de/cipher at gkg Bonn (D) 22/1 - 16/4 + Amsterdam Edition 21/4 - 21/5, 2023

I am very delighted to be taking part in de/cipher in gkg Bonn! The exhibition is curated by curator Susannah Cremer-Bermbach. We have been in intensive contact over the past few months for my contribution, a site-specific wall work about creating and other verbs in and around the (artistic) process. *
'Cipher' in German means 'digit', 'cipher', 'zero' and 'monogram' and above all a secret writing, the translation of (everyday) language into an encrypted message, a code. The exhibition title 'De/cipher' thus refers to a semiotic interplay between encoding and decoding, and in a more general sense around translation - of lines, shapes, colors, patterns, signs and symbols.

One of the first try outs in Dutch for wall work

* Unfortunately, the execution of the mural in Bonn cannot take place due to lack of funding. I will show five works from the INBETWEEN series which is a splendid match within this context.

gkg Bonn (Gesellschaft für Kunst und Gestaltung)
January 22 - April 16, 2023
Hochstadenring 22, 53119 Bonn (DE)


Additionally, we are currently working on an "Amsterdam Edition" of de/cipher. From April 21 - May 21, 2023, de/cipher will be on view in the historic and central location of Arti et Amicitiae, with a lively peripheral program of performances, séances and lectures.

Arti et Amicitiae
Rokin 112,
1012 LB Amsterdam (NL)

WHITE SPACES at Galerie Van den Berge - on view till 18/12/2022

We had a very enjoyable Meet & Greet on Saturday, November 26th. Here are a few snapshots taken while talking about the work. Thanks for joining us!
The exhibition is still on view, the last day is Sunday afternoon, December 18.

‘WHITE SPACES’ / Ab van Hanegem / Gracia Khouw
6/11 - 18/12/2022

Galerie van den Berge
Gallery Viewer
Albert Joachimikade 5, 4461 BG Goes
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 13.00 - 17.00 hrs, and by appointment

Text about the ERTUSSENDOOR + INBETWEEN series (NL + EN)

Thank you Petra Laaper for the snapshots!

'WHITE SPACES' at Galerie van den Berge, November 6 - December 18

Preparations for a two-person exhibition at Galerie van den Berge in Goes are in full swing. I will show the series ERTUSSENDOOR and INBETWEEN series, together with several four-letter prints from HEEL KORT, HEEL EVEN series. Leading up to the exhibition, some of our works are on Gallery Viewer already, an online platform for contemporary art.

‘WHITE SPACES’ / Ab van Hanegem / Gracia Khouw
Opening: Sunday, November 6; on view through December 18, 2022

Galerie van den Berge
Albert Joachimikade 5, 4461 BG Goes
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 13.00 - 17.00 hrs, and by appointment

Text about the ERTUSSENDOOR + INBETWEEN series (NL + EN)

ADUH - ABDI - ADAT - ADIL - New series four letter words

From my fascination with four-letter words, the FIVE FOUR, MORE LESS series was born in 2017. They symbolize fast, compact, efficient and standard, matching today's times. The continuation is the project HEEL KORT HEEL EVEN / CUMA KATA-KATA and puts more emphasis on the languages I grew up with. Presenting the word images of the different languages side by side can lead to new connections and insights. In doing so, the project also shows how I hold myself in the field of language and image from my life of migration and being an artist.
Here are the new series' first word images and meanings in Dutch and English.

Update: Booklaunch October 21, 2023, Huis de Pinto, Amsterdam

Update: Presentation of the series: February 1 - 4, 2024, Bouwput Gallery Amsterdam

ADUH; NL (uitroep van pijn, verbazing, teleurstelling e.d.) ach, au, ai, jee; mengaduh – kreunen, jammeren, weeklagen / EN (exclamation of pain, surprise, disappointment, etc.) ouch, augh, ee, gosh; mengaduh - moaning, lamenting, wailing

ABDI; NL 1. dienaar, ondergeschikte; 2. slaaf; abdidalem - paleisdienaar, hofambtenaar; abdinegara – overheidsdienaar, ambtenaar; mengabdi (ke)(pada) - dienen bij, in dienst zijn van, toegewijd aan. / EN 1. servant, subordinate; 2. slave; abdidalem - palace servant, court official; abdinegara - government servant, official; mengabdi (ke)(pada), serve at, be in the service of, be devoted to.

