Group exhibition: Frontspace: Shoeglazing

Shoeglazing brings together a ceramic body of work by ten artists in an exhibition that blends the vague borders between gallery space and high end storefront. On display are over 60 ceramic shoes, both individual and pairs. Shoeglazing features more and less recent work by Verena Blok, Dorota Jurczak, Michael Portnoy, Koen Taselaar, Ola Vasiljeva and new work by Kim David Bots, Caz Egelie, Afra Eisma, Arash Fakhim and guest curator Tim Hollander. 

Starting as first a mental collection and later a slowly growing folder of snapshots of encountered shoes over the years, the exhibition zooms in on this medium within a medium and the shoe as a vessel for ideas, dreams and values. Some of the works allude to a feeling of home, others explore gender roles, capitalist fetishes and futures, or simply act as containers for larger sculptures. Whilst the shoestore-like scenography might suggest otherwise: these shoes are not just objects, and certainly weren’t made for walking. 

Artist bio’s:

Verena Blok (1990, Netherlands) is a visual storyteller with a major fascination for people. She is interested in how people relate to each other and the influence that cultural developments have on an individual’s life. She is currently finishing her residency at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, and her work was recently included in exhibitions at Het Rembrandthuis (2022), Noorderlicht Photo Festival (2020) and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (2018). 

Kim David Bots (1998, Netherlands) uses a large variety of materials to create installations that feature multiple narratives, characters and perspectives. His works have recently been shown at Unfair Amsterdam (2020), A-Dash Athens (2019) Marres in Maastricht (2017) and he was nominated for the Royal Prize of Painting multiple times.

Caz Egelie (1994, Netherlands) creates installations, performances, two-dimensional works and videos. In their multi-disciplinary body of work the visual vocabulary of the works is combined with Caz’ conceptual approach, and their appetite for theatre and performativity. They studied Fine Arts at the HKU in Utrecht and has recently exhibited and performed at CENTRALE Brussels (2021), Open Space London (2020) Centraal Museum Utrecht (2019) and Palais de Tokyo (2019).

Afra Eisma (1993, Netherlands) uses tufted carpets, ceramics, paper cache and textiles to create tactile and attractively colourful installations that focus on connection and generosity. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Your Silence Will Not Protect You’ at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden (2021), Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam (2021) and 1646 in The Hague (2020). She was nominated for the Scheffer Prize in 2022 and the Royal Prize of Painting (NL) in 2018. 

Arash Fakhim (1987, Iran) graduated from ArtEZ in 2016 and has an atypical approach to classic mediums like painting. His recent solo exhibition at Unfair’s Temporary Museum (2021) featured objects that were in between paintings, shelves and highly personal shrines. He recently exhibited at Patty Morgan (2020), No Man’s Art Gallery (2019), Collectie De Groen (2019) and Museum van Bommel van Dam (2017).

Tim Hollander (1987, Netherlands) works as an artist, curator and designer. Their work often focus on the production, presentation and handling of art. Recent artistic and curatorial projects have been shown at Museum IJsselstein (2021), Page Not Found (2021), Marres in Maastricht (2020) and Hotel Maria Kapel in Hoorn (2017). In 2016 they attended the Jan van Eyck academy in Maastricht. 

Dorota Jurczak’s (1978, Poland) practice features macabre and fantastical works combine influences from folklore and mythology, along with inventions of her own imagination. The figures in her work are predominantly indebted to Eastern European iconography and exist in darkly whimsical dream-worlds. Recent solo exhibitions include the Bergen Kunsthall (2018), Künsterhaus Stuttgart (2017) and Culturgest Lisbon (2016)

Michael Portnoy (1971, USA) is a New York-based artist. Coming from a background in dance and stand-up comedy, his performance-based work employs a variety of media: from participatory installations to sculpture, painting, writing, theater, video and curation. He has presented internationally in museums, art galleries, theatres and music halls, including recently Vleeshal, Middelburg (NL) 2020; IFFR Rotterdam (NL), 2020; steirischer herbst, Graz (AT) 2018 and 2019; Witte de With, Rotterdam (NL) 2016; the Centre Pompidou, Paris (FR) 2015; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL) 2014

Koen Taselaar (1986, Netherlands) has a unique visual language and works in drawings, ceramics, textile and printmaking. Taselaar was nominated for the Volkskrant Beeldende Kunst Prijs in 2015, has attended numerous residencies and has recently exhibited at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen (2016), Centraal Museum Utrecht (2018), Page Not Found (2020) and Bienalsur Montevideo (2021). 

Ola Vasiljeva (1981, Latvia) lives and works in The Hague. Ola Vasiljeva’s interdisciplinary practice includes sculptures, drawings, found and modified objects often referred to as ‘props’, as well as videos, slide shows, printed matter and poetry. She was nominated for the Prix de Rome in 2013 and has recently had solo shows at 427 Gallery in Riga (2021), Pori Art Museum in Finland (2020) and Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld (2019).

Shoeglazing has been kindly supported by Gemeente Den Haag and Stroom Den Haag.