THE QUIET POWER OF ENCOUNTER, A REFLECTION ON A POLYPHONIC DIALOGUE BY YVES JORIS.

When art becomes a conversation instead of a statement, it creates a space that invites listening, wandering, and discovery. The exhibition ‘Dialogue’ at NQ Gallery dares to embark on that delicate endeavor. Curator Francis Henri Vanhee brings together twenty-five artists without subjecting them to a rigid framework. What at first glance seems like a risky labyrinth of impressions turns out, on closer inspection, to be a subtle and living network of meanings. This reflection seeks the invisible thread that holds together this kaleidoscopic exhibition. A curator who makes himself invisible.

Read the full article here.

NQ Gallery is proud to be a selected partner

In 2025-2026, the 140th anniversary of Vincent van Gogh’s time in Antwerp will be marked, highlighting the significance of this period in his life and work. As part of this initiative, the Van Gogh Gallery Zundert and its partners have collaborated with Antwerp galleries to develop a lasting project.

NQ Gallery is proud to be one of the selected partners, alongside Tim Van Laere Gallery, Axel Vervoordt Gallery, and Base Alpha Gallery, to bring this initiative to life and shine a spotlight on Van Gogh’s Antwerp connection.

To learn more about the project and its findings, we invite you to explore the detailed report behind this initiative.

in flux / in limbo, between decay and elevation

When we walk through an exhibition, we often step into a world of transition: a space where artists transcend time and place. In the exhibition in flux / in limbo at NQ Gallery, Natasja Alers and Anne Silverstrand Forest create a dialogue that balances between the fleeting and the solid, the formless and the tangible, the decaying and the uplifting. By placing their works side by side, a conversation emerges about the state of being, the human body, and the tension between matter and spirit.

Article by Yves Joris, Gallery Viewer.

A sculpture dialogue between Antwerp and Middelkerke

Upon entering NQ Gallery for the Sculptural exhibition, you are immediately overwhelmed by a sense of space and innovation. Artist Nick Ervinck curates this expo, which runs parallel to a similar exhibition at K.E.R.K. Middelkerke. Both exhibitions offer a complementary and intriguing look at contemporary sculpture by a diverse group of artists. It is a brief and engaging dialogue between form, space and material.

Article by Yves Joris, Gallery Viewer.

Brabant Cultureel

In this interesting article, Irma van Bommel, journalist for Brabant Cultureel, takes the time to speak with but especially listen to Frank van der Linden, the founder of Line 66 but also Sign Of The Times: an artists’ collective who adapted the same standard mask to their own interpretation.

Interview by Irma van Bommel for Brabant Cultureel. Read the full article here.

08.06.2024 — 29.09.2024

Contemporary art nestles into the intimacy of Museumhuis De Gheus and enters into dialogue with Lucien De Gheus’s oeuvre and his passion for music, dance and movement. This exhibition is made possible by the collaboration with Compagnon d’Art and includes works by NQ Gallery’s artists such as Nick Ervinck and Johan Tahon.

09.06.2024 — 28.07.2024

In collaboration with the Verwey Museum Haarlem, NQ Gallery is exhibiting a collection of masks from the project SOTT ( Sign Of The Times), an initiative by Frank van der Linden that originated in 2016 when he designed a ceramic mask and invited several artists to rework his basic design to their own liking.

Meanwhile, a number of NQ Gallery artists have been included in the collection: Marc Mulders, Anne Silverstrand Forest, Erwin Keustermans and Francis Henri Vanhee. The result is an extensive, diverse collection and thus a representation of the contemporary art world, on view at NQ Gallery.

Read Yves Joris’ full story

“The exhibition Orange Offset with works by Alexander Tinei at the NQ Gallery marks a new phase in the still-unfolding career of this artist. Born in 1967 in Căuşeni, Moldova, Tinei currently lives and works in Budapest, where he has developed a unique artistic voice that explores the complexity of human existence. His latest exhibition, which runs from 8 May 2024 to 30 June 2024, offers an in-depth exploration of the relationship between body and time, showcasing his exceptional ability to transform media images in a painterly way.” – Yves Joris.

Emmanuelle Castellan – ‘Spektrum’

In Brussels, under the zenithal aperture of La Verrière, curator Joël Riff has been highlighting visual artists in a plural configuration since 2023, based on the principle of “augmented solo”. By inviting several creators from all horizons to share their artistic approach, he invites the public to enrich their perception of a singular work, while inscribing it in a fertile play of correspondences.

