman standing in front of you and find out who she is because chances are there is a fascinating story to tell."

Stephanie Manasseh (b. 1974 Montreal, Canada) graduated from McGill University in Montreal and went on to study at Sotheby's Institute and Goldsmiths. She is a quadrilingual entrepreneur in the arts and a consultant in the arts. Stephanie founded the Accessible Art Fair (ACAF), which offers unaffiliated artists an opportunity to network and exhibit their work in prestigious environments and works with a jury comprising of leaders in the art world to help select the highest calibre of artists. In the corporate sector, she was responsible for developing and implementing the Art & Design Sessions for BMW in Belgium and has featured several prominent artists. Her expertise in the art world has brought her ongoing professional partnerships with international brands such as American Express and The New York Times. Launching SM Art Advisory over 10 years ago, Stephanie offers her expertise to clients looking for art to suit their commercial or private properties. www.smartadvisory.art

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

When I initially started working in the art world, I felt like an outsider. It was unheard of 20 years ago that artists would self-represent at an art fair. A few years in, I was considered a 'disruptor' which suited me just fine. Currently, with the art fair a mature business I see myself as a facilitator - bringing artists and art lovers together.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I absolutely loved my time with Carla. We had a good chat over tea, covering so many topics. Carla has a great eye and easily shifted my look into one of glamour worthy of the project. I felt like I was transported in time, almost sitting for a portrait by Rembrandt.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are so many to name but in the last year I have been working with American sculptor Jonathan Prince to bring his work to Christie's Sculpture Garden and through him, I became more and more aware of how beautiful sculpture can be. Richard Serra is always one that blows my mind in size and volume and beauty in its simplicity and complexity. I can spend hours at Dia Beacon.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My mother is an artist and I remember as a child sitting on the carpeted floor in our basement watching tv with one eye and watching my mother at her easel with the other. She was and is a passionate painter, passionate about colour and texture and passionate about women and children's rights and passionate about our planet.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Through a project like this one can't help but be reminded that there are so many incredible women out there doing incredible things. I think this project goes beyond the photo to tell the viewer to look at the woman standing in front of you and find out who she is because chances are there is a fascinating story to tell. I think given the opportunity most women would support other women and this also pertains to the art world. I would like to see that more in the support of women artists and the support of women on boards.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I chose to wear a black dress as a simple canvas and accessorise around it. The necklace I picked out last year when I was travelling. Carla worked her magic by wrapping me in some lace which just added so much depth to the photo.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

As soon as the pandemic hit I understood that we will have a lot of time on our hands so I started two initiatives: Talking Art and At Home with Art. Talking Art was an opportunity for anyone to reach out and talk to me about anything related to art. I posted this on Linked in and Instagram and had a wonderful response. I met people from all corners of the globe and made some wonderful connects. At Home with Art is a Facebook group I started to connect people through their art at home. We have almost 600 members and it’s a nice way for people to connect over art. Life has changed, we travel less, but our yearning to connect with others is there. I have made some wonderful connections which I am sure will stick for a very long time, and for that I am grateful.

Is it changing your views on Art?

Not being around art in the way that I am used to – though galleries, studio visits and museums, has made me realise just how much I love it and miss it. I love all the various ways people have been connecting through art which we would never have a chance to see- for example Studio Drift, Joep Beving performance in Rotterdam was just breathtaking and I watched that on my phone.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

I have been working on several wonderful projects during lockdown, some in Europe and others in the US. You realise that there is so much openness around, what we were lacking was just the time to sit down to make them happen and I feel like once we back we might see a Renaissance arise and it is very exciting.

Female Voices in Art: Miriam Escofet, Artist

Thu, 21 May 2020 11:49:57 GMT

“There are so many great and bold female artists in many disciplines and it is changing the narrative and subject matter of art.”

