Marian Cousijn

I curated Fiep Westendorp at the Rijksmuseum, an exhibition dedicated to the iconic and beloved Dutch illustrator. The show runs from 19 June to 13 September and is accompanied by a book, a podcast episode, and an extended programme of activities for children.

Mister Motley published the Dutch version of The Collector from Digital Dust and Other Stories. It is about the obsession of collecting, you can read it here.

If you would like to read more of the stories that I wrote about the work of conceptual artist Noor Nuyten, order the book here or at your favorite art bookstore.

Together with artist Noor Nuyten, I made a book about her work. It is part catalogue raisonné, part collection of short fictional stories that offer new ways into her art. Inspired by Noor's work, I wrote about a mysterious ancient town in Italy, an art critic who happens to be a bird, post-apocalyptic snorkeling in Amsterdam, a watch collector haunted by nightmares, an erased curator, and more. My first foray into fiction!

The book is available at cool art book stores worldwide and online.

The Rijksmuseum acquired the great collage Tulip Palepai, Navigating the River of the World (2017) by artist Jennifer Tee. It is made of thousands and thousands of tulip petals. I wrote about the work for Rijksmuseum Bulletin (p. 304).

I co-curated the exhibition Carrie Mae Weems: Painting the Town at the Rijksmuseum, the first show of the artist in the Netherlands. The show runs until June 9. On May 31, Carrie Mae Weems is at the Rijksmuseum for a talk (sold out).

The Rijksmuseum has acquired a set of drawings from the 1970's by the fabulous artist Madelon Vriesendorp. I was lucky enough to visit her wonderful studio in London and I wrote about the work for the Art of information blog and for the Rijksmuseum Bulletin.

The exhibition Feed me. Cheat me. Eat me. by Janis Rafa is on show at Eye until January 7. Go go go see it :) We curated a very rich public program with guests including Filipa Ramos, Lisanne Wepler and Maarten Reesink. For tickets and more info, please see:

Animality and Revenge Taste the Whip Electric Mother

I am currently working as the curator of 20th and 21st century prints & drawings at the Rijksmuseum. Come by to say hi!

This fall the exibition Feed me. Cheat me. Eat me. by fabulous artist and filmmaker Janis Rafa will open at Eye. Expect tail wagging and seductive gloominess. I am co-curating the show and curating the public program. You are cordially invited to the opening on October 14! 🐾

→ Janis Rafa – Feed me. Cheat me. Eat me.

Together with artist Noor Nuyten, I am exploring the possibilities of writing about her work by means of short fictional stories. I have already written one involving an erased eraser, a tired curator & a conceptual art thief. Many thanks to Mondriaan Fonds for believing in and supporting the project! The book will appear mid 2024 :)

We are organizing another edition of New Harvest for the 2023 edition of Amsterdam Art: a selection of the best new video art that the city has to offer. With works by Jen Liu ☆ Elise Strinna ☆ Zauri Matikashvili ☆ Zijlmans/Jongenelis ☆ Yun Choi ☆ Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi ☆ Peng Zuqiang ☆ Claudia Martínez Garay ☆ Vibeke Mascini ☆ Hu Liwei

→ New Harvest I → New Harvest II

Go see Saodat Ismailova's exhibition 18,000 Worlds at Eye ♥

I curated the public program. Click here and scroll down to Films, talks & events for details. I also contributed to the exhibition catalogue.

On November 8, I will screen a selection of video art about museums & collections at Eye Filmmuseum. Sea urchins, skeletons, artifacts, tiny toys, Freud's sofa and the top of Mont Blanc: where does our urge come from to collect and keep stuff? Very much looking forward to this!

This evening is part of the public program of Fiona Tan - Mountains and Molehills. With works by Fiona Tan ☆ Ben Rivers ☆ Camille Henrot ☆ Tacita Dean ☆ Amie Siegel ☆ Nashashibi/Skaer and Mels van Zuthpen. → Kunstenaars filmen collecties

Now open at Eye: Fiona Tan - Mountains and Molehills. I did reseach, wrote the gallery texts, co-edited the publication and curated the public program. On view until January 8 2023!

→ Fiona Tan - Mountains and Molehills

Some people don't like writing about art but I love it - and I can help! I have given writing workshops before at Reinwardt Academie, Academie Minerva and Drawing Centre Diepenheim. There is another one coming up, especially for artists, at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Follow the link for more info!

→ Masterclass schrijven over kunst *

The exhibition Meriem Bennani, Kahlil Joseph, Karrabing Film Collective - Eye Art & Film Prize is on view at Eye until September 18. Don't miss it - it is a beautiful, funny, important and thought-provoking show. I wrote the gallery texts and worked together with the artists on a public program of screenings & talks.

→ Meriem Bennani, Kahlil Joseph, Karrabing Film Collective - Eye Art & Film Prize

This spring, I’m curating a few super nice programs at Eye. Tickets are going fast, so be quick ☺ !

On April 26, Laure Prouvost will come to show her work, talk with Martha Kirszenbaum, and take a dive in Eye’s collection. Magic guaranteed - with old clips from Venice, a Surreal trip to the Palais Idéale, some octopuses, mysterious vegetables faling from the sky and live music by Thijs Havens.

→ Laure Prouvost: Deep Sea Blue

On May 3, I will spreak about Kara Walker’s brilliant films with choreographer Monique Duurvoort, Eye’s silent film curator Elif Rongen-Kaynakçi, and Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen, who organized her show at De Pont. The screening also includes films by Lotte Reiniger and Ngozi Onwurah.

→ Kara Walker: Prince McVeigh and the Turner Blasphemies

On May 14, Julia Stoschek Collection comes to Eye, screening works by Arthur Jafa ☆ Terence Koh ☆ Mark Leckey ☆ Carsten Nicolai ☆ Hannah Perry ☆ Pippilotti Rist ☆Jacolby Satterwhite and Steina Vasulka. Inc. afterparty!

→ Julia Stoschek Collection at Eye

And last but not least on May 15 we organize New Harvest: a selection of the best new video art that Amsterdam has to offer. I had the honor to be on the selection committee and we will show works by Charlotte Dumas ☆ Hamza Halloubi ☆ Isaac Julien ☆ Gabriel Lester ☆ Thania Petersen ☆ PolakVanBekkum ☆ Marijke De Roover ☆ Buhlebezwe Siwani ☆ Ghita Skali ☆ Emma Talbot ☆ Joppe Venema ☆ Patricia Werneck Ribas and Rogier van der Zwaag.

→ New Harvest I → New Harvest II