Kunstproject van Groen Tot Grijs bedankt haar sponsoren

Van Groen Tot Grijs bedankt haar sponsoren
Dankwoord aan alle subsidiegevers en andere ondersteuners. klik voor video

(English version)

YES! Vanmorgen kreeg het kunstproject van Groen tot Grijs, voor dit seizoen (voorjaar 2026 – Vind je eigen stem), definitief groen licht van de Gemeente Zwolle in de vorm van een subsidie. Subsidieregeling Cultuur/ versterking amateurkunst (Fonds Amateurkunst)!!

We zijn reeds nu 7 weken bezig dus we zijn superblij dat we ons programma echt goed uit kunnen rollen. Dit betekent concreet dat we onze excursies(s) kunnen gaan plannen en dat we onze eindpresentatie nu goed in de steigers kunnen gaan zetten. De excursie voert naar Next Museum Amsterdam! En dat betekent echt een dag op stap met elkaar. 10 jongeren en 10 ouderen, met de Groen en Grijs Bus (ja dat bestaat echt).

Dit is waarschijnlijk onze laatste Zwolse subsidie. We zijn inmiddels 3 jaar bezig en zijn in deze periode steeds ondersteund door het FAK, Zwolle. We hebben in deze drie jaar de kans gekregen het project door te ontwikkelen en te vormen. We hebben een 3-jarig traject met 6 seizoenen ontwikkeld. Elk seizoen heeft zijn eigen specifieke leerdoel. Zonder de bijdrage van de Gemeente Zwolle maar ook de bijdrage van de Lassus Campus, Rijke School en het faciliteren van ruimte, koffie en thee en de bijdrage van het Fonds Sluyterman van Loo / Lang Leve Kunst / Verbinding, hadden we dit nooit zo kunnen ontwikkelen.

Even goed om te memoreren waar dit avontuur helemaal begonnen is: bij Briljant Zwolle. Bedankt Stadkamer: Freek van der Heide, Jolan Van de Waeter voor het ons betrekken en enthousiasmeren om dit te doen en tot slot bedankt Anne Blok, voor je constructieve meedenken!


Na dit seizoen gaan we aanvragen doen bij landelijke fondsen. En we hopen dat Van Groen Tot Grijs een vast gegeven wordt in de gemeente Zwolle en wie weet ….. daar buiten.

PS: we zijn overigens nog in afwachting van een toekenning van een subsidie: van de Stichting de Gasthuizen .

Bedankt dus allemaal ook en zeker namens al onze leeftijdloze studenten!

Marit en Gina

Food 4 Thought

(Nederlandse versie)

Food 4 Thought 2026

Pen and ink on paper

70 x 70 cm

Food 4 Thought - pen and ink- 70 x 70 cm 2026
Food 4 Thought – pen and ink- 70 x 70 cm 2026

Food 4 thought

Food B4 thought

A breakfast plate, utensils, cups with remains of coffee and frothed milk, broken eggshells in a small bowl, a weekend newspaper; the aftermath of breakfast and the daily news. Occasionally light to digest, at other times quite substantial

THISCREPANCY

THISCREPANCY – pen and ink on paper – 70 x 70 cm- 2026

(Nederlandse versie)

THISCREPANCY - pen and ink drawing - 70 x 70 cm 2026
THISCREPANCY – pen and ink drawing – 70 x 70 cm 2026
Soldier, seen from behind, heavily armed, has orders from higher up. He obeys and asks no questions, because that's what soldiers do. 

Souldier seen from behind, heavily armed, has orders from higher up. He has moral objections and poses questions, because that is what soldiers should do.

Soldier will not judge right or wrong, he carries out orders. Just a tool, an extension of a greater power. 

Souldier might have an opinion about what is right and wrong and is prudent in carrying out an order. Much more than a tool or an extension of a higher power.

Soldier has no political colour, just camouflage colours; he serves whoever pays his wages. 

Souldier has no political colour, just camouflage colours; his humanity is not for sale.

Soldier obeys and asks no questions, because that is what soldiers do

Souldier have moral objections and pose questions, because that is what soldiers should do.

With Gaza and Westbank in mind, a heads up against the oppression of Netanyahu and pro peace, for U.S.A. Citizens heads up against ICE (and Trump) pro peace, Ukraine heads up against Putin and pro peace. The list could go on for ever- heads up for all who wants a peaceful living without oppressors.

Exhibition ‘Common Ground’, Courtrai, Belgium

(Nederlandse versie)

Coming soon: International Group Exhibition ‘COMMON GROUND’ at Larry Gallery

Exhibition COMMON GROUND - Sea Of Tranquility
Exhibition COMMON GROUND – Sea Of Tranquility on display at Larry Gallery, Kortrijk Belgium

This exhibition is curated by Nicolaes Devriendt, Larry Gallery, and showcases 27 international artist including myself. 

