ARTISTIC CONSULTANCY
The value of art lies in its ability to touch, move, and transform with us.
Creating the conditions for resonance with art while nurturing a regenerative creative process is a delicate balance.
How can we foster creativity and engage with art without falling into a mindset of mere possession?
How can we encourage guests and patrons to share the joy and cultivate their inner wisdom?
This is the balance I have dedicated myself to understanding—integrating it into my own practice while guiding others on this journey.
Drawing from my artistic practice of hosting spaces for profound encounters with art, alongside a background in economics and over a decade of research in regenerative systems, I provide guidance and design frameworks that amplify the transformative power of art.
PEGGY FUND
“You’re seeing less than half the picture, without the vision of woman artist and artists of colour.”
Guerilla Girls 1989
Our view on art, and consequently the world, has historically been shaped by men. In the Netherlands, art collections focusing on contemporary art still consist of only 10% art by female artists.
In 2023, I was connected with feminist activist and art collector Andrea Davina, and together we launched the Peggy fund in May 2024. Andrea brought the vision; I provided guidance on structure and designed its visual identity. The Peggy Fund was officially launched in May 2024, and our first support was provided in December 2024.
The Fund’s mission is to increase recognition and representation of female artists in Dutch public collections by acquiring one artwork by a female artist for a museum each year. We foster a close-knit group of patrons, currently 20 “Peggy’s”, who gather at intimate Peggy Dinners to discuss and deepen awareness of women’s art. Each year, our commission selects three artworks nominated by museums, and our patrons choose the final acquisition during an art dinner. Our selection focus on enriching Dutch collections, representing the contemporary female gaze, and, ultimately, the extent to which the work moves us.
The Peggy Fund’s visual identity reflects a bold, contemporary female voice, inspired by feminist artists, most notably the Guerrilla Girls. Its strong typographic style meets a scape of mimosa flowers, the symbol of International Women’s Day, enclosed within an oval form. This oval scape introduces softness and depth, aligning with a gentle counterbalance to the linear yellow identity of the Stichting Niemeijer Fonds.
Currently, I serve as a member of the Peggy Fund commission, embodying the voice of the artist. The other members include a curator, an art collector, and Andrea Davina, representing the perspective of an art activist.
As a commission member, I represent the artist’s voice alongside a curator, collector, and Andrea Davina. Being part of the Peggy Fund has deeply influenced my own research into the value of art and how our environment shapes the way we resonate with art and the world.
Commissioned by Stichting Niemeijer Fonds
SCHUIT
SCHUIT was an accelerator for a wide variety of art forms that engage the body. My work naturally gravitated toward designers and artists with a connection to fashion design, as they often shared a unique sensitivity to the body and its relationship to space, exploring how we inhabit and perceive it. From jewellery to performance and installations, my intention was to illuminate the impact of objects on how we move through life. I created a platform for these works through exhibitions and made them available for sale, allowing artistic expressions to become accessible and integrated into daily life.
With SCHUIT, I began collaborating with designers and artists from their graduation collections. I saw these as the foundation of their practice, often reflecting exceptional quality and potential. The pricing structure for each piece was made transparent through a shared drive accessible to all, fostering equality and understanding. My relationships with designers and artists were built upon trust and mutual value rather than formal contracts. Exhibitions and collaborations were initiated based on the directions of artists and designers who inspired me, creating space for their existing and new work. This approach cultivated genuine connections, allowing for a natural fluidity in our creativity and collaborations, while leading to close friendships that continue to influence my practice today.
Collaborations included: SCOPES Porsche, Gallery Marzee, KunstRAI, Fashion & Design Festival Arnhem & Droog.
Artists included: Stephanie Baechler, Buro Belén, Johannes Offerhaus, Max Zara Sterck, Diek Pothoven, Joanne Vosloo, Katharina & Cissel Dubbick, Jim Hu, Milena Naef, amongst others.
