BOLD & GRITTY – Abstract art from public spaces

Big, bigger, biggest. On streets and squares, as well as in hidden, abandoned or overlooked spaces, many abstract paintings and graffiti are taking shape. Artists thrive in the open air, where they experience ultimate freedom, unbound by the conventions of the art world. The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, in collaboration with Rotterdam-based curators Opperclaes, is making the seemingly impossible a reality — bringing this art into the museum. Opperclaes, the curatorial duo of Bruce Tsai-Meu-Chong and Linda van der Vleuten, has selected some of the most distinctive and authentic artists from this scene, demonstrating that their work can be just as powerful within the museum’s walls.

 Colourful and abstract art installations
The international group of participating artists — Pablo Tomek (FR), Ilke Gers (NZ/NL), Yann L’Outsider (FR), Jason Revok (US), Thomas & Jurgen (NL), Mike Ballard (UK), and Kenneth Letsoin (NL) — will exhibit their predominantly abstract work at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam from the 24^th of May. Their pieces will be shown alongside those of one of their key inspirations, Katharina Grosse (DE). These artists create large-scale, vibrant abstract installations that offer a fresh, rich perspective on abstraction — one that emerges outside traditional museums and flourishes in public spaces.

Yann L’Outsider, photo Mark Bolk

Their work is typically found on bridges, viaducts, squares, and the façades of large housing complexes. Unlike the many figurative murals that developers and governments are increasingly and deliberately using to gentrify entire neighbourhoods, these artists work in an abstract, intuitive, and highly physical way. For example, French artist Yann L’Outsider paints monumental abstract murals, often on abandoned buildings and industrial sites. By adjusting the angle of his spray can and varying his movements and speed, he crafts the most fascinating lines, patterns, and compositions.

Ilke Gers, XO, Paint installation, Building Castles in the Sky by Gouvernement Gent, AZ Sint-Lucas hospital, Gent, België, 2024, photo Joseph Khoury

Monumental and transient
Although monumental in scale, the work of these artists is rarely created for eternity. Buildings are demolished or repurposed, while exposure to the elements and daily use causes their work to fade. New Zealand-born Ilke Gers, for example, creates large-scale floor paintings. Using a road-marking trolley, she applies vast drawings in lime or tape to station concourses, town squares, and even rooftops. Over time, the elements and countless footsteps slowly erase her line drawings, making them a form of performance art in themselves. Mike Ballard constructs monumental sculptures in various locations from discarded materials, including construction fencing and sheet material found on the street. He always leaves his works behind, until they decay, or someone decides to destroy them, embracing impermanence not just symbolically but as an integral part of his artistic practice.

Painting, rolling, sponging, or spraying on a large scale is a highly physical, almost performative act – a key ingredient in the artistic process. Decisions are made intuitively, often in the moment, meaning compositions cannot always be planned in advance.

The Dutch duo Thomas & Jurgen even respond to each other’s actions within the same piece, allowing the final work to emerge spontaneously. The artists also frequently use self-made tools. For example, American artist Jason Revok developed an instrument capable of operating up to 12 aerosol cans simultaneously, enabling him to create murals at an extraordinary speed. French artist Pablo Tomek developed a technique inspired by the practice of whitewashing shopfront windows, a common practice when buildings are temporarily closed to the public. His technique, which mimics these sweeping sponge movements, is clearly visible in both his paintings and sculptures.

Pablo Tomek, LIP T- Face, 2019

While these artists claim and fight for their artistic freedom in public spaces, their work remains connected to established artistic traditions. The abstract expressionist influences in Dutch artist Kenneth Letsoin’s work, for instance, are unmistakable, while Mike Ballard’s approach strongly resonates with minimal art. This connection is why the exhibition also includes the work of internationally renowned German artist Katharina Grosse, a major influence on many of these artists — despite her development largely within institutional art spaces.

Stedelijk Museum Schiedam and new art
In 2021, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam presented Glass-hard, a major exhibition showcasing artists with roots in the graffiti scene, held in the warehouses of a former glass factory in Schiedam. The museum acquired several works from the exhibition for its collection and later invited Opperclaes to collaborate with Dutch artist Iriee Zamblé on a mural within the museum. This time, the museum has enlisted the Rotterdam-based curatorial duo Opperclaes to bring art typically created and displayed in public spaces into the museum. It’s an ambitious challenge — but one they will take on together with eight selected artists. The result will be a spectacular and vibrant exhibition, featuring mostly new work created especially for Schiedam, offering a rare insight into an artistic movement that thrives outside traditional institutions.

Opperclaes, Linda van der Vleuten en Bruce Tsai-Meu-Chong, photo Mark Bolk

BOLD & GRITTY- Abstract art from public spaces has been made possible thanks to support from the Basic Funding Scheme for Regional Museums (Basisinfrastructuur voor regionale musea) of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Header: Kenneth Letsoin for BOLD & GRITTY, 2025, photo Mark Bolk