Counterbodies pop-up exhibition at Art Rotterdam 2021

 

Uncomfortable subjects, naked truths and unconventional perspectives: that's what Counterbodies is all about. The unique pop-up exhibition presents the work of twelve (international) female artists and can be admired in De Achtertuin in Kralingen during Art Rotterdam 2021. The body is a theme that continues to fascinate, and which has inspired each of the artists in their work. Counterbodies seeks out boundaries and breaks taboos. Curators Marth van Loeben and Vladimir Radujkov deliver both a fresh look and a high quality standard by offering established and young artists a stage. 

  

The body: an often visited and researched theme in art. It also appears to be the common denominator of Counterbodies: all art is a strong artistic interpretation of the human body - both thematically and visually. The work of twelve contemporary female artists confronts uncomfortable truths and explores unspoken subjects that have often been left untouched in the past. With this premise Counterbodies draws attention to this still controversial subject.

 

Counterbodies presents the work of twelve female artists from the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and the Crimea: Alice Lucchinelli (IT), Daleen Bloemers (NL), Guda Koster (NL), Jessica Strixner (DE), Karin Arink (NL), Kim Van Erven (NL), Kira Fröse (DE), Lizan Freijsen (NL), Margiet van Breevort (NL), Natalia Grezina (CR), Rachel de Joode (NL) and Silvia B (NL). The selected works - ranging from sculpture, photography and embroidery to various media forms - highlight different perspectives on the theme of the body.

 

Counterbodies is the brainchild of curators Marth van Loeben (connected to Chrysalid Gallery) and Vladimir Radujkov (connected to the NEON foundation). From the beginning, the cooperation was organic and unforced, both from a conceptual and aesthetic point of view. Almost immediately Marth and Vladimir recognised a common curatorial vision. This vision focuses on curating artists for whom the human body is a subject for research and experimentation. Although the intention was not there from the beginning, the choice for exclusively female artists has become an important foundation of Counterbodies.

 

Chrysalid Gallery in Rotterdam is a non-profit art foundation that aims to diversify art in the broad sense of the word - how art is created, produced, distributed and consumed. The gallery was founded by Alexey Shifman in 2016 (then called Raw Streetphoto Gallery). In the early 2020s, the gallery was transformed into Chrysalid Gallery to provide a sharper focus on conceptual and radical art. The gallery represents young and daring artists from all over Europe and gives them the space to experiment and grow. In this way the gallery strives - together with its artists - to reshape and broaden contemporary art.

 

NEON Foundation is a non-profit art and culture foundation founded in 2013 and based in Rotterdam. At the helm is artist and curator Vladimir Radujkov, who is known for co-curating projects in unconventional spaces, Living Pool, Living Pool 2.0, The Garden Project and Tropicana Fest. The goal of the NEON foundation is to generate a dialogue between artists and their audience in a visually engaging environment.