Kunsthal Kloof Residency
Kunsthal Kloof organized a residency for two recently graduated artists to work on site for a month to create an exhibition. During U? 2025, they present the work of Hazel van Berkel, who creates impressive installations that draw attention to the neglected pigeon, and Robin Janmaat, an illustrator whose fairy-tale-like work consists of drawings, a video work, animal masks and a ceramic chessboard, all of which showing a clear appreciation for nature and the mystical.
Together, the artists explore how perspectives can shift and flip as you get closer to the surface. The exhibition takes inspiration from mystical wayfinders and clear autumn lakes. From a distance, the upper and lower surfaces appear as separate worlds. But once you get close, you will find those strict lines become blurry. It questions the difference between human and animalist behaviour and beliefs. Small and big worlds are contrasted and connected. The result is an exhibition that plays with size and perspective, and challenges the audience to explore and wander. For U? the artists developed a unique performance that you don’t want to miss.
Hazel van Berkel
A handwritten note on the street, the attentiveness of a bicycle repairman, and a pair of pigeons captured in a moment of silence. Hazel van Berkel documents the small actions and gestures that are often overlooked. Through installations, videos, performances and carefully curated collections, she invites us to reflect on how we assign value to the things around us. While society often pays attention to what is loud and visible, van Berkel shifts our focus to the unseen, highlighting the subtle connections between human and non-human life.
Robin Janmaat
A world that exists between memories, dreams, and stories. A place where fact spills over into fiction. Often inspired by nature, Robin Janmaat depicts a humanization of the natural world. From a life-size insect costume to small conversations in a painted landscape. Using various techniques such as film, textiles, printing techniques, paintings and photography, she wants to take the viewer on a journey and make that alienated world a reality.