Exhibitions & Awards

assembled reality

group art exhibition - museum night amsterdam - treehouse ndsm - november 2026

ARTIST

On November 7th, Treehouse NDSM opened its doors once again for Museum Night Amsterdam with the group exhibition Assembled Reality, curated by Rika Maja Duevel. The spirit of the night, exploring how we piece together meaning, nature, and human connection in a fragmented world, resonated deeply with my ongoing search for tactile, anti-machine rituals.

For this occasion, I presented my new interactive installation and sculpture, “Until the Rain Washes It Away”. Born from food remnants and recycled materials from my kitchen, a fragile yet resilient dragonfly emerges from a blooming calla lily. Its wings of pure wire mesh contrast with a textured, metallic body, while mosaic mirror fragments rest only on its eyes to see and reflect lights and shadows. Living half in water and half in the air, the dragonfly became a gentle, living force of nature inviting visitors to pause, surrender to transformation, and let go of what weighs them down.

Throughout the night, guests stepped into a quiet, four-step ritual of release. First, reconnecting with the earth by tasting a praline crafted from natural fruits and seeds. Then, writing, drawing, or composing poems on pieces of fabric, using markers for heavy thoughts they wanted the water to carry away, and pens for the words they wished to keep. Approaching the dragonfly, each visitor dipped their fabric into a large basin of water, trusting nature to cleanse the weight, before hanging the dripping cloth on the wire mesh structure above. Walking away lighter into the night, they left their transformed messages behind.

Following the exhibition, the installation and its collection of fabric messages were moved outdoors into the Treehouse garden. Exposed to the open sky, the pieces now remain in the care of the rain, wind, and natural elements, allowing nature to finish its course and gently wash away what was released.

Being part of Assembled Reality was a deeply moving experience. Watching hundreds of visitors slow down, share their vulnerability, and fill the space with dripping messages of hope turned the Treehouse halls into a collective sanctuary of catharsis and renewal.

The atmosphere during Museum Night was electric, filled with curious eyes, open hearts, light, and a quiet sense of shared humanity. I felt grateful to stand among fellow artists using creativity to reshape our reality, reminding us that what seems small, fragile, or discarded can always find a new, beautiful way to fly.

The exhibition features works by Duygu Özdeniz Eker, Dejana Vuckovic Simovic, Rika Maja Duevel, Dewi van den Bossche, Raffaella Allegra, Damla Aygun - Studio RAVA, Philip Ling & Yuk Lin Man, Maria Escarpenter, Helga van Stralen, Gabriele Bonomi, Ellen Makkelie, Mayu Fukui, Haru Sukegawa, Cristina Iordache. Curated by Rika Maja Duevel.

Photo by Allart, Carine and official photographer from the Museum Nacht.

Queertropolis 2026

group art exhibition - worldpride amsterdam - treehouse ndsm - july 2026

curator and ARTIST

During WorldPride 2026, I initiated and curated Queertropolis at Treehouse NDSM, a multidisciplinary art sanctuary and temporary utopia centered on radical care, collective identity, and material regeneration. Rather than creating a traditional exhibition, my goal was to offer a safe space where visitors could move from passive spectators to active citizens of a shared community.

The physical exhibition brought together 11 Treehouse residents, 8 international artists from our Open Call, 2 from Atelier Brut, and 5 from the Men As Well collective. Alongside the gallery space, we launched the Digital Horizon, a 24/7 window display projecting the work of 26 international artists across 15 nationalities onto the NDSM grounds.

Over 16 days, we welcomed over 1,400 visitors, issued over 150 symbolic citizenship IDs at our Bureau of Identity, and hosted 10 community workshops, talks, and performances.

My Work in the Exhibition

As a participating artist, my piece "Individuus" from the Latin in-dividuus, "that which cannot be divided", starts from a scientific paradox: while human genomes are over 99% identical, contemporary society continuously fractures individuals into rigid categories based on gender, orientation, and sexuality. Emerging from deep grey and black clay textures, a metallic mesh symbolizes the tangle of social and bureaucratic structures imposed on the human form. Trapped within this matrix, glass test tubes hold fluids with chromatic variations of less than 2%, forcing the viewer to realize that, beneath external labels, our essential substance is undeniably one and the same.. Integrating my artistic practice into my curatorial vision allowed me to examine how personal vulnerability can serve as a foundation for collective sanctuary and resilience.