Johannes Nagel, one of NQ Gallery’s house artists, is a sculptor, exploring the possibilities of a vessel. His work ranges in size from the sitting-room scale to the monumental. Rather than closing onto themselves, Nagel’s vessels appear at times to be sliced and cut open at their extremities. In the case of these containers full of holes, the interior competes with and complements the exterior, they resist the very idea of “containing”.

It was a real pleasure to contribute to the artistic project of the Botanic Health Spa and Henry’s Bar with artworks by Marc Mulders. This collaboration resulted in more than hanging a painting on the wall, it became an extension of the space, atmosphere and feeling.

The interview on who Marc Mulders is, how Niqui van Olphen represents him with NQ Gallery and how the collaboration came about was featured in Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp magazine.

Read the full article here, on page 58-59.

Wonderkamer van de WAARHEID

“Soms moeten we op anderen vertrouwen. Maar op wie dan wel, en op wie niet? Wat voelt echt en wat fake? Als film, boeken en theater niet echt zijn, waarom grijpen ze ons dan soms naar de keel? Is wat we nu weten over het verleden de (enige) waarheid? Maar ook: vertelt een museum eigenlijk wel altijd de waarheid?”, aldus GUM Gent.

09.02.2024 – 22.09.2024

12.04.2024 – 18.08.2024

Yves Joris bezocht NQ Gallery en zag dat het goed was:

“Ik hou van expo’s die een cerebrale uitdaging vormen, tentoonstelling waarvan je pas achteraf beseft dat er meer gelijkenissen zijn dan je op het eerste zicht vermoedde. Dit gevoel overviel me na een bezoek aan de expo ‘COMMON GROUNDS’ waar Marieke Bolhuis en Per Adolfsen in dialoog treden met elkaar en met de bezoeker.

De tentoonstelling is meer dan alleen een verzameling kunstwerken. Het is een uitnodiging om na te denken over onze plaats in de wereld, onze relatie met de natuur, en hoe we die relatie kunnen verbeteren. Het is een oproep tot actie, een oproep tot bewustwording, en een oproep tot verandering. En dat is misschien wel de grootste kracht van kunst: het vermogen om ons te laten zien wat mogelijk is, om ons te inspireren om beter te doen, en om ons te helpen de wereld te zien zoals die zou kunnen zijn.” – aldus Yves Joris.

Lees het volledig artikel op de website van Gallery Viewer.

Marieke Bolhuis & Per Adolfsen in NQ Gallery

Metershoge sculpturen in openlucht als Big Sister en de laatste tijd ook buitenmaatse bloemen die een kruising zijn tussen plant en mens. De Nederlandse kunstenaar Marieke Bolhuis is al lang bekend in haar thuisland en krijgt almaar meer bijval. COMMON GROUNDS in NQ Gallery is een duoshow met speciale gast de Deense schilder Per Adolfsen, maar eigenlijk ook haar eerste solo in België. Sinds 2012 staat de mens centraal in het fantasierijke werk van Bolhuis. Niet zonder humor wordt iets verteld over ons ‘condition humaine’, onze oorsprong, onze band met de natuur. Grote buitensculpturen, kleinere maskers, keramiek en olieverfwerk op aluminiumspiegel vormen een totaalinstallatie die aanvoelt als een landschap of een familie-uitje. Tussen de kleurrijke figuren verschijnt een horizon van landschappen: een reeks zwart-witte potloodtekeningen van Per Adolfsen. Altijd landschappen, en daarin ontdekt hij een gevoel ook natuur te zijn, een klein deel van een groter systeem. (cv). – Door COLLECT Magazine

Lees het volledig artikel in COLLECT.

OIRSCHOT – Net voor de storm zitten ze stevig op hun plek: de nieuwe glas-in-loodramen in de Sint-Petrusbasiliek in Oirschot. Kunstenaar Marc Mulders en voormalig pastoor Leendert Spijkers zien voor het eerst de zon er doorheen schijnen.

Anneke van Wolfswinkel 02-11-23, 20:50 Bron: ED

Op donderdagochtend jaagt de wind hoorbaar rond de kerk. Dan breekt de zon door en lichten de talloze, grillig gevormde stukjes glas in het raam van de doopkapel helder op. Mulders (65) klimt de houten steiger op. ,,De meeste delen zijn met een laag van fijne zwarte vlekjes bedekt, zoals in de beroemde ramen van Chartres”, wijst hij aan. ,,Maar sommige stukken hebben dat niet, en daar moet de zon niet te fel doorheen komen.” Een paar minuten kijkt hij naar de ramen, vanuit verschillende hoeken. ,,Ja, het gaat goed”, zegt hij dan tevreden.

