Five new members for the Society of Arts in 2025

Members of the Society of Arts are artists from across the entire spectrum of the arts. The new members will be inaugurated on 20 March 2025.

The new members are:

Karin Amatmoekrim

Writer and literary scholar

Karin Amatmoekrim (1976) is a writer and literary scholar. She has previously published seven books, including the much-discussed Het gym (The Gym, 2011) and the historical novel De man van veel (The Man of Many, 2013) about the life of resistance hero Anton de Kom. The documentary that Gulsah Dogan made about the memoir Tenzij de vader (Unless the Father, 2016) was nominated for a Gouden Kalf (Dutch film award). Amatmoekrim obtained her doctorate from Leiden University with a thesis in the form of a biography about essayist Anil Ramdas, published as a public edition under the title In wat voor land leef ik eigenlijk? Anil Ramdas – onmogelijk kosmopoliet (2023). She received the Dutch Biography Prize (2024) for this book. She is a regular columnist for NRC Handelsblad and regularly writes critical essays about postcolonial reality for De Correspondent. 
 

Marjolijn van Heemstra

Theatre maker, writer, journalist and poet

Marjolijn van Heemstra (1981) studied religious studies and works as a poet, writer, theatre maker, journalist and podcast maker. In her work, she explores how we can think differently about ourselves and the world. Since 2019, she has been writing about how space can help us to look at the earth differently. Her essay for Philosophy Month 2023, Wat is ruimte waard (What is space worth), was published by De Correspondent. The play based on this book, Maankoorts (Moon fever), premiered in June 2024. Van Heemstra has won several literary prizes for her poetry collections and novels, and her latest novel has been translated into eight languages. Since 2021, she has been working on the project she set up, The Night Watch, a multi-year study into the value of the night. The Night Watch organises twilight sessions, lectures, night walks and the Amsterdam Dark Festival. 
 

Jeanne van Heeswijk

Visual artist

Jeanne van Heeswijk (1965) is an artist who focuses on social justice and community building in her work. She is known for her large-scale, participatory art projects in public spaces, in which she interweaves art, activism and education. With projects such as Homebaked in Liverpool, Freehouse, Radicalising the Local in Rotterdam and Philadelphia Assembled in Philadelphia, she invites communities to imagine the future of their environment together, often in response to urban challenges such as gentrification and social inequality. With her work, she challenges existing power structures and creates new possibilities for collective action and involvement. Van Heeswijk was educated in Tilburg and Maastricht and has garnered praise at biennials in Venice, Shanghai and Liverpool. She has received several awards, including the Leonore Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change and the Curry Stone Design Prize.
 

Benjamin Herman

Saxophonist and bandleader

For the past 35 years, saxophonist and musical omnivore Benjamin Herman (1968) has been one of the Netherlands' most productive musicians of his generation. Herman participated in the Thelonious Monk Competition in 1991 and studied with Dick Oatts in New York. Since then, Herman has released more than 50 albums as a solo artist and as the front man of the ensemble New Cool Collective. His solo work varies from postmodern interpretations of classical Dutch avant-garde to collaborations with Dutch poets, pop singers and hip-hop artists. In addition to punk jazz projects such as Bughouse and The Itch, he has also ventured into lush productions from the seventies (Deal, Project S) and pleasantly subdued performances of classic evergreens (Trouble, Café Solo). Herman produces the radio show ‘Round Midnight for NPO Soul & Jazz and the weekly podcast Get In, in which he puts young musical talent in the spotlight. He also writes columns.
 

TINKEBELL

Visual artist

TINKEBELL (pseudonym of Katinka Simonse, 1979) graduated from the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam in 2005. In her work, she investigates hidden errors and abuses in our society, including human rights, polluting industries, safety standards and radiation risks or the spread of (fake) news. For TINKEBELL, the arts are a primary means of drawing attention to urgent issues. As a form of expression, she always chooses what best suits the story to be told. TINKEBELL works with organisations, experts, scientists, politicians, companies and activists worldwide on sustainable collaborations and solutions. Whether it's finding a safe home for displaced persons, changing political policy or creating a different future for Tata Steel. Much of her work is realised in collaboration with Mo van der Have and TORCHGallery. She has also written several books and columns for Trouw, Het Parool and Kunstbeeld, among others.

Installation on 20 March

The installation of the new members will take place on Thursday 20 March 2025. More information about this meeting will follow soon.