Key Highlights

Opening Night: A community silk-marbling workshop with Seçil, artist talks, a performance from Ravage, the election of the first Queertropolis Mayor, and much more.

Night at Our Place: Resident flash tattoos (Wouter Space, Charlotte Aper,Tom Veldkamp), live sets by Guido Hoek, a cello solo by Kalle, 3 DJs, and a drag performance by Kassel’s Samt und Seuche collective.

Community & Dialogue: The There Was A Time Before panel with Men As Well on art as a tool for healing trauma, and a deeply moving visit from a Stonewall veteran who commended the space for its openness and unconditional freedom of expression. Other storytelling moment, dinner and creative workshops were done during the opening weeks!

Participating artists: Babet Klaassen (Haus of Trout), Rika Maja Duevel, Rucha Kulkarni, Cristina Iordache (Agga Concept), Raffaella Allegra (Ravage), Robert Beekelaar, Gabriele Bonomi, Maria Escarpenter, Marcia (Arte Boa), Tom Veldkamp, Bruna Souza, Cat moran (Meat_daughter), Christopher Kale, Alda Lilia, Lis Walter Mon Graffito, Chiara Fehling & Thalea Albrecht, Pawlo Dubinin, Norbert de Jong, Floris and Michael from Atelier Brut, Nemo, Eric Ruygers, Ronald Ophuis, Karim Marei, Kelsey Corby from the There Was A Time Before Collective.

rainbow pride

GROUP ART EXHIBITION - Wunderkammer ndsm fuse - june 2026

ARTIST

Inspired by the universal values behind Gilbert Baker’s iconic 1978 rainbow flag, Rainbow Pride is a vivid group exhibition exploring contemporary identity, freedom, and intersectional connection. Central to the exhibition’s concept was the curator's powerful emphasis that the rainbow and the Pride movement are meant to unite every living human being, transcending the boundaries of the LGBTQ+ community alone. The overarching hope of the showcase is a profound call for collective recognition: that we may all perceive each other simply as human beings first, acting with deep respect, empathy, and mutual support.

Installed within the distinctive glass framework of the Wunderkammer, the multimedia sculpture "Anima Mundi" was presented to the international public as a physical exploration of "Magic", the original, forgotten turquoise stripe, perfectly mirroring this curatorial call to look past external societal shells and reconnect with the shared energetic pulse that unites all creation.

Special Acknowledgement

A special thank you goes to artist Cristina Iordache. Her striking metallic installation, sharing the exhibition space, created a powerful raw and structural dialogue that merged seamlessly with the organic, visceral textures and glowing core of 'Anima Mundi', elevating the entire site-specific experience inside the showcase.

Participating Artist: Kiem, Gerdavanderstok, Helena Kaori Maeda, Nadia Piet, Marjolein Annegarn, Spoko Loco, Tulika Ahuja, Finn Moedt, Mees van Zanten, Lucas Braak, Maria Escarpenter, Gabriele Bonomi, Batista Lopes, Kims Kind Creations, and Cristina Iordache.

Queer Reclaiming of Spaces

group art exhibition - queer film festival @BALi cinema - kulturbahnof - kassel (germany) - may 2026

ARTIST

For the Kassel Queer Film Festival, I presented my site-specific installation "I See You", selected for the collective exhibition "Queer Reclaiming of Spaces". Alongside six other international queer artists, the project aimed to actively reappropriate public and cultural areas, transforming the historic display cases (Schaukästen) at the Kulturbahnhof central station, the BALi Kinos foyer, and Offener Kanal.

Site-Specific Approach: Engaging the Public Space

The artwork was designed to dialogue directly with the transit nature of the train station. There is an inherent tension between the rigid, cold structure of the glass and marble display case—traditionally used for commercial or public notices—and the fragile, intimate materials inside.

To challenge this boundary, the installation breaks the physical limitations of the display case. It doesn't stay confined behind the glass; instead, it literally escapes its borders, colonizing the surrounding marble column. By flowing into the public hall, the work executes a true act of reclaiming, turning a fleeting transit spot into a shared space for reflection and queer visibility.

