For Art Rotterdam, m.simons presents two solo presentations: BarBara Hanlo (1957) and Michael Tedja (1971). Elsewhere on the fair floor, works by gallery artists will also be on view: Jan van der Ploeg will realize a mural, and new work by Marieke Zwart will be presented. As part of the Rijksakademie Talks, Zwart will participate in an artist talk on Saturday at 14:00, in conversation with Dineke Blom about her recent book She saw, I saw.
m.simons first introduced BarBara Hanlo at PAN Amsterdam 2025. At Art Rotterdam, the gallery presents her photographic investigations from the 1980s and 1990s—works that have yet to receive the attention they deserve. Early in her career, Hanlo explored the photogram, creating images without a camera through the direct interaction of light and material. Later, during a residency at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht, she investigated chemical coloration using metal salts, resulting in deep iron blues, copper, and gold tones embedded within the photographic surface. Her oeuvre reflects a sustained engagement with experimentation and craft, guided by an almost alchemical approach to the photographic medium.
Alongside Hanlo, m.simons presents a solo presentation by Rotterdam-born Michael Tedja, who is currently also the subject of a solo exhibition at the gallery. The presentation brings together new works with earlier pieces previously shown in institutional contexts, including solo exhibitions at the Centraal Museum Utrecht and the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar. Tedja’s practice moves fluidly between abstraction and figuration and is characterized by a layered accumulation of image, text, and color. His work operates as an open system in which association, repetition, and composition continuously generate new connections—where meaning remains in flux.
Beyond the booth, additional works by gallery artists are presented across the fair. Jan van der Ploeg will create a mural on site. Following his solo presentation at m.simons last December, he was awarded the Brillux Art Award for his mural at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. He is currently participating in a three-month residency at A271 in Düsseldorf, where he is developing a new series of paintings alongside mural designs. One of these new designs will be presented for the first time in the m.simons booth at Art Rotterdam.
Finally, Marieke Zwart. Zwart debuted at the gallery last summer with work developed during an extended period accompanying midwives. She has since shifted the social-realist focus of her practice to a bicycle repairman in her neighborhood, portraying him as both craftsman and central figure within the local community. The work, spread across three reflective metal panels, plays with processes of revealing and concealing: some areas are densely worked, while others remain open and sharply defined. Zwart’s work will be installed along the route between the m.simons booth and the artist talks section, where she will speak on Saturday at 14:00 with Dineke Blom.
We look forward to welcoming you at our booth.