27 artist will be presented on two locations in Courtrai, Belgium, over a six week period. It opens at January 29th to March 15th at these two locations: Koning Leopold I straat 26 & Groeningestraat 36.

I wil exhibit two of my latest works there; Sea Of Tranquility and Space Invaders.

Common Ground reflects the gallery’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent. It reinforces an understanding of contemporary art that values depth, risk, and independence over instant legibility.” 

This quote is attributed to:  Kisito Assangni (Togolese-French curator, art consultant) who wrote an item about this upcoming exhibition in Artdependence  Magazine.

You can read whole article here: https://artdependence.com/articles/common-ground-belgiums-most-anticipated-exhibition-of-emerging-artists-in-2026/

Participating Artists :

LARRY GALLERY

Exhibition Dates : January 29 – March 15

Locations:  Groeningestraat 26, Kortrijk

 Koning Leopold I Straat 26, Kortrijk

banner: Exhibition Exhibition COMMON GROUND - artwork by: Rafael Smet
banner: Exhibition Exhibition COMMON GROUND – artwork by: Rafael Smet




A Divine Comedy

A Divine Comedy’ 2025

Pen and ink on paper

70 x70 cm

Divine Comedy - pen and ink - 70 x 70 cm- 2025
Divine Comedy – pen and ink – 70 x 70 cm -2025
(ENG) Man carrying a load that is not his own.
Overlooked by history and reviewed in the future.
Insignificant proceeds significant and the other way around.
The weight of the load is unknown for those who travel light.

This drawing also marks a new series of paintings by the name Sublime Comedy.

(NL) Een man die een last draagt die niet van hem is.
Over het hoofd gezien door de geschiedenis en herzien in de toekomst.
Onbelangrijk blijkt belangrijk en andersom.
Het gewicht van de last is onbekend voor wie licht reist.

Deze tekening is ook het begin van een nieuwe serie schilderijen met de naam Sublime Comedy.

Space Invaders

(Nederlandse versie)

Space Invaders 2025

Acrylic on canvas – 100 x 180 cm

Part of the Sublime Comedy series

Space Invaders -acrylic on canvas - 100 x 180 cm 2025
Space Invaders – acrylic on canvas – 100 x 180 cm 2025

I sometimes wonder: who is invading whom?

Who owns our shared, “God-given” space?

First, fences were built, then endless walls, until a boundless universe became a cramped space.

The protected golden domains are so restricted that only a narrow mind seems to fit in properly.

META REFUGEE

(Nederlandse versie)

Pen and ink on Paper 

70 x 70

2025

META REFUGEE- 2025- Pen and ink on paper - 70 x 70 cm
META REFUGEE- 2025- Pen and ink on paper – 70 x 70 cm

There is a prison that’s called freedom by its owner.

There is a story that’s called truth by a liar.

There is outrage that’s called civil by a demagogue.

There is a castle in the air that’s denying gravity

There are dead end streets that never lead to Rome

Where beauty is a face that looks like Silicon Valley

Where clickbait is a business model sold as creativity

There is a refugee thats named data in the Matrix

and she wants to go home.

(Thank you Prince for inspiring me with the lyrics from the song Welcome To America)

More drawings: https://maritotto.nl/pen-and-ink-drawing/

Heavenly Peace revisited

(Nederlandse versie)

I hereby present to you ‘Heavenly Peace revisited (the imbalance of power)’


This pen drawing is a creative collaboration between myself and Ahmed Aldaalsa, an artist from Gaza. It expresses a feeling of powerlessness. Pen and ink on paper, 65 x 65 cm.

Heavenly Peace revisited (The imbalance of power) A collaboration between Ahmed Aldaalsa and Marit Otto 2025
Heavenly Peace revisited (The imbalance of power) A collaboration between Ahmed Aldaalsa and Marit Otto 2025

The image is based on an iconic image from 1989 in which the Chinese army violently suppressed a large-scale student protest. The student in the image, armed only with two plastic bags in both hands, stood motionless in protest in front of a line of giant tanks rolling into Tiananmen Square. He did not flinch when the front tank drove threateningly towards him. Nothing has been heard of the anonymous student in question since then. 

Next to the student who seems frozen in time stands a young Palestinian man armed with a flag. Different time and place, same image, the powerless provoking the powerful. The direct confrontation with the overwhelming colossus is a symbolic act that he could never win. 

Equity and human rights, can that be something of different consequence for one person than for another?

The powerless against the powerful, a David against a Goliath, but then the David of the past would be the Goliath of today.

More work by Ahmed is also to be seen in this exhibition: https://maritotto.nl/exhibition-how-can-anyone-lose-everything-he-owns-and-not-lose-his-mind/