In 2008, the year of the great crisis in which many galleries closed their doors, Franzis Engels opened her heart and her home to artists she knew from her social network. In the beginning, 4 exhibitions were organized each year. Every opening was a big party for a whole weekend. The idea was to celebrate art in a homely environment, a contemporary 4-storey mansion, where more than 100 works were exhibited each time. The principle was that art is ART, talk about it, but more importantly: celebrate it. The initiative grew to 6 or 7 exhibitions per year, each lasting 6 weeks. A full-time occupation for the initiator Franzis Engels.
In 2014, after more than 25 exhibitions where more than 100 artists had shown their work, it was time to change. The initiative turned into a gallery, the space was adapted to optimize the presentation with homely and comfortable spaces on the one hand and a white-cube exhibition space on the top floor on the other. The name was changed to Galerie Franzis Engels.
The gallery is now known for emerging and established artists exploring a fantastic range of materials, processes and techniques. The works are fresh and surprising – made with craftsmanship.
In recent years, the emphasis has increasingly shifted to providing a platform and an income to mainly Dutch and Belgian artists. As in the beginning, art is celebrated in all its astonishing variety.
Franzis Engels Nieuwevaart 200 1018ZN AMSTERDAM Tel. +31 (0)6 31 00 03 23 [email protected] www.franzisengels.nl
INSTALLATION WALL Nick Ervinck
Romee van Oers
Katrien Vogel
Vincent de Boer
Katrien Vogel, object van papier
