Love of drawing*

This summer, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam presents the exhibition Love of drawing. Artists choose from the collection. Around forty works from one of the most important collections of contemporary drawing in the Netherlands, the former NOG collection, will be on display. SNS Reaal, the former owner of this special corporate collection, donated the collection to the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in 2021. The collection beautifully reflects Dutch art of the last 30 years, with a particular emphasis on drawing as a medium. Artists Fatima Barznge, Koen Taselaar and Susanna Inglada, whose works are part of the collection, were invited by the museum to select works by fellow artists for this exhibition. Featuring works by Marlene Dumas, Charlotte Schleiffert, Erik van Lieshout, Dan Zhu, Erik Mattijssen, Evelyn Taocheng Wang and many others, Love of drawing is a must-see for lovers of contemporary drawing.

The urgency of drawing
The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam has invited three artists – Fatima Barznge, Koen Taselaar and Susanna Inglada – to cast their artistic eye over the collection. Drawing is fundamental to each of these artists’ practice. Their love of drawing is very personal. Fatima Barznge works abstractly, thinking in drawn patterns and symbolism; Susanna Inglada’s drawings tell a story and are very direct; and for Koen Taselaar, drawing is akin to day dreaming – the hand commits to paper, unfiltered, what is going on in the artist’s head. Through their drawings, they reflect on the world around us and at the same time offer us a glimpse into their private inner world. Especially in the age of AI, algorithms and fake news, the simplicity and directness of the medium of drawing has tremendous power. This exhibition is driven by their love of drawing and, surprisingly, includes not only drawings but also paintings, collages, sculptures and multimedia installations. The artists present a surprising selection of works that are in some way related to their own practice, whether in theme, execution or technique.

Fatima Barznge’s choice
Fatima Barznge (Aghjalar, 1968) produces series of abstract drawings, installations and murals that reflect influences from both Islamic art traditions and European modern art. ​
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​Barznge: ‘When I think of drawing, I think of line and writing. Because in Arabic, ‘line’ also means ‘calligraphy’ or ‘writing’. A drawing is ‘naqsh’, which means ‘to decorate’. […] Art is a great way to exchange ideas and bridge the gap between different cultures.’
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​Among the works on display during the exhibition is Barznge’s wall-sized drawing installation ZamZam / Study of a Square (2017). Other works she has selected include an energetic drawing by Elly Strik, Marlene Dumas’ Watering Woman (Waterende Vrouw) (1996) and the organic, abstract drawings of Shelagh Keeley.

Fatima Barznge, Study of Square/ZamZam, 2017-2019, acrylverf en potlood op papier, 180,0 x 500,0 cm, Collectie Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Schenking NOG Collectie/Stichting Beheer SNS REAAL

A collection for artists
Over a period of 30 years, art collector Frits Becht (curator from 1994-2001) and art advisor Corrie van der Veen (curator from 2001-2013) built up this special collection in close consultation with the artists, many of whom were still young. They bought works of art – sometimes before the paint had even dried – directly from the artists’ studios. As a result, they always had a close relationship with the artists whose works were included in the collection. In 2013, SNS Reaal transferred the management of the collection to the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, which has since continued to expand the collection with new acquisitions. In 2021, the NOG Collection was donated in its entirety to the museum, as it fits seamlessly into the museum’s existing collection of contemporary, engaged art. In the spirit of the NOG Collection’s close relationship with its artists, Love of drawing was also created in close consultation with the artists who feature in it.

Publication
​To celebrate the generous donation of the Stichting Beheer SNS Reaal to the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, WBOOKS is also publishing Liefde voor tekenen to coincide with the opening of the exhibition. Featuring interviews with Fatima Barznge, Koen Taselaar and Susanna Inglada, the publication offers an up-to-date reflection on contemporary drawing and presents an overview of the entire former NOG collection. Compiled by Catrien Schreuder, Head of Art and History, the book includes contributions from Catrien Schreuder, Krista van der Bron, Luna de Schepper and Edita Aleksanian.

Work by these artists can be seen in the exhibition Love of drawing:

• Fatima Barznge
• Dineke Blom
• Paul Drissen
• Marlene Dumas
• Helen Frik
• Alexander Guy
• Claire Harvey
• Caren van Herwaarden
• Susanna Inglada
• Nour-Eddine Jarram
• Esther Jiskoot
• Shelagh Keeley
• Joost Krijnen
• Erik van Lieshout
• Erik Mattijssen
• Ronald Noorman
• Jacqueline Peeters
• Anne Jaap de Rapper
• Josef Sassoon Semah
• Charlotte Schleiffert
• Pieter Slagboom
• Elly Strik
• Koen Taselaar
• Aline Thomassen
• Piet Tuytel
• Emo Verkerk
• Evelyn Taocheng Wang
• Dan Zhu

Header image: Charlotte Schleiffert, Man in red nature, 2010, graphite pencil, pastel pencil and acrylic on paper, the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam Collection, donation from NOG Collectie/Stichting Beheer SNS REAAL