Young Galerist Julia Van Der Meer Wants to Shake Things Up in the Art World
Presentation by Malin Gabriella Nordin at the Amsterdam Art Fair
At the age of 21, Julia van der Meer opened the doors to her tidy apartment in the city centre of Amsterdam. Upon the walls in her livingroom, works of art hang side by side, free for the public to explore. This marked the beginning of Mini Galerie, one of the youngest galleries in Amsterdam, run by one of the youngest gallery owners. In 2014, the gallery moved from the apartment to a location in the up and coming neighborhood Amsterdam-West, and the vision of Mini Galerie was clear: to shake things up in the art world.
With a fresh project-based approach, the objective of the gallery is to challenge the perceptions of art rooted in street culture and push it into new mediums and territories, but also to challenge the very idea of how you communicate about art. The keyword is transparency. All works can be seen on the website, just as you are given a price range of all works. Thus, Mini Galerie fosters an accessible art scene, inviting everyone to experience, explore, and share their love for art with no strings attached. Meet gallery owner Julia van der Meer.
How would you describe the program of your gallery?
We focus on exhibiting contemporary art from emerging artists whose works are largely characterized by a strong graphic and abstract visual language.
Where and how do you find your artists?
From a large network of artists that we track and follow, we select the artists we strongly believe in and feel that they resemble a new generation of artists.
Are the artists somehow related in their artistic practices or have anything in common?
Besides their contemporary art practice, most artists we represent are also closely linked to other disciplines such as graphic design, illustration, graffiti or street art.
Who is your main audience, primarily local or international collectors?
Even though we are well connected to the Dutch cultural scene, our main audience is international collectors.
What role do the art fairs play for you as a gallerist?
Not sure yet. It is one way of getting in touch with lots of new people and showing your artists to an entirely new audience, but in my opinion there are many different ways of reaching new clients.
What or who has influenced you as a gallerist?
My late father…
The solo exhibition Diagonal by Graphic Surgery. Photo: Wytske Averink
The solo exhibition Beyond, Within by Malin Gabriella Nordin. Photo: Wytske Averink
The solo exhibition Lood Stof by Louis Reith. Photo: Wytske Averink
Julia van der Meer (1989) holds a degree in Cultural Studies and Art History from the University of Amsterdam. Since founding Mini Galerie she has been committed to exploring the boundaries of contemporary art and its accessibility to a wider audience.
Mini Galerie
Kinkerstraat 12AH
1053 DT Amsterdam
Photo: Julia van der Meer in front of her gallery: Laila Cohen
