In this fourth episode of the podcast series De Octopus Roeliena Aukema speaks with artist Susanne Khalil Yusef and curator Eva Langerak about public sharing and its role within their practices. This concerns the moment a work of art is seen by an audience – through a presentation or exhibition. The interaction with others is important, but so too is how the artwork reveals itself in such a setting.

How do you relate to your audience within the context of a space? What is the role of the presentation moment in an artist’s process, and how much of that process do you reveal to others? In this conversation, Eva and Susanne explore these questions, and reflect on the similarities and differences between the roles of artist and curator.

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In the conversation, Susanne shares her experiences with curating and the blurring of boundaries between the roles of artist and curator – as in the exhibition Halte (2019) at TAC in Eindhoven, and the Limburg Biënnale #2 (2022) at Marres. She also delves into how collaboration with other artists and performers can enhance her work. Eva speaks about the changing role of the curator and how the exhibition Space to Breathe (2022) at de Grote Kerk in Breda came about. She offers insight into the interplay between the artwork, the audience, and the role the curator plays in facilitating this exchange. This episode was recorded at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, in Susanne’s studio.

Eva Langerak is junior curator at the Grote Kerk in Breda. She completed the Master’s programme Curating Art and Cultures at the University of Amsterdam and VU University, and has worked with institutions such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, De Vleeshal in Middelburg, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Recently, she co-curated the group exhibition Space to Breathe (2022) with Magnum photographer Newsha Tavakolian for BredaPhoto. Eva is interested in the socially engaged potential of art. She is also conducting research into the Forum Festival, an interdisciplinary event in Middelburg focusing on collective memory and the role of the archive.

Susanne Khalil Yusef is an artist who studied Fine Art at St. Joost School of Art & Design. She was born in Germany, where her parents arrived after fleeing from Palestine. As a child, she lived in various European countries due to her family’s migration history. Her work is strongly connected to her family’s past, and in recent years she has increasingly delved into Palestinian culture. Susanne creates mixed-media installations that may include murals, sculptures, textiles, video, and light objects. She also invites people to perform within these installations.
While her work appears playful and light, it carries a deeper charge – referencing the dangers and suffering her family has experienced. Through her art, Susanne raises critical questions about displacement, identity, and socio-geographical power dynamics, closely tied to her own heritage. She is currently a resident at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam.