Art Rotterdam: Now/Forever

The AkzoNobel Art Foundation was invited by the International Art Fair in Rotterdam to curate a presentation titled Now/Forever with a selection of artworks of international galleries. This edition was the 20th anniversary of the Art Fair. Leading criteria in the selection for Now/Forever were topicality (Now) and sustainability (Forever).

The presentation brought together different disciplines such as video art, sculptures, panting, photography and mixed media. “The starting point is to create a central place at the fair where works from different galleries are placed side by side and engage with each other and the viewer,” according to Hester Alberdingk Thijm, director AkzoNobel Art Foundation.

Sikkens products were used for the Now/Forever stand; the variety in Sikkens tones complement the colorful artworks and underline AkzoNobel’s passion for paint. The Now/Forever stand exemplifies working together, not only in selection – artworks from different (inter)national galleries and artists placed next to each other - but also in form: it is an architectural design by Tom Postma Design that lifts both visitors and artworks on a stage.

During the preview event of the fair on Wednesday February 6, the Board of the AkzoNobel Art Foundation, i.e. Thierry Vanlancker and Maëlys Castella, opened this presentation festively and announced that Krijn de Koning’s ‘BOX’ artwork would be added to the AkzoNobel Art Collection. De Koning’s work, specially made for the Now/Forever presentation, embodies the qualities of painting and architecture. De Koning’s won the Sikkens prize in 2007.