Biography
Judith Westerveld (The Hague, 1985) grew up in South Africa and the Netherlands. She studied Fine Art at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, followed by the Master Artistic Research (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam.
In her films, audio-visual installations, photocollages and performance based work, she researches the relation between the archive, the voice and the narrative, probing who is heard and seen, remembered and historicized in a postcolonial world. Language in spoken, written and embodied form, as well as memory, oral history and archival material are recurring elements that shape her work. With her work she aims to address and reflect upon the multiple ways the colonial past continues to impact the present.
Westerveld is based in Amsterdam and is represented by gallery Lumen Travo. Her works are exhibited internationally, and her films are distributed by, and part of the collections of LI-MA Living Media Art in Amsterdam and ARGOS in Brussels. Westerveld’s practice is supported by the Amarte Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst and Mondriaan Fund.
contact
Studio
Marius van Bouwdijk Bastiaansestraat 67
1054 RT Amsterdam
Email
judewest@gmail.com
Gallery
Lumen Travo
Lijnbaansgracht 314, Amsterdam
info@lumentravo.nl
curriculum vitae
Education
09/2011 - 07/2013 Master Artistic Research (cum laude), Universiteit van Amsterdam
09/2005 - 06/2011 Bachelor of Fine Art, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
09/2008 - 01/2009Bachelor of Fine Art, exchange program, Konstfack University College of Art, Crafts and Design, Stockholm
Solo exhibitions and performances
2024
The Crow Messengers, Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
!k’ańn – shadow, performance during The Crow Messengers, Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
2018
The Dream of a Common Language, Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
Mukalap, performance during the Live Art Festival, organized by the Institute for Creative Arts, Cape Town
Group exhibitions
2023
Between Borders, Museum Arnhem
What to Expect: Our Glimpse into 2024, Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
Cape X Utrecht, Hidden histories of slavery and its afterlives, AG, Hogeschool van de Kunsten Utrecht
Spier Light Art, Stellenbosch
2022
Returning the Gaze, Sites of Memory, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Middelburg
2020 Untitled (Spirit of Changing Times), Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
2019
Far Away Close By (exercises in the translocal), Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam
That's What She Said, Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg
Mukalap, performance during Borderwalk, organized by Borderlands Public Art Project, Cape Town
Prospects&Concepts, Art Rotterdam, Van Nelle Fabriek, Rotterdam Lumen Travo, Art Rotterdam, Van Nelle Fabriek
2018
Live Art Festival, Institute for Creative Arts, Cape Town
Language is the only homeland, Nest, The Hague
Floraphilia. Plants as archives, Academy of the Arts of the World, Cologne
The Last Reader, Annex M, Megaron’s Garden, Athens
A Week of Womxn, District Six Homecoming Centre, Cape Town
2017
A Global Table, De Hallen/Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem
Womxn, Afrovibes, De Balie, Amsterdam
2016
Re(as)sisting Narratives, District Six Museum, Cape Town
Hesitation, Lumen Travo gallery, Amsterdam
Re(as)sisting Narratives, Framer Framed, Amsterdam
Q-U-I-J-T, Beelden voor de radio, Torenkamer Festival, Amsterdam
2013 Stories from the Ripple Pool, SMBA, Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam
Film screenings
2024
A few common phrases, LI-MA Presents: Remembering Otherwise, Amsterdam
Message from Mukalap, Indigenous Liberation Month, Amsterdam
2023 Message from Mukalap, Transitions, Maastricht
2022
Message from Mukalap, Rencontres Internationales, Paris and Berlin
Message from Mukalap, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen
2021