The 50 Origami Butterflies: A Queer Connection

The dynamic driving force behind this spatial occupation is a swarm of 50 handmade origami butterflies. Rather than mere decoration, they embody the resilience and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community:

Metamorphosis: The butterfly represents transition, growth, and the transformative journey of coming out. The deliberate folding process of the origami symbolizes the patience and strength required to shape one's own identity.

The Queer Spectrum: Each of the 50 butterflies carries distinct colors and patterns, celebrating the boundless, non-replicable individuality within our community.

From Tension to Liberation: Emerging from a chaotic network of reclaimed electrical cables—which ground the work in daily human connections and systemic tensions—the butterflies break free. They rise out of the metallic frame, climbing up the stone wall in a collective movement of liberation.

two suns at once

group art exhibition - treehouse ndsm - may 2026

ARTIST

What happens when the intangible forces that surround us suddenly find a body? Can a sound wave, fleeting by nature, leave a permanent scar, a topography, a landscape we can actually touch?

Participating in the group exhibition "Two Suns at Once", organized by Treehouse NDSM and curated by Mulan Go and Vico Persson, allowed me to explore these questions alongside an international collective of artists and residents. The show invites the public to step into a space of duality, where contrasting forces coexist, collide, and ultimately give birth to new realities.

For this exhibition, I presented my project Sonic Paint, born from an intense collaboration with the electronic audio collective MOOD. Together, we wanted to dissolve the boundaries between auditory and visual art, treating acoustic frequencies not just as something to be heard, but as a physical sculptor capable of shaping raw matter.

The work is articulated through two distinct elements: the Canvas (Asteroid) and the Tattile Installation (The Haptic Pulse).

Asteroid: The Topography of Chaos

The canvas on display, titled Asteroid, is a permanent "frequency fossil" born directly from the track of the same name by MOOD. In my studio, I placed the canvas directly onto high-power subwoofers. As the music played, the sharp kick drums and percussive sub-bass frequencies literally "shattered" the harmonic waves of the pigments.

The visual result is a dense, explosive core where metallic pigments and fluorescent powders cluster together, while salt crystals and turquoise glitter scatter outward. It evokes the violent aftermath of a cosmic impact or the swirling debris of a nebula. It is a material interpretation of chaos—the exact point where the invisible energy of a beat becomes a tangible landscape.

The Haptic Pulse: Feeling the Invisible

To complement the visual gravity of Asteroid, I felt the need to bring the audience directly into the physical process of its creation. I designed a sensory, tactile installation: a concealed subwoofer system wrapped in a soft, responsive fabric that isolates the track's sub-frequencies below 80 Hz.

There are no headphones or traditional speakers; the sound is completely silent to the ears. Instead, visitors are invited to place their hands on the surface to feel the music. Here, the track is perceived as a visceral heartbeat—a raw, subsonic wave that connects the human body directly to the vibrating matter of the artwork. It is a reminder that sound is a physical force capable of touching us, even when it remains invisible to the eye.

A Space of Connection

Being part of "Two Suns at Once" at Treehouse NDSM has been a moment of deep experimentation and community resonance. It reminds us that art doesn't have to stay confined to a single sense. By letting sound guide the matter and letting the body feel the frequency, we can find a strange, beautiful harmony right at the center of chaos and creation.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Gabriele Bonomi & MOOD, Charlotte Daniëlse, Jula Beth Harris & Jurriaan Wesselink, Siyuan & Sihang Hu, Wytze Minne de Swart en Yi-Han Yen, Albert Negredo, Santiago Pani & Jaco Schilp, Vico Persson en Moe Satt.

home

group art exhibition - art studio amsterdam - march 2026

ARTIST

What truly defines the perimeter of a "home"? Is it a physical place, a geographical root, or an emotional architecture that we build day after day?

Participating in the group exhibition HOME, organized by Art Studio Amsterdam, allowed me to explore these questions alongside an international collective of artists. In an era of constant movement and the redefinition of identities, the show invites the public to observe the home not as a final destination, but as a fluid space of belonging, safety, and memory.

For this exhibition, I presented my work "Home," a piece born from an intimate reflection on my departure from Italy ten years ago. Leaving my small town in Northern Italy was a necessary act of liberation to fully live my queer identity, but it also created a new geography of affection—one made of distances to protect and new foundations to build.

The work is articulated through two central symbols: the Bubbles and the Constellation.

