Art Office

Visual artist Vladimir Raduykov is artist-in-residence in the Botanical Garden Kralingen. For a year he makes a painting every month, based on the changes in the garden. The project is subsidized by the Activities City scheme of CBK Rotterdam. Vladimir: 'Nature is constantly changing – I want to reflect that in my work.'

At nineteen, Vladimir Radujkov (44) entered the Academy of Fine Arts, part of the University of Belgrade. After graduating in graphic arts, he worked for a while in lithography. In 2010 he moved to Rotterdam, where he works as a visual artist and creative director of the art and culture foundation NEON Foundation. 'Rotterdam has everything: the vibe of a big city, and yet it also feels cosy. It is a good place for artists, the artistic hub only grows.'

Twelve works of art
On December 1, 2021, Vladimir started his residency in the Botanical Garden Kralingen. The idea: to make twelve paintings based on the changes he sees. 'Every month I go to the Botanical Garden. I walk around, sit on a bench, look around me and take it all in. I pay attention to the smell, the birds and the bees. Sometimes I stay there for three hours. I take pictures of everything that strikes me: color differences, special flowers and plants, the changing light. Sometimes I go early in the morning, then the garden looks very different than at nine o'clock in the evening.'

He already had this love for nature as a child. Vladimir grew up in the town of Bečej, in the north of Serbia. 'Our garden felt like a safe, hidden place to me. When I was young, I sat there for hours. Plants fascinated me: how they grow, how they multiply, what layers they are made up of.' He is inspired by the fact that nature is constantly changing. 'You see the havoc after a storm, the drought during a hot summer, flowers in bloom, leaves falling from the trees. I like the change that the different seasons bring – I try to capture that in my paintings.'

Back to the studio
When Vladimir has enough pictures, he goes back to his studio on the Blaak. 'Close the windows, turn on the music and start painting,' he says with a laugh. 'I have a very abstract style. I work a lot with lines, actually I paint as if I were drawing. I continue until finally there is a network of lines on the canvas. I always use the same kind of brush, a very simple one for five euros. I've tried numerous, but this one works the best for me.'

'Yet the works I make now are very different from what I normally do. For this project, for example, I work a lot with organic colors – yellow, bright green, neon, but also brown and orange tones. I like to paint with acrylic. It dries quickly, so I can continue working. I like to see quick results, at the end of a working day I want to feel like I've made something beautiful. It doesn't have to be finished, but something has to be there. Then I can close the door of my studio behind me with peace of mind.'

artistic activities in the city
For his residency, Vladimir receives a artist fairy of the Activities City scheme of CBK Rotterdam. 'Without that contribution, this project could not exist,' says Vladimir. 'The CKB is extremely important for creative people in the city. To me the organization feels like a group of colleagues, but I also see them as friends. They are very important to me: they help, give advice and think along with me. If I have a question, I can just text them. The contact is very informal.'

Exhibition at the Chrysalid Gallery
Vladimir is now working on his tenth painting. When everything is finished, the works can be admired in the Chrysalid Gallery on the Coolsestraat. "I'm going to donate four paintings to the Botanical Garden as a thank you."

Vladimir feels that he has changed as an artist and as a person through this project. 'I feel more and more part of nature. I belong in the Botanical Garden, as a person and as an artist. You will see that in my paintings.'

Curious about the exhibition? Love the website Chrysalid Gallery closely monitor. read here more about the Activities City scheme.

Text: Roos Post
Photography: Jacqueline Fuijkschot