Mulders woont vlakbij, in Oostelbeers. Dit is zijn twintigste glas-in-loodraam, maar de eerste in zijn eigen gemeente. Eerder maakte de landelijk bekende schilder, aquarellist en glazenier spraakmakende ramen in onder meer de Sint-Janskathedraal in Den Bosch, Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht en de Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

Leendert Spijkers, tot 2022 pastoor van de Oirschotse parochie, vertelt dat hij het best spannend vond om Mulders te benaderen met de vraag om een raam te maken voor de Sint-Petrusbasiliek. ,,Het scheelt dat ik hem al heel lang ken”, zegt hij. ,,Begin jaren zeventig werkte ik als jonge kapelaan in Tilburg en gaf godsdienstles op lagere scholen. Een van mijn leerlingen was Marc. Ik heb altijd zijn naam onthouden en volgde op een afstandje wat hij als kunstenaar deed.”

Gewijd

Mulders vond het verzoek ‘een eer’ en ging aan het werk, samen met glazenier Peggy Hermans. Spijkers: ,,De zorgen om de schepping leven breed in de samenleving, ook bij paus Franciscus. Ik vroeg Marc of hij daar in het raam iets mee kon doen.”

Nu de steiger er nog staat kan je vlakbij het raam komen. Mulders wijst aan met welke, vaak symbolisch geladen beelden hij de bedreigde schoonheid van de natuur weergeeft. Zonnebloemen en tulpen, stromende rivieren, die ook naar de doop verwijzen, de vijf wonden van Christus, en vele ogen. ,,De ramen omhelzen de toeschouwer met licht”, zegt Mulders. ,,Ik ben dankbaar dat ik dit aan mijn omgeving heb kunnen geven.”

Op zondagmiddag 10 december worden de ramen gewijd door Gerard de Korte, bisschop van Den Bosch. ,,Een liturgische bijeenkomst, maar niet te zwaar”, belooft Spijkers. ,,Er is een processie door de kerk met bazuinblazers en jeugdorkest Arti doet mee.” Hij kijkt nog eens omhoog naar de ramen. ,,Het licht verandert steeds. Ik zou er uren naar kunnen kijken.”

GNI-RI sep2023 / Wie de naam van kunstenaar Nick Ervinck zegt, denkt dadelijk aan de metershoge gele sculpturen die over de ganse wereld opduiken. Maar dit is slechts een deel van zijn immer groeiende oeuvre. Bij NQ Gallery opende de tentoonstelling GNI-RI sep 2023, ceramic and drawings waar hij traditionele keramiek gebruikt om via 3D-experimenten ideeën van zowel organische als genetisch gemanipuleerde levensvormen te verkennen.

Lees het hele artikel hier verder.

GNI-RI sep2023: het is de formule waarmee de internationaal bekende Belgische kunstenaar Nick Ervinck (°1981) aangeeft dat het om een solotentoonstelling gaat. Gladde gele sculpturen en 3D-prints, daar wordt hij nog altijd prompt mee geassocieerd. Zijn eerste solo in NQ Gallery toont sculpturen in keramiek en tekeningen, grotendeels nieuw werk. Amorfe vormen in tere kleuren ogen organisch en titels zijn bij hem altijd onbestaande woorden. Een wonderland met een eigen taal. In de titel van de sculptuur OEBERION echoot Oberon, de mythische elfenkoning. Een fabelwezen of een levensvorm in een verre toekomst? Het is een gedurig evoluerend oeuvre vol mutaties en verstrengelingen tussen de fysieke en virtuele wereld, vakmanschap, digitale technologie, wetenschap, architectuur, kunstgeschiedenis, mythologie, oude culturen, games en sciencefiction.

Ontdek meer kunstig leesvoer via: www.collectaaa.be

BLOEM displays a selection of Verwey’s flower still lifes alongside those of contemporary, well-known painters, for whom flowers or plants also form a recurring theme. Although the way they do this, their motivations to do it, and the meanings it holds for them vary greatly from Verwey’s. These differences may be present in material aspects – ranging from very light, scraped away, almost nothing, to very thick and rich – in content-related aspects – the underlying intentions of the work – or in formal aspects – the level of abstraction.

