Jan Henderikse b. 1937

Jan Henderikse (*1937, Delft, The Netherlands) is only fifteen when he meets likewise Delft born Jan Schoonhoven (1914-1994) who will become his older colleague, his mentor and a life long friend. Henderikse starts making drawings in an informal painterly way while studying at the 'Vrije Academie' in The Hague from 1955 until 1958.

           In 1958, on Henderikse's initiative the first Informal art exhibition takes place in the refectory of Delft Polytechnic College. From this first exhibition emerged the Nederlandse Informele Groep (Dutch Informal Group) with members Armando, Kees van Bohemen, Henderikse, Henk Peeters and Jan Schoonhoven.

          1959-1960 - Start of an international tour with the Nederlandse Informele Groep, exhibiting in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Moves to Cologne, and later to Düsseldorf. Creates his first assemblages using found objects. Contact with the ZERO circle artists. Signs the Oberkasseler Bridge in Düsseldorf as an original artwork, and creates his first installation of wooden vegetable crates.

          1961 - Formation of the Dutch Nul group, with members Armando, Henderikse, Henk Peeters and Jan Schoonhoven. Participation in international ZERO exhibitions. Travels between Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Paris.

           1962 - Participates in the exhibition Nul (1962) at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, with his installation of wooden beer crates. Henderikse settles in Curaçao, working with assemblages and readymades; creates his first serial works using photographs.

           1965 - Participation in the São Paulo Art Biennial, Brazil, as official entry of the Dutch Antilles.

           1968 - The artist moves to Manhattan, New York, working mainly with assemblages of found objects and photographic sequences. Solo exhibitions at Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

           1975 - Since the mid-1970s Henderikse again takes up working with money in the range from coins to toys to kitsch objects. Participation in international film festivals with his experimental films from 1974-1975.

           1980 - In the first half of the 1980s, Henderikse works with artist's books and editions; frequent travels to Berlin, Germany.

           1987-88 - Moves to Berlin at the invitation of DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), and has a second studio there until 2000. From the mid-1980s Henderikse focuses on photo objects, additionally working extensively with readymades, junk, toys and kitsch objects. Conceptually based photographic works, multiples and readymades form the center of his work up to today.

           1992 - Lectures at the Berliner Sommerakademie, Berlin, Germany.

           2000 - Travels between New York and Antwerp, where he has a second studio, until today.

           2007 - Extensive solo exhibitions at the Staatliches Museum Schwerin and Stadtgalerie Kiel. Takes part in major group exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Saint-Étienne, London, Amsterdam and New York.

           2012 - Participation in the exhibition Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, El Museo del Barrio/Queens Museum/The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. In 2014, the exhibition traveled to Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM).

           2013 - Participation in the exhibition ZERO, Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, Brasil. The exhibition traveled to Fundaç?o Iberê Camargo, Porto Alegre, Brasil, and Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil.

           2014-2015 - Participation in the exhibition ZERO. Countdown to Tomorrow, 1950s-60s at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. In 2015, the exhibition traveled to Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

           2018 - Retrospective solo exhibition, Jan Henderikse. Alles en niets (All and Nothing), at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, the Netherlands. 

          2026 - Retrospective solo exhibition, Jan Henderkse. ¡SUPER!, at Museum EICAS, Deventer