De Ateliers says goodbye to artist Jan Dibbets as a member of the Supervisory Board and welcomes artist Natasja Kensmil as a new member of the Supervisory Board.
De Ateliers is very grateful to Jan Dibbets (Weert, 1941) for his enormous achievements. In 1968 he became a permanent supervisor at what was then still called Ateliers ’63. He continued to do so tirelessly for more than thirty years, until 2001. Several generations of artists benefited from his critical support, from Emo Verkerk, Hans van Hoek, Jan Andriesse and Marlene Dumas in the 1970s to Marien Schouten, Rob Birza and Steven Aalders in the eighties and Erik van Lieshout, Robert Zandvliet, Natasja Kensmil and Thomas Houseago in the nineties.
Jan Dibbets was undoubtedly the driving force behind the development of the now worldwide renowned artists’ institute. Together with Edgar Fernhout, he turned De Ateliers into the “finely tuned machine” where young talent in the visual arts could grow to great heights. With Stanley Brouwn, Carel Visser, Ger van Elk and other artists, he perfected a new model for talent development that became an example for the restructuring of Dutch art education. As a member of the Supervisory Board, he made an effort from 2017 to 2021 for an administrative reorganization that does justice to the central position of the artist as a tutor and the young artist as a participant.
Natasja Kensmil (Amsterdam, 1973) took part in De Ateliers from 1996 to 1998. The painter made a name for herself with expressive images, in which violence, fear and abuse of power from a bygone era seem more urgent than ever before. Her exhibition ‘Monument der Regentessen’ is currently on view in the Hermitage, Amsterdam. Previously she had solo exhibitions at the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, 2017), the Royal Hibernian Gallery (Dublin, 2013) and Michael Stevenson Gallery (Cape Town, 2010). She regularly exhibits at Galerie Andriesse-Eyk in Amsterdam and has participated in numerous group exhibitions at home and abroad.
Natasja Kensmil knows De Ateliers inside out, not only as a former participant but also as a regular guest tutor. She will become a member of the Supervisory Board on 21 May 2021 for a term of four years. Natasja Kensmil: “I have a warm heart for De Ateliers. It is a unique institute that I am happy to commit to, also in the future.”
Chairman of the Supervisory Board Rijkman Groenink: “The Supervisory Board would like to warmly thank Jan Dibbets for his great dedication, his contribution to the long-term success of De Ateliers and the inspiring collaboration. We warmly welcome Natasja Kensmil to our midst.”