Miriam Escofet (b. 1967, Barcelona, Spain) is an award winning artist. Originally graduating in 3D Design from Brighton School of Art, she turned to painting soon after and has exhibited widely and internationally, including many solo exhibitions. Her work has evolved over the years through many genres including still life, architecture, allegory and imaginary composition, eventually arriving at portraiture. She is known for her exacting technique and attention to detail. She lives in London and has regularly been selected for the BP Portrait Award exhibition and for The Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibitions. She was awarded the Burke’s Peerage Foundation Prize for Classically Inspired Portraiture in 2015 and the First Prize at the BP Portrait Award 2018, widely considered to be the most globally prestigious portrait competition.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I see my role as that of an artist and maker who wants to create works that are intimate, honest and beautiful, that will hopefully move and inspire an audience. When I stand in front of an artwork that speaks to me, I feel connected to everything that is magical, mysterious and human in the Universe. This could be described as being akin to a spiritual experience or a moment of enlightenment. Art can shine a light on aspects of our inner lives and psyche that find little expression in our day to day lives and by this process of inner illumination makes us feel connected in some timeless way to the whole of humanity. This is why art moves us emotionally. I think this is an incredibly important function, especially in a world that often encourages competition, fragmentation and isolation. I want to be part of this mysterious process of communication and expression, that is why I am an artist.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I very much like the idea of celebrating female artists and I find Carla’s photographs beautiful and mysterious. Her work is clearly very classically inspired with a baroque sense of drama and light, these are qualities that I also feel are very much part of my work. I thought it would be really exciting to collaborate with someone whose vision and sense of aesthetic feel so akin to mine.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I always tend to look to the old masters for inspiration: for their purity of vision, for ideas on composition, for beauty and as examples of superlative painting technique.

My favourite artists, for all these reasons, are Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Holbein, Anthony Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Of course there are many others too, including sculptors, makers, photographers, designers and architects. I think different disciplines feed into each other.

There are also many contemporary artists who I admire too, but looking back at the Masters is like re-familiarizing myself again with the root DNA of art.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I was lucky to grow up in an artistic household, my mother went to art school and my father is an artist. My earliest memories are of watching him draw, which seemed like a magic to my child’s eye. I would also spend hours looking through his many art books and our home was decorated with many artefacts, including old church statues, Saints and Madonnas they had collected over the years. These sacred objects and the energy they emanated were my first experience of the power and magic of art and the magnetism of objects. And of course the streets and architecture of Barcelona, where I grew up, left a huge impact on me too.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think women are really finding their moment in art now and it is wonderful to see. There are so many great and bold female artists in many disciplines and it is changing the narrative and subject matter of art. I don’t normally pay much heed to gender when I am looking at art, but if I think about it many of the images that have excited me lately are produced by female artists.

I think women are particularly well suited to artistic expression, as we tend to integrate intuition and emotional responses far more readily into our intellectual thought processes, which I think is very much how the creative flow works, where decisions feel almost organic.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I often wear black and deep colours, I feel comfortable in dark colours and I am not a flamboyant dresser, but I do like the quiet drama of detail. I am holding some objects which are part of my extensive collection of props. I have been collecting many miscellaneous things to include in my paintings over many years, from nice artefacts to plastic toys, and some of these items have become particularly significant for me. I often construct maquettes and dioramas for my paintings and I also cast and modify some of the objects I have. The Chalice is an example of an object I have used several times in my paintings, it is a Georgian bronze urn, which I find very beautiful. The Goat’s skull is part of a collection of animal skulls for some Vanitas themed works.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

I am very lucky, considering our current state of lock down, to have my studio at home, so access to my creative space has not been interrupted. I feel very blessed, as I know this is not the case for all artists, many of who share spaces.

I have also been lucky in that this crisis has coincided with a very busy period of work for me, where I have a few commissions on the go. So I have in fact been working incredibly hard during lock down.

But everything has been overcast with a cloud of uncertainty of course, which feels very unsettling. Inevitably many events have been cancelled, most sadly exhibitions which were due to open during this period, where I was showing some of my works. For example, my work ‘An Angel at my Table’ which won the BP Portrait Award 2018 was due to join an international touring exhibition, which has now been cancelled.

My biggest regret is that a very big and important commission which I have been working on since last summer, will miss out on a planned unveiling at The National Portrait Gallery, due to their planned closure for refurbishment of the Gallery at the end of June and museums not being able to open until July here in the UK

I also of course miss my regular trips to museums and galleries, which really inspire me and refresh me.

Is it changing your views on Art?

I think in our current state of strange detachment from our habitual world, art feels more important and relevant than ever. Isolation is leading to a lot of introspection in people, which I think is a good thing and is something we artists do every day of course.

Art speaks to our psyche, as well as our intellect, and people are more receptive to it than ever I find. It is not often we as a society are given the time to just ‘be’ and contemplate the meaning of life!

That’s one positive outcome for art from this crisis, but there is of course a huge worry about the future of museums and galleries, which are so intricately linked to artist’s survival and support structures, as well as being a resource for ideas and inspiration.

I also worry about the idea of most people experiencing art in digital form only, which can never be the same as seeing art in real life. If your only experience of a Rembrandt were through digital images, you would have no conception of the luminosity of his work or the sumptuousness of his paint layers. The digital platform is brilliant and a great tool, but it can never replace the real thing, nor should it.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

As I have been so busy working on existing projects, I have not had the mental space or need to explore new ways of working, it’s been a case of pushing on with the work on the easel every day.

