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![GJ de Rook's Alphabet]( "GJ de Rook's Alphabet")
infoPhoto of performance at Hok Gallery, May 2022
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info
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![Photo in big Dutch Artcalendar]( "Photo in big Dutch Artcalendar")
infoMy photo is shown on 21 June in the Big Dutch Art calendar
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![Edith/Jack]( "Edith/Jack")
infoCommissioned by the Dutch National Portrait Gallery a portrait of Jack, inspired on Egon Schiele's famous painting of Edith Schiele.
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![Autonoom Centrum]( "Autonoom Centrum")
infoIn Situ
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![Dystopia]( "Dystopia")
infoIn Situ
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![Villa Kabilla]( "Villa Kabilla")
infoIn Situ
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![Martijn, 2010]( "Martijn, 2010")
infoPublication Volkskrant Magazine
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![Laura, 2010]( "Laura, 2010")
infoPublication Volkskrant Magazine
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![Casper Beaumont]( "Casper Beaumont")
infoPirate Radio Tonka
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![Fishing boy]( "Fishing boy")
infoWho is there will stay there
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![Beach, Urk - Fam. Baker, Urk]( "Beach, Urk - Fam. Baker, Urk")
infoWho is there will stay there
I document worlds not known to everybody, but recognisable nonetheless
I document worlds not known to everybody, but recognisable nonetheless. My interest lies with small groups, communities and subcultures: from isolated villagers to squatters.
I portray people emphasising their surroundings. I work with a medium format camera, on negative-film and always use an off-camera flash. This way I obtain clarity, detail and sharpness.
My latest publication ‘In Situ’ was released 31 March 2017 during the Rewire Festival in The Hague. ‘In Situ’ is an ode to the Underground Music Scene, its organisers and its visitors. In Situ was selected for The Best Dutch Book Designs 2017 by the Student Jury. Since then I started a stencil printing house called Stencilwerck. At Stencilwerck I mainly work together with (local) artists to create publications that stand out.
Websites
Main page Bertus Gerssen photography
www.bertusgerssen.nlWebpage of my Riso print room
www.stencilwerck.nlSocial media
Member of Artists’ Initiative/Collective/Incubator
www.De Besturing.nl
Curriculum vitae
Education
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2011 - 2012Several courses Kunstenaars & Co
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2003 - 2008Documentary photography Den Haag, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten diploma
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1994 - 1999MSc Molecular Biology Rijksuniversiteit Groningen diploma
exhibitions
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2022G.J. de Rook’s Alphabet Book Hok Gallery Den Haag, Netherlands G.J. de Rook’s Alphabet Book is a collaboration of Bertus Gerssen and GJ de Rook. The individual letters of the alphabet were pronounced by GJ de Rook and photographed by Bertus Gerssen. The photographs were then used to create a visual poetic sentence which was published as the 5th edition of the Stencilwerck editions. hokgallery.com Solo
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2021PSYCHOTIC REACTIONS // BESIDE MUSIC: people, lifestyle, rituals Landscape Stories PSYCHOTIC REACTIONS // BESIDE MUSIC: people, lifestyle, rituals Online, Italy PSYCHOTIC REACTIONS // BESIDE MUSIC: people, lifestyle, rituals What are the songs that struck us in our adolescence? And then how much music has been a costant presence during our life? What was hiding and what still hides behind that sort of iridescent carnival sound? The misfits, the outcast, the minorities, meet each other and strengthen the unconditional belonging to a group where they can exist and shine. Rituals, styles, fashions are the changing scenario of these magnificent falling stars. landscapestories.net/en/archive/2021/psychotic-reactions/projects/bertus-gerssen Group
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2019Anesthesia De Grafische Werkplaats The Hague, Netherlands Peer In Gallery and De Grafische Werkplaats offered nine photographers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the graphic techniques. During a few weeks they developed new work from their own practice, equipped with the various possibilities of De Grafische Werkplaats. Group
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2018In Situ Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands In Situ was part of the exhibition accompanying the presentation of The Best Dutch Book design 2017 www.bestverzorgdeboeken-studentenselectie.nl/2017/in-situ/ Group
