Negen (Nine)

In the exhibition Negen (Nine) Witte de With presented work by nine Dutch artists, who, although representing nine independent stances within the panorama of current Dutch art, could be considered as part of one and the same artistic generation. The exhibition travelled with different works by the same artists to other European venues: the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato, the Kunstverein Düsseldorf and the Provincial Museum Hasselt.

The nine artists were: Philip Akkerman (Vaassen, 1957), Rob Birza (Geldrop, 1962), Paul Cox (Rosmalen, 1962), Guido Geelen (Thorn, 1961), Joep van Lieshout (Ravenstein, 1963), Willem Oorebeek (Pernis, 1953), Charly van Rest (Djakarta, 1946), Han Schuil (Voorschoten, 1958) and Roos Theuws (Valkenswaard, 1957).

Witte de With sought out artists who had been working independently of schools and tendencies and who had each formed and expanded a personal position. By presenting different Dutch artists together, at various European locations, Witte de With generated a situation of positive conflict and evoked a discussion about the role Dutch art takes in international developments. The touring exhibition enabled both public and specialists to draw lines, relationships and revisions within the landscape of Dutch contemporary art, forcing them to take a stance.