Jan Henderikse

Jan Henderikse (1937, Delft) is recognized as a pivotal figure in the Dutch art scene. In 1958, he organized the first exhibition of 'Informal Painting' at the University of Delft's mensa, establishing himself as the founder of the Dutch Informal Group. He is also a prominent representative of the ZERO and Nul movements, which played a crucial role in the fundamental shifts in the art world during the 1960s. His work is often associated with Nouveau Réalisme and pop art.

Since the late 1950s, Henderikse has created art using 'rejects,' materials that we use with affection and discard with indifference. He incorporates a wide range of objects that cross his path, including debris from the Rhine, corks, ampoules, and later, license plates and coins. These items represent the endless stream of goods that have inundated us since the post-war shift from a production-based to a consumer-based society. Henderikse's fascination with the everyday is both persistent and boundless. His statement, "I am interested in everything that moves people," reflects his approach as a kind of anthropologist or ethnographer, who poetically reveals the intangible within the tangible through his work.

With studios in Delft, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Curaçao, Antwerp, and New York, Henderikse has pursued an international career that has led to numerous global exhibition opportunities. Since 2013, Stijn Coppejans has served as curator and supporter of many of Henderikse's projects.