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2018Athens Photo Festival 2018 Photobook Exhibition Benaki Museum Athens, Greece In Situ was shown at the Athens Photo Festival 2018 at the Photobook Exhibition www.photofestival.gr/photobooks Group
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2018Void The Grey Space in The Middle The Hague, Netherlands In Situ was part of the group exhibition Void at The Grey Space in the Middle, as part of the Grauzone festival 2018 www.grauzonefestival.nl/previousfestivaleditions Group
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2017In Situ The Grey Space in the Middle The Hague, Netherlands In Situ book presentation with photo exhibition during Rewire festival 2017 Solo
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2017Face Time Dutch National Portrait Gallery at several Dutch train stations Amsterdam, Almere, Den Haag, Breda, Zwolle, Arnhem, Netherlands A traveling exhibition by the Dutch National Portrait Gallery for which I remade a favourite art-piece in the collection of The Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. I chose the portrait by Egon Schiele of Edith which I used as a basis for a (photographic) portrait of Jack, a non-binary man. kunstencultuurinbeweging.nl/ Group
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2015Are you Pieter Brouwer? Photoweek Urk Exhibition in the streets of Urk. I went looking and photographed relatives of war hero Pieter Brouwer, who turned out to be my grandfather's best friend. The photo's were shown in the streets of Urk. Solo
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2013Off the Grid Nutshuis The Hague, Netherlands Group exhibition with Justine Kurland, Corine Vermeulen and Bertus Gerssen on living off the grid. nutshuis.nl Group
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2013Den Haag Underground Paard van Troje/ State-X Festival The Hague Den Haag Underground exhibition at Paard van Troje www.paard.nl Solo
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2012Me and my Hero Nutshuis The Hague, Netherlands Group exhibition with photographs of Peter Bos and his hero Provo Kabouter Roel van Duijn. Group
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2010Gone with the wind Keukenhof Lisse, Netherlands Group exhibition with a.o. Cas Oorthuys and Henk van der Leeden keukenhof.nl Group
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2009Communities Gallery Andergrond The Hague, Netherlands Exhibition about communities with Eva Flendrie an d Myrtille Visscher Group
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2009Who's there will stay there Hogeschool voor Sociologie Amersfoort Utrecht, Netherlands At the Hogeschool Utrecht photo's were shown of the project 'Who's there will stay there'. Solo
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2008Who's there will stay there Royal academy of Arts The Hague The Hague, Netherlands Final exam Exhibition of my book Who's there will stay there kabk.nl Group
Projects
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2019
Yes ma'am, I'm addicted to whip cream Grafische Werkplaats Den Haag The Hague, Netherlands www.peeringallery.nl/an-esthesie/ For a project initiated by de Grafische Werkplaats and Peer in Gallery, Den Haag I dove into the world of N2O, a.k.a. laughing gas. My project resulted in a small publication and some Lithographic colour prints
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2018
Photographer of the War Omroep Flevoland Urk, Netherlands www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h0kFKC-wlk For Omroep Flevoland I was asked to tell something about my grandfather, who used to be a photographer in WWII.
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2017
In Situ Rewire Festival, The Hague The Hague, Netherlands www.bertusgerssen.nl/portfolio/in-situ Book presentation with a photo-exhibition, performances and live The Hague bands during Rewire 2017
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2015
The Pieter Brouwerstreet (Urk) Fotoweek Urk, Netherlands www.bertusgerssen.nl/portfolio/pieterbrouwerstraat/ I was commissioned by fotoweek.nl to portray a street in my hometown Urk. I photographed in the Pieter Brouwerstreet, named after World War two warhero Pier Brouwer (who was best friend of my grandfather Geert Oost)
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2013
Den Haag Underground Huis Marseille Amsterdam, Netherlands huismarseille.nl I won a pitch for my upcoming project Den Haag Underground, later resulting in the book 'In Situ'.
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2010
The Social landscape of The Hague Nutshuis Den Haag The Hague nutshuis.nl 5 Artists were invited to do a project with the Nutshuis. I photographed a 'Social landscape of The Hague'.
Commissions
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2015Are you Pieter Brouwer? (12 Photographers – 12 streets – 12 provinces) Fotoweek Urk, Netherlands Commssioned project by Dutch Photo week on The Pieter Brouwer street in Urk. defotoweek.nl finished
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2013Volkspaleis Volkspaleis/West The Hague, Netherlands Volkspaleis asked me to photograph the visitors of that year's Volkspaleis. volkspaleis.org finished
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2010Docu Den Haag Docu Den Haag The Hague, Netherlands Photo series on the social landscape of the Hague nutshuis.nl finished
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2007Crossing Border Crossing Border Festival The Hague, Netherlands Documentation of Crossing Border festival 2007 crossingborder.nl finished
Sales/Works in collections
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2019Image bank Den Haag, Leidschendam-Voorburg The Hague, Nederland Several photo's were acquired by the Image Bank of The Hague
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2010The social landscape of The Hague Nutshuis Den Haag Photo series of The Social landscape of The Hague
Publications
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2022Alphabet book Book G.J. de Rook The Hague, Netherlands In this publication G.J. de Rook pronounces the english alphabet. The letters were photographed one by one and a visual statement was thus made.
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2020Alfabet boek Book G.J. de Rook The Hague, Netherlands www.bertusgerssen.nl/portfolio/g-j-de-rooks-alfabet Together with GJ de Rook I made a photo booklet. He pronounced the dutch alphabet, which I photographed. With those visual letters we made a sentence.
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2020De Grote Nederlandse Kunstkalender 2020 Catalog Trichis Rotterdam, Netherlands www.trichisboeken.nl/site/nederlandse_kunstkalender/ june 28, 2020 Bertus Gerssen, Villa Kabilla
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2019Yes ma'am I'm addicted to Whipped cream Book Stichting de grafische werkplaats Den Haag Bertus Gerssen The Hague, Netherlands www.peeringallery.nl/an-esthesie/ A small publication I made for the project 'An-esthesia' initiated by de Grafische Werkplaats and Peer in Galery, Den Haag I dove into the world of N2O, a.k.a. laughing gas.
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2017In Situ Book Bertus Gerssen Bertus Gerssen/Guy Tavares The Hague, Netherlands www.bertusgerssen.nl/portfolio/in-situ Photo book on the underground music scene of The Hague
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2012Het einde der tijden is ook een nieuw begin NRC-Next Artikel in krant
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2011Gemiereneuk zegt hen niets over God NRC-Next Artikel in krant
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2010Verboden te wonen Volkskrant magazine Artikel in Tijdschrift
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2010Pirate radio The Word Magazine Artikel in Tijdschrift
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2010Louise vs de Paspoortwet Website Foto's voor website
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2008Wie er is die blift er al Bertus Gerssen/Eva Flendrie; Robert Muda, Den Haag, Urk In eigen beheer uitgegeven boek, oplage 500 stuks
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2008Plattelandskrakers Vrij Nederland Artikel in Tijdschrift
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2008Urk, nog altijd een eiland NRC Artikel in bijlage van de krant
reviews
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2017Postcard The Hague Magazine ROBERT BARRY The Hague, Netherlands frieze.com/article/postcard-hague Article on Rewire Festival 2017, with a section on In Situ.
Awards and grants
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2021In Situ Gestetner 140 online, United Kingdom Runner up in Getstener 140 open call best Stencil prints
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2018Best Dutch Bookdesign Stichting De Best Verzorgde Boeken, Amsterdam, NL Amsterdam, Netherlands The Student Jury nominated In Situ as one of the Best Dutch Book designs of 2017
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2013Pitch winner Huis Marseille Amsterdam, Netherlands Won a €1000,- pitch for my project which would later become In Situ at Huis Marseill, home of photography
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2010Beschikking tegemoetkoming kunstenaars&co Amsterdam, Netherlands
Secondary art-related activities
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2019 - --The Other Book, supporting organisor of the Other Book Festival since the first edition of nov. 2019 On-going
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2017 - --Grafische Werkplaats workshop teacher On-going
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2015 - --Rondleider ateliercomplex De Besturing On-going
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2009 - 2015Curator tentoonstellingen in Baklust