exhibitions|

Kantika di Galiña (The Hen's Song)

Kanta Kokoyoko 2025
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when
July 3, 2025 - July 27, 2025
where
EXboot

Curaçao has a rich oral tradition. For generations, stories, customs, and superstitions were passed down by word of mouth: from grandmothers sitting on the stoop to storytelling men gathered under a tree. It was a way of life, a compass for everyday existence. But now in modern times, many of these stories have slowly faded, and their meanings have been forgotten. What was once second nature now surviving only in vague memories. Timothy Voges grew up surrounded by these tales. As a child, he listened to stories that frightened him, made him laugh, or left him quietly in awe. Some seemed magical, others oppressive, but they were always part of life. Now, years later and far from his home island, he feels a deep urge to give these stories space again. Not through words, but through images. By painting them in oil, he breathes new life into these old narratives, allowing them to be told again and take root once more in the memories of others. In this series of paintings, superstition and folklore take center stage. Each work is a fragment of a larger story, a single detail that is both deeply personal and broadly universal. There are hens that crow like roosters, believed to be a sign of misfortune. And there is the “moth of death,” a large black moth that enters a house uninvited, said to be an omen of death. These symbols are deeply embedded in Curaçaoan culture, even if people no longer remember exactly why. Beyond superstition, the paintings also reflect Timothy’s own childhood: snapshots of memory, steeped in nostalgia. By painting these elements, they gain a new physical presence. They become tangible, visible, open to conversation again. The works become vessels of culture — spaces where memory and imagination meet. In a world where oral traditions are steadily disappearing, visual art offers an alternative way to keep history alive.

Plan a visit

Current exhibition

This exhibition is closed. This is showing at EXboot now:

Numerous small, colorful buttons of different sizes and shades are scattered over a light-colored, textured surface.
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Apr 2

Apr 26

De Unbuttoning

Judith Spil

Suddenly, something falls to the ground: what could it be? Something that was previously hidden has just become visible through the falling of a button. Judith Spil explores how vulnerability can be made visual. In this work, she uses buttons. Everyday objects often appear in her work. The falling buttons detach from the canvas and form a continuously changing landscape on the floor.The buttons are connected to a thread that is slowly being pulled, and inevitably another button will fall. This happens slowly, just like when you share vulnerable parts of your life. You reveal parts of yourself, bit by bit. It's an irreversible process: once you share something with someone, you can't go back. It might strengthen your bond, but it also feels like something is falling away. A protective layer is missing; something is now being exposed. It's a beautiful, yet painful process in which you give away a part of yourself, which could connect you with other people. You take a risk by doing this, because you never know how others will react to your fragility.

where

Nijverheidskade 15
3534AZ Utrecht

Due to the unique and limited size of the cultural-historical site, EXboot is only accessible on foot and is not wheelchair accessible. There are no facilities for the hearing impaired (yet).

Een groep jonge mannen kijkt door het raam van de EXboot naar binnen

Always at EXboot

The sand path museum

I cherish both my present and my past. Besides a space for high-profile art, one of my rooms also houses the Zandpad Museum. Here, I'll tell you about my illustrious past and introduce you to people who know me well—inside or out. Sit on my stool, gaze out the window, and listen to the many stories surrounding my life.

Short documentary 'The Sand Path'

The Zandpad Museum is screening a short documentary about the history of the Zandpad. You'll also find numerous audio clips of conversations with various people involved, including a former sex worker and former mayor Aleid Wolfsen.

This Zandpad documentary was made by Sylvie Kamphuis & Jaap Pronk (director), Bram Engelaar (camera), Doenja Abel (production), Twan Bracco Gartner (music), and Bald Beeld (editing). Thanks to the interviewees: Aleid Wolfsen (former mayor of the Municipality of Utrecht), Brenda Oude Breuil (criminologist at Utrecht University), Jannie Teunissen (De Tussenvoorziening), the former sex worker, and the former client of Zandpad. The documentary was made possible in part by the Municipality of Utrecht, KF Heinfonds, Mondriaanfonds, and RTV Utrecht.

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