The studio of Marc Mulders (Tilburg, 1958) is surrounded by flower fields, and flowers literally form his direct living and working environment. He paints canvases with seemingly infinite amounts of fields or landscapes full of peonies, parrot tulips, irises, or lilies. Mulders’ work shares a resemblance with that of Verwey in the material, the thickness of his oil paintings. They also share a love and skill for painting in watercolor.

Ronald Zuurmond (The Hague, 1964) uses the painting of a houseplant or a branch of cherry blossom to recover from the suffering of the world, because in addition to nature, he also paints, based on newspaper photos, major themes such as life and death. Unlike Verwey, he is so deeply imbued and busy with the suffering of the world, that he needs these works to recover from it.

Visit Bloem from 8 July 2023 till 7 January 2024 at verwey museum haarlem, with the works of NQ Gallery’s artists Marc Mulders and Ronald Zuurmond.

More info: https://museumhaarlem.nl

Very happy to see Stacii Simidin featured on Gallery Viewer with a beautiful video. He speaks about being born and raised in Rotterdam-East, a district where he shared his life with many people with Indonesian roots, people with a strong sense of belonging to each other. Stacii: “I grew with the city.” He compares his personal development to Rotterdam’s growth into a metropolis. As a youngster, the city neighbourhood was his permanent home. Now he enters a “global arena” as a human being, documentary photographer and documentary filmmaker.

With that question in mind, I stepped inside the exhibition GEIST which is on display at NQ Gallery until July 2nd.

Read the in-depth article on our current groupexhibition, written by Yves Joris for Gallery Viewer online: https://galleryviewer.com/en/article/1815/artists-in-the-footsteps-of-vincent-van-gogh

Gallery Viewer, an online contemporary art platform, interviewed artist Aline Thomassen in the context of her upcoming exhibition at the gallery. Read the full interview here.

“The themes in my work are very human and as Stijn Huijts (general and artistic director of the Bonnefantenmuseum) said, suffering is always present. I intertwine this with a lust for life, pride and the strength to survive. People recognise themselves in my work. That is also what drives me in art: that you can share and communicate a feeling for life, the surface under everyday life, the unmentionable. In addition, I have always been looking for a different image of women, a different recipe for being human than what is forced on us from our culture. This is expressed in my work in images of women who are not busy meeting expectations, who are playing a role, who are not in someone else’s field of power.” – Aline Thomassen

In the framework of our ongoing collaboration, we warmly invite you for a concert at the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp on April 5th at 8 pm. Dionysos Now!, led by Tore Tom Denys will perform a vocal Adriaen Willaert Polyphony concert for ‘Honte’, an artwork by Berlinde De Bruyckere.

The work of Berlinde De Bruyckere renders haunting distortions of organic forms, working with casts made of wax, animal skins, hair, textiles, metal and wood. Dionysos Now! has collaborated with Berlinde De Bruyckere before; crossing over music and sculpture, here in the beautiful setting of Botanic’s chapel. 

Drawings by Aline Thomassen, that have been shown at Bonnefanten Museum before, will be presented by the altar at the chapel. Thomassen’s work uses ferocious depictions of women’s bodies to convey ambiguous and bodily experiences in the viewer. Her solo exhibition ‘Inquietude’ will open the next day, on April 6th at NQ gallery.

To order tickets to the concert please use the following link:

Gallery artist Stacii Samidin ended second in the Paul Peters Fotoprijs, a price for socially engaged photography. The latter is given alongside the most prestigious award in photojournalism and documentary photography, ‘Zilveren Camera’, since 1949. 

The winner of the Paul Peters Fotoprijs is Zahra Reijs with her series ‘Dear Future’. Gallery artist Stacii Samidin’s series ‘ADAMAS’ ended second. The jury notes “Samidin poetically captures people who know the raw sides of life”.

Nick Ervinck will be exhibiting at the Sculptura #1 – A Journey of Discovery festival in Tour & Taxis in Brussels. The exhibition will run from February 10th to March 12th. Visitors can find more information on www.sculpturafestival.be. Ervinck is a Belgian artist known for his abstract sculptures that explore the boundaries between digital and physical art. This festival promises to give a unique insight into his work and be a journey of discovery in the world of modern sculpture.

After showing a selection of earlier works at the Botanic Hotel, Marc Mulders will now have a space devoted to his work, midst ancient monastery walls. At walking distance from the gallery, a rotating selection of Mulders’ paintings will be on view throughout the year.

On December 3rd, it’s a year ago that we opened our new space in Antwerp. Many of you have been following our program since. The gallery is growing with a base of artists, which we are now also giving the smaller space to; all gallery artists have a work– our in house collection as it were. To celebrate that, them, and our team, we warmly invite you to join us for a drink on Saturday December 10th, 11-6pm. 

