Curators

Charles Esche

• Charles Esche (1962) is a curator and writer
• Since 2004 he is the director of the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven (NL)
• From 2000-2004 he was director of the Rooseum Center of Contemporary Art in Malmö, (S) before that visual Arts Director of Tramway, Glasgow (UK)
• He is editor of Afterall Journal and Books since 1998 and has co-curated two major biennales: the 9th Istanbul Biennial (with Vasif Kortun) and the Gwangju Biennale in 2002.
• In 2005 he was the initiator of a major gathering called Cork Caucus, Ireland
• On May 17th 2006 the van Abbemuseum won under his supervision, the Incentive Prize for Cultural Diversity 2006 of the Mondriaan Foundation, with the plan “Be(co)ming Dutch in the Age of Global Democracy”

Kerstin Niemann

• Lives and works in Eindhoven (NL) and Hamburg (D)
• Since 2006 guest curator at the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (NL) with projects such as ”Academy. Learning from the Museum” and “your-space” (www.your-space.nl)
• From 2000 on worked for several institutions and exhibition projects, e.g. assistant of Saskia Bos at the 2nd berlin biennial and curatorial intern of the Rubell Family Collection in Miami
• Publishes and writes: Gastfreundschaft. Stipendiatenstätten und ihre Angebote” (Halle für Kunst Lüneburg e.V.), “Floating World - das Burning Man Festival” and “As if by magic” (Art Centre South Florida, Miami) …
• Founder of the project platform “FILTER” (www.filter-hamburg.com)

Stephanie Smith

• Director of Collections and Exhibitions and Curator of Contemporary Art at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, as well as an affiliate member of the Department of Visual Arts and a founding member of the Department’s Open Practice Committee.
• Developed the Smart’s contemporary program by focusing on thematic exhibitions that play off the museum’s university context such as Adaptation: Video Installations by Ben-Ner, Herrera, Sullivan, and Sussman & The Rufus Corporation, 2008; Adrian Piper: The Mythic Being, 2007; Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art, 2005 (coorganized by the Smart Museum and Independent Curators International), and Ecologies: Mark Dion, Peter Fend, Dan Peterman, 2000.

 

Artists In residence

Otto Berchem

• Otto Berchem is an artist
• Lives and works in Amsterdam, NL
• Recent exhibitions include: Istanbul, 9th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, 2005; Give(a)way, EV+A, Limerick, 2006; Branding, Kunsthaus CentrePasquArt, Biel, 2006; Sur la Route, S.M.A.K., Gent, 2007; The Suspended Moment (H & F Collection), Centraal Museum, Utrecht, 2007

 

Other Contributors

Corine Smith

• Corine Smith is a Dutch photographer
• Born in Gouda, The Netherlands. She lives and works in Detroit, Michigan
• Currently researching issues revolving around mobility and car culture in Detroit.
• More of her work can be seen at www.corinesmith.com