Kinship

In January 2025, Club VHDG will open the Kinship exhibition at H47, with a focus on the concept of kinship. The club members have split into duos, each exploring how relationships define our sense of connection – both within personal networks and larger communities. The exhibition will feature a diverse range of works, including painting, sculpture, photography, and multimedia. The focus is on themes such as family bonds, chosen families, and the connections we create through art.

Kinship highlights two key aspects of connection: First, within the artistic community. Artists often face common challenges such as isolation and a lack of opportunities. By embracing the concept of kinship in the arts, the exhibition promotes collaboration, solidarity, and mutual support. It encourages artistic partnerships that might not thrive in isolation.

Secondly, the exhibition reflects a wider societal need for connection. The theme invites a conversation about how kinship, in all its forms, links us both personally and collectively. Artists from diverse backgrounds share their perspectives on how kinship transcends biological ties, fostering deeper, shared experiences.

This exhibition offers a platform to explore how art enables us to make connections, not only with one another but with the world around us.

Maarten & Fleur
Maarten and Fleur are working together on a project about connection, or kinship, through their art. Fleur works intuitively and experimentally, using materials like paper and fabric, allowing the process to unfold naturally. Maarten, on the other hand, starts with craftsmanship and places great value on handwork and precision. The challenge for them is to collaborate without losing their individual styles. By talking, experimenting, and respecting each other’s work, they combine their strengths to create something unique.

Christina & Jurre
Christina and Jurre approached their collaboration by exploring the boundaries of their individual living environments. They figuratively break down the walls between their two separate apartments, imagining how they might deconstruct and rearrange each other’s artistic work. Through ongoing dialogue, they explore what their immediate living spaces mean to both of them, and how this connection influences their art.

Bernadette & Carolien
Bernadette and Carolien explore how kinship can help reconnect with oneself in a hectic society. They believe kinship offers space for reflection and calm, enabling better self-understanding and enhanced empathy, both for oneself and others. In a time of constant pressure, they invite people to pause and experience the value of true connection, both internally and externally.

Luna & Sophia
Luna and Sophia began their exploration of kinship literally by getting lost during a walk in the forest. Two strangers, knowing nothing about each other, they found their way out together. This shared experience became the foundation of their creative process, where conversations deepened and connections were formed. In this exhibition, they share the kinship they built through creation, inviting others to connect through the process of making.

Opening: 17 January
Kunstruimte H47