Nøtel
(The Hague)

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“The Nøtel in The Hague is the wet dream of all reclusive rich guys.”

— Tim Fraanje, Creators VICE

Nøtel (The Hague) was the first solo exhibition by Lawrence Lek in the Netherlands. Starred in the end-of-year hotlist of Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad.

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 Nøtel (The Hague)

“The story of what is going on in DRC is both harrowing and complex and this was presented very well in your project. An inspiring evening with many heartbreaking images and stories!”

— Robert-Jan Siegert, Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Congo Tribunal

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Together with world-renowned theatre director Milo Rau we examined the causes and backgrounds of the ongoing civil war in Congo. Stroom presented The Congo Tribunal in the form of a spectacular transmedia art project, while Movies that Matter Festival screened the documentary.

 The Congo Tribunal

Das Leben am Haverkamp

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“What makes Das Leben am Haverkamp stand out is the collective’s nonstop questioning of what “fashion” is, as well as their nonstop questioning of their own creative journey towards answers. Unafraid to ignore industry standards, these four individuals have established a fashion-meets-art lab that’s clearly informed by the knowledge and crafts of the past—but shake up that heritage to give us a glimpse of the future.”

— Leendert Sonnevelt, editor-in-chief Glamcult

The Dutch design collective Das Leben am Haverkamp is known for their groundbreaking work always questioning the way we dress. Their success is a prime example of the positive effects of Stroom’s stimulating policy for local artists.

 Das Leben am Haverkamp

My Practice,
My Politics

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“My Practice, My Politics portrays the way in which artists and designers capture their views on society through the subject matter they explore, the language and tools they employ, the aesthetics they manifest, and the communities they engage.”

— Saskia van Stein & Agata Jaworska, curators My Practice, My Politics

More than 20 young artists presented their work during the famous Salone del Mobile in Milano. In collaboration with the Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK) we brought a selection ‘home’ and presented their work in the exhibition My Practice, My Politics.

 My Practice, My Politics

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Are clubs the new galleries? With the official afterparty following the opening of Nøtel, we transformed art initiative The Grey Space in the Middle into an exclusive nightclub with a fiery lineup.

• Stroom afterparty

Library of Radiant Optimism

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“The library is of an exceptionally high quality; it is a treasure trove of books you will not find elsewhere in The Hague, or elsewhere in the Netherlands for that matter. The thousands of books are not hidden in the basement of the building—as is often the case in the art world—but are displayed in full view. The library functions as the annex of the exhibition wing and is closely connected to the lobby. There is an open invitation to walk in. The books and magazines present themselves as objects of attention and discussion, of reflection and presentation, of connection and contrast. The library shows that Stroom’s ambitions go beyond that of being an exhibition space; it is an organization that sees books and magazines as an indispensable humus layer made from paper that forms the foundation for all artistic and cultural developments.”

— Domeniek Ruyters, editor-in-chief Metropolis M

The library of today is more than just a repository of books. This is especially true for the library of Stroom. It is a centre for knowledge, offering our visitors, as well as the Stroom team, a wondrous collection of books. Not only about the city, architecture and art, but also about the individual, new technology and theory, and the way all these subjects are interrelated.

 Library of Radiant Optimism

“Stroom offered us a very inspiring and free space to develop our project. We organized a number of well-attended public sessions, engaging in fundamental discussions about the relationship between man and nature. Stroom was a good partner in this respect, both on a practical level and in terms of content. The Embassy of the North Sea will keep growing until the year 2030. Because we believe that nobody owns the sea.”

— Thijs Middeldorp, initiator of the Parliament of Things

De Dingen

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Rivers that are granted ‘human rights’, the legal battle over the authorship rights of a monkey, a robot judge presiding over legal cases. Our program De Dingen (The Things) was the kick-off of a longterm research project addressing the changing status of ‘things' and the implications it has on human life.

 De Dingen

Art
at schools

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“The dazzle painting on the sidewalk in front of the Esloo College proves that nothing is what it seems. The rather standard school façade does not reflect the lively atmosphere and bubbling energy inside the building. Many of the pupils, parents and neighborhood residents immediately embraced the artwork as their own. The colorful painting creates a separate space that seemingly lifts the school building up on a pedestal.”

— Sandra Jellema, director Esloo College

The presence of arts and cultural activities at school may contribute to increased creativity and innovation among (young) students. The work of Harold de Bree is a wonderful example. Working closely together with school boards and advisory committees, Stroom is active in the realization of art at schools.

