Contact:
leeuwarjen@gmail.com
Arjen de Leeuw's work often positions itself at the intersection of impossibility, destiny and limitation. His films tread the line between fiction and reality, to show us a world filled with the tragic and absurd.
We are witness to a control room that regulates a volcano, a woman with memory loss in a melting landscape, an architect positioned next to an anthill - each creating an isolated space where meanings can shift.
de Leeuw often uses nature as a mirror of our limits as human beings, playfully exploring the hubris that we can control things larger than us. His films use characters whose fervency is revealed in situations where options are non-existent, creating space for tensions and unanticipated possibilities to emerge.
de Leeuw combines his background in sculpture with his experience in set-making and costume design to link the imagination with controlled environments. Theatrical characters lend his films a sense of the unexpected as an entry point into reality, creating a freedom that provides a more fascinating insight than straight fact.
Bio:
Arjen de Leeuw was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1972, where he still lives and works. He graduated from the Royal Academy of the Arts in The Hague in 1995. While his background is in sculpture, his focus has gradually shifted towards the moving image. His work has been exhibited and screened both nationally and internationally at galleries including Galeria Joan Prats in Barcelona and Keith Talent Gallery in London. His work has been screened oa. at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Reine Sophia Museum in Madrid, at Istanbul Modern in Istanbul, the International Film Festival of Rotterdam and 25Fps in Zagreb. In addition to his artistic practice, he has also designed theatre sets and costumes for several experimental theatre productions.
Education
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| 1991-1995 | Bachelor of fine arts, sculpture department, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag, the Netherlands |
| Grants | |
| 2013 | Basisstipendium Mondriaanfonds |
| 2006 | Basisstipendium Fonds BKVB |
| 2002 | Basisstipendium Fonds BKVB |
| 1996 | Startstipendium Fonds BKVB |
Prizes |
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| 2007 | Workspace 2007, Filmhuis, Den Haag, the Netherlands |
Residencies |
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| 2013 | Glogauair , Berlin, Germany |
| 2011 | Kunsthuis Syb, Beetsterzwaag,The Netherlands |
| 2010 | the Arctic Circle Program, Spitsbergen |
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videofestivals |
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| 2019 | Samples, Mexico city, Mexico |
| 8th International Video Art Festival of Camagüey, Cuba | |
| 2018 | Fiva, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| 2017 | Signes de Nuits, in competition, Lisbon, Portugal |
| 2016 | Art speaks out, special screening during Till its gone, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul,Turkey |
| Viva con agua, Hamburg, Germany | |
| Art speaks out, spazio Adiacenze, Bologna, Italy | |
| 2015 | Art speaks out, Soho house, Berlin, Germany |
| 2014 | Outcasting: Fourth Wall Festival, UK |
| Yukon Riverside art festival, Dawson city, Canada | |
| 2013 | Beyond the Dutch Mountain Video festival , Heerlen, the Netherlands |
| 5th Cairo Video festival, Cairo, Egypt | |
| Channels Festival, Melbourne, Australia | |
| 17th international videofestival Videomedeja, Serbia | |
| 2012 | Signes de Nuit, Paris |
| 25fps, Zagreb, Croatia | |
| Rencontres International, Haus der Kulturen der welt, Berlin | |
| Kino.Lab, CSW, Warsaw, Poland | |
| 2011 | Rencontres International, Filmoteca, Madrid |
| E cinema night, Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| 2010 | le Banquet de Blanche Neige, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France |
| Rencontre International, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin | |
| Videoex festival, Zurich | |
| Hors Pistes festival, Centre Pompidou, Paris | |
| E* cinema Unstable matters, Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| filmbanktour nr 25, Filmmuseum Amsterdam, het Hoogt, Utrecht, de Balie, Amsterdam,Focus Filmtheater, Arnhem,Verkadefabriek, Den Bosch, Filmhuis Lumen, Delft, Zeebelt theater, Den Haag,VHDG, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands | |
| Rencontre International, Reine Sofia Museum, Madrid, Spain | |
