‘Zwart op Wit’, Moving Gallery, Utrecht | March 23 – May 5, 2024

With works by Martijn Sandberg, Daan Rietbergen, Guido de Boer, Max Kisman, Jean-Pierre Lebars and Rozemarijn Westerink.

The exhibition, titled ‘Zwart op Wit’ (‘Black on White’), features a selection of my cut paintings, including ‘Sorry No Image Yet’.

Opening: Saturday March 23 at 4:00 PM.

Moving Gallery
Mgr. v/d Weteringstraat 69
3581 ED Utrecht
www.movinggallery.nl

Open Friday to Sunday from 12:00 to 17:30.
Open on Thursday by appointment.

Image:

‘Sorry No Image Yet’
Martijn Sandberg
Perforated aluminum
100cm x 100cm

photo: Peter Cuypers

‘Kunst Met Een Draai’ | November 2023

On the 16th November, there was a festive unveiling of the artwork ‘Kunst Met Een Draai’ (‘Art With A Twist’) by Martijn Sandberg in the Oosterpark in De Draai, the new residential area in Dijk en Waard.

Martijn Sandberg loves to engage with the image language of art and converts language into images. For the artist, the name of the quarter – De Draai (The Twist) – is an inspirational ingredient for the work of art. The artwork for De Draai is art with a ‘twist’: ‘Art With A Twist’.
In the De Draai’s park, the ‘Kunst Met Een Draai’ artwork is visible as a free, open statue, lending recognisability to the neighbourhood. The standing circle with letter-segments in high relief on all four sides, is also reminiscent of the wheel profiles of the agricultural machines that once rode across the land here.

The artwork may serve as a seat and as a meeting place.

Kunst met een Draai voor woonwijk De Draai

Op 16 november is het kunstwerk van Martijn Sandberg in het Oosterpark in de nieuwe woonwijk De Draai in gemeente Dijk en Waard feestelijk onthuld.

Martijn Sandberg werkt graag met beeldtaal van de kunst en zet taal om in beeld. Voor de kunstenaar vormt de naam van de wijk, De Draai, een inspirerend ingrediënt voor het kunstwerk. Het kunstwerk voor De Draai is kunst met een ‘twist’: ‘Kunst Met Een Draai’.
In het park van De Draai is het kunstwerk ‘Kunst Met Een Draai’ zichtbaar als een vrij, open beeld, dat herkenbaarheid aan de wijk zal geven. De staande cirkel met letter-segmenten in hoogreliëf aan alle vier kanten, doet ook denken aan de profielen van de wielen van landbouwmachines die hier eerder op het land reden.

Het kunstwerk kan gebruikt worden als zitobject en ontmoetingsplaats.

Click here to see a description in English, as pdf.
Click here to see a description in Dutch, as pdf.

Title: ‘Kunst Met Een Draai’
Artist: Martijn Sandberg
Location: Oosterpark, De Draai Estate, Dijk en Waard
Material: relief in concrete
Measurements: diameter circle 3.5 m, depth 0.5m
Concept and figuration: 2021
Definitive design: 2022
Realisation and delivery: 2023
Project assistance art: Atelier Rinzema
Client: Municipality of Dijk en Waard

Photo by: Atelier Rinzema (1), Martijn Sandberg (2,3,4)
Concept drawing by: Martijn Sandberg

‘Because’, De Vishal, Haarlem | August-October 2023

“Inside the Vishal, we see black aluminium creations by the artist Martijn Sandberg. Texts are concealed in the objects that you only see when you walk past them, or as soon as you take a photograph of them. ‘Sorry No Image Yet’ is the funniest.”

‘’Binnen in de Vishal zien we zwart aluminium creaties van kunstenaar Martijn Sandberg. In de objecten gaan teksten schuil, die je pas ziet wanneer je erlangs bent gelopen, of zodra je er een foto van maakt. ‘Sorry No Image Yet’ is de grappigste.’’

‘Because’

26 August – 1 October 2023

With work by Martijn Sandberg, Johannes Schwartz, Bart Lunenburg, Robert Lambermont and Corinne Bonsma.