I have plenty of ideas for new works, images keep coming into my mind, mainly drawing based. But this is not as a response to the current crisis, but rather a continuation of my work flow.

I suspect that despite what I have said above, the digital arena for presenting art will expand exponentially. And in fact I am currently having to think through how best to present the digital unveiling of my current commission. So yes, in terms of bringing the work out into the world, I am having to find new ways!

”I think women are particularly well suited to artistic expression, as we tend to integrate intuition and emotional responses far more readily into our intellectual thought processes.”

Female Voices in Art: Gaby Sismann, Art Historian, Art Dealer and Creator

Mon, 18 May 2020 08:22:01 GMT

"I have overcome several past crises and no matter how rough its gets, there's always light somewhere which draws me on."

Gaby Sismann (b. 1972, San Juan, US) was brought up in Canada and lived in Argentina as a teenager. She came to France in 1991 to study at the Sorbonne University. In Paris she became an art historian specializing in Renaissance and Italian Sculpture, after long studies in Egyptology, resulting in a Ph.D in Renaissance Sculpture. In 1994, she and her husband created their gallery in Paris. Galerie Sismann organizes exhibitions, regularly participates in international exhibitions and has contributed to the expansion of important private collections and of prestigious institutions across the world. For 2020, she works on a project to incorporate ancient amulets and other historic keepsakes into jewellery settings. The specific choice of her work around these relief images echoes her specialization as an art historian (Sculpture) but also her activity as an art dealer.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My international standing gallery has gained widespread renown as one of the few exhibition spaces devoted to a whole spectrum of European dating from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Classical and the Baroque periods and the 18th century. Most of my works are totally unknown to the art market and constitute real artistic discoveries accompanied by research often leading to attributions.I write and I publish each year in the Autumn a catalogue presenting the discoveries and major attributions of Galerie Sismann, a highly anticipated meeting of specialists and enlightened amateurs of European sculpture.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The opportunity to share my story ( which has not been a fast track journey given my Life History and family Life as a mother of three children ) and to learn from others.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It's so difficult to pick just one! Mantegna, Rembrandt, Bernini, Beethoven, Maria Callas, Fellini to start with...

What is your earliest memory involving art?

The discovery of the hidden mausoleum of the first Qin Emperor when I was a child definitely determined my aspiration to dig into the past! More poetic and visionary, by the age of 11, drawing up inventories at my dearest grand aunt and uncle's old house. Classifying furniture, paintings, objects. Alicia Amado de Naon was an opera singer, her husband, Jorge Naon, an architect. They were a beautiful and brilliant couple of artists and human beings. I simply adored and admired them. One of the most influential meetings of my Life.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

In the art market world where I come from, woman have progressively overtaken dominant and influential positions. I am thinking of contemporary galleries and journals (Almina Rech, Inna Bazhenova ) Nonetheless, I feel women still struggle to make a difference. If you look closely, you will notice they are very few in leading Fair committees and boards ( Tefaf, Brafa, to begin with ).

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I picked out minimalist and simple outfits from my personal cloakroom believing it would be more natural and realistic to be portrayed as I resemble in real Life ( besides my personal clothing style, black and white are the two colours I mostly wear along with gold and red).

And as a matter of fact, I actually do wear the pieces in real Life I have been photographed with such as the Roman Baroque gilt cross contemporary to Bernini, the Renaissance silver plaque depicting Minerva from a German cabinet of curiosities or even the immense Baroque Portuguese Brooch converted into a ring.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

The Covid-19 health crisis has had an immense impact on my daily practice but unpredictability is the DNA of my profession. In order to be a dealer you need to commit to a complicated and sometimes dangerous Life style. You can be very surprised by the risks we take to ply our trade. That’s the irony; there isn’t a typical day or "daily practice " being an Art dealer. Every day is punctuated by economical, cultural and societal expectations which are exciting but can also generate stress and anxiety. That said, we are facing the worst crisis of the century because suddenly we are prevented from working over a long time span leaving many of us bankrupt. As for me, I have overcome several past crises and no matter how rough its gets, there's always light somewhere which draws me on. At the moment, profoundly reflecting on the different means to raise public awareness about the irreplaceable necessity of the Art Market and its survival.

Is it changing your views on Art?

We have all heard Dostoevsky quote " Beauty will save the world". It is my belief. And I am pretty sure people will turn to Art for relief more than ever.

