rene-joffe-exhibition textrene-joffe-exhibition text

Published in 2014 on Juliette Jongma

(...)
In a quiet residential street, about a 15-minute walk from Tilburg central station, Just Quist's studio is located in a former classroom of a small elementary school. A teacher answers the door, and when I tell him whom I'm there to visit, he vaguely points the way while trying to control his students running to the playground outside. It appears to be 'somewhere in the back' so I pass through the lobby that houses some wooden furniture and books, walk through the folding door and end up in a hallway that leads to a small gymnasium. I feel like the big, friendly giant in these miniature surroundings and I can't help but wonder if this unusual environment affects the artist and his work; Schools are often places of memory, but not necessarily of reflection. When I knock on the door, I'm once again reminded of Quist's impressive stature. He offers me tea that he prepares in his tiny studio kitchen where the sink hits his tall frame on knee level, and we start talking.

Rene Joffe, what will be the show's title, comes to the surface quite literally in several moments throughout the selected pieces. The initials are turned into a work themselves or intervene other existing pieces. I catch myself wondering about their symbolic meaning when I realize they might just 'merely' be a random assortment of letters that automatically manoeuvre your mind into thinking this has to have a reference. Some works are lying on the floor, others hang on the wall. There are monochrome geometric paintings, either in a rectangular or diamond shape of which some are plain steel and others are brightly coloured and textured.
(...)

For some time now, as an artist, I have been striving for a transitive space, an open area where potential connections are made between various disciplines, objects, units of time, and ideas.

I have studied the shifts in positions concerning abstraction and figuration, the sign and its meaning, and the idea and its visual translation. To me, these shifts and the place and moment within which they occur represent a political situation.

And somewhere in or around that, I suspect there is an idea of space or a viewpoint that might be worthwhile.

Media in the broadest sense of the word holds my interest. I try to pose questions about how our lives are historically interpreted and trapped in a predetermined web of signs and meanings, sometimes referred to as an event.

These events seem (more often than not) to be an end in themselves. For various reasons, they often cause only a fleeting effect. These forms of effect represent a reality I struggle with.

After previously turning my back on visual art, I resumed my visual practice around 2010 with the significant difference that I am now a painter. So that is the starting point. Yet, through the exhibitions I create, I attempt to extend my perspective on painting beyond the classical interpretation of the medium. Starting from a stance of nonchalance in handling materials, I explore different possibilities of expression. Not in search of an essence or purity, but rather a certain objectivity.

with the kind support of Mondriaanfonds

Future
2025 for Sea Foundation at Oda Park
2025 duo show at R.O.S.L. with Vincent Verhoef

Past
Solo and Duo Exhibitions

2023 Media Sails at Former Office, Eindhoven, solo
2021 Studio de Gruyter, Tilburg, window exhibition, solo
2020 Art Rotterdam with Sarah & Charles, CINNNAMON, NL duo
2020 Overschilderschilderij Rotterdam, NL
2019 Ook, ik, ben dood, CINNNAMON, Rotterdam, NL solo
2019 ‘allo ‘allo, with Roeland Tweelinckx, Barbé Urbain, Ghent, BE duo
2019 I want you, with Clary Stolte, de Bouwput, Amsterdam, NL duo
2017 Pla Lino, did you see that lonny pie, CINNNAMON, Rotterdam, NL solo
2016 0, with Giorgos Kontis, Fan, Vienna, AUT duo
2015 A Cat Under The Blankets, with Micha Patiniott, Whatspace presents,Tilburg, NL duo
2014 Rene Joffe, Juliette Jongma, Amsterdam, NL solo
2013 There is Nothing There to Save the Organisers, K.I. Beyoncé, Amsterdam, NL
2013 Galerie Arti Capelli, Den Bosch, NL duo
2013 Deschilderhetwerkhetatelier, ruimte Caesuur, Middelburg, NL solo
2012 Back and Forth, Kunst Rotterdam Noord, Rotterdam, NL solo
2012 Re:Rotterdam, Rotterdam, NL solo
2011 Kunstpodium-T, Tilburg, NL solo

Group Exhibitions
2021 After Daan van Golden at Parts Projects Den Haag, curated by Robbin Heyker and Niek Hendrix
2020 Superweakness curated by Machteld Rullens Superweakness Den Haag, NL
2020 STAY CAT ION Barbe Urbain Gent, B
2019 Copy Machine, Printroom Rotterdam NL
2018 Hazenstraat Biennale, Galerie Martin van Zomeren, Amsterdam, NL
2018 Boarding galleries, Antwerp Art Weekend, B
2017 OFF THE WALL, CAR-DRDE, Bologna, IT
2016 Thinking Sense, Witteveen Art Center, Amsterdam, NL curated by Saskia Monshouwer
2016 Neighbours vol.5, CARdrde gallery Bologna, IT curated by Manor Grunewald
2015 SURROUNDED by SAGACITY, Pictura, Dordrecht, NL
2015 Touchy Feely, Juliette Jongma galerie, Amsterdam, NL

