Pop-up gallery focusing on craftsmanship

Anne-Claire (30) started her creative career in fashion. “I did a lot of assistant work for styling,” she says, “but that world didn't appeal to me much.” Six years ago, she moved to Den Bosch, where she lives with her boyfriend Tobias and a very sweet cat. There, Anne-Claire began giving interior advice and specialized in sustainability within the interior sector.

But her dream was much bigger. “I have always wanted to do something with craftsmanship in interiors and help tell the story of the makers. That’s how the idea for for the Love of Art (LOA) came about,” Anne-Claire explains. A few months ago, she launched a webshop where you can find beautiful European craftsmanship. “I select handmade products that are works of art in themselves to display, but are also practical. So, functional items.”

An example is the work of Esmee Hofman. “She is a basket weaver and makes beautifully fine weaving,” says Anne-Claire. “Her baskets can be used to present an important document or a piece of jewelry, for example. But they could also stand on a beautiful pedestal as a work of art in themselves.”

Anne-Claire believes it is important that more attention is given to the time that goes into craftsmanship. “We are used to walking into a Xenos or Casa and buying a basket for a few euros. But you are actually paying too little for such craftsmanship. We should take a moment to appreciate the amount of knowledge, skill, and passion that is needed to create something with your hands.”

Earlier this year, Anne-Claire was looking for a location to launch LOA. She wanted to do it physically. “I think it’s important that people can experience the products I sell in real life,” she says. “That’s how I ended up at a beautiful pop-up location in Den Bosch. The owner indicated that she would be closing down in the near future and asked if I was interested in taking over the shop.”

“My first thought was: ‘I just launched my own business, I really don’t have the money for that right now’,” she remembers. “But I couldn’t let go of the idea. I’ve been to the place often and looked closely at how the space can best be utilized. And that’s how the plan to start a pop-up gallery came about!”

With LOA, Anne-Claire specializes in craftsmanship within the interior sector. “But of course, there are countless other makers,” she says. “Photographers, for example, or artists who create beautiful paintings. That doesn’t fit within the niche of my webshop, but it is definitely work that I want to support and promote. That’s why I decided to start a gallery that is available for rent for a week or a weekend. Arti-Pop is a place for artists who want to exhibit independently but don’t have a space for it themselves. At Arti-Pop, they get the freedom to set up a space as they wish.”

For her concept, flexibility and the ability to quickly set up and dismantle an exhibition are important requirements. “Drilling holes in the walls every time to hang work is really not an option,” Anne-Claire knows. “Moreover, there were already a number of hanging rails from Artiteq in the building. What we kept running into was that it didn’t seem strong enough to hang larger works. So I started a conversation with Artiteq. It turned out it wasn’t the rails, we simply didn’t have the right hooks.”

No worries about the technical side

Arti-pop will be a flexible, ready-to-use gallery. “I want people who rent the space to not worry about the technical side,” Anne-Claire explains. “They deserve the freedom to present their work as they wish. The space is 60m2 in size. There are already a number of meters of rail hanging, but we are going to expand that much further. Short pieces of rail will be hung everywhere, even in the corners and small pieces of wall, so that exhibitions can take place everywhere and artists have all the choices in how they present their work.”

“The nice thing is: with the extensive range of wires and hooks, I can offer artists all sorts of different options, both in style and load capacity,” adds Anne-Claire. “Artworks can hang on the rails weighing up to 30 kilograms per linear meter, and there are hooks for every type of work. Some artists prefer black wire or steel wire, while others want the wire their work hangs from to be almost invisible; for that, the perlon wire is perfect.”

“Because Artiteq's range is so extensive, I can provide the desired flexibility. Switching is also incredibly fast, allowing exhibitors to set up and take down everything quickly.” Anne-Claire finds it particularly nice that the work on the Click Rail does not hang super tightly against the wall. “Just like furniture needs a bit of air, and you shouldn't place it directly against the wall, the same goes for art. It should breathe. That makes the work feel more 3D, as if it’s floating in the space. Personally, I find that much more stylish.”

Pop-up gallery Arti-pop opens in September and is already almost full until the end of the year. Anne-Claire: “In the first week, I will be there myself with LOA. I want to organize a pop-up myself once a quarter for the work I sell through my webshop. Additionally, there will be beautiful work from a ceramicist coming in. We still have to do some serious renovations for a few weeks, and then we can open. I am really looking forward to it.”

About the Artiteq Click Rail system

Visit our Click Rail product page for more information. Other suitable systems for a gallery, museum, or exhibition can be found here.