‘A Mirror of All Others’

A group-exhibition with Ivalu Carlsen, Julia Creuheras, Bernice Nauta, Marinka Reuten and Elise van Staveren.

Work by Elise van Staveren, Match, 0,2 cm x 5 cm, 2024, sterling silver 925, 2024

Gallery van Fanny Freytag is proud to announce exhibition A Mirror of All Others, opening on January 17, 17:00.

A group exhibition that explores the thresholds of being and becoming, questioning how we shape meaning in the spaces in-between body and soul. The exhibition features work by Ivalu Carlsen, Julia Creuheras, Bernice Nauta, Marinka Reuten and Elise van Staveren.

A Mirror of All Others delves into the notion that our perception of identity is not static, but fluid: constantly shaped by the interplay between presence and absence, the physical and the immaterial.

The exhibition draws on Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy, which posits that the body acts as both a mirror and a gateway to the world, influencing how we navigate and understand our existence. In this exhibition, the artists explore the boundaries between these states of being, questioning and reimagining the boundaries that define our identity.

A Mirror of All Others shows works that touch on the theme in various ways: engaging with different facets of time, object-hood, non-presence, and fragments. Whether through the subtle passage of time, the transformation of objects into vessels of identity, or the presence of invisible forces, each piece invites reflection on how being and becoming are intertwined and ever-changing.

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Ivalu Carlsen (1995, Denmark) graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2024. Her graduation work is included in this exhibition, a drop made from glass and steel trying to do what is impossible; holding on to time. She works within the space of uncertainty, embracing the unpredictability between a gesture and its receiver, where the outcome remains unknown until it emerges.

Elise van Staveren (2000, Netherlands) is a visual artist whose work explores memory, time, and the relationship between the body and objects. The objects Elise paints, often appear worn, as if they carry life and identity in them. They evoke personal memories, such as those of her mother, and reflect how objects—like her silverware pieces—retain life through human interaction. She holds a Master of Fine Art from the Frank Mohr Institute (2021–2023) and a Bachelor of Fine Art with honors from HKU, Utrecht (2017–2021).

Marinka Reuten (Netherlands), a former graphic designer, shifted her focus entirely to autonomous art in 2022. Her paintings explore themes of time, impermanence and resilience through minimalist surfaces. Her work invites viewers to pause and reflect on life's transience, urging them to slow down, pay attention, and uncover the essence of each moment—whether through a broader view of time or a closer focus on its smallest details.

Julia Creuheras (1995, Spain) an artist based in Barcelona, explores the boundaries between life and non-life, magic and reality, focusing on the uncanny and creating pieces that evoke both wonder and unease through movement and technology. She graduated with an MA in Computational Arts from Goldsmiths in 2019 and a BA in Visual Arts from Camberwell College of Arts in 2018.

Bernice Nauta (1991, Netherlands) holds a BA in Fine Arts from the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague (2013) and an MFA from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam (2022). Her work often features characters and objects that hover between the visible and the invisible, exploring identity in transitional spaces and the interplay between form and imagination. Her multidisciplinary practice includes drawing, painting, installations, and film. For this exhibition Bernice made sculptures and asked; How can one learn to become someone?