founded in 1996, Amsterdam , by Erik Kessels and Johan Kramer
Erik Kessels (1966, The Netherlands) lives and works in Amsterdam

Since 1996 Erik Kessels is creative director of KesselsKramer, an international advertising and communication agency. At this moment, around 36 people work at their office, a former church on the Lauriergracht. Half of them are Dutch, the other half have roots in China, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Scotland, England, Sweden and the United States. Kessels gained international success with campaigns for Absolut Wodka, The Hans Brinker Budget Hotel, Lipton Ice Tea, Ben, Bol.com, 55DSL and Diesel. He is seen as one of the most original creatives in the international advertisement scene. Part of his philosophy is crossing borders between art and advertisement. He asks artists for campaigns and moves around different areas himself. Recently he curated the exhibition ‘Confrontation’ which was shown in Institut Néerlandais Paris and FOAM, edited the books ‘In Almost Every Picture’ and was asked by Magnum Photos to edit and curate the book and exhibition ‘Magnum sees Piemonte’.

Exhibition Curation,a selection

2005 Magnum sees Piemonte, (amongst others) Frankfurt , Alicante & Paris

2004 Confrontation, Institut Néerlandais Parijs, Foam, Amsterdam

2002 Curator Dutch Delight, FOAM, Amsterdam

2000 Curator PANL Exhibition, Lisbon

Solo exhibitions, a selection

2005 In Almost Every Picture#1, Agnes B, Paris

2004 In Almost Every Picture #2, Dutch Photo museum, Rotterdam

2002 Useful Photography #2, Galerie W139, Amsterdam

In Almost Every Picture, Galerie RAS, Barcelona

In Almost Every Picture, Fotofestival Rencontres , Arles

2001 Useful Photography #1, NFI, Rotterdam

Useful Photography #1, Galerie Fototheek, Antwerp

1999 The Instant Men, Art Book, Amsterdam

Group exhibitions, a selection

2005 Useful Photography, Photo Antwerp

2003 Remind, Breda Photo-de Beyerd, Breda

Loud&Clear, Baltic Museum , Gateshead

Useful Photography, Photo festival Rencontres , Arles

2002 Art in Ads, Galerie de Meerse, Hoofddorp (NL)

2001 The best of European Advertising, Puck Building , New York

Best verzorgde boeken, Stedelijk Museum , Amsterdam

Do create, Salone di Mobile, Milan

1999 Designprijs Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans- van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Smaak, Bonnefanten museum, Maastricht

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