Marleen Sleeuwits (born 23 June 1980) is a Dutch multidisciplinary artist working in photography, sculpture, and installation.[1] Based in The Hague, her art aims to challenge perceptions of scale, perspective and spatial reality.[2] Her work is characterised by what she terms the "peau des villes" (skin of cities) concept, exploring how humans relate to built environments through temporary interventions in vacant spaces.[3] Her work engages with architectural spaces and the built environment, often involving temporary interventions in vacant or unused locations.
In her early career, Sleeuwits focused on photographing architectural spaces and urban environments.[15] Her artistic practice evolved from photographing spaces to physically intervening in them, and she began constructing her own spaces.[16] She was interested in exploring what she describes as "impersonal environments" —vacant spaces such as empty office buildings, unused shopping centres, and abandoned institutional buildings that became available during economic downturns, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis.[2]
Sleeuwits's work has been described as abstract and conceptual.[citation needed] She integrates photography with sculpture and installations to alter spaces and create a sense of disorientation for the viewer. Her core themes explore the borderland between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, the transformation of everyday spaces, and the use of optical illusions and the manipulation of perspective.[17]
Sleeuwit often incorporates common architectural elements, such as ceiling panels, insulation, and fluorescent lighting. Many of her installations are interactive, allowing viewers to navigate through the structures. Drawing inspiration from ordinary environments such as sports fields or changing rooms, Her work often evokes a sense of alienation in these familiar spaces.[18][19]
Sleeuwit's work for her 2021 solo exhibition Isomatrix at Kunsthal in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, explored the boundary between fiction and reality using materials such as neon lights, foil, photographic prints, and mirrors to manipulate perspective, reflection, and scale within architectural spaces.[20] In her solo exhibition, Enter the Cube in 2025 at the Fotomuseum Den Haag, Sleeuwits created a site-specific installation in dialogue with the work of Sol LeWitt.[4] Another solo exhibition, Re-Surface was held at Galerie Bart in Amsterdam the same year during the Amsterdam Art Week focusing on the exploration of everyday interiors and their often unnoticed aesthetics.[21]
Sleeuwit's first major monograph, On the Soft Edge of Space, was published in 2016.[22] It featured 200 images across 276 pages with essays by Edo Dijksterhuis, Basje Boer, and Freek Lomme. De Volkskrant selected the publication as one of the best Dutch photography books of 2016.[3]
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Sleeuwits has been represented by Galerie Bart in Amsterdam[1] since 2019 and by Sous Les Etoiles Gallery in New York City.[14] Previous representation included LhGWR Gallery in The Hague and FeldbuschWiesnerRudolph in Berlin.[23]
2022: Kunstenaar Basis grant (also awarded other grants from Mondriaan Fund)[6]
2021: Prix de Rome (nominated) - Netherlands' art award for artists under 35.[29]
2019: Meijburg Art Commission - an award to make a site-specific work for KPMG Meijburg & Co offices, [30] for which she made Interior no. 52 (2019) for KPMG Meijburg & Co's Amstelveen office.[citation needed] The work features dynamic lighting cycles and explores the boundaries between two and three-dimensional space.[citation needed]
2013: Prix de Rome (nominated) - Netherlands' art award for artists under 35.[29]
2013: International Festival of Fashion and Photography, Hyères, France (Finalist)[31]
2012: Foam Talent, Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam - annual recognition program for emerging photographers.[1]
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