2015 Middenweg at Postkamer, Amsterdam, NL
 curated by Mitch Thar
2015 Art Rotterdam with Juliette Jongma, Rotterdam, NL
2014 Hijacking Karma#2, Nest nestruimte, Den Haag, NL curated by Daniel van Straalen
2014 Fool Disclosure, Last Resort Gallery Copenhagen, Kopenhagen, DK curated by Mikkel Carl
2014 Art Brussels with Juliette Jongma, Brussel, BE
2013 Nieuwe Vide, Haarlem, NL
2013 Hijacking Karma (in a positive way), Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, NL curated by Daniel van Straalen
2013 Zomertentoonstelling, ruimte Caesuur ‘Het Atelier’, Middelburg, NL
2013 Reason & Romance, 6b-gallery, Elingen, BE curated by Alain Biltereyst
2013 Slow is Smooth is Fast, Boetzelaer|Nispen, Amsterdam, NL
2013 De schilder, Het werk, Het atelier, Grote Kerk, Veere, NL
2012 HOT DAMN/HOT YOGA, Whatspace & Yogacentrum Tilburg, Tilburg, NL
2012 Incubate festival, Tilburg, NL
2012 Summertime, Museum Le Secet, Koudekerke, NL
2011 Incubate Festival, Tilburg, NL

Curatorial projects

2020 The Balustrade, Mitchell Thar, Tilburg NL
2020 The Balustrade, Thomas Rameckers, Tilburg NL
2019 The Balustrade, Robin Heyker, Tilburg NL
2015 The WRONG Biennale, Sliversurfer pavilion co-curated with Koen Delaere, online
2015 A Cat Under The Blankets, duo exhibition with Micha Patiniott, Whatspace presents, Tilburg, NL
2014 LET GOOOOO, Ruimte Caesuur, Middelburg, NL
2012 GRADUS, Oliver Rafferty, Tilburg, NL
2012 The Ultimate Harmony show by the HARD CORE, Upominki, with Rosa Sijben and Roos Wijma, Rotterdam, NL

Talks and teaching

2021 After Daan van Golden talk with Carel Blotkamp, Mirthe Klück, Niek Hendrix
2019 Guest tutor KABK Den Hague, painting & printmaking, NL
2019 Book presentation/ talk with Bas van den Hurk, CINNNAMON Rotterdam, NL
2018 Guest tutor, Frank Mohr Institute, Groningen, NL invited by Isabel Cordeiro
2018 Guest lecturer, Bcadamie, Rotterdam, NL
2017 Guest tutor, In Het Midden AKV St.Joost TAC Eindhoven, NL
2016 Artist talk, AKV St.Joost Breda, NL
2015 SAVE THE LOOM, talk with Bas van den Hurk and Just Quist, moderator: Artur d'Ansembourg at AGA Amsterdam, NL
2013 Conversation with Harmen Eijzenga and Hans Overvliet, Caesuur, Middelburg, NL

Publications

2023 Media Sails on Jegens & Tevens
2021 After Daan van Golden Contemporary Art Daily
2022 21 Biennale internationale Petit Format de Papier with R.S.O.L (Ton Kruse)
2020 Art Rotterdam - Art Tribune , Lost Painters , Trendbeheer
2019 Ook, ik, ben dood - Art Viewer, Trendbeheer, Jegens Tevens
2019 'allo 'allo - Hart Magazine
2019 In The Blink Of An Eye/ In Een Oogopslag, Book, privately published
2017 Pla Lino, did you see that lonny pie - Art Viewer,
Daily Lazy
2017 OFF THE WALL - CARdrde
2016 Whatspace 2008 - 2016 (catalogue), A Whatspace Production
2016 Thinking Sense - Monshouwer editions
2016 Save the Loom - Monshouwer editions
2016 0 Giorgos Kontis | Just Quist Wiener Art Foundation - Daily Lazy
2016 Neighbours Vol.V - Mousse Magazine
2016 The Wrong Bienale - Metropolis M
2015 A Cat Under the Blankets - Lost Painters
2014 Hijacking Karma #2 - Trendbeheer
2014 Rene Joffe - Art map
2013 Caesuur - Lost Painters
2012 ><, Gradus - Lost Painters
2012 Back and Forth - Lost Painters

Grants, funding
2018-2022 'Established artist' Mondriaan Fund
2015 Whatspace

justque at xs4all dot nl

Link to: Instagram

With the support of
Mondriaan Fund

Design/code by
Chino Chano