Kunstinstituut Melly

Paul van Gennip retires from Kunstinstituut Melly in April 2024. We think he is our most dedicated worker at Melly — and for a fact the longest employee ever! We opened our doors in 1990 as Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, and Paul was already here. He has planned and installed pretty much all our exhibitions, and has been integral to our day-to-day operations. He has worked with more than 1,000 artists from all over the world, and is likely  one of the few people who has seen every exhibition at Melly.   To celebrate his dedication and passion, we are publishing PAUL as a tangible testament of both his trajectory and the evolution of Kunstinstituut Melly through Paul's hands.   “Paul is not just an architect. He is also a designer, producer, installer, and sharp critic.”  — Chris Dercon, first director of Kunstinstituut Melly   Let's make this project happen! We can publish this book with your support. Every contribution brings us a step closer to our goal!   A publication about Paul Together with artist duo THE KOKRA FAMILY, Paul van Gennip has selected 500+ objects that furnish our offices and live in our storage, from furniture to maquettes, and from tools to DIY creations. Photography of these conversation pieces tell the story of his career at Melly, and about the many exhibitions he worked on since the institution's foundation in 1990. The book PAUL includes these photographs plus new essays about his professional trajectory, paired with the institution's development. Plus, Melly developed an oral history project for its archive, including professionally recorded interviews by our archivist to all former directors and key collaborators, from artists and curators, to bookkeepers and long-standing service providers. The book PAUL is designed by the Rotterdam-based design studio 75B.   “Paul thinks with you and encourages you as an artist and partly because of that it always becomes a better exhibition.”— Erik van Lieshout, artist   All the donors will be mentioned in the book’s thank you credits and are invited to the book launch ceremony on April 30, 2024 at Kunstinstituut Melly.   About Kunstinstituut Melly Kunstinstituut Melly’s mission is to organize activities on the latest developments in contemporary art and theory. It creates exhibitions, publications, and educational programs of artistic merit and cultural significance. It also commissions new art, supports innovative research, and advocates for cultural partnerships. Kunstinstituut Melly welcomes audiences year-round in its +3,500m2 nineteenth-century building, located at 50 Witte de Withstraat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.     ** shipping costs will vary according to region of delivery**