Photo : Mandy Franca, Close up – MARK II (15052024), 2024, image courtesy of the artist
Mondriaan Fund x Atelier Néerlandais: The Space between Breaths
During Art Basel Paris week, the Mondriaan Fund and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paris present The Space between Breaths at the Atelier Néerlandais, an exhibition of contemporary Dutch artists under the artistic direction of Julia Geerlings.
Atelier Néerlandais (Paris 1st)
About
The exhibition includes installations, sculptures, sound works, videos, paintings, textile works, and performances by a selection of artists from the Netherlands: Femke Herregraven, Mandy Franca, Chaim van Luit, Nasrin Tabatabai & Babak Afrassiabi, Annabelle Binnerts, Daniel Godínez-Nivón, Iriée Zamblé, Fiona Lutjenhuis, and Mette Sterre.
The Space between Breaths
Breathing is a universal act, but the conditions in which we live determine the freedom with which we can breathe. Climate change and air pollution affect our health. The pressure of an increasingly fast-paced society leaves little room to catch one's breath. And not everyone enjoys the same freedom, security, or access to care and a healthy environment. In The Space between Breaths, breathing is addressed not only as a physical reality but also as a social and political one. The works show how breathing can function as a metaphor for connection, care, migration, ecology, identity, memory, and imagination. Through varied perspectives, the artists explore what breathing reveals about our relationship with others, our environment, and the future.
The Artists
The exhibition brings together works that address themes such as climate, health, inclusion, vulnerability, and resilience. For instance, in Labour Lung, Nasrin Tabatabai & Babak Affrasiabi explore how breathing is not just a biological function, but also a space where labor, exploitation, dependency, and technological control converge. In The Murmur of the Dying, Femke Herregraven examines how breathing, sighs, and whispers can carry meaning beyond the limits of language, while Annabelle Binnerts uses language and breathing to make the bodily dimension of words visible. Other artists focus on wind, drafts, exhaustion, the sea, dreams, activism, or the relationship between the body and its environment.
The Mondriaan Fund
The Mondriaan Fund is the primary public funding organization for visual arts and heritage in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. We are one of the six national cultural funds that invest, on behalf of society, in creators, institutions, and cultural projects.
L'Atelier Néerlandais
L’Atelier Néerlandais is a platform of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paris, dedicated to Dutch design, arts, and books, located in the heart of Paris.
Our take on this event
Inhale and exhale, then stop to consider why breathing is much more than just a biological necessity. This curated selection of Dutch contemporary artists transforms simple gasps into a powerful narrative on climate, migration, and the body's hidden limits. Experience an evocative journey that forces you to pause and reflect on your own connection to the world around you.
The Atelier Néerlandais presents The Space between Breaths from October 22 to October 25, 2026. This exhibition features a diverse range of works, including sculptures, videos, and performances, by nine artists from the Netherlands. By examining breathing as both a physical necessity and a social construct, the artists reflect on climate change, health, and human resilience. Admission is free for all visitors, and the venue is fully wheelchair accessible. Whether you are interested in contemporary art or political discourse, this event offers a unique perspective on our connection to the environment, held in the heart of the 1st arrondissement.
From Thursday, October 22 to Sunday, October 25, 2026, the Atelier Néerlandais hosts The Space between Breaths. Open daily from 11:00 to 18:00, this exhibition explores breathing as a metaphor for care, identity, and environmental interaction. Through works by Femke Herregraven, Mandy Franca, Chaim van Luit, Nasrin Tabatabai & Babak Afrassiabi, Annabelle Binnerts, Daniel Godínez-Nivón, Iriée Zamblé, Fiona Lutjenhuis, and Mette Sterre, the show investigates how social conditions influence our ability to breathe freely in a fast-paced world.
Organized in collaboration with the Mondriaan Fund, the showcase highlights themes such as technological control, language, and activism through various media including installations and sound pieces. The event is free to attend, and the gallery is equipped to be wheelchair accessible. Located on Avenue Victoria, this cultural project invites you to reflect on how our bodily functions intersect with political and ecological realities, providing a space for dialogue and contemplation within the city center.
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