The Fragility of Protection The soap bubbles floating on the canvas are not simple spheres, but visual caskets. They represent my need to protect what I love—my family in Italy, my friends, my partner Francesco, and our life companions Lana and Rei—from the harshness of the outside world and, at times, from my own truths. They are safe spaces, transparent yet resilient, where love remains intact despite the inherent vulnerability of their nature.

The Constellation as Certainty I chose to arrange these fragments of life following the shape of the Aquarius constellation. If the bubbles represent the fragility of the present, the stars represent the immutability of values. A constellation is a guide; in the darkness of a journey, it is what allows us to find our direction. It is the certainty that, wherever I go, the roots I have chosen to carry with me will remain a fixed point in my personal sky.

The White Star A single, large white star shines at the heart of the work. It is my tribute to those who are no longer with us. A light that never ceases to burn and continues to inspire my path, reminding me that home is also the bond with those who came before us and who continue to protect us from the invisible.

Being part of this exhibition was a moment of deep connection. "HOME" reminds us that while walls may change and distances may grow, our true home is the one we manage to nourish and protect every day, with courage and authenticity.

The exhibition features works by an international collective and is on display at Art Studio Amsterdam from March 29 to May 8, 2026.

Embrace Your Inner Brussels Sprouts

group art exhibition - treehouse ndsm - february 2026

co-curator and ARTIST

Embrace Your Inner Brussels Sprouts grew from the intersection of my culinary practice, social observation, and artistic research.

Through my daily work at Treehouse NDSM, I use food as a tool for connection. Cooking and serving lunch to the community is not only a functional act; it is a space of observation. Around the table, emotional, social, and identity dynamics naturally unfold. Over time, I began to understand taste as something that goes far beyond balance or technique. Flavor is subjective, relational, and deeply emotional.

From this lived experience, I began a dialogue with artist and co-curator Rika Maja Duevel. Together we reflected on February as a collective mental state — a grey, heavy month often marked by fatigue and the desire for warmth and connection.

The Brussels sprout became our central metaphor. Often underestimated or rejected, it carries a strong personality. If poorly treated, it becomes bitter and unpleasant; when understood and carefully prepared, it reveals complexity and depth. Through this metaphor, we explore three key moments of the human experience:

Underestimation
The feeling of being marginal, misunderstood, or not fully accepted.

Connection
The encounter with others that allows us to maintain our individuality while strengthening a shared experience.

Transformation
The process through which identity evolves, creating space for something unexpected.

This structure unfolds both in the exhibition space and in the dinner-exhibition, where food functions as a narrative extension of the artworks. Each course embodies one phase of the journey: Brussels sprouts in their simplest preparation, a collective composition of roasted vegetables, and finally an unexpected dessert — a Brussels sprout and chocolate cake — symbolizing transformation.

Additional performances and live interventions expanded the exhibition into a participatory environment, where art, food, and audience experience intertwined.

As co-curators, we were interested in creating a space where vulnerability could exist without becoming spectacle. The exhibition invites visitors to reconsider these automatic reactions and to reflect on how social expectations shape self-perception.

Within this context, my work Wound represents a central and deeply personal contribution. The piece consists of a horizontally cut canvas that has been stitched back together. The incision reveals layered collage elements embedded inside the surface. The visible red sutures emphasize repair rather than concealment — the scar becomes part of the structure.

As both artist and co-curator, I contributed to shaping the conceptual direction of the exhibition while situating my practice within a broader dialogue. This project marks an important step in my artistic development, integrating personal research with curatorial responsibility.

Embrace Your Inner Brussels Sprouts creates space for reflection and awareness — inviting us to look again at what we have learned to reject, both in art and in ourselves.

The exhibition features works by Hans De Backer, Emin Batman, Gabriele Bonomi, Jasmijn Doukje Plantinga, Rika Maja Duevel, Maria Escarpenter, Logan Hon Mua, Rucha Kulkarni, Minyoung Kim, Yuk Lin Man & Philip Ling.

temporarily out of space

group art exhibition - treehouse ndsm - november 2025

ARTIST

Wardrobe of Lost Seasons is an immersive installation created for the exhibition Temporarily Out of Space, a show that reflects on the moments when we feel disoriented, displaced, or suspended between worlds.
My contribution grows directly from this tension: when the world feels out of place, we begin by rebuilding meaning from what is already around us — from the everyday, the overlooked, the discarded.