Curator: Renée Borgonjen

The exhibition, titled ‘Because’ after the Beatles’ song, shows a selection of my cut paintings, including ‘Sorry No Image Yet’, Too Busy To Paint’, ‘Too Drunk To Paint’ and ‘Too Happy To Paint’.

De Vishal
Grote Markt 20
Haarlem

Tue-Sat open 11.00-17.00.
Sunday open 14.00-17.00.

Free entrance.

Cut paintings
Martijn Sandberg
Perforated aluminium
Each 100cm x 100cm

Photos by: Peter Cuypers

Couperusjaar 2023, ‘Melodie’ Couperus Ypenburg | June 2023

2023 is Couperus Year. Louis Couperus (1863-1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre includes a wide variety of genres: lyric poetry, psychological and historical novels, novellas, short stories, fairy tales, feuilletons and sketches. Couperus is considered one of the foremost figures in Dutch literature.

The site-specific artwork ‘Melodie’ by Martijn Sandberg, is an integral part of the masonry of the residential block Couperus, Ypenburg, Den Haag.
The stanza from Louis Couperus’ poem ‘Melodie’ (1886) is incorporated into the vertical and horizontal brick pattern of the façade, in dark coloured bricks in deep relief. The text in the unique, metres-high brick letter typeface, designed by Martijn Sandberg, encompasses the entire circumference of the building in length.

From the brickwork a song resounds, written in the metre of the bricks: ‘Luchtgewiekte melodie / Zweef klaatrend op! / Of juublend in een zilverlach, / Of smeltend… / Smeltende in een vliet / Van louter tranen…’

Click here for more photos of the artwork, in section ‘public artworks’.

Title: ‘Melodie’ (‘Melody’)
Artist: Martijn Sandberg
Location: Couperus, Ypenburg residential block, Den Haag/ NL
Measurements: masonry brick letters 165m
Material: bricks
Concept and design: 2011
Built: 2011-2013
Completion: 2013
Commissioned by: Ceres Projecten, Den Haag/ NL
Architect: Frits van Dongen, de Architekten Cie.

Spaarndammerhart – Een verhaal van de Stad | April 2023

Het Spaarndammerhart in Amsterdam is ontworpen in een samenwerking tussen architectenbureaus Korth Tielens en Marcel Lok_Architect, beeldend kunstenaar Martijn Sandberg, en DS Landschapsarchitecten.

Fotografie van Max Hart Nibbrig, Dennis De Smet, en Raimond Wouda (die speciaal voor dit boek het leven van en in het Spaarndammerhart heeft vastgelegd), en teksten van Fred Feddes, Hans Ibelings, Vincent Kompier, en Hannah Schubert geven een veelzijdig beeld van dit inmiddels meermalen bekroonde woningbouwcomplex waarin architectuur, kunst, hof, tuinen en straat zijn opgevat als een samenhangend geheel.

Spaarndammerhart – A story of the city

Spaarndammerhart in Amsterdam is designed by the architectural offices of Korth Tielens and Marcel Lok_Architect, artist Martijn Sandberg, and the landscape architects of DS Landschapsarchitecten.

Photography of Max Hart Nibbrig, Dennis De Smet, and Raimond Wouda (who has been commissioned to document the life in and of Spaarndammerhart), and texts by Fred Feddes, Hans Ibelings, Vincent Kompier, and Hannah Schubert document and discuss this housing complex, in which architecture, art, courtyard, gardens and street form a comprehensive whole.

Spaarndammerhart – Een verhaal van de stad
Author: Hans Ibelings ed.
Publisher: The Architecture Observer
148 p, ills colour & bw, pb, Dutch/English
ISBN 9789492058157
ISBN 9789492058171

Cut Painting! – Martijn Sandberg, publication | Jan 2023

‘Cut Painting!’ is the title of the publication, published online as a sequel to the eponymous exhibition of Martijn Sandberg in the Burgerweeshuis, Amsterdam. The publication comprehensively displays the exhibition, with photos and Martijn Sandberg’s notes on the cut paintings and his choices from the BPD Art Collection.

Let yourself be guided through the story he has assembled from the cut paintings and the work by René Daniëls, Günther Förg, Daan van Golden, Reinier Lucassen, Pieter Laurens Mol, Jan van Munster, Maarten Ploeg, Jan Roeland, Jan Schoonhoven and Han Schuil.

