Notes on Hapticity leden

Hannah Dawn Henderson

Hannah Dawn Henderson is a visual artist and writer, currently based in The Hague. Her practice contemplates the often intimate and idiosyncratic (1) webs that inform one’s conception of selfhood and heritage(2), and critically examines how these networks may be alienated by institutionalized narratives of nationhood, hegemony(3), and value.

With a background in artistic research and graphic design, Hannah Dawn’s activities span filmmaking, essays, curatorial projects, and installation works. These have included exhibitions and projects at, amongst others, the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation, Kunstcentrum Stroom, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Antwerp’s Queer Arts Festival. She is an alumna (4) of the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten and the KABK.

(1) Idiosyncrasy is a unique characteristic or behavior specific to an individual or group.

(2) Heritage refers to the cultural, historical, or natural elements passed down from previous generations and considered valuable to preserve for the future.
(3) Hegemony is the dominant influence or control of one group, state, or idea over others.

(4) Alumna is the female form of alumnus and refers to a woman who has graduated from a particular educational institution.

Kees van Leeuwen

Visual Artist & Researcher, based in Haarlem

Kees van Leeuwen is a visual artist and researcher whose work explores the interaction between architecture, space, and human experience. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and a Master’s in Artistic Research from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. His multidisciplinary practice encompasses sculptural installations, photomontages, and research projects.

In his work, he selects materials based on the concept and context of each project, drawing inspiration from space, human actions, and movements. This often results in tactile creations that range from small and intimate to monumental and large-scale. Each piece tells a story, blending physical and emotional dimensions, and is grounded with historical significance.

Kees’ artistic practice is deeply engaged with the political, architectural, and cultural implications of space and the ways in which people experience social codes and cultural contexts. His work reflects on the physical and cognitive challenges posed by spaces and their connections to rituals and protection.

His works have been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at OMI in Rotterdam, Yamanaka Suplex ANNEX in Osaka, Cave – Ayumi Gallery in Tokyo, and Framed Framed in Amsterdam. Additionally, he is the author and co-author of several publications on cultural heritage in the Netherlands, particularly related to the Cold War period.

Elena Kostenko

Visual Artist & Researcher, based in Paris ( France)

Elena Kostenko is a visual artist and researcher, born in 1983 in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, a city known as Dostoyevsky’s place of exile and a Soviet nuclear test site. She began her artistic journey at the Fine Arts Department of Herzen University in Saint Petersburg, where she honed her skills in traditional painting, including an in-depth study of the Old Masters. Upon moving to the Netherlands with the dream of encountering modern echoes of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals, she discovered the entirely new realm of Western contemporary art. To understand its cultural context, learn its history, and fully integrate, she pursued further studies at the Rietveld Academy, KABK, and Leiden University. 

Her projects delve into themes where haptic and sensory experiences take centre stage. (1) She frequently employs ceramics and analogue photography, media that encapsulate physical interactions with materials and preserve ephemeral moments in tangible forms. 

Her project Grounding (2020-2023), developed during the pandemic and the two years that followed, includes a video essay documenting her integration process in France. It explores the land – not through social boundaries – but through an intimate connection with clay, soil, dust, and plants.

Her recent project Solid Impressions examines the fading identity of the industrial city of Vyksa (Russia), where modern functionality progressively erases the symbolic and historical elements of the city’s architectural heritage. The project features a series of sculptures crafted from local clay gathered at a construction site, alongside film photograph capturing the traditional izbas of the region. (2) 

Besides her artistic practice, she taught a course on Western contemporary art at the Guangzhou Academy of Art in China  for several years. Since 2022, as a response to geopolitical turbulence, she has been hosting an online community: Attention!, that aims to foster connections among Russian-speaking cultural players around the World and to stimulate intercultural dialogues through artistic actions.

(1) sensory perception through touch.
(2) An izba is a traditional Russian countryside dwelling. Often a log house, it forms the living quarters of a conventional Russian farmstead.