Short Bio
My work is sculpture, installations, public art and drawings
Statement
In my work, I do not teach, rather trigger a few questions. We mostly go through life in a automatic-pilot state of mind. I would love to have my artwork given a few thoughts someone may pick up. And with that, inspire the passer-by for a moment to think outside the box of our day-to-day routine mindset. My work can be representational, can be abstract. But I always hope to trigger the fantasy of the viewer.
I was born in the Netherlands. I moved to Cologne, Germany in 2001 and I moved again in 2004 to Brooklyn, NY. Now I am in Kingston, NY. So, I wandered through the world a bit. It just happened. Although I settled down everywhere I was, I still remained a bit of a stranger. Various things in every day life can be strange to me. Even when I am back in Holland, I notice I sometimes think: hmm, that’s weird, “we” don’t do it like that. This is the eye of the wonderer. From a wandered, I became a wonderer and look around. The wonderer is what my work is about.
Biography
Hans van Meeuwen is a Dutch-born artist and moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2004. Prior to New York he lived for fourteen years in Cologne, Germany. Van Meeuwen has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. In addition to his sculptures, installations and drawings, van Meeuwen has designed several permanent public artworks. A sculpture in a park in Amsterdam, a sculpture in a pond in Leeuwarden (The Netherlands), a fountain for Huizen (the Netherlands), designs and artworks for a hotel-room in Berlin, a light sculpture in Zeist (the Netherlands) and recently he finished 4 artworks for a light rail station in Mesa, AZ. Van Meeuwen has had exhibitions in various galleries, non-profit exhibition spaces and solo exhibitions in museums such as the Rheinische Landesmuseum in Bonn (2001) and the Kunsthalle Osnabrueck (2007). 3 Catalogues were published about his work so far. His work has been reviewed in Art in America (2008), several newspapers in Europe and the USA. Van Meeuwen had an extended interview in Bomb Magazine - Bomb-Blog (2010), his show was reviewed in Buswick Daily (2014). Hans van Meeuwen is a recipient of the Pollock Krasner Foundation grant and the Gottlieb Foundation grant. Van Meeuwen gained US Citizenship in 2012.
Resume / CV
1959 born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
1978-1983 Royal Academy of Art and Design, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
1984 Startstipendium-grant, Ministery of Culture of the Netherlands
1985 Werkbeurs-grant, Ministery of Culture of the Netherlands
1987 Prix de Rome, encouragement-prize for young artists in the Netherlands
1991 moved to Cologne, Germany
2000-2001 Artist in Residence at the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA
2002 Artist in Residence at the Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, NY
2004 moved to Brooklyn, NY
2012 became an US Citizen
2016 moved to Kingston, NY
2019 Pollock Krasner Foundation grant
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation grant
2020 Wingless Dreamer, UK, finalist in the best illustrator award 2020
2021 Arts Mid-Hudson Decentralization Grant 2021
2023 moved to Co Donegal, Ireland
2024 Art cabbage Magazine, UK Art Cabbage Prize 2024, 3rd prize in sculpture/installation
Commissions
2019 proposal for an artwork in front of a residential building, Mount Vernon, NY. Budget $ 100,000.
2016 - 2019 artworks at a light-rail station, Mesa AZ, 2016 - 2019.
Commissioned by Valley Metro Rail Inc., Phoenix AZ. I have been invited to create an artwork for a light rail station. Project was finished May 2019.The station serves a residential neighbourhood and in my proposal on top of giant kitchen tables (which are at both entrances of the platform), a human figure is sitting and welcoming everyone, stretching his neck enormously, surrounded by typical household items, such as a cozy chair. 3 pillows, and a table-lamp. At night, all will be illuminated from within and glow, giving it a fairy tale effect. Budget $ 235,000
2014 Proposal publicartwork in Cleveland
The city of Cleveland wanted upgrade a busline and buid several new bus-shelters. My proposal was to have an aluminum figure, sitting on top of a signage pole, somewhat impatiently looking for the bus to come. Budet $ 65,000
2005 Light- artwork in Zeist, The Netherlands.
Commissioned by the City of Zeist, budget: $ 85,000 7 large water-drops (5’3” high of transparent fiberglass) hang at steel-cables from 4 masts through the park. Each drop is lit from within. Only one at the time illuminates slowly, burns a few minutes, dims slowly. At the same time at random another will slowly illuminate, then burn alone. And so on, and so forth
2002 Design of a hotel-room, Arte Luise Kunsthotel, Berlin, Germany
Each room in the hotel is designed by a different artist. I designed room 442,
indicating the room to be a bird's nest, as well as installed 2 artworks in the hotel- lobby,
one dealing with the original purpose of the space, the other playing with the current function.
