Ronald Ophuis part of group show with SAAC at Het Nieuwe Domein

Ronald Ophuis is part of the group exhibition I Think U Did Something To Me, And Now It’s In Everything I See And Do with SAAC (Sexually Abused Artists Collective), at Het Nieuwe Domein in Sittard.

In 2021, artist Jan Hoek initiated the collective SAAC - Sexually Abused Artists Collective. SAAC is an art collective based in Amsterdam. Consisting of over 20 starting and experienced artists, including painters, filmmakers, illustrators, performers, writers and photographers, whose lives have been affected by the consequences of sexual abuse before the age of 18.

Het Nieuwe Domein stands for putting social issues on the agenda. Sexual abuse is one of them. It turns out that 1 in 3 people has an experienece with it. The ‘Me Too’ movement has made the topic more discussable in recent years, but it remains a difficult and uncomfortable subject. SAAC draws attention to the subject through artistic representation, and Het Nieuwe Domein feels it is important to provide the museum platform through this exhibition for fourteen artists from the collective to present their work. It is the first time they are exhibiting as a group for the outside public.

Visitors await a presentation of diverse work that shows a ‘lightness’ through its variety and forms of expression, but which can also be confrontational.

Many artists in the collective discovered that their work was already connected to sexual abuse and power dynamics before they joined the group. For others, joining SAAC provided new insight into how deeply intertwined these issues are with society, and how impactful sexual abuse can be in shaping one's experiences and worldview. Through art, the collective aims to amplify the voices of those who experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18 and to remove societal stigma and shame associated with that sexual abuse.

Read more on SAAC and the exhibition (NL) here.

 

Image: Rebel Soldier Committing Suicide, Congo 2012 (2013) by Ronald Ophuis

 

Think U Did Something To Me, And Now It’s In Everything I See And Do
18 February - 18 May 2025
Het Nieuwe Domein | Ligne 5, Sittard
11.00 - 17.00 hrs.

 

 

 

 

Publication date: 14 Feb '25