ARTIST STATEMENT
Max Schulze (1994) lives and works in Amsterdam.

A birthday party that melts into a fever dream, a rowdy dance that is actually a malicious ritual, or a sensual gathering that turns into a brawl: in his work, Schulze is constantly searching for the boundary between pleasure and destruction. The protagonists in his paintings find themselves among the debris of their own decadence, are damaged and imperfect and are constantly confronted with their own shortcomings.

Using a collage-like approach, he works from a large archive of photographs with a wide range of subjects - from Greek busts to accidental passers-by, from Studio 54 to war images - and explores the human need to escape reality and the destructive desire it entails.
CURRICULUM VITAE

EDUCATION
2012 - 2016 Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht
Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA)

PRIZES / NOMINATIONS
- HKU Thesis Award 2016 (winner)

EXHIBITIONS

Current
- De Salon, What Art Can Do, Amsterdam (2024-2025)
- Museum van de Geest (formerly known as Dolhuys), permanent collection, Haarlem (november 2020 - now)

Upcoming
- [Title to be determined], What Art Can Do, Amsterdam (2025, solo)

Solo
_ An elegy to forgotten parties: preparations, Upscale Galerie, Rotterdam (2020)
- CARYATIDS, WOW Amsterdam (2018)
- A Series of Lethargic Endeavours, Dappie, Amsterdam (2017)
- COLOSSUS, Kunstgang, Leiden (2016)
- 99KUUB: Welcome to Dorp - 99KUUB, Tractieweg 41, Utrecht (2015)

Duo
- Bear traps on a birthday cake (with Stefanie Bloier), Kunsthal Kloof, Utrecht (2023)
- VERMIN / VENOM (with Lotte Hardeman), Lokaal Lokaal, Amsterdam (2021)

Group
- Kloof United, Kunsthal Kloof, Utrecht (2024)
- IJ KUNSTCOLLECTIEF, Loods 6, Amsterdam (2024)
- IJ KUNSTCOLLECTIEF, Nieuw Dakota / Beautiful Distress House, Amsterdam (2022)
- 37PK, poetry / performance during the exhibition Van bezemsteel tot zuil gepromoveerd by Hilke Walraven, Haarlem (2022)
- Amsterdam Public Library (OBA), Amsterdam (2021)
​- De Hallen, Amsterdam (2021)
- Central Station, Amsterdam (2020)
- WOW Art Sale, WOW Amsterdam (2018)
- Radio in The Bathtub : a harvest, a feast, Moira, Utrecht (2018)
- Parklicht - "Achterlicht", Oosterpark, Amsterdam (2018)
- WOW Masquerade, WOW Amsterdam (2018)
- Dappie Open Studios, Dappie, Amsterdam (2018)
- Opium TorenkamerEXPO (2018)
- SBK Sprouts Young Talents (2017)
- HKU FA TWG 2016 (graduation show)
- EMP.FM radio performance, Spinhuis, Amsterdam (2015)
- Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, Den Haag (screening) (2015)
- Vrijblijvend Sanitair - Tractieweg 41, Utrecht (2015)
- Expo Am Flutgraben, Berlin (2014)
- CATLAB - Koningsweg, Utrecht (2014)

RESIDENCIES / PROJECTS

- De Reeks, series of artist publications (project, editor-in-chief, 2021)
- WOW Amsterdam (residency, June 2017 - May 2019)
- Project space Dappie (Dapperstraat 82), Amsterdam (residency, april - may 2017)
- De Torenkamer, VondelCS, Amsterdam (residency, january 2018)
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PUBLICATIONS