AF ENSEMBLE
AF Ensemble is an art foundation with the intention to amplify a moment of schoonheid, where inner and outer beauty come into alignment. The foundation awards a moment of schoonheid once every three to five years, as experienced in the fields of visual art, performance, and contemporary dance. Rather than honouring individuals, objects, or ideas, AF Ensemble recognises and celebrates moments. Each awarded moment becomes the starting point for a new collaborative art project with the artist(s), with the intention of carrying that moment into the future.
The foundation was established by Ard Huizing and Frances de Rijck van der Gracht as part of their legacy, before their passing in 2022 and 2023. It emerged from our shared inquiry into the value of art, a mutual appreciation for schoonheidin the arts, and the devoted patronage Ard and Frances offered.
through their involvement with the art foundation Outset, which I led for four years. I now lead AF Ensemble as both director and treasurer, working closely with a board that includes a member of Frances’ family, whose business insight serves as a trusted sounding board.
In 2023, AF Ensemble awarded the philosophy of Hardcore Heritage, embodied in several key works by RAAAF, including Bunker 599, Still Life and Deltawerk. Rather than preserving heritage through conservation, Hardcore Heritage proposes transformation: by breaking open a structure, such as cutting through concrete, the work is redefined, made accessible, and given new relevance. In collaboration with RAAAF, we defined a new project that deepens and amplifies their philosophy of Hardcore Heritage. The project was unveiled in a pre-launch in September 2024 at Het HEM for the close circle of Frances and Ard. The official launch of AF Ensemble is scheduled for early 2026.
OUTSET
With the art foundation Outset, I designed a framework to encourage meaningful connections with art and with each other — supporting projects that extend beyond domestic spaces and ensuring value for all involved, from artists and curators to institutions, patrons, visitors, and the broader art field. This framework aligned with the objectives of the Art Partners Program.
My intuition for sensing the zeitgeist and recognizing those capable of capturing it allowed me the privilege of working alongside visionary artists, curators, and directors. Their perspectives expanded my view on the current, guiding our support to reflect a contemporary worldview.
As part of this course, we supported projects such as the residency of Nicolas Jaar at Het HEM. What began as a blank slate evolved into three immersive sound and light installations, fully embedded in the space, works that continue to resonate with those who were present. This project was possible by being open, flexible, trusting and involved with the het HEM team as an independent art foundation and allowing art patrons to be part of the becoming of.
In my role as director, we supported 23 projects, and I hosted 32 programs and three international trips, including visits to the Istanbul Biennale, Japan, and Manifesta 14 Prishtina.
ZELT conceptualises, designs and produces textile spaces, unfolding as pavilions, installations, scenography and experimental forms. The studio emerged in 2022 from various collaborations between myself and Johannes Offerhaus, exploring how textiles can shape and create connections. The way one enters and feels in a space profoundly influences their openness to a connection. Textiles embody warmth, fluidity, strength and a feminine quality, holding the capacity to embrace and transform. Drawing inspiration from the contours and refined finishes of garments, we played with scale relative to the body, crafting spaces that invited guests to engage and connect collectively. Our projects were defined by a continuous exploration of other ways to dress a space, reimagining how textiles can move us and evoke resonance.
Currently, ZELT is led by Johannes, with a focus on large-scale textile projects.
ZELT
ODE TO THE HOST
“Hosting is not always visible, it is felt”
Ode to the Host is both a research project and a proposal for a prize honouring the most inspiring commissioner in the arts, developed in collaboration with Berber Meindertsma. As part of this work, we interviewed 50 individuals across the art field. Our intention was to amplify the significance of hosting as an essential aspect of commissioning, and to strengthen this practice as a vital way to contribute to the value of art.
We hold the belief that resonance brings forth resonance, that the way an artwork is born, nurtured, and brought into being is deeply felt in its final form. The presence and care of the commissioner are often essential, particularly in large-scale public art projects, where their role helps shape the conditions in which the work can emerge.
At its foundation, this research explores the concept of resonance and hosting within the art field. The foundation of our research is rooted in Hartmut Rosa's theory of Resonance. Resonance cannot be designed, one can only create the conditions for it to emerge. We define this act of creating the conditions for resonance as hosting.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding during the pandemic, this proposal was put on hold.
