In this sixth episode of the podcast series De Octopus,

Esther van Rosmalen speaks with artist Lily van der Stokker and curator Julia Geerlings in Bilthoven about the transformation of the artwork – the moment it leaves the studio and begins to change in meaning and interpretation.

As an artist, you can’t always control this shift – but is that a problem? At the same time, meanings attributed to a work by others can be played with, often leading to new insights.

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In the podcast, Lily shares how she came to be known as a feminist Conceptual Pop artist nd how she has always followed her own path, with a consistent focus on the feminine in art – something that was far less appreciated in the 1990s than it is today.

She discusses how new meanings are now being attached to her work simply because the zeitgeist has changed, not the work itself – a development that can be both welcome and uncomfortable, as with her piece No Reason No Goal shown at Frieze Art Fair in 2008.

Conflict – about money – and reconciliation also feature in the discussion of De Zeurclub an exhibition at the Van Abbemuseum that explored how fine the line can be between the personal and the professional within the art world, and how misinterpretation can be a learning moment.

Julia speaks about her decision to curate an exhibition on motherhood titled Where Shall We Plant the Placenta and how a personal experience unconsciously brought this theme to the fore. An anecdote from Lily’s exhibition Thank you Darling at Camden Art Center illustrates how awareness of motherhood can have far-reaching consequences for how artworks are handled and perceived.

Questioning existing conventions is a key part of Julia’s curatorial practice – as illustrated by her reference to the exhibition Spinning the Spindle Towards Pluritopia by Aldo E. Ramos.

Lily van der Stokker has been active as an artist for many decades, exhibiting her work both in the Netherlands and internationally. Her practice is characterised by monumental, colourful, floral, ornate and subtly disorienting wall paintings and installations. Her speciality is beauty – used playfully to confront assumptions and expectations – combined with the equally crucial medium of text. Through this, she articulates a distinct critical undertone (or overtone) directed at the art world and society. The everyday is ever-present in her sincere and engaged observations, drawing attention to the small, often overlooked things that matter in life.

Julia Geerlings has worked as an independent curator and writer, primarily in Amsterdam and Paris, with a strong interest in staging exhibitions in unconventional locations – from medieval churches to shop windows. As a writer, she has contributed essays and articles to platforms such as Metropolis M, adopting a reflective voice that balances the personal, the theoretical, and the socio-political.
She is currently director of Tale of a Tub in Rotterdam, a space for contemporary art and culture located in a former public bathhouse.