V&B (Alex Jacobs en Ellemieke Schoenmaker) is a dutch artist duo founded in Los Angeles in 2007. They are highly versatile switching effortless between abstraction and figuration as they do between the media of sculpture, painting and installation. Their work combines historic references with borrowed elements from the media and popular culture. Both spontaneous inspiration as critical interest reveal unexpected combinations that invite the viewer to search for commonly missed connotations.
V&B have had multiple solo and group exhibitions in National and International museums, exhibition spaces an galleries. Amongs others: Torrance Art Museum, Gemeente Museum Den Haag, TENT Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Galerie Jaap Sleper and Co-Prosperity Sphere, Chicago. Next to exhibitions they have received many awards and stipendia. Among others: The New Rembrandt by the AVRO, Royal Painting Prize and Stipendium Established Artist at the Mondriaan fund. Their work can be found in both private and other collections. For example Centraal Museum Utrecht, Museum Voorlinden, VU Medical Centre, AKZO NOBEL Art Foundation and Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan, Italy.
CV V&B
V & B (Alex Jacobs en Ellemieke Schoenmaker) live and work in Rotterdam.
Solo Exhibitions:
2021 This Artfair, Amsterdam
2018 SCOPE artfair, Booth Jaap Sleper, Basel
2018 A Contemporary Recapitulation of 4 Optimistic Attitudes. (The Better me), AK24, Utrecht
2018 New Perspectives, ZigZag City, Office for Metropolitan Information, Rotterdam.
2016 The Grace of Maybe, Concordia, Enschede
2015 This Artfair, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2014 179 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Galerie Jaap Sleper, Utrecht
2014 Art in Redlight, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2014 179 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles, US
2013 Have you seen this painting, galerie with tsjalling, Groningen
2013 Re:Rotterdam, Home of your favorite artists, Rotterdam
2012 The Others Artfair, Booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Torino
2012 Cologne ArtFair, Booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Cologne
2012 V&B, Museum Hilversum, Hilversum
2012 6 Easy Steps to a Masterpiece, Art The Hague, Artfair, Booth Galerie Jaap Sleper.
2012 I Remember Tomorrow, Galerie Jaap Sleper (former Galerie10), Utrecht
2012 Most of our Universe is Missing, Booth Galerie10, KunstRAI, Amsterdam
2012 The Untamed Reality of Magic, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Den Haag
2011 The Collection; FITAX solo, (Malerei) Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam
2011 The Work, The Study, The Oeuvre and The Collection, Galerie10, Utrecht
2010 Finding a New Religion (Private Viewing), ArtAmsterdam, Booth Galerie10
2009 Eternal Glory in Pseudo 3D, Actionfields//Vincent Verbist, Brussels, BE
2009 Art Athina, Galerie10, Athens, GR
2009 268 Masterpieces in RGB, TENT. Rotterdam
2009 Platforms (Hope Returns), Galerie10, Utrecht
2008 La Syndrome di Stendhal, RAIDprojects Los Angeles, USA.
Group exhibitions:
2021 Vouch, Loods 6 Amsterdam
2020 A KOCSMA, Air Pécsbagota 2007-2020, Ruimtevaart, Den Haag
2020 Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend, Studio K&C, Studio Bosland 28a, Rotterdam
2020 Royal Drippings, Galerie Luycks, Tilburg
2020 #SoftMarket, Frank Taal Galerie, Rotterdam (curator)
2020 Vouch, Studioweekend, Amsterdam/Rotterdam
2020 Pong, L.A.R.p, Los Angeles Rotterdam Project, online.
2020 Hectobar 8.0, Punch, Amsterdam
2020 This Artfair truck, Amsterdam
2020 Hectobar 5.0, Tent., Rotterdam
2020 Art Rotterdam week, K&C, Rotterdam.
2019 Hectobar 3.0, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam
2019 Priceless, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam
2019 Bcademie, Pension Almonde, Rotterdam (curator)
2019 Intervention 3.0, Neck of the Woods, rotterdam
2019 The Others, artfair Torino, booth Post Modern Collection
2019 Hectobar 2.0, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam
2019 Often Unanswered, But Always Guessing, Neck of the Woods, Rotterdam (+curator)
2019 Hectobar 1.0, Insulindestraat, Rotterdam
2019 Eindshow Bcademie, Gargage Rotterdam (+curator)
2019 Off Grid, Outsight Gallery, Amsterdam
2019 CO/LAB IV, Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles (+co-curator)
2019 Art Rotterdam Week, K&C, Rotterdam
2019 Art Rotterdam Week, Amber Solo Gallery, Rotterdam (+curator)
2018 This Art Fair, Amber Solo Gallery, Amsterdam
2018 Perennial Art, O Tannenbaum, Berlin, Germany
2018 30 years K&C Keileweg, Rotterdam (+curator)
2018 On My Way to The Galactic Supermarket, Need Anything?, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam (+curator)