 Art at schools

“The moment this sculpture

Suddenly appears in a flash

And resonates, very briefly, in the city night

Before it is frozen, on your chip or in a cloud

It is this fleeting moment

Navid Nuur worked on for five years.”

— André Kruysen, visual artist and curator Sculpture Gallery

RE/FLECT/OR

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The Sculpture Gallery in The Hague’s city centre keeps expanding. RE/FLECT/OR, the new work by The Hague artist Navid Nuur, engages in a conversation with the urban environment. In the daytime, the work looks like a monumental sculpture, at night it comes to life through artificial light.

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 RE/FLECT/OR

Studios

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“Collaborating in creating affordable work spaces for artists and makers. By sharing ideas, knowledge and contacts we create new, inspiring (temporary) cultural breeding grounds in the city. In 2018 this resulted in the creation of three new locations: ANNASTATE, Trixie and De Helena. And there is more to come!”

— Ria de Waal, municipal broker for cultural and artistic spaces

Stroom aims to provide great and affordable studio spaces for all visual artists in The Hague.

 Ateliers

Our SPOT grants are intended to increase the (inter)national presence of The Hague's artists and art scene. A survey of the artists who presented their work abroad:
Artist

 On the Spot

“The presentation of Nishiko’s Repairing Earthquake Project in its entirety a milestone in the career of this singular and highly promising artist. The centerpiece of the exhibition was a large stage, on which the visitors were invited to climb, in order to pick up and handle the objects. A kind of modern-day Pompei and a vision of the future that awaits us in times of climate change.”

— Roel van Arkesteijn, curator

Repairing Earthquake Project

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For her Repairing Earthquake Project Nishiko visited the Tohoku district in Japan, to search for and repair the objects left behind after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

 Repairing Earthquake Project

Curatorial Program

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“I am a big fan of Stroom’s curatorial program. For us as artists, it is valuable to gain such an opportunity to discuss your work and gain new perspectives. After the visit we had lunch in Billytown. Of course this is not always an option, but going out for dinner or lunch with a number of artists is great fun, especially after having such an intense conversation!”

— Rachel Bacon, visual artist

On a monthly basis we invite a number of (inter)national curators, artists and art critics to visit artists in their studios in The Hague.

 Curatorial Program

Reading
the City

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“With Reading the City we set out to read the city with our hands and feet, our eyes and ears, our spirit and our bodies. We find optimism in the dunes, we feel the acoustics of the urban spaces and we find the poetry in everyday urbanism.”

— Francien van Westrenen, curator

Students of the Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK) are given an introduction to the city by teaching them to ‘read’ the city in a variety of ways. Together with our guides they go in search of the unknown.

 Reading the City

Stroom Shop

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“The Stroom shop is my literary guide in the field of art and society.”

— Coralie van Egeren, visitor

Our bookshop in the Stroom lobby has a remarkable range of publications. In addition to the usual suspects in the field of art, architecture and design there is a broad selection of work by artists from The Hague.

 Stroom Shop

“A commission to make a monument for the Queen, that is quite a daunting task. I want it to be so perfect, that I sometimes feel paralyzed. I want to explore all possible options. I sculpt a hand in ten different ways, and then decide the first attempt was the best one after all.”

— Ingrid Mol, artist

Monuments

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Monuments for Thorbecke, HRH Juliana or Aletta Jacobs, or other works of art in public space; Stroom supports and mediates.

 Monuments

Yoga

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“When was the last time you tried something for the very first time?”

— Benjamin Gomes, founder Hidden Gym

Imagine: a row of yoga mats in Stroom’s exhibition space. It’s possible; last year we organized a futuristic yoga session, before opening hours.

 Yoga

“Facing Value is one of my favorite books… It looks at ‘value’ from a non-economic point of view; how fresh and reversed perspectives can generate engaged ways of thinking, ways of living (together), of open exchange. In a playful way, one is drawn into a world where artists, designers and architects use these methods to put the world as we know it upside down in a most fantastic way. By allowing doubt, being unproductive, sharing and supporting, inviting and participating, embracing the void, playing, improvising and uniting, we create a new concept of value that is of great importance: These are alternative methods we desperately need to face each other and the world we live in.”

— Astrid Vorstermans, publisher Valiz

Facing Value

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Nine alternative rules for value creation as a constituting factor in an open and caring society. Artists, architects, designers, economists, sociologists, philosophers and historians present alternative visions of value.

 Facing Value

Stroom 2019