Name: Strangely Familiar
Location: Looiersgracht 60

Looiersgracht 60 is pleased to present 'Strangely Familiar', a major solo show by Dutch artist and designer Aldo Bakker. The exhibition marks a decisive new chapter in the development of his longstanding oeuvre, following his solo exhibition 'Containing Content' held at Looiersgracht 60 in 2015.

While 'Containing Content' centred on five pouring vessels that operated as individual protagonists within the expansive space, uncovering the tension between function and form, 'Strangely Familiar' both builds upon and departs from that initial inquiry. Here, objects enter fully into their own terms, liberating themselves entirely from questions of functionality and conditions of legitimacy. In a carefully balanced performance, forces of line, mass, colour and texture gradually assert themselves into being with greater autonomy. Scale becomes a means of release.

Taking over our former factory floors, seven objects are juxtaposed in a quiet dialogue with one another and with the architecture of the space. Illuminated by soft light, each form reveals its distinct character through carefully articulated contours and meticulous craftsmanship. Soft in contour, yet tenacious, their spatial presence quietly invites reflection – strangely familiar, they emerge less as authored creations to be understood and defined, and more as a presence to be re-encountered. By presenting works as self-determined characters in their own right, viewers find themselves placed into a new position in relation to the object – one that no longer attempts to appoint or assign value, but attunes itself to what the object seeks to reveal.

The exhibition is curated by Soraya Notoadikusumo and Nadine Snijders, founders of Looiersgracht 60.

The show runs from 25 October - 23 December, 2026, and is interwoven with an engaging public programme on 21 November and 13 December. For more information, visit www.looiersgracht60.org.

Opening Hours: Every Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00-20:00 Address: Looiersgracht 601016 VT Amsterdam, The Netherlands