We are delighted and proud that Tirza Kater (DAI, 2018) has been appointed the new Artistic Director of Hotel Maria Kapel (alongside Business Director Annelien de Bruin). We commend the board of Mariakapel for choosing Tirza whose striking wit, warmth and curatorial intelligence and authenticity will bring both strength as well as a fresh breath of air to the city of Hoorn (and far beyond).
Hotel Maria Kapel is an artist-in-residence, exhibition space and cinema in Hoorn which supports national and international artists in the production of new work. The public programme of exhibitions, screenings, lectures, workshops and publications focuses on researching what contemporary art is and brings the public closer to the practice on which it is based.
Press release. January 2021.
With great enthusiasm, HMK announces that Tirza Kater (left) is the new Artistic Director of Hotel Maria Kapel. Alongside Business Director Annelien de Bruin (right) the directorial team will work with the team, volunteers and board to further take care of the institution and provide a structure of support for young artists with the year programme On Shelter.
Tirza Kater works across art-making, curating, and organising. Her context-based and artistic-curatorial research practice revolves around domesticity, working conditions, craft, and engaging artistic practices and artist initiatives. She is co-founder of Marwan, an artist-run project space in Amsterdam and co-curated the artist-in-residence project Home Alone; a series of residencies and public events in her parents’ home. Kater is also a core member of Engagement Arts NL, an artist-led movement tackling sexual violence, sexism and abuse of power in the Dutch visual arts field.
Kater says: “I am thrilled to take on the role of Artistic Director of HMK and look forward to collaborating with the artists and team. HMK aims to hold space for and with a plurivocal range of artistic practices and to continue being a meaningful organisation in its locality. I am very enthusiastic to continue guiding the process of shifting from an institution of care to a structure of support for young artists in these complex and challenging times.”
Annelien de Bruin joined HMK as Coordinator in February 2020. She has already had an important career in marketing, with a speciality in strategy, digital and creative communication. She worked at several top creative agencies in the Netherlands and was part of the Management Team of UPR, Creative Communication & PR agency. In her role of Coordinator, she has worked alongside the HMK team to build a sustainable institution, making significant strides in further professionalising HMK and uplifted the local embedding of HMK. De Bruin transitioned into the role of Business Director on 1 December 2020.
De Bruin says: “To me, Hotel Maria Kapel is an inspiring place for experimental projects, sustainable creative collaborations and community. I am excited to take HMK to the next step in professionalising the organisation and to help navigate the institution into a durable future. In my vision HMK is a welcoming ‘home’ where (inter)national artists, visitors, partners and the team come and connect on all (artistic) levels, and it is my intent to further improve HMK’s accessibility in my new role as Business Director.“
MK welcomes Tirza Kater to the team and looks forward to seeing Kater and de Bruin’s collaboration develop. HMK chairperson Falke Pisano comments:
“Tirza Kater brings with her an exciting catalogue of experience as an artist, curator and organiser. Her close affinity with artist-run processes makes her an ideal caretaker of HMK. We look forward to seeing how she will develop the structures of support of HMK in a thoughtful and personal manner, with care and curiosity for both the urgencies and complexities of artistic, institutional and social practices. We feel confident that Kater’s collaboration with Annelien de Bruin, who has done incredible work together with outgoing director Miriam Wistreich in guiding HMK through an extraordinary year, will be fruitful and drive HMK in exciting directions.”
Current Artistic Director Miriam Wistreich leaves HMK on 26 January 2021 with Tirza Kater having already assumed her new role. HMK is looking forward to entering the new year with engaging projects and a welcoming space for artists and visitors alike.