The Illustration Embassy

Illustration Embassy – back to Illustratie Ambassade

Home, A sense of belonging

April 12 to May 26th 2024 the Illustration Embassy presents the exhibition: Home, A sense of belonging at the Meterhuis at the Westergas in Amsterdam.

About IA

The Illustration Embassy is a place to celebrate the visual power of illustration. We provide a platform dedicated to the art of illustration, with a special focus on exhibition, participation and education for both the artist and the spectator. By offering a central point for knowledge and information, we increase the visibility of the sector.

Who are we

The Illustration Embassy is the (digital) platform for illustration. We contribute to a large (inter) national stage for Dutch illustrators. We are there for the makers and accessible to a wide audience. Existing organizations and initiatives are brought together and new initiatives are started.

Our goal is to increase the status of illustration, as a profession and as an art form to a higher appreciation. The Illustration Embassy shows the impact of illustration as part of a unique, substantive and accessible visual culture. By organizing exhibitions, events, learning programs and assignments for young talent, we want to inspire, challenge and involve the viewer and thus build a bridge between makers and the public.

Background and motivation

The social importance of illustration is important today. Illustration addresses issues such as climate change, gender issues and discrimination in a clear and accessible way. The position of illustration as an art form deserves a place of its own, as do photography and painting. The Illustration Embassy will provide and develop space for this.

What we do

We promote Illustrators both at home and abroad and show the versatility of illustration with artists from various disciplines. We support and stimulate talent and work together with museums, art academies, art schools, archives and universities in the Netherlands and abroad. We cooperate with international illustration organisations. The Illustration Embassy works according the Fair Practice Code.

photo: Bob Bronshoff

Founding mother

Fiep Westendorp has always spoken out and committed himself to the illustration profession. She saw it as a mature art form worthy of being taken seriously. On her death, on February 3, 2004, Fiep Westendorp bequeathed the rights to her work and property to the Fiep Westendorp Foundation, which she set up. In addition to supporting projects for children who are less fortunate, promoting the profession of illustration is an important objective of the FWF. This has been done since 2007 through the presentation of the Fiep Westendorp Stimulation Prizes for young illustrators and through the appointment of a Special Professor of Illustration at the University of Amsterdam. In 2019, the FWF took the initiative to set up the Illustration Embassy, ​​which is largely financially supported by the FWF.
The forces have been joined with the Illustration Biennale; two board members of the Fiep Westendorp Foundation (Hedy d’Ancona and Gioia Smid) and two board members of the Illustration Biennale (Marek Kupperman and Geneviève Waldmann), together with chairman Doreen Boonekamp, ​​form the board of the Illustration Embassy. With this, a new sustainable platform has been established that aims to be a source of historical knowledge, but also devotes a great deal of attention to contemporary work.

Organization

Marlies Visser, director and curator
Sabine David, project manager and editor
Lipika Bansal, program and editor
Floortje Smit, presenter Potloodcast
Sharon Ullers, publicity and communications
Noa Zuidervaart organization
Illustration Embassy Academy
Noortje Rap, organization
Illustration Embassy Academy
Liana Casey, production and social media
Loïs Dalou, editor and workshops