2018 Project Platforms, Booth Bcademie, Athens
2018 ArtRotterdam week, K&C, Rotterdam
2018 Jetzt Schlägt Dreizehn, Bcademie, Rotterdam (+curator)
2018 Art Swap, Galerie Hommes, Rotterdam
2018 Veiling de Aanschouw, TENT, Rotterdam
2017 Holland, TENT, Rotterdam
2017 Grenswerk 2017, Mom artspace, Hamburg
2016 ATC*, Martin Blerk Gallery, Antwerpen
2016 Project Platforms, Booth Bcademie, Athens
2015 First Show, SIDM, Rotterdam
2015 Romeo Echo Alpha Lima, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlijn, Duitsland
2015 Rotterdam Contemporary, Best of Kralingen, Slaakhuys, Rotterdam
2015 KunstRAI, Booth galerie with tsjalling
2015 KunstRAI, Ongekend, Annelien Kers, Amsterdam
2015 Under the Coke Sign, SBK Dordrecht.
2015 Social Peek, Galerie Beerenberg, Druten
2015 Shift & Drift, TENT. Rotterdam
2015 Grim, galerie with tsjalling, Groningen.
2015 we like art@ Art Rotterdam.
2014 I am not doing anything until I feel the need, De Nederlandse Bank, Amsterdam
2014 I am not doing anything until I feel the need, Openbare Bibliotheek, Amsterdam
2014 Start Buying Art, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam
2014 BredaPhoto, Der Wanderer, Museum of the Image, Breda
2014 Auction de Aanschouw, de Aanschouw, Rotterdam
2014 Fitax500, W139, Amsterdam
2014 MAS Attack, Vast Space Project, Las Vegas, US
2014 Kunst4Kids, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam
2014 We Like Art, Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2014 Fitax500, Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2013 Het lelijkste schilderij ter wereld, Horizonverticaal, Haarlem
2013 The Picture Show, Perennial Art, Galerie Jaap Sleper
2013 Narcissistic Tendencies, NEST, Den Haag
2013 Hello :), Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei, Leipzig, DE
2013 Pas op de plaats, KersGallery@De Nieuwe Poort, Amsterdam
2013 Obscuriteit en Duisternis, Loft Project Etagi, St. Petersburg
2013 Dutch Connenction, Titanik Gallery, Turku, curated by Heavy Merry Finland
2013 ScopeBasel, Basel (Groupshow, Galerie Jaap Sleper)
2013 Color Sharks, The Wand, Berlin (Groupshow)
2013 KunstRAI, Booth Galerie Jaap Sleper, Amsterdam
2013 For the Sake of Paint 2, The Flood, Galerie Witteveen, Amsterdam.
2013 Added Value, Supermarket Artfair, Stockholm, Booth TUPAJUMI.COM
Prizes/Stipendia/Awards
2018 Research & Development stipend, Centre Visual Arts Rotterdam
2015 Stipendium for Established Artists, Mondriaan fund, Amsterdam
2012 Winner AVRO television show ‘In search of the New Rembrandt’.
2012 Design for series of 5 euro coins (Rietveld Schröder house, Amsterdam, Kinderdijk), Ministry of Finance, Den Haag.
2012 Research & Development stipend, Centre Visual Arts Rotterdam.
2011 The Fair Maiden, Sculpture for the Public Prosecution Service in Groningen.
2010 Basic Stipend, Fonds BKVB, Amsterdam
2010 Production Stipend Stokroos foundation, Utrecht
2010 The Netherlands and Painting, design 5 euro coin, Ministry of Finance, Den Haag.
2009 Research & Development stipend, Centre Visual Arts Rotterdam.
2009 Basic Stipend, Fonds BKVB, Amsterdam
2008 Winner of the Royal Painting Prize presented by her majesty Queen Beatrix.
2008 Nominated for the Charlotte van Pallandt sculpture prize.
2008 Nominated for the Young Sculptor Award, Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation, Milan
Collections:
Museum Voorlinden, De Heus-Zomer, Centraal Museum Utrecht. VU, Medical centre, Amsterdam. AKZO NOBEL Art foundation. Public Prosecution Service Groningen, Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, Milan, Italy. CBK Rotterdam, The Hague. SBK, Amsterdam. Aegon Art Collection, Den Haag. National en international private collections.
Residencies:
2017 Grenswerk, Tripkau, Germany.
2014 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, USA
2009 Post 15, Pécsbagota, Hongarije
2009 GlogauAir, Berlijn, Duitsland
2009 Künstlerhaus Bethanien
2007 RAID Projects, Los Angeles, USA
Other:
2019-now Tutor Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam
2019-now Founder/Organizer Hectobar.nl
2018-now Founder/Organizer Amber Solo Gallery
2015-now Founder/Organizer/Boardmember Bcademie Foundation, alternative post-academy
2014-15 Founder/Organizer Swartmark.com, alternative anonymous online gallery.
2010-now Boardmember Foundation and Society Kunst en Complex, studiocomplex in Rotterdam.
2017-18 Team V&B, Bcademie tutor team.
2018 Misc. Lectures V&B
2017 Lecture en Workshop, St Joost Breda en Den Bosch.
2016 Workshop, Aki enschede.
2014 Lecture The Artwork as a product, KABK, Den Haag
2013 Tutoring 3e years KABK, Den Haag
2012/2013 Tutor Autonomous 3rd en 4th year, Artez Hoge school voor Kunsten,
2011-2017 Founder/Organizer bij KC Basement exhbitionspace Kunst en Complex
2011-2014 Founder/Organizer Re:Rotterdam, alternative Artfair.
2003-2016 Boardmember Tupajumi, creator and organizer.