Martijn Sandberg ‘Image Messages’

The work of Amsterdam based visual artist Martijn Sandberg (1967) constantly explores border areas, such as the tension between text and image, illegible into legible, the private and the public domain. ”I make Image Messages, image is message is image.” The image hides the message.
In the cut paintings, such as ‘Sorry No Image Yet‘ and ‘Im Westen nichts Neues‘, there is a subtle play between the language of the image and the significance of the image, and this gives rise to questions. Here, even the lack of image seems to be elevated to an image by the artist.
The direct relationship between the image, the material bearing the image and the environment is also expressed in his site-specific works in public space and architecture. As in the ‘De Oude Weg Naar De Nieuwe Tijd‘ artwork, integrated as a brick relief in the walls of the gates and the pavement of the Spaarndammerhart building, Amsterdam. Or in the sculpture ‘I Will Survive‘ located at the border of a burial ground in Hardenberg, The Netherlands.
Recently, the Kunstbrug (Art Bridge), titled ‘Opgelet! Kunstwerk! Opgelet!‘ (‘Attention! Artwork! Attention!’), was installed in Zuidas Amsterdam. “I write with the bars of the bridge. It is playing with letters, light, relief and shadow. At the same time, the bridge is a nod to art and it always remains what the viewer himself sees in the artwork.”

www.msandberg.nl
instagram.com/martijnsandberg
linkedin.com/in/martijn-sandberg-150569143

Text & CV, download PDF: English, Dutch.

CV Martijn Sandberg

• 1986-1991 HKU Academy of Arts, dpt. Fine Art, Utrecht;
• 1990-1991 Rijks Academy of Fine Arts, dpt. Fine Art, Amsterdam.

Selected site-specific artworks in public space and architecture: 

• ‘Power To The People‘, Hoofddorpplein, Amsterdam, NL (2000);
• ‘No Image No Message‘, Pizzart Cafe, Fribourg, CH (2003);
• ‘Forever Young‘, OSG Singelland College, Drachten, NL (2005);
• ‘Hallo, Is Daar Iemand?‘ (‘Hello, Is Anybody There?’), Floriande, Hoofddorp, NL (2007);
• ‘Ben Even Weg‘ (‘Back Soon’), Floriande, Hoofddorp, NL (2007);
• ‘If These Walls Could Speak‘, OBA Centrale Bibliotheek, Amsterdam, NL (2007);
• ‘Pas op! Kunst!‘ (‘Watch out! Art!’), Dropstuff.nl, Museum De Paviljoens, Almere, NL (2008);
• ‘I Will Survive‘, Mulopad, Hardenberg, NL (2008);
• ‘Forever in Stone‘, Olympisch Kwartier, Amsterdam, NL (2004-2008);
• ‘Fragile, Glass, Handle With Care‘, Stadshoven, Weidevenne, Purmerend, NL (2009);
• ‘Karel Appel Was Hier‘ (‘Karel Appel Was Here’), Karel Appel House, Amsterdam, NL (2010);
• ‘De Sleutel Ligt Onder de Deurmat‘ (‘The Key Is Under the Doormat’), De Zilverling, Colijnstraat, Amsterdam, NL (2012);
• ‘U Heeft Tien Bewaarde Berichten‘ (‘You Have Ten Saved Messages’), Synagogue LJG, Amsterdam, NL (2013);
• ‘Melodie‘ (‘Melody’), Couperus, Ypenburg, Den Haag, NL (2013);
• ‘Het Wapen van Lochem‘ (‘The Lochem Arms’), Town Hall, Lochem, NL (2013);
• ‘Morgen Komt Alles Goed‘ (‘Tomorrow Everything Will Be Alright’), Kraaipan square, Hofmeyrstraat, Amsterdam, NL (2013);
• ‘One More Wall Well Done‘, First building, Weena, Rotterdam, NL (2016);
• ‘Silence Please Science Please‘, Faculty FWN, Leiden (2017);
• ‘U Bevindt Zich Hier‘ (‘You Are Here’), Oranje-Vrijstaatkade, Amsterdam (2019);
• ‘Make Love Not War‘, Tapijnkazerne (Tapijn Barracks), Maastricht (2020);
• ‘De Oude Weg Naar De Nieuwe Tijd‘, Spaarndammerhart, Krommeniestraat, Amsterdam (2020-2021);
• ‘Kunst Met Een Draai‘ (‘Art With A Twist’), De Draai, Dijk en Waard, Heerhugowaard (2023);
• ‘Opgelet! Kunstwerk! Opgelet!’ (‘Attention! Artwork! Attention!’), Kunstbrug (Art Bridge), Zuidas, Amsterdam (2024);
• ‘More Good News‘, Mediavaert, Amsterdam (2024).

• ‘Cut Painting!‘, cut paintings and personal selection of BPD Kunstcollectie (BPD Art Collection), BPD Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam (2022);
• ‘Wenn Alle Künste Untergehen‘ (‘If All Arts Are Lost’), tea towel, multiple edition, manufactured at: Textiellab, Tilburg, NL (2015);
• ‘Vivat Musica Pereat Mundus‘, music project, Soundcloud, www.soundcloud.com/­msandbergmusic (2015-2020);
• My Last Penny‘, Jaarpenning 2010/ Art Medal 2010, VPK, NL (2010);
• ‘Zakelijke Postzegels 2005‘/ ‘Business Stamps 2005‘, postage stamp design, TPG Post BV, NL (2005);
• ‘We’re Only In It For The Money‘, coin, multiple edition, production: Royal Dutch Mint, Utrecht, NL (2000).

• Teacher at department Beeld & Taal (Image & Language), Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, semester Sept-Dec 2009.
• Committee member: advisor visual art, Commissie voor Welstand en Monumenten, Amsterdam, period 2010-2012.
• Member advisory board: Klankbordgroep Onderzoek Monumentale Wandkunst (Research Post-War Monumental Art) in Amsterdam, Bureau Monumenten en Archeologie, Amsterdam, 2017/2018/2020.

• Project Spaarndammerhart, ‘De Oude Weg Naar De Nieuwe Tijd‘, Amsterdam (2020):
• Amsterdamse Nieuwbouwprijs 2022, Arie Keppler Prijs 2022, Zuiderkerkprijs 2021,
• Abe Bonnemaprijs 2021.
• Project Kraaipan, ‘Morgen Komt Alles Goed‘, Amsterdam (2013):
• Amsterdamse Nieuwbouwprijs 2014,
• Zuiderkerkprijs 2013.

• ‘Kunst in de Openbare Ruimte van Martijn Sandberg‘, In the Spotlights!, Arcam, 2024.
• ‘Cut Painting!‘, Martijn Sandberg, publication, 2022.
• ‘Tapijt van straatbakstenen‘, Spaarndammerhart, 2021.
• ‘Archetype van een muurtje‘, KM 101, 2017.
• ‘Ik ben de orgelman die het levenslied afdraait‘, interview, AFK, 2013.
• ‘Martijn Sandberg‘, Etapes 16, 2009.
• ‘Drawing Songlines‘, interview, DAMn 4, 2005.

Text & CV, download PDF: English, Dutch.