| International Filmfestival Rottterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands | |
| 2009 | Rencontre International, Centre Pompidou, Paris |
| Weesperzijde filmstrookfestival, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| Noordelijk filmfestival, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands | |
| Floss, VHDG, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands | |
| Architecture filmfestival, Rotterdam, the Netherlands | |
| Revision, Dutch filmfestival, Utrecht, he Netherlands | |
| 25fps, Zagreb, Croatia | |
| 2007 | Indie Memphis Micro Cinema Club, Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Central Cinema Seattle, Washington, USA | |
| Filmfrontfestival, Gorcums museum, Gorichum, the Netherlands | |
| Videoar(Te)mpoAttivo, curated by Fiammetta strigoli, Plasma Art, Firenze, Italy | |
| 2006 | Prescriptions, a videonight by Spark video at ForestCity gallery, London Ontario, Canada |
| Videothek, Korperein/satz. Hedah, Maastricht, the Netherlands, Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladberg, countryclub InternationalVideo Art Festival and Competiton, Germany | |
| NPS new arrivals, website | |
| 2005 | Impakt avBBQ night, Impakt festival, Utrecht, the Netherlands |
| 2004 | Halloweird, Microcinema, shown oa, New York, San Francisco , USA |
| All tomorrows deja vu, Video Mundi, Chicago, USA | |
| Island art film and videofestival, London, UK | |
| Love and other difficulties, Microcinema, shown oa in San Francisco, Houston, Oakland, USA | |
| Rotterdam VHS festival, of Corso, het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam, the Netherlands | |
| 2003 | Exploding cinema, London,UK |
| 25HRS, the videoartfoundation, Barcelona, Spain | |
Exhibitions |
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| 2017 | Topophilia, part of the Meetings festival, Jutland, Denmark |
| 2016 | Till it’s gone, Istanbul Modern, Turkey |
| 2015 | Sfear fan ynset, de eerste Trienale van Beetsterzwaag, organised by Kunsthuis SYB, Beestserzwaag, The Netherlands |
| 2014 | Magnetic North, Avenue of the Americas Art gallery, New York City, USA |
| Coming Soon, Bureau Europa, Maastricht | |
| Hoge Horizon, Stedelijk Museum Lier, Belgium | |
| 2012 | Une Condition Naturelle,( a collaboration with Walter van Broekhuizen), Lokaal 01, Breda, the Netherlands |
| 2011 | La Commune, Global Talks, Stockholm, Sweden |
| Black Velvet, Skybox, Amsterdam | |
| Une Condition Naturelle, ( a collaboration with Walter van Broekhuizen) kunsthuis SYB, Beetsterzwaag, the Netherlands | |
| 2009 | Visions of William Living ( a collaboration with Pia Wergius) is shown as part of her solo exhibition in Kristinehamns Konst Museum , Sweden |
| Video festival Narave, Mestnagalerija, Ljubljana, Slovenija | |
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2008 |
Amsterdam Int Filmfestival, de Melkweg, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Visions of William Living, met Pia Wergius, de Veemvloer, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| 2007 | Festival del creativita, Florence, Italy |
| de altijd prijs prijs, de Fabriek, Eindhoven, The Netherlands | |
| Visions of William Living, met Pia Wergius, Filmhuis, Den Haag, the Netherlands | |
| 2005 | the Videodictionary, as part of Impakt festival, Utrecht, the Netherlands |
| Disegnitudine, la quotidianita’dell’utopia curated by Fiametta Strigoli La Giarina arte Contemporanea,Verona, Italy | |
| Access, Consortium, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| Use this Kind of sky, curated by Paul Eachus and Nooshin Farhid, Keith Talent Gallery, London, UK | |
| La mossa delle idee, Sala santa Rita, curated by Fiametta Strigoli, Rome, Italy/Spacio Uno, Firenze, Italy | |
| 2004 | No premises/no conclusions, curated by Manuel Saiz, Moriarty gallery, Madrid, Spain |
| 2003 | De Grote Verbeelding, de Grote kerk, Den Haag, the Netherlands |
| Overexposed, curated by Jorge Bravo, Joan Prats Gallery, Barcelona, Spain | |
| 2001 | Vertrek en verblijf, op Admiralengracht 52, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| 2000 | Vertrek en verblijf in Pakhuis Wilhelmina, Amsterdam , the Netherlands |
| 1999 | Youthquake, W139, Amsterdam , the Netherlands |
| Lijn 21, a public action of Ruim, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| Een pier with a view, a public project of Ruim at Stenen Hoofd, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| 1998 | Blow up, Hooghuis, Arnhem, the Netherlands |
| Uitgelicht 2, Kunstrai, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | |
