Artist Statement

My art prac­tice deals with the sha­red po­ten­ti­al with­in the cre­a­ti­on, selec­ti­on and dis­play of vis­u­al lan­guag­es and the re­view­ing or re-us­ing of ex­isting work. Working in the trad­iti­on of Provi­si­onal painting I am in­ter­ested in the opportu­nities of co­l­lab­o­ra­ti­on in rela­ti­on to painting and in­stal­la­ti­on. Within these co­l­lab­o­ra­ti­ons with one or more (non)a­rtist(s) I for­mu­late con­di­ti­ons in or­der to work in­tu­itively.

Since the end of 2014, I make use of the kitch­en as an archetype with­in my art prac­tice. Next to the archetyp­i­cal qua­lities of a kitch­en, its prac­ti­cal use and de­sign ex­tend my i­deas of what (a) painting can be now­a­days. The kitch­en ac­ti­vates the painting and vice ver­sa.

The kitch­en has be­come one of the last spaces where­in form and aes­thet­ic of func­ti­ona­lity, mod­ernism and min­i­ma­lism are ar­tic­u­lat­ed so clea­rly. I’d like to see the kitch­en as an expe­rimen­tal lab­o­ratory, a place for sen­so­ry ac­tiv­i­ties, a spir­itual place and a so­cial are­a which is im­portant in bring­ing peo­ple to­geth­er. 

Theoretical Support

During my mas­ter I sea­rched for new ways how I could re­late to the art of painting. Theoreti­cal sup­port I found in texts such as Provi­si­onal Painting by Raph­a­el Ru­benstein and Why Are Con­ce­p­tu­al Artist Painting Aga­in? Because they think it’s a go­od i­dea by Jan Verwoert. They of­fered me per­spec­tive on the ques­ti­on which forms of com­mu­ni­ca­ti­on are or aren’t pos­si­ble by me­ans of the work of art, in which I take the art of painting as sta­rt­ing point. At this link you can find a sum­ma­ry of my the­sis.

Biography

Maarten Spons, *1985, Heerlen, the Netherlands. Lives and works in Arnhem, NL

Education

Master Fine Arts AKV|St. Joost ’s Hertogenbosch NL, 2013-2015 Bachelor Fine Arts, Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design NL, 2005-2009 Social pedagogical worker, Leeuwenborgh college MBO, Maastricht NL, 2001-2005 Antwerp Summer School of Art, MOBILE AUTONOMY, 24.08-30.08.2015 Hosted by Lokaal 01, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerpen, Middelheimmuseum, Extra City, Arts in Society

Group Exhibitions, Events, Projects

• 2017
The Studio, Erasmus Gallery, Rotterdam, NL
Assistance of Marijn van Kreij during art commission by Erasmus University Rotterdam
Nothing Last, Electron Breda, Breda, NL
Accompanying the master’s students of Fine Arts AKV|St. Joost by developing their exhibition for Cultuurnacht Breda

• 2016
D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself), Code Rood, Arnhem, NL
One day exhibition organised by Code Rood
with: Anke van den Brink, Broken Toaster Records, Ide André, Jelle Slof, Kai Chang, Kasper van Moll, Leonard Kuipers, Lisa Eksteen, Maarten Spons, Mireille Tap