As to my craft, I’m open minded; my work offers a combination of very different periods, from religious to pagan, different countries, and with different aesthetics. The audience of my gallery has always witnessed various worlds and I am remaining loyal to the intellectual and artistic program I’ve been elaborating for over 25 years.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

There’s no surprise to reconstruction. The key is hard work. You have to be willing to serve your clients no matter what; to choose their interest in the long run rather than reap the benefits of your own success early on. You have to encourage your team the same way, by cultivating trust amongst collaborators; your clients, the institutions, the press and again, your clients. Because everyone plays a key part in the collective success of a gallery.

I am a self-made woman and a hard worker mostly passionate about culture. A part from the digital showcase, I should be taking the gallery to a new level of visibility experimenting crossed artistic experiences. At the frontier of another artistic activity, I have personally started creating jewelry from antique pieces. Actually "Portable Art Works" , antique goldsmith treasures converted into modern adornments. History and Art are everywhere . Why not wear them ?

Female Voices in Art: Marine Tanguy, Founder MTArt Agency

Mon, 11 May 2020 08:23:53 GMT

"We need to diversify who handles money in this industry as nothing can change if we don’t inject some diversity into our funding schemes."

Marine Tanguy (b. 1989, La Rochelle, France) has been an advocate for artists from a young age. She managed her first gallery at age 21 and opened her first art gallery in Los Angeles at age 23. After seeing the restrictiveness of the traditional gallery model, Marine launched MTArt Agency in 2015. MTArt is the first talent agency for visual artists worldwide. B Corp certified, MTArt supports artists commercially through brand partnerships and commissions for public spaces, as well as collectors. Marine was awarded Forbes 2018 30 under 30 Europe: Art & Culture and UK entrepreneur of the year for the 2019 NatWest Everywoman Awards. She is a writer and keynote speaker on contemporary art and art investment. Her talks include two TEDx Talks on how to transform cities with art and how social media visuals affects our minds.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am the founder of the first visual artist agency in the world, MTArt Agency. Every month, the agency reviews 200 portfolios of artists. Our selection committee selects artists with innovative techniques, inspiring content and strong visions. For the artists who sign with the agency, MTArt covers their studio costs, sells their works, implement cultural & commercial partnerships and offers press exposure.

I have two strong passions: finding new ways to support visual artists and making sure that their art get to inspire everyone. I published an academic paper on the need to integrate their artworks in cities and constantly look to challenge and further existing answers.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was a real honour to be chosen amongst so many amazing women. Carla is a dear friend and someone I really respect. Most of my photography is either as part of the MTArt Agency branding, press articles within the story of MTArt or while speaking at conferences. I have been a dancer for ten years and I am actually very creative, it was lovely to step out of the business woman and power poses context.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I could never answer this! It’s my job. Of course, all my artists. Aside from the contemporary art world, I fell in love with the arts thanks to all things nineteenth century - be art, literature, ballet etc.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I remember painting and drawing. Around the age of 7, very blurry and very tied to my mother.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think that my generation has better access to opportunities. Equally, when I was raising the first round of funding for MTArt Agency, I couldn’t find a single woman investor as so few exist at this stage so all my investors are currently male. We need to diversify who handles money in this industry as nothing can change if we don’t inject some diversity into our funding schemes.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing the brands Zazi Vintage for the dress and Elizabeth Gage for the jewellery. Elizabeth Gage is the inspiring brand of a lady who has been empowering other women for her whole life with her jewellery, I have a feeling that Jeanne could do the same with Zazi Vintage.

What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?

We are incredibly fortunate that while we are all affected, our business was still able to strive thanks to online art sales, digital partnerships with brands, cultural partnerships and multiple public art initiatives. I haven’t had to furlough anyone or stop covering the studio costs of our artists monthly. Our highlights was seeing our artists on the iconic screens of Picadilly Circus thanks to the support of Ocean Screens inspiring the ones who had to keep working, partnering with Museum Week for our artists to start a series of dialogues with the most prestigious cultural institutions, seeing our art collectors so happy to receive new works to inspire them in their daily routine and receiving so many nice comments on our digital content. I feel more united than ever with our partners, clients and artists at MTArt Agency and I so proud of MTArt Agency.

Is it changing your views on Art?

It’s verifying that art isn’t just about the art world, it’s about inspiring people daily in the visual world. And MTArt Agency believes that our artists are the most inspiring visual thinkers. It goes back to my first two TED talks on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUC-1wItDWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnOv57ywMFs

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

The biggest joy is to work very hard while watching my son growing up. I hope I can, in the near future, implement an office with an integrated nursery for its employees. It feels right on all levels : ).