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One of my favorite places in Rotterdam is Koozie… it’s cozy, of course. And it’s artsy.
Every two months they are displaying a different local artist, from photography to paintings, diverse styles and stories. With quite the waiting line. I’m very happy that I’m going to have my abstract art shown there for two months between 27 January and 24 March 2026. I love seeing and making abstract pieces so much. Part of the works are related to the cover of my PhD thesis on climate-related art (image 1). Others are dealing with personal themes that have surfaced again and again for me during my time as a PhD candidate (image 2).

In my PhD I was dealing daily with the climate crisis, how art addresses it, what progress has been made, but also what challenges remain. It’s difficult not to be worried given all the facts that we have in the scientific community around the climate crisis. It’s difficult not to think about potential future scenarios and the what-ifs.

And this future focus – this necessity for a future focus – is also showing itself when working in academia or the artworld. It often means thinking quite a lot about the future. Thinking about when to apply for funding for a future project, about when temporary contracts or assignments end, about which steps to take next.

It can sometimes be easy to loose a bit of that present focus. And difficult to live in the moment, to be grateful for things that are instead of things that could be, to remember about right now, right here. And the possibilities that lie within that. Me … here … now. This abstract art piece addresses that and reminds me – and any viewer who needs it – to stay present focused when thoughts on the past or future take over in a not so helpful way. It’s hanging in my studio at the moment, right where I can see it.

Image 2: Me here now, 40 x 50 cm, water and acryl colour on cardboard