Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Youri Appelo. At the moment I’m based in Arnhem (NL) and Hamminkeln
(DE). Currently I am active as artistic leader of the exhibition space Expoplu in
Nijmegen. I also work as an independent curator for initiatives and institutions such
as VHDG and Kunstpodium T. From now and then I am guest teacher at ArtEZ, and
lastly, from July till december I am curator-in-residency at Schloss Ringenberg.
What do you consider your distinctive achievement?
My most distinctive achievement? I think in general it should not be about what
you achieve, but rather how you achieve it. I think it is a distinctive achievement if
you keep doing what you ‘have fire for’ and what you think is necessary
and important for our world and lives we live today. Oh and not to forget: while
doing all of that, also having a feeling of happiness.
I think that’s an ongoing distinctive achievement, which I am still working on.
However I do have to say I feel very blessed to work with a lot of amazing people
at different organisations. Shout out to: Expoplu, VHDG, Kunstpodium T and Schloss
Ringenberg!
What are you looking forward too?
Because this column is more focussed on entrepreneurial subjects, I will go deeper
into that. I am looking forward to the time that we as young professionals and
freelancers realise how precarious our situation most of the time is. I am looking
forward that we do not agree with the current climate and mobilise ourselves the
get different conditions as freelancers and artistic practitioners, with more stability
and insurance. And with that also for the time we all agree on that we never work
for free, and so to create a consciousness that despite making art, creating
exhibition or whatever our passion is, that it is still labour and fair payments and fair
practice is the least we can demand.
Check out information and ideas on Fair payment and Fair Practice on the website of Platform BK
A personal thing I am looking forward to is the upcoming exhibition in Kunst im Tunnel in Dusseldorf in context of the Schloss Ringenberg residency, opening on 23th of November.
Which advice would you give to other professionals?
I think I already answered this question in here above, however a quick summary:
do what you feel fire for, do what is necessary and important for the world around
us and the lives we live today, also be happy with what you are doing, do not work for
free, try the value and respect what you are doing, stop your ego it is not
necessary to succeed, get out, do things and meet a lot of people.
What are the challenges that we need to overcome to make cultural entrepreneurship more accessible?
Fair practice, fair payment and less precarious and more stable working conditions
for all freelance cultural workers.