The digital publication (Dutch/English) may be downloaded here as a pdf:

BPD Martijn Sandberg Cut Painting.pdf

Publication: Cut Painting! Martijn Sandberg
Format: Pdf, 34 pages, 7mb, A4
Design: Carsten Klein
Photos: Adriaan van Dam, Peter Cuypers
Text: BPD Kunst en Cultuur & Martijn Sandberg
Language: Dutch, English
Translation: Helen-Anne Ross
Publisher: BPD Afdeling Kunst en Cultuur

BPD Kunstcollectie
Burgerweeshuis
IJsbaanpad 1
1076 CV Amsterdam

www.bpdkunstcollectie.nl
www.bpd.nl/kunstencultuur

Cut Painting! – Martijn Sandberg, BPD, Amsterdam | April-October 2022

‘Cut Painting!’ – Works by Martijn Sandberg are on view in his exhibition ‘Cut Painting!’ at the former Aldo van Eyck Burgerweeshuis, BPD Kunstcollectie, Amsterdam. He has made a selection of his own works – the cut paintings – for this exhibition, as well as works of art from the BPD Art Collection.

Click here for photos of the exhibition ‘Cut Painting!’ in section ‘cut paintings’ at this website.

More info: Cut Painting!, publication/folder (in Dutch), A2-pdf.

‘Cut Painting!’
Martijn Sandberg
April – October 2022
BPD Kunstcollectie, IJsbaanpad 1, Amsterdam (open by appointment)
www.bpdkunstcollectie.nl​

Photos by: Peter Cuypers (1), Martijn Sandberg

‘Zuiderkerkprijs’ & ‘Abe Bonnemaprijs’ Spaarndammerhart |  2021

The Zuiderkerk Prize 2021 & the Abe Bonnema Prize 2021 have been awarded to the project Spaarndammerhart in the Spaarndammer district in Amsterdam.
Spaarndammerhart is a collaboration between Korth Tielens Architecten and Marcel Lok_Architect with artist Martijn Sandberg and DS Landschapsarchitecten. Development and execution by Heijmans Vastgoed Ontwikkeling.

More info on the project Spaarndammerhart with the integrated art by Martijn Sandberg can be found here, in section ‘public artworks’ at this website.

Click here to see text in English, as PDF.
Click here to see text in Dutch, as PDF.

Spaarndammerhart, cover De Architect |  June 2021

Project Spaarndammerhart is featured on the cover of magazine ‘De Architect’, June 2021. Spaarndammerhart is a collaboration between Korth Tielens Architecten and Marcel Lok_Architect with artist Martijn Sandberg and DS landscape architects for client Heijmans.
More info on the project Spaarndammerhart with the integrated art by Martijn Sandberg can be found here, in section ‘public artworks’ at this website.

Project Spaarndammerhart in NAi Yearbook |  May 2021

Project Spaarndammerhart is featured on the cover of the NAi yearbook edition ‘Architectuur in Nederland 2020/2021’ (‘Architecture in The Netherlands 2020/2021’). Spaarndammerhart is a collaboration between Korth Tielens Architecten and Marcel Lok_Architect with artist Martijn Sandberg and DS landscape architects for client Heijmans.
More info on the project Spaarndammerhart with the integrated art by Martijn Sandberg can be found here, in section ‘public artworks’ at this website.

‘U Bevindt Zich Hier’, Oranje Vrijstaatkade, Amsterdam |  Dec 2019

On Wednesday 18 December, the artwork ‘U Bevindt Zich Hier’ (‘You Are Here’), created by artist Martijn Sandberg, will be unveiled on the Oranje Vrijstaatkade, Amsterdam. The artwork honours prominent residents, groups or places highlighting the character of District Oost in the twentieth century.

Consisting of more than 20 columns, the artwork is located on the Oranje Vrijstaatkade, from City Office Oost, alongside the facade of the former Ooster gasworks and on the waterside of the residential area to the corner by the Polderweg.

The pedestals are provided with texts appropriate to the persons, groups or places in District Oost in the twentieth century. The accompanying names and background information are deliberately not mentioned in the figuration upon the artwork. The artwork on site invites one to contemplate and literally ‘un-cover’ the ‘Legacy of the Twentieth Century’ oneself.