• 2015
Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict, MOB terrain, Tilburg, NL
with: Ide André, Katrein Breukers, Dirk Bours, Koen Delaere, Jeroen Doorenweerd, Mischa Doorenweerd, Bas van den Hurk, Katherina Heil, Willem van Kempen, Liaf Lijbers, Ruben Mols, Natalia Sorzano, Maarten Spons, Camilla Steinum, Thomas Swinkels a.o.
The Collection, Greylight Projects, Brussel BE Final exhibition Mfa AKV|St. Joost Den Bosch
with: Danni van Amstel, Katrein Breukers, Giulia Cenci, Katherina Heil, Tyas Leeuwerink, Maud Oonk, Mohadeseh Rahimitabar, Maarten Spons
curated by Petra Heck
Don’t You Wonder Sometimes? A Formulary for a New Heterotopy, Eindhoven psych lab, Nul Zes, Eindhoven, NL
with: Marijn van Kreij, Gaia van Egmond, Thomas Raat, Lorelinde Verhees, Glenn Peeters, Maarten Spons
curated by Glenn Peeters and Pernilla Ellens
Things are Cooking in Our Kitchen, Greylight projects, Hoensbroek, NL
collaborative project with: Ide André, Dirk Bours, Mischa Doorenweerd, Willem de Haan, Jeroen Jaenen, Willem van Kempen, Ruben Mols, Maarten Spons, Thomas Swinkels
initiated and coordinated by Maarten Spons
The Cucumber Temple, Expoplu, Nijmegen, NL. An exhibition within a text by Martijn in ‘t Veld
with: Danni van Amstel, Katrein Breukers,Tyas Leeuwerink, Maud Oonk, Mohadeseh Rahimitabar, Maarten Spons
Concept and organisation: Mfa students,
curated by Bas van den Hurk

• 2014
Cruising Along the Ocean–Energyfuture, B32, Maastricht, NL
with: Dirk Bours, Lorna Buckley, Oscar Creemers, Paul Drissen, Chantal Le Doux, Willem van Kempen, Ray Moon, Maarten Spons
organised by Joep Vossebeld
The Artist as Producer II, Alpineum Produzentengalerie, Luzerne SUI
with: Michiel Coppens, Koen Delaere, Peggy Franck, Bas van den Hurk, gerlach en koop, Maarten Spons, Jamie Sneider, Lorelinde Verhees, Giacomo Santiago Rogado
curated by Whatspace
There & There–No(W)here, VORT, ’s Hertogenbosch, NL
Two weeks workperiod with exhibition by Mfa AKV|St. Joost students (Mfa Program)
with: Katherina Heil, Maud Oonk, Dimitris Rentoumis and Maarten Spons

• 2013
XOHOUILLE, W-O-L-K-E, Brussels BE Two weeks residency with exhibition by Mfa AKV|St. Joost students (Mfa Program)
with: Danni van Amstel, Katrein Breukers, Giulia Cenci, Katherina Heil, Tyas Leeuwerink, Maud Oonk, Mohadeseh Rahimitabar, Maarten Spons
curated by Emmanuel Lambion
No Mans Land, Hedah-B32, Maastricht, NL
with: Javkhlan Ariunbold, Heinz Bleser, Sven Bormes, Dirk Bours, Chantal Le Doux, Silvana Gerards, Verena Gründel, Ga Yeon Jo, Willem van Kempen, Franziska Klötzler, Martijn Riksen, Nora Roggausch, Maarten Spons, Dino Steinhof, Torsten Uerlings, Ferdinand Uptmoor
exhibition organised by: Dirk Bours, Chantal Le Doux, Maarten Spons, Torsten Uerlings

• 2011
OPEN STUDIO Willem van Kempen, Maarten Spons, Grote gracht 76, Maastricht, NL

• 2009
Salon Parkstad, Schunk, Heerlen, NL
with: Ruud Aarts, Ilona van den Brekel, Jean-Michel Crapanzano, Martijn Lucas van Erp, Paulien Föllings, Carry Gisbertz & John Herstein, Fabrice Hermans, Erick van Heugten, Toon Hezemans, Willem van Kempen, Michael Kolenbrander, Ray Moonen, Maarten Spons a.o
project coordinator: Tom Goossens
Graduation Show Bachelor Fine Arts ABKM, Timmerfabriek, Maastricht, NL
with: Ilona van de Brekel, Lorna Buckley, Leon Duniec, Willem van Kempen, Mike Kirchner, Pascale Lamm, Nicole Michniewski, Roel Pantsers, Maarten Spons, Paul van Vroenhoven

Publication/Interview

• The Cucumber Temple
• Interview by Peter Nijenhuis

• Teksten Website Nederlands
• Text Thesis Presentation

Contact

• Maarten Spons
• Bommerigerweg 14a
• 6281BS, Mechelen
• The Netherlands
• maartenspons_2@hotmail.com
• +31 6 23984843

• Concept and Design
• Alessandro Carosso
• alessandrocarosso.com