Atelier Visit: Rubén Dario Kleimeer's Photographic Exploration of Urban Edges
Photographer Rubén Dario Kleimeer, originally from Colombia and born in 1978, operates from studio 14C located in the Playtime complex, close to the Kunsthal in Rotterdam. He established his studio six years ago, drawn by the stimulating interdisciplinary interactions. The space includes a high workspace, a painting atelier, and a meeting area. Kleimeer's artistic focus is on the fringes of urban development. He began his education at Hout en Meubileringscollege before transitioning to interior architecture at Willem de Kooning Academie in 2001. Eventually, he shifted to fine art, studying under René Verouden and Karin Arink, and earned a master's in photography from Sint Joost. His series 'The Potential of the Unintentional' has been exhibited at Contour Gallery. He aims to release a photobook and may present new works during the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend on September 19-20, 2026.
Key facts
- Rubén Dario Kleimeer is a photographer born in Colombia in 1978, adopted by a Dutch family and raised in Delft.
- He works from studio 14C in the Playtime complex in Rotterdam, which houses architects, designers, and artists.
- Playtime was initiated by architect Enzo Valerio, who also has an office there.
- Kleimeer studied interior architecture at the Willem de Kooning Academie, then switched to fine art and photography.
- In 2006, he spent six months in Shanghai on an exchange at Tongji University, photographing the urban periphery.
- His first solo exhibition 'Città Ideale' was at Galerie Jurriaan van Kranendonk in The Hague.
- His ongoing series 'The Potential of the Unintentional' is shot with a 4x5 technical camera and has been shown at Contour Gallery in Rotterdam.
- In 2025, his work was published in 'The Museum as Metaphor', documenting the Fenix museum, alongside Iwan Baan.
- He plans to publish a photobook of 'The Potential of the Unintentional'.
- He may show new images during the Groot Rotterdams Atelier Weekend on September 19-20, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Rubén Dario Kleimeer
- Enzo Valerio
- Iwan Baan
- Hans Wilschut
- Gerco de Ruijter
- Frank van der Salm
- René Verouden
- Karin Arink
- Jan Melis
- Bas Kortmann
- Frank Kaufmann
- Jan van Heemst
- Ad Borstlap
- Michelle Provoost
- Alex de Vries
Institutions
- Playtime
- Kunsthal
- Willem de Kooning Academie
- Hout en Meubileringscollege
- Tongji University
- Sint Joost
- Contour Gallery
- Galerie Jurriaan van Kranendonk
- Stichting Droom en Daad
- Fenix
- Nederlands Fotomuseum
- nai010
- Mister Motley
- OMA
- West8
- MVRDV
- Neutelings Riedijk
- Berlage Instituut
- NAI
- MK Galerie
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- Internationale Architectuur Biënnale Rotterdam
- Time to Access
- Botanische Tuin Pinetum Hilversum
- Dune
- Dinamo
- Laica
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Van Vollenhovenstraat
- Delft
- Amsterdam
- Hugo de Grootplein
- Witte de Withstraat
- Shanghai
- China
- Breda
- The Hague
- Antwerp
- Brussels
- Hilversum
- West-Friesland
- Colombia