ADAT; NL 1. traditie, overlevering, adat; 2. gewoonte (recht), regel; adat-istiadat (kebiasaan) – gewoonten (en gebruiken); beradat – volgens de traditie, traditioneel / EN 1. tradition, custom, adat; 2. custom (law), rule; adat-istiadat (kebiasaan) - customs (and practices); beradat - according to tradition, traditional

ADIL; NL  rechtvaardig, eerlijk, onpartijdig, billijk, rechtmatig; keadilan – rechtvaardigheid, billijkheid / EN just, fair, impartial, equitable; keadilan - justice, equity

Thank you, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst!

I am very happy that the AFK has granted my project application HEEL KORT, HEEL EVEN / CUMA KATA KATA/HEAR HERE. In the coming months, I will be able to compose new Dutch, Indonesian and English four-letter word images. These short four-letter words convey abstract notions, concepts and sentiments. I have been exploring them since 2012, although I am far from reaching the full potential of them.
Thank you, AFK!

FIVE FOUR MORE LESS page


Thank you, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds!

I am so delighted that the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, which houses the Tijlfonds has granted my application for a publication of the series of works 'FIVE FOUR, MORE LESS'! The publication will feature 60-80 new four-letter words in Dutch, Indonesian and English accompanied by an excellent text by Maaike Drescher. The project is planned to be published and presented in February 2023.

Link to https://www.graciakhouw.com/fivefourmoreless

In preparation: de/cipher! in gkg Bonn (DE) January 2023

I’m thrilled to be invited for de/cipher! a group exhibition curated by Susannah Cremer-Bermbach in gkg, Bonn (DE). In addition, preparations are now underway for the exhibition to take place in the Netherlands in 2023.

'Cipher' in German means 'digit', 'cipher', 'zero' and 'monogram' and above all a secret writing, the translation of (everyday) language into an encrypted message, a code. The exhibition title 'De/cipher' thus refers to a semiotic interplay between encoding and decoding, and in a more general sense around translation - of lines, shapes, colors, patterns, signs and symbols.

Participants: Marjorie Welish, artist/critic (NY/US), José Heerkens (NL), Johanna Reich (DE), Gracia Khouw.
Also showing artists objects, wall works, books and special editions by Carlo Battisti, Julia Bünnagel, Jochen Gerz, Eugen Gomringer, Keti Kapanadze, Wjm Kok, Joseph Kosuth, Josef Linschinger, Vera Molnar, Franz Mon, Gerhard Rühm, Takako Saito, Timm Ulrichs, Ulrich Wagner and others.

Installation view in gkg Bonn during “Lebt Theo?” 2011, a group exhibition curated by S. Cremer-Bermbach and Christoph Dahlhausen / photo: works by G. Khouw. Krijn de Koning, WJM Kok, Bob Bonies, Piet Tuytel
Link to YEAH page

gkg Bonn (Gesellschaft für Kunst und Gestaltung)
January 22 - April 16, 2023
Hochstadenring 22
53119 Bonn (DE)

New Work: INBETWEEN series

An introduction to this new series inspired by the so-called "adverbs of place," words that answer the question of where something takes place. Below are a few pictures of the first paintings made in the fall of 2021. More works will follow this spring.

