Mothership: making art and corporate come together

 

 

Since 2004. I ran the Showroom MAMA gallery here in Rotterdam for six years, together with Boris van Berkem. We were the first club of youngsters to get structural funding. It was a great time: we could react on actualities very quickly with our expositions, which made us one of the most hot galleries in town.

During that time, I was amazed by the amount of funding there was to be gained for art. There are so many little municipial money jars, it dazzled me. On the other hand, I saw that there were big companies like Redbull and Diesel that were very interested in what we were doing and who would love to work with us. It made a click in my head: there is money to be gained from other structures than funding.

That’s when I started mothership.

 

 

Mothership is the company name. It’s derived from Showroom MAMA, which means ‘mommy’ in Dutch. I started it with Boris van Berkem as well, but I took over since 2005. Boris became a fulltime artist.

Looking around, I see some amazing pieces of art. Quite a workingspace you’ve got here. It’s a spacious unit that is worthy of a kings’ entrance, the way you guys decorated it.

 

You like it? I advised the local municipality to stimulate new businesses by letting them rent empty buildings for a small fee. Our office is situated in the fraying edges of the city, but for art, that is an inspiring place to be. It was a hell of a job to fix this place up, but totally worth it.
 

 

Art is part of an identity and culture. It’s good to know what you belong to. On the other hand, art can offer a mirror. I think the carbomb wrecks that Jonas Staal imported from Iraq and he put them on the streets in Holland, a fine example of giving insight in different viewpoints. In Iraq, people who place carbombs are considered martyrs, heroes. In Holland, we call them terrorists. The outcome is the same. Art defines who we are and where we are situated in relation to other societies.

A Jonas Staal carwreck
 
What is arts’ limitation?

 

Too long the focus has been inwards. Artists know how to network, but they do it only in their own circle. Institutions hardly look for other ways of cooperating in society. Why are there hardly any artists part of a businessclub? Those parties are interested in other views on their existence, they could really use an artist around.

 

Art and commerce used to be like vinegar and oil. But, in my opinion, when an artist can keep their autonomy, what is the trouble of actually getting paid for a work? Capitalist society has always been about exchanging services. I think it’s a fine system, so why wouldn’t it work for art? Of course, some works cost more than they could possibly be sold for and that’s what we need funding for. 

 

Mothership exists due to prejudice. Commercial parties are scared of artists. The idea that an artist is an unreliable person that makes vague statements, is still alive. On the other hand there are many artist who look down on commerce, who still believe money is a dirty thing. Mothership is the ropebridge between the two. My aim is to become the Brienenoordbridge between them (= biggest bridge in Rotterdam)

 

We are just at the beginning. I have a mission to break up the artworld. To get biblical: If Mozes won’t come to the mountain, we will bring the mountain to Mozes.

That’s why we do big artprojects in the street, that audiences can’t miss. My big inspiration is Joop van den Ende (Dutch musicalproducer). He made theatre popular for the masses. Now it’s time for art to do the same.

 

Holland is pretty much covered by us and our ambitions lie across the border. We just got a newsarticle about Madonna buying contemporary chrystal chandeliers by Hans van Bentem. Rock n Royal is a Mothership label and is one of the apples of our eyes: we plug it and it makes my day, seeing that it makes the news.

The evercharming chandeliers by Rock n Royal.

 

 

I love authenticity. Conceptual art comes from the intellect, you hardly ever ‘feel’ it. When I do a lecture at an artschool, I always say: stop making art. When you’re making art, you get cramps. The spontaneous, the feeling is so important. You have to do exactly what makes you enthusiastic.

In 100 years from now, it will be decided that what you did, is considered art or not. So don’t worry about that now.

I call conceptual art puzzle-art. The average man doesn’t get it. I think the museums are full of puzzle-art.

 

 

I keep myself updated by the web. I think every artists should have their portfolio online.

 

 

You know Cristo, the guy that wraps everything? From the beginning, he always thought big. For some of his works, it took him decades to get the permissions he needed. I love that fighters mentality.

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