The website www.u-bevindt-zich-hier.nl functions as an online guide and forms part of the artwork. The website offers background information about the person, group or location to which the pedestal refers.

Everyone is very welcome to attend the unveiling.

Date: 18 December, 13.00 hours
Location: Corner City Office Oost/ Oranje Vrijstaatkade, Amsterdam

The artwork ‘U Bevindt Zich Hier’ (‘You Are Here’) is partly funded by the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts).

Photos by: Peter Cuypers

‘Symposium Naoorlogse Monumentale Wandkunst’ | Dec 2018

On Thursday 6 December, the city of Amsterdam is organizing a symposium on post-war monumental wall art. In the past two years, Amsterdam’s monumental wall art from the Reconstruction Period (1945-1975) has been inventoried and assessed at the request of the City Council. In this symposium, a number of speakers, will discuss post-war wall art from different angles:

-Martijn Sandberg, artist, member Sounding Board Group for Wall Art
-Meinke Horn, advisor for wall art, Lex Horn Foundation
-Simone Vermaat, Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed, member Sounding Board Group for Wall Art

Date: 6 December 2018, 2-6 pm
Location: House of Watt, James Wattstraat 73, Amsterdam

A publication about the inventarisation of the Postwar Monumental Wall Art Amsterdam will be published. It includes a text contribution by Martijn Sandberg, entitled ‘Het Handschrift van de Tijd’ (‘The Handwriting of Time’).

Research Project: Postwar Monumental Wall Art Amsterdam
Inventarisation: Yteke Spoelstra, Norman Vervat
Sounding Board Group: Frans van Burkom, Martijn Sandberg, Simone Vermaat

Click here for text in Dutch, as pdf.

Project site-specific artwork, Werkspoorhal, Amsterdam | Oct 2018

Martijn Sandberg has been invited to develop a plan for a site-specific artwork to be realised at the location Werkspoorhal, Oostenburg, Amsterdam.
The artwork by Martijn Sandberg will be an integral part of the pipe system in the interior of the former industrial complex Werkspoorhal.

Redevelopment project by: Vorm Ontwikkeling BV, OZ Architectenbureau, Amsterdam, Workshop architecten, Beta Architecten, Space Encounters, Lola Landscape Architects.

Impressions: Werkspoorhal with integrated artwork by Martijn Sandberg in the characteristic pipe system. (images by: Vorm Ontwikkeling BV)

‘Forever In Stone’, in documentary and publication | Jan 2017

The brick letters ‘Forever Stoned’ from Martijn Sandberg’s artwork ‘Forever in Stone’ in Amsterdam, are on view in the documentary series ‘Typo Safari’, by French filmmaker Thomas Sipp.

The complete series of typographic expeditions accross cities in Europe, with the episode on Amsterdam, can be viewed online at the website ARTE Creative.

For episode city ‘Amsterdam’, see:

https://vimeo.com/342946568

Safari Typo Amsterdam

Based on the French documentary, a book has been released in the Netherlands, titled ‘Safari Typo Amsterdam’. The booklet is a brief typographic tour of letters in public space in Amsterdam, presented by type designer Bas Jacobs.
Featuring a.o. the brick letters from the artwork ‘Forever in Stone’ by Martijn Sandberg, and letter forms by Piet Kramer, Reinoud Oudshoorn, Anton Kurvers, Janno Hahn, Hijman Louis de Jong, René Knip.

Publication: ‘Safari Typo Amsterdam‘, ISBN 978 94 90913 66 3.

More info on artwork: ‘Forever in Stone‘, section ‘public artworks’.

Project Spaarndammerschoollocatie, Amsterdam | Dec 2016

The team of Korth Tielens Architecten and Marcel Lok Architect with project developer Heijmans Vastgoed, DS landschapsarchitecten, artist Martijn Sandberg and Fore installation consultants, has been selected to further develop their plan for the housing programme to be realised at the former Spaarndammer School site, Amsterdam.
The Spaarndammer School site (Spaarndammerschoollocatie) is located in the Spaarndammerbuurt, an area of the city with listed residential housing, characteristic of Amsterdamse School architecture.

More info: Concept text (Dutch / English) by Martijn Sandberg, tender phase, August 2016, as pdf.

