Krijn de Koning
2007
In 2007 Dutch artist Krijn de Koning received the Sikkens Prize for artworks in which colour and form, as well as feeling and atmosphere evoke a sensory experience of space which raises the interaction between the public and the built-up environment for discussion in an entirely individual way.
A sensory experience
“A large red plane is a large red plane. But seeing it is a very physical thing, your eyes see it, but it also hits you in the chest.” De Koning was awarded the prize because of his pronounced interventions in existing spaces, in which colour plays a specific role. With the use of colour and form, as well as feeling and atmosphere, he evokes a sensory experience of the space which raises the interaction between the public and the built up environment for discussion in an entirely individual way.
A modernist heritage
For his work he is usually inspired by the architecture of certain locations. They are often installations made in situ, which are of a temporary nature. What remains are the photographs and drawings. In addition, he sometimes creates autonomous sculptures. These are not specifically created in relation to the architecture, but serve as independent spatial sculptures. They can be dismounted, so that they can also be installed in other places. In addition to his personal and direct way of working, De Koning consciously refers back to the modernist heritage of De Stijl in his work, and to the conceptual and minimalist art of the last century.
About Krijn de Koning
Krijn de Koning lives and works in Amsterdam. Following his training with the 1963 Ateliers in Haarlem and in Paris with Pontus Hulten and Daniel Buren, he produced various architectural installations in the Netherlands and abroad, including works in Berlin, Paris and Helsinki. His work is represented in various private and public collections such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum and the Centraal Museum in the Netherlands, and the collections of the FNAC, and FRACs in France. Since 1996 his work has also been represented in the Slewe Gallery.
The award ceremony
The 2007 Sikkens Prize was awarded to the Dutch artist Krijn de Koning in the Van Nelle design factory in Rotterdam. On the occasion of this prize being awarded, an eye-catching artwork by Krijn de Koning was unveiled on the same day on the Binnenweg in Rotterdam, which was commissioned by the Sikkens Foundation for the CBK. In addition, a detailed publication was presented on the artist’s work. Krijn de Koning’s art is about the question of how we experience architectural space.
