Art Office

The Rotterdam artists Lucila Novoa ~ Draai, Quinda Verheul and Merve Kiliçer shared their experience with financial arrangements from CBK Rotterdam during Studio Art Office on September 6, 2023. In this article we share their most important experiences and tips.

Finding financing for your work or your livelihood: it is usually not the favorite activity of artists. Yet it is necessary for the professionalization and continuation of your practice. That is why we asked three artists to talk about their experiences with the Development & Research scheme, the Practice Contribution and the interest-free loan from CBK Fonds Kwadraat during Studio Art Office on September 6, 2023.

lucila novoa ~ turn | Research & Development

lucila novoa ~ Draai (1979) received an R&D contribution for her research in 2023 On speculative narrative, collagraph printmaking and performance. In this research she connects literary storytelling techniques critical fabulation with the engraving technique collagraphy and performance.

Novoa ~ twist not only combines different genres, but also techniques. 'Collagraphy is a printing technique that cannot be industrialized and is therefore rare in the print culture of the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere. Collagraphy is ephemeral due to the effect of the press on the relief differences of the printed circuit board and is therefore by definition not suitable for printing stable editions.'

The fact that you can work on the same research project for a longer period of time thanks to the R&D scheme was a major advantage for novoa ~ Draai. 'After six months I thought “this is just the beginning, I want more”,' she said during the meeting. 'The realization that you have to continue in the same line gives a lot of self-confidence.'

Still, she sometimes struggled with her expectations about the project. 'Remember what R&D stands for', advises Novoa ~ turn the others, 'it's about research and development. So don't let yourself be paralyzed by the idea that you have to come up with a final product. You can apply for a different arrangement for an end product.'

Looking for collaboration and including a budget for this in your budget is another tip from novoa ~ spin. 'If you need collaboration for your project, include that in your budget. As artists we already do so much unpaid work, so let's help each other by hiring each other.'

Quinda Verheul – interest-free loan from Fonds Kwadraat

Quinda Verheul (1989) applied for an interest-free loan of 2022 euros from Fonds Kwadraat in 8000. This enabled her to create a series of new sculptures for her solo exhibition Never Lost at Root Gallery. Verheul delves into the constantly changing landscapes and the influence that humans have on them. This is reflected in her works of art through the use of materials such as sand and natural stone.

Taking out a loan to create new work is exciting for many artists. Also for Verheul, but she still dared to do it. “Think of yourself as an entrepreneur,” she explains. 'If you want to start a shop, you also have to invest. Everyone thinks it's normal to borrow money for that, so why not for works of art that you can also sell?'

Verheul makes a distinction between commercial and non-commercial work, often already during the production process. 'Some works are simply impossible to sell,' she says, 'like my installation The Sound of Silence where grains of sand slowly fall from enormous mirrors. You don't just hang that up in your living room. But I also make works that I suspect in advance that some people would want on their walls.'

To be able to create these works at all, money is needed, including for materials and tools. "That's what I used the loan for," she says. 'It is exciting, especially because someone has to act as guarantor for an amount above 5000 euros. Still, that's good because you have to share your plan with one more person. That forces you to really think about it carefully and have your budget clearly in order.'

Verheul repays the loan in installments. This is achieved by selling both large and smaller works. "You occasionally sell large works worth more than 5000 euros," she explains. 'To lower the threshold, I also make smaller works. These are pins costing 30 euros to mirrors costing 250 euros.'

Verheul works with a gallery to sell her art. 'Fifty percent of the proceeds go to them,' she explains, 'so it is important that you make good agreements with the gallery. Also check whether it feels good. Go to the toilet at the gallery to calmly reflect on how you feel. Does your intuition say this place is the right one? Then they can act as a meaningful agent for the artist.'

Merve Kilicer – Practical contribution

Merve Kiliçer (1987) received a Practical Contribution for the Tongue Twisting Dinners. During these dinners she explored innovative ways to initiate a critical dialogue around contemporary themes by bringing people and culinary practice together. Each dinner had a different theme: (1) thinking collectively, digesting critically, (2) who owns, who belongs, who reigns, who cooks, (3) reclamation of growth, attention to decay and (4) resistance at boiling point.

Kiliçer worked for this one Tongue Twisting Dinners together with Ulufer Çelik, Vlada Predelina and Jake Caleb in the Eat House Collective. 'Collaboration has many advantages,' she tells the artists present. 'This way you can divide tasks, but you are also stronger as a group. Together you have more knowledge and you can learn from each other. Communication is very important for this, you must be able to give and receive feedback in a constructive way.'

Not only is it important to learn from the people in your own collective, but also from others. 'Visit events and initiatives of others,' Kiliçer advises. 'You already know what it feels like to be in the room as an organizer, but then you also know what it feels like for visitors. This way you experience both sides of the space.'

De Tongue Twisting Dinners were paid for with both the Practice Contribution from CBK Rotterdam and a subsidy from the municipality. The latter was possible because it concerned activities in the neighborhood. "We have submitted several applications and they have been honored," says Kiliçer. 'But submitting such an application takes a lot of time. You don't get paid for those hours, so keep that in mind.'

Stay updated!

Would you like to stay informed about all our events? Sign up for our newsletter or follow us Facebook of Instagram.

Photos: Wilke Martens