Lucette ter Borg on Justice, Aging, and Art Journalism

In an extensive interview with Mister Motley, Dutch art journalist and writer Lucette ter Borg (born 1962) reflects on her decades-long career as a crusader against misconduct and injustice in the art world. Starting at NRC Handelsblad in 1988, she later moved to de Volkskrant in 1997 as coordinator of visual arts, then became art editor at Vrij Nederland in 2004. She left staff positions in 2006 to freelance, writing for NRC and teaching at the Sandberg Instituut. Ter Borg pioneered investigative journalism on Nazi-looted art in Dutch museums, leading to the establishment of the Restitution Committee. She also exposed the lack of artist fees, prompting the Mondriaan Fund to create a fee scheme. She discusses sexism in newsrooms, the shift toward non-Western art, and the queering of collections. Now in her sixties, she is launching a series for Mister Motley on aging in the art world, exploring how age affects opportunities and creativity. She cites artists Roman Opalka, Kurt Schwitters, and Louwrien Wijers as inspirations. The series begins in late May.