This work is the culmination of my Creative Garden project, where for months I collected scraps, found materials on the street, kitchen leftovers, broken pieces, failed experiments, and traces of workshops held with the community. Every element in the wardrobe comes from something that had been forgotten or thrown away.
Nothing here is new. Everything has been transformed.

Inside the wardrobe, floating shapes, paper butterflies, vessels of pigments, sculpted branches and miniature creatures create a dreamlike ecosystem. Many materials carry the memory of their origin: the mushrooms crafted from mandarin peels, the jellyfish made from leftover packaging, the foliage created from coffee filters, the fabrics coloured with food waste. All these fragments come together to form a parallel landscape — a small universe built from what the world no longer values.

The installation invites visitors to consider a simple idea:
renewal does not start in grand gestures, but in the everyday.
It begins at home, in the kitchen, in the street, in the small acts of noticing and transforming. Creativity is not a privilege — it is a way of looking.

My wish for everyone entering the Wardrobe of Lost Seasons is this:
may you always keep the child-like ability to see beyond the surface of things, to imagine new forms inside forgotten objects, to play, to reinvent, to create.
Because creativity is a form of resilience. It is a way of making space when we feel out of space.

As the seasons shift, disappear, or lose their rhythm, this wardrobe becomes a sanctuary for imagination — a place where lost worlds gather, and where new ones quietly begin.

The exhibition features works by Gabriele Bonomi, Jonat Deelstra, Jean Danton Laffert, Helen Anna Flanagan, KIEM & Imke Hullmann, Nesie Junyi Wang, Nawon Koo, Rucha Kulkarni, Philip Ling / Yuk Lin Man and Baroeg Mulder.

stories of an evolving artist

GROUP ART EXHIBITION - treehouse ndsm - museum night 2025

ARTIST

On November 1st, Treehouse NDSM opened its doors for Museum Night Amsterdam with the group exhibition Stories of an Evolving Artist, beautifully curated by Rika Maja Duevel. The theme of the night — Transformation — resonated deeply with me, as it’s something I constantly explore in my art and in my personal journey.

For this occasion, I presented my new installation “We Fly With All We Are”. A giant teddy bear sits on a stool, holding the thread of a colourful kite.
At its feet, pieces of fabric carry fragments of songs that once spoke my pain — the confusion, the loneliness, the feeling of not belonging. They tell of a time when I wanted to disappear, when being different, being a “big boy,” made me hide from the world. The kite above tells another story. Its tails are covered with words of courage and transformation — songs that helped me rediscover my voice, my beauty, and my freedom. They speak of learning to love this body, this face, this self exactly as it is. The bear holds the thread firmly, no longer ashamed, no longer trying to fit in. It stands proud and gentle, grounded yet free, reminding me that we can fly even when we carry the weight of our past — because it is the very wind that lifts us higher.

Being part of Stories of an Evolving Artist was a moving experience.
Each artist shared a piece of their inner transformation, turning the Treehouse halls into a collective reflection on identity, resilience, and growth.
The atmosphere during Museum Night was electric — hundreds of visitors, curious eyes, open hearts, music, light, and a sense of shared humanity that filled the space.

I felt grateful to stand among artists who, like me, use their creativity to tell stories of becoming — of learning to fly, even when carrying the weight of the past.

It was a night of beauty, connection, and truth. A reminder that transformation is not an ending, but a continuous act of courage.

The exhibition features works by Gabriele Bonomi, Ellen Makkelie, Philip Ling & Yuk Lin Man, Eveline Alders, Secil Guven, Quintus Glerum, Rika Maja Duevel, Bruna Souza, Thamara Zijlstra, Lies Aris.

ART SAILS NDSM

group art exhibition - ndsm loods - sails amsterdam 2025

ARTIST

For SAIL Amsterdam 2025, my installation Land Ho! – Waves of Change was presented inside the historic NDSM Loods, as part of the exhibition Art Sails NDSM: Art at the Shipyard, organized by NDSM FUSE together with other partners.

