Subbacultcha magazine — Issue 03
Magazine // NewsThe Spring Issue of the Subbacultcha quarterly magazine is out now
Features Interview by Floor Kortman
Unfair Amsterdam
Interview by Floor Kortman
Photos shot by Valentina Vos in Amsterdam, NL
If most art collectives are built with blood, sweat and tears, Unfair adds a lot of guts and heart to that winning combination. They’re our best buds and we’re in awe of them. In anticipation of their third art fair, happening at Zuiveringshal West, Amsterdam from 30 March till 03 April 2016, they invited four artists – Kim David Bots, Ingmar König, Jan Hoek and Boris de Beijer – to design patches, that is iron-on, 100% embroidered, art patches. It’s a project emblematic of their cool, casual and effective way of working with artists. They also got up-and-coming fashion designer Sophie Hardeman, with her conceptual take on denim, and fashion photographer Valentina Vos on board. It’s an Unfair classic; cue artist and co-founder Peter van der Es.
Why make patches out of artworks? Was the intention to make art wearable?
We are always looking for ways to make artworks accessible for a broader audience. Patches have a strong cultural identity; they are a way to advertise a personal interest, often provocative, political or idealistic. We took a lot of inspiration from subcultures: from Mexican wrestling masks, black metal patches to ’90s Thunderdome memories. It was an adventure.
How did you arrive at this selection of artists?
Boris, Kim, Ingmar and Jan are all artists we have worked with at past Unfair editions, so we know their work well. The patches relate to their art in different ways but we feel also that the patch itself would be able to fit well into their respective bodies of work. Boris, for example, uses a lot of occult markings in his work, weird spiritual references, and he plays around with materiality – patches are really an ideal platform for his work. He took inspiration from old NASA mission patches, you can tell there’s a bigger hidden message. That being said, all of these artists are people who would actually wear patches, they relate to the medium in a personal way.
What’s your relationship to graphic design and branding? And why is it important to look cool?
I think we are all very visual beings, spending way too much time on FB and IG, so I guess it comes naturally. Also Bas Koopmans, our graphic guru, is involved in all kinds of facets of our initiative, and of course he brings his A game when it comes to our visual identity. Bas just has the unique talent of very clearly communicating messages while preserving that ‘we don’t really give a fuck’ attitude. There is a fine line, but he finds a way to do it without losing the humour and playfulness, so I can still post pictures of Kim and Kanye carrying Unfair shopping bags whenever I want, because it really doesn’t matter.
What can we expect from Unfair 2016?
This year, we have a killer line-up again, showing new works by 40 talented young artists, and making it possible to meet them personally as well. We have a festival day with Subbacultcha with music and fashion, a performance programme throughout the weekend, a lecture programme and much more. Also we have an all new, very exciting exhibition design by Donna van Milligen Bielke, who won the Prix The Rome for Architecture in 2014. We really love her never-ending enthusiasm and she understands the identity of the fair like no one else – her design is really the final, overarching artwork of the fair.
UNFRAMED by Unfair
Patch Artists: Kim David Bots, Ingmar König, Jan Hoek, and Boris de Beijer.
Photography: Valentina Vos – Witman Kleipool
Styling: Ogènda
Clothing: Sophie Hardeman
Check out the Subbacultcha <3 Unfair programme on 31 March during Unfair Amsterdam.
Related