Message from Mukalap, 25th Ji.Hlava, International Documentary Film Festival
Message from Mukalap, 21st NEMAF, Seoul International ALT Cinema & Media Festival
Message from Mukalap, 50th IFFR, International Film Festival Rotterdam
Kulimatji, Symposium Om te behoort, University of Amsterdam in collaboration with Gent University and Zuid-Afrikahuis, Amsterdam
2019
Kulimatji, Symposium on Words and Music, SOAS University of London
Writing back to history, Media Kunst Festival Arnhem, Filmtheater FOCUS
A few common phrases, AT5 RietveldTV, tv broadcast
Writing back to history, Statenlokaal Tweede Kamer, The Hague
Writing back to history, Art Rotterdam, Van Nelle Fabriek, Rotterdam
A few common phrases, 48th IFFR, International Film Festival Rotterdam
The Remnant, Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway
2018
Sida Îtse, IZIKO South African Museum, Cape Town
Writing back to history, The Hague Contemporary, The Hague
The Remnant, Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival BIEFF
2017
The Remnant, Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, Johannesburg & Cape Town
The Remnant, Southern Summer School, BAK, Utrecht
The Remnant, LIMA Presents New Work, Amsterdam
The Remnant, Short Highlights Program IFFR, EYE Film Museum Amsterdam, GroningerForum, Natlab Eindhoven, Chassé Cinema Breda, Cinema Middelburg
The Remnant, 46th IFFR, International Film Festival Rotterdam
2016 Still not at ease, Archives Matter Conference, Center for Feminist Research, Goldsmiths University, London
2014 Still not at ease & Foreclosure, ‘Nothing to see, Nothing to hide’, puntWG, Amsterdam
Artist Talks
2024
The Crow Messengers: Language and Colonialism in South Africa, Decolonial Dialogues@Humanities, Bushuis, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Uncomfortable Monuments, Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam
2023
Cape X Utrecht, AG, Hogeschool van de Kunsten Utrecht
Uncomfortable Monuments, Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam
Presentation for Fine Art students, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
2021
Presentation for ARRG, Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, University of Amsterdam
Kulimatji, Symposium Om te behoort, University of Amsterdam, Gent University and Zuid-Afrikahuis, Amsterdam
2020
Kulimatji, Kalahari Basin Network, online
Get a Grant Event, Mondriaan Fonds, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
2019
Symposium on Words and Music, SOAS University London
That's What She Said, Bag Factory, Johannesburg
Mukalap, Zuid-Afrikahuis, Amsterdam
Someone’s mother tongue, 24 uur Noord, Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam
2017 The Human Library, Erasmus University, Rotterdam
2016
Re(as)sisting Narratives in Context, District Six Museum, Cape Town
Re(as)sisting Narratives in Context, Framer Framed, Amsterdam
Archives Matter Conference, Centre for Feminist Research, Goldsmiths University, London
2013 Experiences in Artistic Research, Master Artistic Research, KABK, Den Haag
Publications
04/2020 Artist contribution of the film Message from Mukalap, in Simulacrum Jrg. 28 #3bzzzzzzzzzsjoeeffff….fffieeeeeeeewtttttzzzzzhzhhhooonggggggggggg
12/2018 Publication of the photocollage series Echolocation in Karin Amatmoekrim's article ‘Angst is de rode draad in alle verzwegen geschiedenissen’ published by De Correspondent in the series ‘Verzwegen geschiedenis’. https://decorrespondent.nl/9059/angst-is-de-rode-draad-in-alle-verzwegen-geschiedenissen/3377321844820-6e9bc6ee
10/2017 Publication of the photo collage series Echolocation in a special issue of ZAM Magazine ‘Between Bitter Almonds and Good Hope’, in collaboration with journalist Evelyn Groenink, https://specials.zammagazine.com
06/2017 Co-editor (with Rini Hurkmans and Jeroen Boomgaard) of the book Compassion, A Paradox in Art and Society, Valiz, Amsterdam
06/2017 Publication of the essay ‘Compassion, Do We Take Care of Ourselves?’ in Compassion, A Paradox in Art and Society, Valiz, Amsterdam
