BAK Utrecht Opens New Space with Politically Charged Matthijs de Bruijne Show

On February 10, 2018, BAK (basis voor actuele kunst) inaugurates its new exhibition space in Utrecht, Netherlands, with the group show "Matthijs de Bruijne: Compromiso Político." The exhibition centers on labor rights in the era of globalization and features works by Matthijs de Bruijne alongside Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Piero Gilardi, and Jeremy Deller. Italian curator Matteo Lucchetti, who oversees Exhibitions and Public Programs at BAK, organized the show. De Bruijne has collaborated with the Dutch Union of Cleaners since 2010, creating visual campaigns, symbols, and logos for protests. The exhibition includes ephemera, protest documentation, and objects like a flag made from dishcloths and a logo of a yellow glove holding keys, symbolizing trust between Dutch families and undocumented domestic workers. Ukeles is known for her 1969 "Manifesto for Maintenance Art" and her advocacy for women's unrecognized labor. Gilardi, associated with Arte Povera, created inflatable sculptures used in student and worker protests, documented in videos on view. Deller's work addresses new forms of labor exploitation such as zero-hour contracts in the UK. BAK, under director Maria Hlavajova, has a history of supporting socially engaged art. Since autumn 2017, BAK also runs a post-academic fellowship program, offering ten fellowships annually to Dutch and international artists; de Bruijne is a former fellow.