Bart Houwers is a Dutch visual artist and spatial designer. In his work he reflects on the rural changes of the past decades up to the present day. In site specific installations, interventions and photographs, notions like: (spatial) memory, micro-histories, place, industries, scale, tradition and loss are being explored. He often uses pre-existing materials in relation to storytelling and language, or lack of language. There is a sense of playing with quotes, at the same time it transcends the quote and manipulates what is quoted. Resulting in, seemingly, incoherent and displaced fragments.
Houwers examines the long-term consequences of economic expansion: the erosion of local knowledge, the scaling-up of production, and the gradual disappearance of reciprocal forms of co-existence. These changes are approached obliquely; through fragments, detours, and material traces.

Houwers studied Fine Arts at the Rietveld Academie (2017-2021) and was resident at De Ateliers (2022-2024).

Exhibitions

2027 (upcoming) – Triennale Kortrijk, group show, BE

2026 – BRÖCKELNDE IDYLLE – SYSTEM FRISST SYSTEM, Hildesheim, DE

2026 – The World’s Heaving Breath, group show, Milan, IT

2025 – Art Antwerp, group show, Josilda da Conceição Gallery, Antwerp, BE

2025 – We live here too, group show, Hedge House, Wijlre, NL

2025 – KRAAMKAMERS, solo show, Ouderlijkhuis, Aalten, NL

2025 – Beestachtig, group show, Museum W, Weert, NL

2024 – Offspring 2024: Underbelly, group show, De Ateliers, Amsterdam, NL

2023 – Don’t Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth, group show, De Ateliers, Amsterdam, NL

2021 – Graduation Show, group show, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL