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A duo exhibition by Sander van Noort & Paul Heusinkveld at Kunsthal Kloof

An exhibition about the glory of coming in second. Or about failing spectacularly. Almost perfect, but not quite. But all in all pretty well done.

In this duo exhibition, artists Sander van Noort (NL, 1986) and Paul Heusinkveld (NL, 1997) present their work in an art space balancing between restoration and ruin. Responding to the recent renovation efforts at Kunsthal Kloof, Sander and Paul have transformed the exhibition space into a state of “help-my-artist-is-a-handyman.” Presented as incomplete, their works appear amidst slanting walls and scattered construction materials. Insulation foam bulges through cracks, hiding tiny artworks within. Larger pieces burst through flimsy drywall, and improvised installations rise from the floor.

It all seems a bit inept—clumsy, even. In the absence of polish or conventional success, you start to wonder: what went wrong? Where lies the beauty in walls warped by thumb-lengths? What’s so fantastic about this crooked, chaotic artspace?

But that tension is precisely the point. After all the measuring and fitting, succes isn’t the goal. 2nd best #1 proudly puts failure on a pedestal. By examining and embracing “clumsiness,” Sander and Paul push back against the demand for perfection that seems increasingly demanded by a grim, late-capitalist world. In a generation full of control freaks and perfectionists, the pressure to succeed can feel inescapable.

And yet, here we are. It might not look finished, but it is ready nonetheless. Imagination shines through incomplete things just the same. Clumsiness doesn’t just reflect what’s not yet perfect—it dreams of what could be. This exhibition mirrors the ever-evolving artistic practice, full of beautiful imperfections. It invites to feel satisfaction with outcomes that may look nothing like what was first imagined.

Wentelteefjes selected these young makers because they all share a drive to dissect the boundaries and overlaps between reality and association. In their studies, you can see playful narratives emerge with amazement, in which everyday figures and connections with imagination appear. Here and there, the childlike world, full of creatures and monstrous figures, provides a surprise. Modest or challenging; they all tell about their experiences in different sculptures.

From April 18 to August 24, 2025, No Limits! Art Castle will be in Utrecht with The Castle of Many Bodies: a ceramics exhibition in the garden of the Centraal Museum. The castle imagines itself as a large, shared body and takes visitors on a journey of change, desire, life and death, masculinity and femininity. The castle embraces otherness, welcomes everyone and brings all kinds of people together in one large work of art.

Clay is a physical, organic and sometimes unpredictable material—it shrinks, cracks and deforms. At the same time, ceramics is a physical process—you knead it with your hands, sometimes even with your entire body, and are in direct contact with the material. This makes it ideally suited to tell stories about the body. The artists in The Castle of Many Bodies create new bodies, shape their experiences and challenge conventions. From protective spiky creatures to sculptures that explore gender identity: each work reflects the unique perspective of the artist.

The castle itself is also a work of art, designed by Sander van Noort in collaboration with artists from various studios. It grows organically, built from reused parts of the old castle in Amsterdam, remains of old works of art and ceramic pieces from De Wijde Doelen, Bijzonder Amsterdams and May van Loenen, among others. This hybrid structure symbolizes the power of collaboration, reuse and diversity.

With The Castle of Many Bodies we show the many sides of ceramics, build bridges between makers and the public and celebrate the wealth of bodies and perspectives. Welcome to the castle – a mini-museum and a shop, and above all a place where everything and everyone comes together.

Participating artists:

Atelier de Wijde Doelen, Zinderin Kunst, Bijzonder Amsterdams, Sander van Noort, Shani Leseman, Tommy Smits, Jessica Magnin, Maikel Baas, Atelier Totem, Gilbert Smith, Juan Carlos Badia Cabero, Nonna Hoogland, May van Loenen, Ischa Kempka, Natalia Ossef, Chris Rijk, Gijs Assmann, Amber Hyacinth, CrazinisT ArtisT, Alexxx, Mai van Oers, Antoine Moulinard, Ernest Anna Bessems.

📷: Robin Meyer Artdoc