The title recalls the famous sailors’ cry, “Land Ho!”, which I knew as a child through the stories of Christopher Columbus that my mother used to tell me as bedtime tales. These stories fueled my childhood imagination, but as I grew older they also became a source of reflection: the meaning of discovery, its effects on the world, and the need today to turn our gaze toward a new “land” of care, balance, and sustainability.

At the center of the installation sits a chair that transforms into an imaginary vessel, suspended between waves and sail. The homage to my grandfather, whose surname is Colombo and who would have turned 125 on the day of the exhibition’s opening, lives especially in the detail of a small book placed next to the chair: its pages become paper waves, upon which three paper caravels sail toward an olive branch, a symbol of peace and hope.

The waves surrounding the work reflect two contrasting polarities:

• on one side, a dark, dense wave made of waste and fragments of still life, a tangible sign of the consequences of a world driven by consumption and exploitation;

• on the other, a light and transparent wave carrying shades of blue and green, real flowers, and natural elements: an image of possibility, regeneration, and harmony with the environment.

The sail, created with ecoprinting on fabric, bears the traces of nature, as if infused with living memory.

Land Ho! – Waves of Change is not just an artwork to observe, but to share: visitors are invited to leave a message in a bottle for the Earth, symbolically transforming the installation into a place of dialogue, hope, and collective responsibility.

Located in the heart of the NDSM Loods, the work intertwines personal memory, family stories, and childhood imagination with Amsterdam’s maritime history and the urgent ecological issues of today, proposing new routes toward a sustainable future.

out in the open

group art exhibition - treehouse ndsm - july 2025

curator and ARTIST

As part of the group exhibition Out in the Open, I presented four mixed-media works that reflect on queer identity, presence, and emotional architecture.

The three collages — In the Sketch I Exist, The Road Between, and Building Humans — explore personal and collective narratives through layers of recycled materials, handmade paper, and symbolic fragments. Each piece navigates themes of transition, vulnerability, and the invisible labor of self-construction, offering glimpses into stories often left untold.

At the center of the installation, I See You — an interactive mirror piece — invited viewers to engage with their own reflection, framed by fragments of plastic and reclaimed materials. During the opening, the central layer of paper and plastic was ceremonially removed as part of a live performance, symbolizing an act of unveiling and transformation. This gesture underscored the work’s core message: the courage to be seen, and the constant reshaping of one’s identity.

As curator of Out in the Open, I organized the exhibition’s opening event and coordinated a series of performances and artist interactions designed to engage the audience deeply with the themes of the show.

The vernissage began with a collaborative creation of a banner featuring the exhibition’s title, inviting attendees to actively participate in a hands-on creative experiment. This was followed by an intimate musical workshop led by percussionist Yung-Tuan, setting a vibrant and improvisational tone.

Spontaneous performances by pianist Seper Keyhani and dancer Albano Vanessian accompanied Vico Persson’s artwork, enriching the multisensory experience and encouraging dialogue between art forms. Later, artist and performer Guido Hoek offered a poignant musical piece that invited reflection on the theme of toxic masculinity.

During the exhibition walk, artists presented their works and shared personal stories and meanings behind their creations, fostering connection and understanding.

The evening continued with additional performances by Guido Hoek, a captivating drag king show by Mannish Pixel, and concluded with drinks, food, socializing, and music by DJ Silver, creating a dynamic space for celebration, community, and conversation.

bulletin board exhibition

group art exhibition - queerhouse - june 2024

ARTIST

For my debut in a group exhibition, I presented the piece "Emotional Sharing" as part of the interactive Bulletin Board Expo at Queerhouse 2024. The exhibition brought together queer art and community connection, inviting visitors to express their feelings and contribute to a collective emotional tapestry celebrating the beauty of shared experiences.

The inspiration for this piece stems from my experience at the Tropikali Festival, a vibrant setting of effortless connections where I created live kawaii portraits. Capturing individuals through vivid lines and bold colors, the detailed facial expressions and genuine smiles brought each portrait to life, sparking a personal reflection on how much our surroundings shape our emotions and our willingness to share them.

For the Bulletin Board Expo, I created an A4 kawaii artwork inspired by the diverse individuals I encountered at the festival, celebrating human interaction, expression, and inclusivity. "Emotional Sharing" offers a space for reflection and connection: by witnessing and reflecting on the feelings of others, we discover mirrors of our own inner lives in a welcoming, inclusive environment.