Graffiti forms the basis of the work of AKAY, Jeroen Erosie, and Boris Tellegen.
AKAY (for the first time in the Netherlands!), Jeroen Erosie, and Boris Tellegen are united in an exhibition that shows how the essence of graffiti art is still present in their current work.
AKAY, Jeroen, and Boris were at the forefront of graffiti art in Sweden and the Netherlands. With their own style and way of working that went beyond simply having their own signature, they simultaneously sparked a discussion about what graffiti is.
Their work then and now has become different fields, but they remain connected. The ANNEX exhibition shows that elements that are so characteristic of graffiti, such as strong and personal imagery and the use of public space, are still recognizable in the current work of these artists.
Over time, these graffiti writers have focused more and more on visual art. Working outdoors and taking over public space has given way to presentations in galleries and museums. An exhibition such as ANNEX emphasizes the tension between their graffiti origins and their current position as visual artists; one uses outdoor space and forces his work on his audience, while the other asks the audience to immerse themselves in his current work and cross the threshold.
The three artists work in different styles and media. Their work ranges from installations with screens to murals and interventions in the streetscape. ANNEX showcases all these different working methods.
Guest curator Jord Schoppink brought these three artists together. He says: “Each of these artists continues to develop to this day, with their destination unknown. It is a constant search involving countless experiments in medium, form, and concept. A process that, like graffiti culture, is constantly in motion and continues to reinvent itself.”