The vitrine (more photos to follow)
The edition (images to follow)
The bootleg edition (images to follow)
Part of the series Hold the Space at MASEREEL, 30.09-0.11.2025
"The fifth edition of Hold the Space presents a new work by New Zealand–born, Rotterdam-based artist Ash Kilmartin. Known for her sculptural and performative practice, Kilmartin also frequently engages with print and publishing, with a particular fascination for typography—a medium she explores in Hold the Space as well.
At the heart of Old news is an edition composed of fourteen cards arranged in two vertical columns. Twelve of these cards feature texts sourced from newspaper headlines, pull quotes, and captions sent to Kilmartin by a friend, collaged onto postcards, which she has carefully edited and reassembled. The edition is perforated to resemble a sheet of postage stamps, with the title occupying the first square and the Masereel stamp placed in the fourteenth. A third element—a blind emboss pressed into the paper, unique to each edition—adds a subtle dimensional quality to each card. Together, the printed text, embossing, and perforation form a triad of visual and material gestures.
The work is produced in ten editions, each deliberately incomplete: one card is missing. This absence is a conceptual homage to a year-long exchange with the friend who sent Kilmartin the weekly postcards from which her text is recycled. During a move, one card was lost in the mail, leaving her collection permanently one card short. In response, from October 2025 Kilmartin started sending the missing card from each edition back to the original correspondent, month by month. By October 2026, the correspondent will possess a complete set. Thus, each edition remains partially incomplete, yet intrinsically linked to its origin.
For the showcase, Kilmartin has prepared a cork backing fitted to the vitrine’s interior. She invited acquaintances to send printed materials throughout the duration of the project, complete with postage and address, directly addressed to MASEREEL. Upon arrival, these are pinned to the cork backing in the display case by the MASEREEL team. The vitrine evolves organically, shaped by the contributions of others. Kilmartin has deliberately chosen not to curate this portion, embracing the unpredictability of what people might send: artworks, personal notes, shopping lists, or cherished ephemera.
Though the vitrine itself is sleek and minimal, Kilmartin sees it as echoing the warmth within a community notice board or the casual intimacy of a fridge door covered in photos and flyers. Through this gesture, she invites viewers to reimagine the vitrine—not as a static display, but as a living, communal space for exchange and communication."
Curatorial team: Frédèrique van Duppen, Ivan Durt, Ellen Asaert
The vitrine (more photos to follow)
The edition (images to follow)
The bootleg edition (images to follow)