Last week, we welcomed visitors for a full day featuring an Open Studio, artist talks, a transformation ritual, student presentations, and more.

The day began in the Kunstfort warehouse, where Mexican artist Dodi Espinosa @dodiespinosa shared his insights into his ‘ballerina sculptures,’ on display there for the last time before being ritually destroyed. The work is part of “We are woven to an end”— a growing and ultimately disappearing exhibition that questions our desire to preserve artworks for eternity.

Following his introduction, Dodi led a transformation ritual. Through a guided meditation, accompanied by the scent of incense rising from a silver skull, he invited visitors to find calm and release negative experiences or trauma from the body. Participants wrapped a piece of tulle around a body part they wished to heal, then added the fabric to the sculptures, which will eventually vanish.

After this moment of reflection, visitors made their way to the fort, where our director Rabiaâ Benlahbib and HKU student Rose Stibbe welcomed them and introduced the group of second-year students from the Utrecht University of the Arts (HKU) @dekunstvanhku. After weeks of hard work, the students presented their projects around the theme of impermanence, spread throughout the fort’s outdoor spaces.

In Room 31, artist Folkert de Jong @folkert.dejong officially opened his temporary studio to the public for the last time, offering a glimpse into his experiments with natural materials.

To conclude the day, visitors were treated to an exclusive preview of our upcoming summer exhibition When the animals still spoke, with the first works by Warre Mulder @warremulder, Toni Brell @tonibrell, and Jesse Fischer @fisjes already on view.

We’d like to thank everyone who joined us. It was a special day!