Kees Koomen

Anonyme Zeichner*innen 2024

Posted on 20 November 202420 November 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

November 15, 2024 – January 12, 2025 – Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Berlin (D)

Tijdens de tweejaarlijkse tentoonstelling Anonyme Zeichnungen 2024 hangt ook werk van mij tussen de duizend andere tekeningen. Het betreft een grote expositie met tekeningen van een beperkte grootte waarvoor een call uitging. In Kunstraum Kreuzberg hangen in een aantal zalen van verschillende kleur grote of kleinere groepen van tekeningen. Het geheel oogt wat overdonderend. Ik kon niet naar de opening, maar kreeg installatiefoto’s van de organisatie.

on MÊKH-beach

Posted on 16 November 202416 November 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

From October 10 until 13 EX-MÊKH took part in Platforms Project 2024 in Athens (GR). We installed an improvised beach under the name on MÊKH-beach in our booth with firm carton. During the fair we put memories, recent observations and ideas in the waves and on the sand, as if they washed on the shore, ready to be taken back by the waves. We thought it might be a fitting image for the creative process as we perceive it. I will put some of my personal details here and a full report can be seen on the EX-MÊKH site later on.

_{After the first day with on the top right my painting Les Râmes from the first exhibition with EX-MÊKH}

_{Decoration and title of the French biography La vie de Goya, about the biggest inspiration I had since art school}

_{and a citation from Mushallam da Piera (Girona 13th AC)}

_{Textworks and sundots with painted feet cut-outs}

_{Sundot with lemniscate and olive-eyes}, _{walked over a couple of times}

Reversal of the Tide

On the last day of Platforms Project 2024 we organised Reversal of the Tide: we offered the works we put into the beach-scene to the public at reasonable prices. Earlier Ellen Rodenburg asked people to cut out their foot in carton and to decorate that foot. Some of those were also on sale. A number of people amongst whom Artemis Potamianou, director of the fair, gallery-owners, volunteers of the fair and parents of the kids who decorated their feet bought small works and took it with them.

_{A proud volunteer with one of Maarten’s Jellyfish}

_{Allessandra Falbo (Darling Pearls fom London) and Topp (or Dubio from the reknowned Topp and Dubio) also went for the jellyfish}

_{Ellen and one of the volunteers} _{who takes one of Ellen’s ants}

_{Guillaume Krick of Le Bureau d’Art et de Recherche from Roubaix (FR) goes for my peace sun ray}

Tracing the Muse

Posted on 6 October 20246 October 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

More about this on the performance-page

The whole festival on chmkoome’s blog

Equinox to Equinox

Posted on 17 September 202417 September 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Same but Different – Equinox to Equinox is a short duration performance festival taking place on Sunday 22 September from 13:00 to 14:00 at the Hof in Dordrecht.
Everyone is welcome to participate in openness and solidarity, embracing diversity and acknowledging each other’s individual circumstances, difficulties and conflicts.

There is no fixed programme with consecutive performances but everything takes place simultaneously, collaborations can arise spontaneously.
Participants so far: Marita Bullmann, Engel, August S. Geerlings, Ienke Kastelein, Frans van Lent, Christiane Obermayer, Kees Koomen, Jolanda Jansen, Nico Parlevliet, Yvo van der Vat, Yelena Myshko, Annie Abrahams, Yvette Teeuwen, ieke Trinks, Willum Geerts, Topp & Dubio.

Same but Different – Equinox to Equinox is an international event for public action for freedom for all people. It takes place at about the same time in numerous locations worldwide.
Every year on the Equinox (in March and September), the duration of day and night is roughly equal around the world. In the spirit of cosmic equality, the event is a global connection for people performing together in public space.
This sharing of time and space brings us closer together, as a temporary (global) community to encourage, through performance art, non-violent expressions for locally specific conditions.