‘Uitslag tender Spaarndammerschool‘, article (in Dutch), www.dearchitect.nl, 02/12/2016.

Click here for more images and a selection of concept drawings of the artwork, in the section ‘concepts & projects’.

‘One More Wall Well Done’, site-specific artwork, Rotterdam | Sept 2016

Martijn Sandberg has realised a site-specific artwork on the Southern facade of First, a new build project on the Weena in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The brick facade relief covers a wall surface measuring three and half metres high and twenty seven metres long.
A message has been left on the wall, written in relief with brick letters two and half metres high: ‘One more wall well done’.

Click here for more information on the artwork ‘One More Wall Well Done’, in the section ‘public artworks’.

Photo by: Peter Cuypers

‘Evening at BNO’ with lecture by Martijn Sandberg, Utrecht | 2016

Martijn Sandberg speaks about his artworks in public space and architecture at BNO, Utrecht, on Tuesday evening 25 March 2016.

Location: BNO, Kapitaal, Plompetorengracht 4, Utrecht/NL
Date: 25 March 2016, 8 pm

‘In Plaats Van ‘DNB Weg Ermee’, Amsterdam | 9 June 2015

Martijn Sandberg reacts to the call for the De Nederlandsche Bank to be demolished to enable the return of the Palace for National Industry (Paleis voor Volksvlijt) to the Frederiksplein in Amsterdam.

Demolition of De Nederlandsche Bank, however, would imply that Peter Struycken’s intriguing artwork would be permanently lost to the Amsterdam street scene.

The plan for rebuilding the Palace for National Industry has recently been in the news again and at the moment questions are being asked of the Mayor and Alderman of Amsterdam by politicians.

Martijn Sandberg: ”By now the issue regarding reconstruction of the Palace for National Industry has been running for years yet mention of the Peter Struycken artwork on the De Nederlandsche Bank building is repeatedly omitted.
My initiative for writing and publication of the text ‘Instead Of ‘DNB Must Not Be‘ on the website, focuses on having the Peter Strucken artwork be a subject too whenever there is a call to reconstruct the Palace for National Industry; and connected to this, the demolition of De Nederlandsche Bank.
I consider that it is never too early to strike a different note – with an eye not to any short term effect but one in the long term – should demolition of De Nederlandsche Bank really be considered in the future.”

Click here to see above text in Dutch, as PDF.

The text ‘Instead Of ‘DNB Must Not Be‘ may be found in English and Dutch on the website in the ‘Stories’ section.

Click here for text ‘Instead Of ‘DNB Must Not Be’, in English as PDF.
Click here for text ‘In Plaats van ‘DNB Weg Ermee’, in Dutch as PDF.

‘Zuiderkerkprijs’ Project Kraaipan School | Dec 2013

The Zuiderkerk Prize 2013 has been awarded to the housing and renovation project Kraaipanschool in the Transvaal neighbourhood in Amsterdam.
The design is by Architectenbureau Hoogeveen, commissioned by housing association Ymere. The paving artwork ‘Tomorrow Everything Will Be Alright’ by Martijn Sandberg is located on the new square of the Kraaipan project.

The Zuiderkerkprijs is an annual award by Amsterdam city council for the architect and the commissioning client of the best housing project realised in the city of Amsterdam during the past year.

”Visual artist Martijn Sandberg has made a discreet and in the opinion of the jury very appropriate paved artwork for the square, with the text ‘tomorrow everything will be alright’. The jury feels that the Kraaipan School is a really optimistic project which has made a vital and hopeful contribution to the improvement of a problem neighbourhood.” – Quote from jury report ‘Zuiderkerkprijs 2013’.

Click here for more information and photos of the artwork ‘Tomorrow Everything Will Be Alright’, in the section ‘public artworks’.

Click here to see text in Dutch, as PDF.

‘Slopersbal en Slag bij Waterloo’, Amsterdam | 29 June 2011

Martijn Sandberg reacts to the threatened disappearance of distinctive works of art created in the Seventies and early Eighties from several stations involved in the Amsterdam Metro East Line renovation.

A short version of the text ‘Demolition Ball and Battle of Waterloo‘ by Martijn Sandberg can be found in English and Dutch at the website’s ‘stories’ section.