1993 Fountain in Huizen, The Netherlands.
Commissioned by the City of Huizen, budget $ 110,000
brick, stainless steel, security-glass, water. 9’x18’x18,
The 2 heads spit at each other. Two jets of water come out of each mouth.
The 4 beams spout in all possible combinations to each other,
at each other, along each other, and so on.
1990 Sculpture in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
Commissioned by the City of Leeuwarden, budget $ 50,000
19’x13’x8’, stainless steel, plexiglass, painted
The artwork is situated in a little pond. At night a light illuminates in the little tower.
1989 Sculpture in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Commission: City of Amsterdam, budget: $ 40,000 18’x11’x10’, stainless steel, painted.
Solo-exhibition
2018 Foot Note, de Chiara Projects, Kingston, NY
2014 The Civilized World, Storefront Ten Eyck, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Paris Scope, Mixed Greens, New York, NY
2008 Side-Walks, Durst Organization, New York, NY
Scraping Skies, Cristinerose Gallery, New York, NY
2007 Movement, Kunsthalle Dominikanerkirche, Osnabrueck, Germany
Times of Disquiet, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
2006 20 Drawings, Cristinerose Gallery, New York, NY
2004 Der Lauf der Dinge, Galerie Seippel, Cologne, Germany
2002 Lucht, Lokaal 01, Antwerp, Belgium
Ferien, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
2001 Spookrijder, Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, Germany
Hudson D. Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2000 Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
1999 Large steps for mankind, Kunstverein Baden-Baden, Neue Galerie Landshut, Germany
1998 Pars Pro Toto, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
1997 Kunstverein Heinsberg, Germany
Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
1996 Kunsthaus Essen, Germany
1994 Galerie Annick Ketele, Antwerp, Belgium
1993 Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
1992 Lokaal 01, Breda, the Netherlands
1991 ADO Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
1990 Galerie Wanda Reiff, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Artema Gallery, Mechelen, Belgium
1989 ADO Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
1988 Lokaal 01, Breda, the Netherlands
De Gele Rijder, Arnhem, the Netherlands
- Het Apollohuis, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Group-shows
2024 Meitheal, Artlink.ie, Buncrana, Ireland
2022 Goldmarie und Fuerstenkrone, Museum Brot und Kunst, Ulm, Germany
2021 Cornell Creatve Arts Center, Kingston, NY
Kingston Annual 2021, Arts Society of Kingston
2020 30/30, Kentler Internationa Drawing center, Brooklyn, NY
A Horse walks into a Bar, U Mass Fine Arts Center, Amherst, MA
Kingston Annual 2020, Arts Society of Kingston, NY
Stay Home, Make Art: Hudson Valley, The Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY
2019 Snowflake Walz, Artport, Kingston, NY
Sanctuary, City Hall, Kingston, NY
Small and Smaller, Site:Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
ArtWalk Kingston, Kingston, NY
5th Wilderstein Biennial, Rhinebeck, NY
Emancipation of the Mind, Arts Mid Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY
Second Nature, De Chiara Projects, Kingston, NY
Object(ive), Brookline Arts Center, Brookline, MA
2018 ArtWalk Kingston, Kingston, NY
2017 The Gig Economy, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA
2016 Let there be art, (Kentler Int Drawing Space) Columbus Museum, Columbus, GA
Buitenbeeld, Huizer Museum, Huizen, the Netherlands
2015 Who, Lesley Heller Workspace, New York, NY
Open (c)ALL: The Artist’s Studio, BRIC, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Horse without Rider, Kunstmuseum Solingen, Solingen, Germany
REAL on Rock Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY
Content in Absence, Montclair Art Museum at Pierro Gallery in South Orange, NJ
2013 Humor Me, Annmarie Sculpture Center, Dowell, MD
2012 In the Woods, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
Flash Mob, Re-Institute, Millerton, NY
Aus Film Funk und Fernsehen, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
2011 Curate NYC, Crossing Art, Flushing, NY
