Through her work, Anna Frijstein (1991) is challenging the concept of human beings as intelligent and superior beings. Encompassing paintings, sculptures, and comical-satirical performances, her multidisciplinary works thus confront the spectator with a figurative distorting mirror. Hiding behind the humour, however, always lie political or emotionally-charged narratives. Language plays an important role in the work. With ambiguous dialogues, titles or statements, Frijstein challenges the spectator to discover deeper layers of meaning. In this way she hopes to make us aware of our subconscious behaviour and inspire us to reconsider fixed assumptions, whether concerning the climate or the pursuit of happiness, authenticity, and success.
| Above text: Esther Darley
Translation from Dutch to English: Marie Louise Schoondergang) |
Alongside her studio practice, she works on social, interdisciplinary, and/or collaborative projects. In 2021 Frijstein was awarded the Young Talent Grant from the Mondriaan Fund in Amsterdam and received the DYCP grant from Arts Council England in 2024.
EDUCATION 2017 – 2019 MA Performance in Contemporary Art Practice, Royal College of Art, London | 2010 – 2015 BFA Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCES
Prospects & Concepts, group show, Rotterdam 2024 | Let Them Eat Fake, performance, Bad Art Presents, London 2023 | TENDED, performance, Somers Gallery, London 2023 | YOBITSUGI: Beyond Repair, group show, White Conduit Projects, London 2022 | This Art Fair, Amsterdam 2022 | RiverRun, group show, Lighthouse Poole, Dorset 2021 | Feeling both things at once, group show, UK Mexican Arts Society, London 2021 | RiverRun, group show, Durlston 2021 | Touchy Touch Touched, group show, Greatorex Street Studios, London 2021 | Into the Light, group show, PZ Studios, Penzance 2021 | no-longer-being-able-to-be-able, group show, Skelf & Hang Li, London 2020 | FEET_FOR_ALL, virtual performance, Rietveld Fine Arts, Amsterdam 2020 | Chalton Gallery, group show i.c.w. Natalia Janula, Chalton Gallery, London 2019 | Royal College of Art Degree Show, group show, Royal College of Art, London 2019 | ASYMBAL, performance, ArtLacuna, London 2019 | The Domestic Landscape, group show, Jupiter Woods, London 2019 | CAPbaret, performance, Royal College of Art, London 2019 | Stages of Life, performance, Harrow Arts Center, London 2019 | Disorders exhibition, group show i.c.w. Alexander Robertson, Studio9294, London 2019 | Nothing Really Mattress, on invite by Panicattack Duo, South London Gallery, London 2018 | Life/forms, performance, Chisenhale Art Place, London 2018 | Get Lost Art Route, group show, Amsterdam 2018 | Concepts of Time, group show i.c.w. Alexandra Hunts, Galerie LUMC, Leiden 2018 | Op Drift, performance, Tetterode & WGKunst, Amsterdam 2018 | Testbed, performance, Doodle Bar, London 2018 | Revolve Performance, Uppsala, (SE) 2018 | CAPbaret, performance, Royal College of Art, London 2018 | WIP show, group show, Royal College of Art, London 2017 | Chinese whispers, i.c.w. Alexandra Hunts, Unseen studio visits, Amsterdam 2017 | Performance and lecture, Academy of Creating and Performing Arts, Universiteit van Leiden (NL) 2017 | What is happening to our brain?, Rietveld UnCut, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 2017 | LOCKERS, group show, MNCARS (Museo Nacional Cento de Arte Reina Sofia), Madrid (ES) 2016 | Failed to Sync, group show, puntWG, Amsterdam 2016 | Marres Tourist Office, group show, Marres Huis voor Hedendaagse cultuur, Maastricht (NL) 2016 | Don't know why I'm smiling., performance en residency, FLAT Station, Amsterdam 2016 | Bots Bodies and Beasts, Studium Generale, performance i.c.w. HARD-CORE, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam 2015 | Young Masters, group show MAF, Leeuwarden 2015 | Salon de Pinto, performance, Huis de Pinto, Amsterdam 2015 | Hesitant Companion, group show, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam
AWARDS Arts Council England, DYCP Grant 2024 | Mondriaan Fund, Young Talent Grant 2021 | ACE Emergency Response Fund Grant 2020 | Arte Laguna Artist in Residence Award, Venice (IT) 2019| Stichting Niemeijer Fonds, scholarship 2018 | Unconventional Thinking Grant, ICAR foundation via The Merchant House, Amsterdam 2017 | Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, scholarship 2017 | VSBfonds, scholarship 2016 | AFK, project funding Failed to Sync 2016
OTHER Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, Artist Lead Facilitator [co-lead with Lana Locke] London 2023 | Workshop, Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam 2022 | Performance workshop with Marianne Theunissen, Rietveld & Sandberg Institute Library, Amsterdam 2022 | Extraordinary Collaboration, online event with Dr. Sue Anne Zollinger, Eastside Projects, Birmingham 2022 | performing ‘rabbit’ in the work of Rosa Doornenbal, The Will to Believe, London 2022 | Residency, Centrale Fies, Dro (IT) (postponed due to COVID) 2022 | P is for Play, Lunch Club Session, Eastside Projects, Birmingham 2021 | RiverRun, ecology, art&science research project with Helen Moore, James Murray-White and David Buckland, Cape Farewell, Dorset (UK) 2021 | Performance education project on invitation by Fireflies, Kazerne, Amsterdam-Zuidoost 2021 | My bubble is bigger than yours, bubblegum meditation class, The WestWorks, London 2018 | Pino Pinelli’s Pie Pills and Pillow, artist contribution publication Pino Pinelli: Disseminations,
The Merchant House, Amsterdam 2017 | Coördination, BFA Fine Arts Department, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam 2017 - 2015 | FLAT Residency, FLAT station, Amsterdam South-East 2016 | Failed to Sync, group show & symposium, curator, PuntWG, Amsterdam 2016