TWEEN (green) 1509 / 35 x 32 cm size (nr. 1)
TWEEN (blue) - 1709 / 35 x 32 cm size (nr. 1)
TWEEN (black) - 2911/ 76,5 x 70 x 2 cm (size nr. 4)
Overview photo: TWEEN (blue) 1909 / 43 x 43 x 2 cm (nr. 2) (sold) and TWEEN (blue) / 54 x 50 x 2 cm (nr. 3)
- the material of the paintings is 6 mm birch plywood. A custom mdf hanging structure is attached to the back so that you can view the work in 4 different positions.

The series are works in edition
- Size nr. 1, nr. 2 are editions of 3
- Size nr. 3, nr. 4 are editions of 2
- Size nr. 5 is unique and is the maximum size at the moment.

New Series / working title: Adverbs of Place

The making of new series with adverbs of place INBETWEEN, Laser cut birch plywoord 6 mm, sizes nr. 3 - 52 x 58 and nr. 4 - 60 x 77 cm

GREETINGS / LIMITED EDITION CARDS

in , ,
GREETINGS / LIMITED EDITION CARDS

NL: voor Nederlands, scroll omlaag, of klik op ‘read more’

At the end of the year, we face the beginning of a new year. Time to think about New Year's cards. I have a collection of 6 designs. They can be ordered in sets of 6, you can specify how many of the type of design (or color) you wish to receive.
Order by 30th of November to receive the cards on time.
NL
Aan het eind van het jaar, staan we voor het begin van een nieuw jaar. Tijd om na te denken over nieuwjaarskaarten. Ik heb een collectie van 6 ontwerpen. Ze kunnen per sets van 6 besteld worden, je kunt de set zelf samenstellen met de ontwerpen of kleuren die je wilt hebben.
Bestel s.v.p. vóór 30 november om de kaarten op tijd in huis te hebben.

Read More

The Distance Between Two Intersecting Lines (part 1) 28/09 - 08/10/2021, ARTSPACE - Arti Et Amicitiae, Amsterdam

OVER (black, green) #0708 - 2020 / 41 x 45 x 2 cm, size 2 / edition of 3 / private collection

OVER (black, green) #0708 - 2020 / 41 x 45 x 2 cm, size 2 / edition of 3 / private collection

The first part of a two person exhibition with works about space, emptiness, residual form and shape in Amsterdam. The next show will be in Abstract Project Gallery in Paris.

ARTSPACE, Sociëteit Arti et Amicitiae
(Society of visual artists)
Rokin 112, Amsterdam
Open on weekdays Monday - Friday, 13.30 - 17.00 hrs
Link Gerda Kruimer

Arti et Amicitiae and its fascinating history is closely linked to its monumental building on the Rokin. Arti presents a topical, experimental, high profile exhibition program which includes both local and international subjects in its central location in the heart of Amsterdam.

https://www.arti.nl/tentoonstelling/gracia-khouw-en-gerda-kruimer/

FINISSAGE - GEEN DADEN MAAR WOORDEN - 18/7, 15.00 hrs

NOT ACTIONS BUT WORDS >>> Finisage >> Sunday July 18, 15.00 - 17.00 hrs
- Program is in Dutch-

Vrijdag 16, zaterdag 17 en zondag 18 juli zijn de laatste dagen van de tentoonstelling.

Op de allerlaatste dag sluiten we af met een kort en fel programma:

- PJ Roggeband komt spreken over '11-letterige woorden'
- Korrie Besems over 'woorden en enkele zeer korte gedichten'.
- Jan Verhaeghe zal doorlopend zijn performance 'Artbooks by The Censored Censor #2' uitvoeren.
- Onder leiding van Maria Barnas kunnen bezoekers meedoen aan de workshop ‘woordhappen’.

Gratis teras, reserveren niet nodig. Welkom!

Omstand (link)
Van Oldenbarneveldstaat 92 A, Arnhem
open: 12.00- 17.00 uur
(click on the image bellow to view the series)

FIVE FOUR MORE LESS / installation view of 12 images, photo Django van Ardenne / Click on the image

FIVE FOUR MORE LESS / installation view of 12 images, photo Django van Ardenne / Click on the image