Van Breest Smallenburg is a visual artist based in the Netherlands, Amsterdam and is visually investigating the interaction -time & space & human- through artistic interventions: multidisciplinary installations, video installations, photography and art projects in public space. In this visual research, concepts as connection and the unborn possibilities of void play a central role. Van Breest Smallenburg explores temporality substantively in different ways in various artworks and tries to depict the flow of time itself in (video) installations.
In the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Spain van Breest Smallenburg has taken part in many exhibitions. In addition, the artist received commissions to design permanent and temporary installations in public spaces throughout Europe and the work is featured in both corporate and private collections.
The choice of method and media van Breest Smallenburg makes is dictated by the requirements of each project and ranges from site-specific mixed media work, to interdisciplinary installations (comprising soundscapes, video, sculpture and photography). Van Breest Smallenburg’s video and installation works focus on connection on different kinds of levels and are distinguished by their complexity and simplicity at the same time.
In 1989 van Breest Smallenburg received an MA in European Arts and Culture from The University of Leicester (United Kingdom), La Universidad de Granada (Spain) and the Tilburg Art Academy in the Netherlands. Before that she received a BA in Fine Arts from the Vrije Leergangen -Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Important influences on the work of van Breest Smallenburg are a wide interest in other cultures, philosophies (particularly Taoism) and nature. Furthermore van Breest Smallenburg was active in arts education, at present involved in the development of arts and culture in public space in and serving in several Advisory Committees for contemporary art.