Inspired by the words of John Maeda: ‘‘When there is less, we appreciate everything much more’’, Britte Koolen her work consists of minimalist, sculptural installations and wall sculptures.
Driven by the minimalistic principles including reuse, organisation and reduction, Britte her work embraces our universal desire to create order out of chaos. It is necessary, or rather urgent to pause, take a moment, investigate and search for the essentials. When creating her sculptures, Britte restricts herself to basic geometrical shapes: the circle, the rectangle and the square. Her use of colour is also steadfast, as she remains faithful to the same shades of red, yellow, purple and black, which regularly recur in her installations and wall sculptures.
When Britte starts working on a new sculpture, the place where it is ultimately shown is leading. The space around the work is just as important as the space it occupies. Prior to the making process, she therefore visits the location and investigates how a sculpture, but also herself, can relate to the space.
• Exhibition at Galerie Bart: (Hidden) Trophies 2024 • Connection 2022 • BIG ART 2022 • Sentient Shapes 2022
CV
Britte Koolen, born 1994 (NL), lives and works in Utrecht. She has obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Design at University of the Arts, Utrecht. Koolen has also graduated from Vogue Academy Amsterdam.
Britte has been exhibiting her art since 2017. Her work has been shown in various art fairs (This ArtFair, OBJECT Rotterdam, Art Rendez Vous Breda, Miami art week). As an artist represented by Galerie Bart, Britte is also represented by Alfa Gallery, an artist-run contemporary art space in Miami.
The installations seem to be difficult or intellectual, however are best discovered not by analytical contemplation, but by walking around them, seeing them from all angles and experiencing them as they are and as you are in space. Precision is key, precision can sometimes be arrived at intuitively. Imperfections that show up while working can be deleted, but likewise exaggerated to become formal elements. The position of the sculptures within the installation keeps the viewer in suspension, caught in the moment of decision or indecision. One millimeter to the left or a millimeter to the right suddenly means everything.
In 2021 she did the Inversion program by Talent hub Brabant where she was guided by various experts from the field for workshops, executive coaching, masterclasses and sessions. Britte has been nominated fort he SBK Young Talent Award and for the SBK Otto Hetterscheid Stimulation Prize.
Press & Publications
2021 •
Elle decoration, House of Fun, Boijmans van Beuningen, collaboration with Monique van der Reijen.
Elle decoration trend event 2021, Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, collaboration with Monique van der Reijen.
2020 •
Artsy, via Alfa Gallery Miami.
2019 •
Metropolis M, Moira Utrecht – Britte Koolen.
2018 •
SBK Young Talents Sprouts 2018.