| 1997 | Voor Jou, Hooghuis, Arnhem, the Netherlands |
| 1996 | Experienced, W139, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| 1995 | Bazaar139, W139, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| 2x, Galerie Liter, Den Haag, the Netherlands | |
| de Ruimte, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag, the Netherlands | |
the films are also distributed by Eye film, Amsterdam |
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Broadcasts |
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| 2015 | Ikono TV |
| 2013 | Ikono TV |
| 2010 | Souvenirs from Earth, on European cable network, broadcasted in May |
| 2007 | Metropolis, broadcasted on TVE(Spanisch national television), Spain |
| 2003 | Videovisions, broadcasted by Edith Russ haus fur Medienkunst, Oldenburg, Germany |
Teaching and lectures |
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| 2008 | Guest teacher at Hogeschool voor de kunsten Utrecht, the Netherlands |
| Lecture on costume design, Hogeschool voor de kunsten Utrecht, the Netherlands | |
Side activities |
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| 2012- 2014 | Member of the programming committee of Kunsthuis Syb, Beetsterzwaag, The Netherlands |
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set and costume design |
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| 2018 | set and costumes for RASA, during Motel Mosaique, a project by Marjolijn van Heemstra and Monnik, Rotterdam |
| 2016 | props and costumes for Kiemkracht, directed by Gienke Deuten |
| setdesign and costumes for Uwe Leipe Mastdramnis, Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, directed by Jeroen de Man, Music Rob Zuidam, premiered in Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, Amsterdam | |
| 2014 | setdesign for Als ik de liefde niet heb, directed by Marjolein van Heemstra, Ro Theater, Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
| 2013 | concept, set and costumes for het Strijkplankenkwartet, made together with Gienke Deuten and Het Ragazzekwartet, performed oa. at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2012 | costumes and props for Draak in Huis, a play by Elien van Hoek, produced by Stip/het Houten huis, the Netherlands |
| 2010 | masks for Beet, a play by Elien van Hoek, produced by Stip/het Houten huis,the Netherlands |
| 2008 | costumedesign for Alles is goed, direction Gienke Deuten, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| 2006 | concept, set and costumes for Springplank voor de Val, a theatreproject with Gienke Deuten, produced by het Lab,Utrecht, The Netherlands |
| 2005 | costumedesign for De Groote Storm, direction Rieks Swarte, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| 2004 | costumedesign for Woord, direction Rieks Swarte, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| costumedesign for Van de Wind en de Berg, direction Emanuel Muris, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands | |
| 2003 | stage and costumedesign for Zootopia, direction EmanuelMuris,Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| 2002 | stage and costumedesign for ‘He de zee' direction Emanuel Muris, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem |
| 2001 | stage and costumedesign for Alice in Wonderland direction Emanuel Muris, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| 2000 | stage and costumedesign for Krampen van een Dyslecticus, direction Emanuel Muris, Toneelschuurprodukties, Haarlem, the Netherlands |
| 1999 | stage and costumedesign for Lenz, direction Emanuel Muris, played oa.at Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| Publications / reviews (a selection) | |
| 2017 | catalogue Meetings festival, Denmark |
| 2015 | catalogue Till its gone, Istanbul Modern, Istanbul |
| 2015 | a solo publication; Infra no 12 |
| 2012 | catalogue, 25fps, Zagreb |
| 2010 | a book: Film3, Eye film |
| 2009 | catalogue, 25fps, Zagreb |
| 2005 | catalogue, La Mossa delle idee, Firenze |
| 2005 | review, Flash art Italy, (La Mossa delle idee) |
| 2005 | review, El Cultural, (No premises, no conclusions), Madrid |
| 2005 | catalogue, No premises, no conclusions, Madrid |
| 2003 | review, El Pais, (Overexposed) |
| 2003 | review, (De grote verbeelding)De Volkskrant, NRC, Het Parool |
| 2003 | catalogue, De grote verbeelding |
| 2003 | catalogue, 25 HRS, Barcelona |
| 2001 | publication, HTV de IJsberg nr 39 nov |
| 1999 | review, De Volkskrant, (Youthquake) |
| 1999 | catalogue, Uitgelicht 2, Fonds BKVB |