Boston Online Biennial, Boston, MA
Naming the Animals, Curious Matter, Jersey City, NJ
In The Pictures, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
2010 Animal Magnetism, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
Younger than Moses – Idle Worship, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, NY
P.O.V., Durst Organization, New York, NY
2009 Future Days, Rafik Video, New York, NY
2008 Einen Augen-Blick Bitte , Kunstverein Bad Salzdetfurth, Germany
Sommerfrische, TUI AG, Hannover, Germany
2007 Trezeba Miec Nosa, Kunstverein Bad Salzdetfurth, Germany
Paulo Post Futurum, Breda’s Museum, Breda, the Netherlands
Curious, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
2006 Winter Setting, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
Beast and the Beauty, Holasek Weir Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Reflexionen, Art-Center Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, Germany
Post Everything, The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
10 Jahre, Galerie Deschler, Berlin Germany
2004 Hudson D. Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA
White Box, Kultfabrik, Munich, Germany
Summer Setting, Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
5x5 Skulptur, Im Pferferberg, Berlin, Germany
2003 Arche Noah, Gabrielle Rivet Gallery, Cologne, Germany
5x5 Skulptur, im Pfefferberg, Berlin, Germany
2002 ACE Invitational, ACE Gallery, New York, NY
Galerie Seippel, Cologne, Germany
Stadtkunst Bonn, installations in the City of Bonn, Germany
Art Frankfurt, (Galerie Deschler, Berlin), Frankfurt, Germany
zeitZeichen, Kunstverein Hürth, Germany
2001 Cape Museum of Fine Arts, Dennis, MA
Hudson D. Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2000 Cristinerose Gallery, New York, NY
Hudson D. Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA
One of those days, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim, Germany
Tuchfühlung, Kunstverein Langenberg, Germany
Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
Bauernhof, Kunstverein Heinsberg, Germany
Skulpturen, GEHAG-Forum, Berlin, Germany
1999 artist in residence, Castle Elmau, Germany
1998 Lieblingsort: Köln, Installations within the City of Cologne, Germany
KölnKunst 5, Josef Haubrich Kunsthalle, Cologne, Germany
Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany
1997 Prop Fiction, White Columns, New York, NY
Das Neue Gesicht, Kunstverein Konstanz, Germany
1996 Multiple Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
Die Milchwirtschaft, Museumsdorf Cloppenburg, Germany
A Cumulus, Lokaal 01, Breda, the Netherlands
1995 Galerie Terbrüggen, Heidelberg, Germany
Galerie Schübbe, Mettmann, Germany
Synthetic Art, Galerie Klaus Fischer, Berlin, Germany
Artcircolo’95, Castle Lobkowicz, Melnik, Czech Republic
1994 Piano, Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
ArToll-Labor, Rheinische Landesklinik, Bedburg-Hau, Germany
Natura Artis Magistra, Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
1993 Intermezzo, ADO Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
1992 Reis naar het einde van het atelier, Lokaal 01, Breda, the Netherlands
1990 Beelden in Noord-Brabant na ‘45, Castle Heeswijk, the Netherlands
‘89-’95 Art Cologne (Galerie Carla Stützer), Cologne, Germany
’89,’91 Brussels Contemporary Art Fair (ADO Gallery), Brussels, Belgium
1989 Bericht aus Holland, Galerie Carla Stützer, Cologne, Germany
1988 De Autotentoonstelling, De Gele Rijder, Arnhem, the Netherlands
1987 Prix de Rome, City Hall Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1986 De Selectie, Museum het Kruithuis, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
1985 Stipendia, Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst, The Hague, the NetherlandsAtelier 408, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Catalogues
1999 Band 1,
catalogue published for the solo exhibition Large steps for mankind, Kunstverein Baden-Baden, Germany
2001 Spookrijder,
catalogue published for the solo exhibition Spookrijder at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, Germany
2007 Movement,
catalogue for the solo exhibition at the Museum Kunsthalle Dominikanerlirche, Osnabrueck, Germany