I will participate with a performance called Tracing the Muse

“Buitenlanders en andere Papoea’s” continued

Posted on 23 July 202424 July 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Het boekomslag voor het boek met bovenstaande titel van Rob Verschuren waarover ik eerder schreef kreeg mooie reacties:

Op de cover van Buitenlanders en andere Papoea’s, de tweede verhalenbundel van Rob Verschuren (1953), prijkt een schilderij van de Haagse kunstenaar Kees Koomen. Na enig nazoeken kwam ik er achter dat het werk deel uitmaakt van een serie over zijn jeugd. Het lijkt erop of hij daarop reflecteert. Hij doet dat in spontane schildergebaren. Een goedgekozen omslag want in de tien verhalen die in de bundel schildert Verschuren de portretten van niet alledaagse personages, reflecteert hij op de samenleving, stelt hij alledaagse thema’s aan de orde. Hij benadert zijn onderwerpen vanuit een originele invalshoek. Kijken naar de samenleving, ethiek, geschiedenis, geloof en liefde het komt allemaal voorbij.
Jan Stoel op literatuursite Hebban

En verder:

De omslagafbeelding heet In de nacht en is van Kees Koomen. De sfeer en de kleuren van het schilderij passen prachtig bij de inhoud. Wat de verhalen ook met elkaar verbindt, is de originele manier van kijken die uitgedrukt wordt in de stijl. Die is nu eens poëtisch, dan weer ironisch, maar altijd fraai met treffende beelden.
Yolande Belghazi-Timman op literatuursite Hebban

Uitgeverij In de Knipscheer

Buitenlanders en andere Papoea’s

Posted on 17 April 202417 April 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Some time ago my friend, graphic designer Els Kort, noticed a picture of an old work of mine which I put on Facebook. I never exhibited the work which is part of a series about my childhood before. Els asked me permission to use it for a bookcover. She was convinced the “wild” painting suited the stories perfectly.

_{Kees Koomen: In de nacht – 1984
Acrylverf en oliepastel op papier}

I thought this was a nice chance to attract attention to older work which nobody ever saw. The book is a collection of short stories by author Rob Verschuren. It will be published by In de Knipscheer in the Netherlands. I read some info about the author and I got the impression that this could work well so I gave my consent. This week Els sent the coverdesign:

I look forward to the publication of the collection of stories which is to be soon!

@ Hybrid Art Fair 2024

Posted on 2 April 20242 April 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

I presented four portraits from my series New Encounters in the EX-MÊKH exhibition ¿De Donde?. They represent people I notice on weekly walks to the Malieveld in Den Haag. I write a description in my telephone and mail it home. Then, in my studio, I paint the portraits in oilpaint on stone paper. I also write words from the texts in the painting. It is a hommage to Francisco Goya whose drawings and comments I admire greatly.
In the Petit Palace Hotel I presented two portraits on a background of text, written on the wall with one wollen thread and two portraits without backgrounds. Also, above the bed in the room I wrote a text with one red woolen thread: Her spine moved like a snake . The wall was almost black there with blue in it which contrasted beautifully with the red of the text. Maarten Schepers placed sculpture on the bed underneath which in one blink could have been paws of animals, maybe pre-historic, which would have suggested fossiles. On the other hand the work could also have been seen as flowers on a grave or a monument. This would have turned the bed into a place of memory. The contrast with my text, which to me has an erotic connotation, placed above the bed as it was, opened a lot of associations to me. It enables me to eleborate on this way of working.

left: I Imagine Them Speaking French Inside
right: You Are Right, You Have a Good Point There

Publicity

Posted on 28 February 202428 February 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Preparing for Madrid to participate in The Hybrid Art Fair EX-MÊKH had secret participant Ben Faydherbe design a folder and a booklet for visitors. The booklet will be part of a growing series of small publications which EX-MÊKH uses during fairs and other exhibitions. The printing arrived yesterday and in the weekend we will leave for Spain.

And these “New encounters are my part in the booklet!

Teaser

Posted on 7 February 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

EX-MÊKH is preparing for the Hybrid Art Fair and experimenting with their materials. Here some try-outs by Kees Koomen who is looking for a interesting way to present his series of New Encounters The work is intended as an homage to the sketches Goya made in the streets of Madrid and elsewhere. Those drawings and etchings were my favourite artworks in art-school:

Francisco Goya: Este tiene muchos patientes y algunos racionales

Studio Playlist 2023

Posted on 29 January 202429 January 2024 by keeskoomenLeave a Comment

Like every year Ron van der Ende invited artists to send their favourite music or sounds they play during artistic work. These Studio Playlists are published on a site he runs, Art BBQ. I participated since 2006 (at least, that’s the oldest I can find) and it’s each time a pleasure to elaborate on the music I play during the year past.