PLANETART ARCHIVES X Kees de Groot

Activist, organizer and innovative artist - all these terms describe Kees de Groot (1956).

From August 18 to November 3, 2024, Rijksmuseum Twenthe will pay attention to this versatile artist with a retrospective exhibition highlighting his artistic development from 1978-2003. After studying at the AKI art academy in Enschede in the late 1970s, De Groot was part of an artistic revolution that had both national and international impact. His work was exhibited in prestigious museums such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Museum Prinsenhof in Delft, and took him to locations around the world, including New York, Berlin, Kyoto and Busan. De Groot's art installations were distinguished by a critical view of society, using experimental expressionist video art to communicate a political message.

While enjoying international success, Kees de Groot also always remained very active in Twente. He organized an array of events ranging from parties and festivals to exhibitions and performances in Hengelo and Enschede. These events were known for their emphasis on local talent within the underground scene, and served as a launching pad for numerous emerging artists. As a result, De Groot played a very important role in the development of Twente as a place for the digital and underground coastal scene. Thanks to the PLANETART founded by De Groot, underground culture is strongly represented in Enschede's creative DNA, the most famous example being the internationally renowned art and technology festival GOGBOT.

Rijksmuseum Twenthe is showing the never-before-seen "PLANETART Archives," which will feature De Groot's artistic development and highlights of PLANETART until the establishment of the GOGBOT festival in 2004.

About PLANETART Archives
The exhibition has its origins in Kees de Groot's project "PLANETART Archives 1978-2003," which was created in collaboration with researcher and philosopher Lars van der Miesen. Together they delved into the extensive archives of Kees de Groot and PLANETART, resulting in an interactive website. In addition, De Groot and Van der Miesen are jointly writing a book detailing this period and placing it against the backdrop of global events.