“Waar Gebeurd” (actually happened) brings together two artists who, each in their own way, visualize, reinterpret, and give form to personal and cultural histories. Both artists have previously exhibited at the gallery: Nonna Hoogland in ECHTER! (2024) and Alexander Koch in Over de Grens (2023).

Alexander Koch grew up in Italy as the son of a pair of ballet dancers. Following in the footsteps of his famous Utrecht grandfather Pyke, he too decided to pursue a career in the arts. In 2022, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague. His paintings often depict figurative skirmishes and are stylistically reminiscent of both early Renaissance artists such as Piero della Francesca and German modernists such as Georg Baselitz. With his subdued colour palette, Koch adds an intriguing dimension to contemporary painting. After an artist-in-residence in Venice, he recently returned to the Netherlands – albeit temporarily. Koch has been admitted to the prestigious master's programme at the Royal College of Art in London.

Two years ago, upon graduating from the HKU Illustration program, Nonna Hoogland caused a stir with her exuberant ceramic sculptures, vases, and goblets, richly adorned with drawings, ornaments, and stories. Her work merges Italian Baroque influences with floral motifs and fierce feminist themes. Her graduation project earned her the HKU Award, and her accompanying pamphlet featured a striking foreword by British writer and actor Stephen Fry, whose retellings of Greek myths served as a key source of inspiration. Hoogland’s ceramics are both decorative and politically charged, offering layered narratives that raise questions about beauty, power, and identity.

A video portrait of both artists by Laura van Mosselveld can be watched here.