The first Rijksmuseum Artist in Residence is Dutch-Argentinian artist Aimée Zito Lema.
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam held an open call for artists to submit proposals for an artwork or intervention that engages with the collection or history of the Rijksmuseum, or another topic relating to the museum. The deadline for the open call was 8 September 2024. The selection panel chose Zito Lema’s proposal from the total of 265 submissions. Throughout the coming calendar year she will have access to the Rijksmuseum collections, archive, laboratories and expertise. The panel praised Zito Lema’s practice-driven approach and the way the project combines a range of facets of the collection.
Aimée Zito Lema (b. 1982) is a Dutch-Argentinian visual artist known for her multidisciplinary approach. Her media include photography, sculpture, video and installation. The focus of her work is on social engagement, collective memory and topics such as labour, solidarity and activism. The artist draws on archive material and personal memories for work that arises out of a blend of thorough research and intuitive response. Her projects explore the ways in which history is passed from generation to generation, and how this process can help us understand the present in new ways.
Main Image: Aiméé Zito Lema. Photo: Zazie Stevens, 2024