More about Han Nefkens as a writer
In addition to his involvement in the world of contemporary art, Han Nefkens is also a writer. He made his debut in 1995 with the semi-autobiographical novel Bloedverwanten (Blood Brothers), which was followed in 2005 by the collection Twee lege stoelen (Two Empty Chairs). In June 2008 his third book, De gevlogen vogel – notities over een herwonnen leven (Borrowed Time), was published by Uitgeverij Atlas. In that work, Nefkens writes about his recovery from encephalitis in the winter of 2001-2002.
‘I’m forty-eight years old and I have to learn to walk again. I’m not convinced it’s such a great idea, but I don’t see any alternative. You’ve got to walk. They never ask you if you feel like it. They never ask you what you prefer: fish or chicken or vegetarian. Life is no Singapore Airlines.’
The catalogue Han Nefkens, 10 Years of Patronage (2011) provides an overview of the diversity and abundance of the activities in which Nefkens is involved. It also contains an interview with Ingrid Harms and short texts written by Han Nefkens himself.
More work by Nefkens (in Dutch) can be found on his literary website, www.hannefkens.nl
Han Nefkens, 10 Years of Patronage, 2011
De gevlogen vogel, 2008
On the cover: Untitled (negtent) by Hrafnkell Sigurdsson (H+F Collection)
Twee lege stoelen, 2005
On the cover: “Untitled” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres (H+F Collection)
Bloedverwanten, 1995
ArtAids
The ArtAids foundation was set up in 2006 at Han Nefkens’ initiative. ArtAids fights AIDS with the power of art as its most important weapon. ArtAids invites leading artists to produce work that is inspired by AIDS and related problems. These works of art are used to raise the public’s consciousness and to encourage their involvement.
Fundació Han Nefkens
The Han Nefkens Foundation is a private non-profit organisation that was set up in Barcelona in 2009 with the aim of promoting the production of contemporary artworks. The mission is to stimulate artistic creation in Barcelona by offering international artists an opportunity to create artworks and interventions in the city, and to promote other fields of contemporary creation.
H+F
Han Nefkens started to collect art in 2000. The H+F Collection, named after himself and his partner Felipe, is in long-term loan to various museums in The Netherlands and abroad. Nowadays Han Nefkens is not only active as a collector but also as an initiator of international art projects, often in collaboration with museums and other art institutions.
