Chris Nelck (2003,NL) grew up immersed in art, attending museums from a young age. He got admitted to the Willem de Kooning Academy at 15, initially studying photography before shifting to fine arts. His work is influenced by his Trans and Queer identity, which permeates his practice. Nelck has also studied at Kunsthøgskolen in Oslo and is known for integrating writing into his projects, often publishing texts alongside his artworks.
Nelck’s art embodies “radical openness,” a term he uses to describe his transparent approach to expressing his secrets, shame, desires, and emotions. The paintings are visualizations of Nelck’s performance piece Midas, and at the same time also the inspiration for the performance. This series delves into themes of Trans and Queer shame, transforming these experiences into acts of resistance. Inspired by Mario Mieli’s quote from Towards a Gay Communism, 1974, “I keep my treasure in my arse, but then my arse is open to everyone”, Nelck’s performances involve writing secrets in shells and burying them, reminiscent of the Greek myth of King Midas. This act symbolizes the spreading of secrets, aiming for viewers to recognize and resonate with these shared experiences.
Chris Tam Nelck
chrisnelck@gmail.com
Based in Rotterdam
chrisnelck@gmail.com
Based in Rotterdam
My face is like an open book, people have told me this repeatedly throughout my life. My emotions are upfront and my features articulative.
I frown without thinking and smile without knowing.
My practice is very much the same. In my art I am open and upfront. My secrets, shame, desires and emotions are for everyone to see when I choose to. I call this radical openness. Radical openness for me, is a way of activism. When painting, I often feel like I am building bridges between me and the viewer. My paintings make it possible for me to feel at peace while sharing personal and intimate emotions. They are hairy and vulnerable. Powerful and fragile. .
Education:
2014 – 2020 Het Lyceum Rotterdam, art department
2018 Preliminary program of the Willem de Kooning Academy
2020 – 2024 Willem de Kooning Academy, Fine Art (Cum Laude)
2023 – 2023 Exchange Spring semester, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo
Work experience:
2018 – 2019 Volunteer at Roodkapje Rotterdam
2019 – 2022 Employee at the Burgertrut (from Roodkapje Rotterdam)
2021 – 2022 / 2024 Marketing and communication at Roodkapje Rotterdam
2022 – 2022 Education Team Mama
2022 – now Riso print studio for Roodkapje Rotterdam, Hogus Bogus Publishing
2023 – 2024 Volunteer and board member of Skeiv Ungdom Oslo/Viken, Queer Youth Oslo/Viken
Other:
2018 Performer for a performance by Nada van Dalen
2019 Assistant at a photoshoot by Harmen Meinsma for Nada van Dalen
2019 Crash course from the photography competition Document Junior by het Rijksmuseum with a masterclass from Erwin Olaf
2020 Youth jury at IFFR, International Film Festival Rotterdam
2021 Group exhibition with 1st year fine arts Willem de Kooning
2021 Sculpting workshop at Roodkapje called Community Sculpting
2021 Group exhibition at Ijzerblok, 2nd year Fine Arts Willem de Kooning
2022 Founder of bike group for Queer Gym in collaboration with Queer Wheels (Tabi Sutherland)
2023 On Queer Speculative Fiction, a reading event for Skeiv Ungdom with Deichman Tøyen
2023 Volunteer for Wilder Kitchen, donation cafe, creative plant based cooking
2024 Best of Graduates Ron Mandos
2024 Together for Free at Brutus Rotterdam
2024 Destillaat, Extrapool
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Spookstad Duivennest --- 2024
There are 10.000 pigeons in Rotterdam and 12.000 empty buildings.
Spookstad Duivennest is an ongoing project, which started during my residency at Extrapool, Destillaat #26. It is my way of dealing with my current housing insecurity and the inability to nestle. Everything goes fast, faster and fastest in this big city, nothing feels permanent anymore. How does one make a home, if you are not sure of how long you can stay?
This is where I feel a deep connection with pigeons. They’re terrible at building nests, they throw some sticks and some tie wraps on the ground and lay their eggs. And it works, it is perfect for their environment. Imagine building a beautiful nest, just to get shooed off a balcony again. My stuff is still unpacked and in boxes, it took me months to hang some things on the walls. I feel like I made myself a pigeon nest in order to survive.
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There are 10.000 pigeons in Rotterdam and 12.000 empty buildings.
Spookstad Duivennest is an ongoing project, which started during my residency at Extrapool, Destillaat #26. It is my way of dealing with my current housing insecurity and the inability to nestle. Everything goes fast, faster and fastest in this big city, nothing feels permanent anymore. How does one make a home, if you are not sure of how long you can stay?
This is where I feel a deep connection with pigeons. They’re terrible at building nests, they throw some sticks and some tie wraps on the ground and lay their eggs. And it works, it is perfect for their environment. Imagine building a beautiful nest, just to get shooed off a balcony again. My stuff is still unpacked and in boxes, it took me months to hang some things on the walls. I feel like I made myself a pigeon nest in order to survive.
Venus as a Boy --- 2024
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Midas (I) --- 2024
Midas is a one-on one- performance series about Trans- and Queer shame. It is a cry to not fall into the pitfalls of shame and get lost in the keeping of secrets. With openness we can fight the shaming for unchangeable and harmless characteristics. Openness as radical resistance. Mario Mieli inpires me in this with his quote:
“I keep my treasure in my arse, but then my arse is open for everyone...” (Towards a Gay Communism, 1977)
The paintings are visualizations of the performance, and at the same time also the inspiration for the performance. Body hair, shells and personal writings are repeating patterns. During my performance I wrote my secrets in shells and burried them next to the marram grass. The grass will grow here and whisper my secrets, just like the Greek myth of King Midas and the Donkey Ears. Only I choose to share my secrets. I hope that the secrets will spread . That everyone will hear them, recognize themselves in my shame or become conscious of its existence.