06/2017 Publication of an interview with Susan Neiman on Morality and Art, ‘The World As It Is and The World As It Ought To Be’, in Compassion, A Paradox in Art and Society, Valiz, Amsterdam
06/2012 Publication of the essay ‘The Relevance of Collective Autonomy’ in At Work: The Autonomy Project-Newspaper 3, Onomatopee, Eindhoven
05/2012 Publication of the work The Fragility of Coherence in ‘Versal Ten: the literary & arts journal out of Amsterdam’, wordsinhere, Amsterdam
Grants, Residencies and Prizes
2023 - 2024 Project grant Amarte Fonds
2023 - 2024 Project subsidy Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
2019-2023 Artist Basic grant Mondriaan Fund
2021 Artist Project grant Mondriaan Fund
2019 Printmaking residency at Print Media department University of Cape Town
2018 Printmaking residency at AGA LAB, Amsterdam
2017-2018 Artist Start grant Mondriaan Fund
2015 Residency at De Torenkamer, Opium op 4, Radio 4 AVROTROS, Amsterdam
2012 Nomination AIAS Prix D'Honeur
Press
2024
Artist in Focus LI-MA, https://li-ma.nl/article/artist-in-focus-judith-westerveld/
24/10: Mediakunst.net, ‘Whose Voices Are Heard?: Reclaiming Marginalised Narratives Through the Works of Judith Westerveld’, interview conducted by Eleni Maragkou, https://mediakunst.net/public/judith-westerveld
2023 17/04: Mediakunst.net ‘Nieuw in collectie door Ive Stevenheydens #3’, review Message from Mukalap https://www.mediakunst.net/public/nieuw-in-collectie-door-ive-stevenheydens-3
2020
19/08: Voertaal.nu, ‘Kleine schelpjes herinneren Nederland koppig aan het slavernijverleden’, Interview conducted by Ingrid Glorie https://voertaal.nu/kleine-schelpjes-herinneren-nederland-koppig-aan-het-slavernijverleden/
26/06: Gallery Viewer Magazine, review group exhibition Untitled (Spirit of Changing Times) https://galleryviewer.com/en/article/317/lumen-travo-untitled-spirit-of-changing-times
30/04: Metropolis M, article about the exhibition Floraphilia, Plants as Archives, ‘Het verborgen verleden van de botanische tuin’, with special mention of the film The Remnant and the collage series Echolocation.
2019 10/05: Voertaal.nu, Interview conducted by Ingrid Glorie https://voertaal.nu/judith-westerveld-doordat-ik-in-nederland-en-zuid-afrika-ben-opgegroeid-voel-ik-me-altijd-zowel-insider-als-outsider/
2018
22/10: Metropolis M, review of the group exhibition Language is the only homeland, ‘Hoe kunstenaars opkomen voor met uitsterven bedreigde talen’ by Nadeche Remst with special mention of the audio installation Mukalap, https://www.metropolism.com/nl/reviews/36523_language_nest
19/10: Mister Motley, review of the group exhibition Language is the only homeland, ‘De Ogenschijnlijke Objectieve Taal - Een bezoek aan Nest, Den Haag’ by Janneke Korsten with special mention of the film Kulimatji and audio installation Mukalap, http://www.mistermotley.nl/art-everyday-life/de-ogenschijnlijke-objectieve-taal-een-bezoek-aan-nest-den-haag
28/09: De Volkskrant, review of the group exhibition Language is the only homeland, ‘Universele Taal, by Merel Bem with special mention of mention of the film Kulimatji, https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/taal-is-ook-kijken-wordt-duidelijk-in-deze-groepstentoonstelling~b665dacd/
8/6: De Volkskrant, review of the solo exhibition The Dream of a Common Language, ‘Khoekhoegowabs, Vreemde Taal’ by Merel Bem, https://blendle.com/i/de-volkskrant/khoekhoegowabs-vreemde-taal/bnl-vkn-20180608-9720247
8/6: Het Parool, review of the solo exhibition The Dream of a Common Language, ‘Wie Spreekt er nog Khoekhoegowab?’ by Kees Keijer, https://blendle.com/i/het-parool/wie-spreekt-nog-khoekhoegowab/bnl-par-20180608-9723857
2017 23/10: De Volkskrant, review of the group exhibition A Global Table, ‘Bezoek de dubbeltentoonstelling over ons slavernijverleden’ by Sacha Bronwasser, with special mention of the film The Remnant, https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/bezoek-de-dubbeltentoonstelling-over-ons-slavernijverleden~b22729d2/?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F