November 1, 2024, 15:00
Book launch 'Scratching the Surface'
Mondriaan Fund presents a new collection of essays ‘Scratching the Surface: An Exploration of Graffiti and Street Art’ and this will be launched on Friday 1 November 2024 with a substantive program at Pennings Foundation in Eindhoven.
Mondriaan Fund presents a new collection of essays ‘Scratching the Surface: An Exploration of Graffiti and Street Art’ and this will be launched on Friday 1 November 2024 with a substantive program at Pennings Foundation in Eindhoven. During this afternoon we will deliberate on the art forms of graffiti and street art, in the midst of the photography exhibition ‘with-one-eye-open’ by curator Jasper van Es.
With authors of this new publication and players from the field, including Javier Abarca and Mick La Rock, we discuss the relationship between graffiti, street art and visual arts and how makers of these disciplines relate to the subsidy system.
The book ‘Scratching the Surface: An Exploration of Graffiti and Street Art ‘ consists of seven essays, written by leading researchers and critics from the world of street art, graffiti and visual arts in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. From graffiti to murals: how do these expressions relate to each other? How do you show graffiti in a museum? What place does street art take in relation to the canonical arts? When does a production really add something to a place and how can we appreciate it as artistically distinctive?
This collection of essays is part of a long-term research trajectory within the Mondriaan Fund, focused on how the art forms of street art and graffiti can fit within the current subsidy system. Research trajectories such as this are essential to broaden and deepen the fund's field of vision and knowledge.
The authors - Daniël de Jongh, Lene ter Haar, Robert Kaltenhäuser, Javier Abarca, Stephen Burke, Raenys Martis, Ana Maria Hernandez and Robin Vermeulen - take you along in ‘Scratching the Surface’ in their professional and personal experiences with graffiti and street art, thus offering a varied picture of the richness of the field and its potential. The diversity in the positions and perspectives of the authors provides more than enough room for further discussion.
Eelco van der Lingen, director of the Mondriaan Fund:
“‘Scratching the Surface’ is a next step to get a better grip on the value of graffiti and street art. These art forms may not have a need to be understood or institutionalized, but we are still looking for answers to the questions that keep coming back to our table."
Register here for the presentation (in English) on November 1st:
Aanmelden // Sign up | Scratching the Surface - Mondriaan Fonds
About the essay collection
‘Scratching the Surface’ is number 16 in the essay series of the Mondriaan Fund and is published in both Dutch and English, with supporting images.
Published by the Mondriaan Fund in collaboration with Jap Sam Books, printed by NPN Drukkers and designed by Studio Janneke Hendriks. ISBN 9789076936604 (NL edition) and 9789076936611 (EN edition).
The collection Scratching the Surface will be available from Jap Sam Books from November 1st and will also be published as an e-book shortly thereafter.
Essay series Mondriaan Fund
The Mondriaan Fund regularly publishes essays to stimulate subjects from the art field. Subjects that are current, have fallen into oblivion or benefit from in-depth insight or nuance. The essay series of the Mondriaan Fund currently consists of 16 parts. An overview of all publications can be found at mondriaanfonds.nl/essays.