In 1999, it all started in Rotterdam. But in 2007, Ron Mandos moved his gallery to the gallery district on Prinsengracht, and it turned out to be the right move. The building is large enough for the immersive installations the gallery is known for, and the neighborhood attracts an audience that comes for it. Since then, the gallery has become one of the more serious addresses for contemporary art in the city.
The names on the roster say it all. Daniel Arsham made his Lunar Garden there in 2019, a 200-square-meter installation full of wood, sand, foam and crystal that literally enveloped you. Erwin Olaf is also attached to the gallery, as are Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck and British-Caribbean film artist Isaac Julien. Remy Jungerman, whose work now hangs in major international collections, is also part of the roster. And Levi van Veluw, whose artist book Beyond Matter was published by the gallery. All of them artists who have already found their way in the international art world.
The building on Prinsengracht is set up for large works. No small white rooms, but space for installations that make an impression. The gallery also participates in national and international art fairs, publishes artists' books and works according to the Gallery Fair Practice Code, which will be a permanent requirement as of July 2023. The latter is not a given in the gallery world, and says something about how Ron Mandos runs his gallery.
Works by artists from the gallery are included in collections at the Stedelijk Museum, Museum Voorlinden and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In addition to its regular programming, the gallery has been running the Best of Graduates, an annual exhibition for the best art school graduates, since 2008. And in 2018, Ron Mandos founded the Young Blood Foundation, a fund that supports budding artists. Works by artists from the gallery have since been included in collections at the Stedelijk Museum, Museum Voorlinden and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Those are no small names. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday, in the middle of the Jordaan.