Marc Mulders painted ‘Sunflower 08.11.22’ as an ode to the event, and he will be present 12-2pm.

We look forward to seeing you!

An article about Marc Mulders on Gallery Viewer, an online contemporary art platform, just came out! Read the full article here.

Gallery Viewer, an online contemporary art platform, interviewed artist Marc Mulders in the context of his current exhibition at the gallery. Read the full interview here.

“Een schilderij mag zich niet op voorhand verwaand gaan gedragen omdat het wellicht in de toekomst, op de kunstmarkt meer geld kan opbrengen.” – Marc Mulders

From November 4th to March 19th, DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, presents the work of Alexander Tinei.

The human body as the alpha and omega of the image. The exhibition Funny Games presents the work of the Moldovan painter, the essential figure painter Alexander Tinei. His individual works, both monumental and small formats, are fragments of a magnificent mosaic of human life. Painting is his way of understanding the world and life around him. He finds inspiration in the everyday, in found photographs and their mysterious banality.

After four years, BIG ART’s pop-up art fair is back in the former Bijlmerbajes. From 4 to 6 November,
the doors of the old Main Building will open to the public. More than 75 artists show their
works of art. BIG ART is an accessible platform for a colorful mix of art disciplines. From enormous
drawings to large photographs and impressive sculptures, some artworks are of large format,
while others subtly refer to space, scale, and dimension.

Come and discover new work from gallery artists Natasja Alers and Sara van Vliet.

Location:
BIG ART Bajeskwartier
Bajeskwartier | H.J.E. Wenckebachweg 48 | Amsterdam
Friday 4th – Sunday 6th November 2022 | Open 10:00 – 18:00

Buy tickets here.

Anne Silverstrand Forest was nominated for the Victoriefonds Cultuurprijs in 2022. Watch the video below to find out what influences her and to get a sneak peek at her atelier.

For more info visit victoriefondscultuurprijs.nl

A glimpse of last Friday’s opening of ‘Birth, Skin and World’ with works by artists Levi Malfait, Erwin Keustermans and guest Francis Vanhee, captured by Oona Smet.

See it for yourself Thursday to Saturday between 11 and 6 pm and Sunday between 2 and 6 pm. 

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander will present The Royal Award for Modern Painting 2022 in Amsterdam on Wednesday morning, September 21. Three young artists will be awarded and will each receive an amount of 9.000 euros. After the award ceremony, the King will open the exhibition where works by the winners and the other nominees can be seen.

This year 286 artists submitted works. The jury, led by Paula van den Bosch, chose the following nominees: Kenneth Aidoo, Bo Bosk, Abul Hisham, Minne Kersten, Julia Kiryanova, Ralf Kokke, Mila Lanfermeijer, Shani Leseman, Fang Mij, Dion Rosina, W Rossen, Eva Spierenburg, Sara van Vliet, Lotte Wieringa, Iriee Zamblé.

The Royal Award for Modern Painting was established by King Willem III in 1871 as a Royal Subsidy for Free Painting. After King Willem III, the Royal Prize was awarded by successive heads of state and King Willem-Alexander has continued this tradition since 2013. The prize is intended to encourage young, talented painters in their work as artists. Visual artists up to the age of 35 working in the Netherlands can compete for the prize.

The exhibition is open to the public from Friday 23 September to Sunday 23 October. 

For more info visit paleisamsterdam.nl

In the section ‘The gallery of’ we talk to a host of gallerists from the Netherlands and Belgium: when and how did they start their gallery, what has changed in the art world since, what is their profile, what do they collect themselves, and what has been the impact of the pandemic on their gallery? In this part: Niqui van Olphen (NQ Gallery)

Read the article here.

Thanks to all who made it to the opening last Friday to celebrate the inauguration of the new exhibition ‘Embodiment, with sculptures by Natasja Alers and paintings by Ronald Zuurmond. The exhibition will run until July 10th, we warmly welcome you to visit us if you haven’t seen it. Open Thursday to Saturday from 11 to 6 pm and Sunday from 2 to 6 pm.

NQ Gallery is excited to collaborate with Botanic Sanctuary Hotel Antwerp. With every gallery show, its exhibiting artists will also present works at the high end hotel. Each chapter of this dialogue between the gallery and the 15th century monastery hotel will be marked by an intimate reception and a preview of the gallery exhibition.

Visit Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp