20.03.2023

Air Max Day 2023 | Moving Through Stillness

Give Fresh Air.

First debuting in 1987, Air Max quickly became the silhouette emblematic of the great Nike Sportswear. Ever since, this pair has grown into an iconic design that continuously breathes fresh air into sneaker culture. To celebrate its 36th birthday, we take a pause to appreciate the global community who birthed the pair and carried it on foot into a new era.

Scroll along to discover more about our Give Fresh Air celebration. 

Join us on the 26th of March at Contemporary Art Lab for our Air Max Day 2023 ‘Moving Through Stillness’ exhibition. Moving Through Stillness describes the feeling of finding calmness that allows you to move and grow at your own pace. This intention comes to life through the art of 11 inspiring artists whose work relates to the subject in different ways. They create space to explore the connection with their environment, let go of what no longer serves them, redefine their definitions of love, make room to simply be, and much more. 

As we connect through art, atmosphere, and music, we invite you to give fresh air on our journey of giving back. Bring a T-shirt to the exhibition, stop by our donation hub, and get it printed with one of the displayed artworks against a self-determined donation price. All donations will go to ELANCE Academy, a local organisation that coaches young females to reach for their ambitions and discover their talents. 

We invite you to explore these physical translations of the topic and think about what you need to find stillness to move. Together breathing fresh air into the things we love, inspiring change and growing together.

 

Shaquille Shaniqua Joy: Interdisciplinary creative

As an interdisciplinary creative, Shaquille focuses on storytelling through different mediums. Within the cultural sector, her role ranges from researching to conceptualising and writing, focusing on moderation and program-making. Her excitement for people and their fascinations is the base of her practice as a moderator, in which she always strives to have conversations rather than interviews.

Within her work, Shaquille explores sociopolitical and pop-cultural subjects by combining research and the embodied experiences of herself and others. This has led her to a range of conversations and programs, including live and recorded panel talks and reporting formats in collaboration with cultural institutions, organisations and museums, as well as commercial brands.

In her monthly radio show, OSCAM Look Around on Echobox Radio, Shaquille talks to creatives and artists to learn about and from their processes, while giving context to current exhibitions and programs. Next to that, she created the Living Room Session, which is a live program hosted by her at Felix Meritis.

 

Maha Amsterdam - Air Max Day 2023 Give Fresh Air

Ashley Röttjers: Photographer and director, poet and writer

Ashley Röttjers is known for her raw yet intimate visuals that flourish on telling stories close to her heart. With a BA in Lifestyle Transformation Design and a minor in Critical Studies, Röttjers has always been fascinated with the poetic in the everyday. Her foundation in photography gives her a well-rounded ability in both sides of her career, and she feels they go hand in hand. 

Her portfolio is dominated by her interesting use of colour, or more so, the lack thereof and dynamic lighting and angles. Her clientele varies from VOGUE to Patta, NIKE, Tommy Jeans, Lack of Guidance and many more.

Photo Credits: Shaquille Shaniqua Joy

 



Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day 2023




 BUTTERFINGAZ (Dewy Elsinga): Artist

Dewy’s work mainly consists of large (colourful) paintings and wall paintings inspired by people and their surroundings. Daily cityscapes, ‘accidental’ compositions and events form the guiding principle in her autonomous work. In addition, she has a great fondness for experimenting with painting techniques.

 






Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day

Hana Nina Hussein: Multidisciplinary artist and actress

Hana Nina Hussein graduated as a spatial designer and completed an internship at     Studio Floris Wubben. As an actress she took the lead in a Dutch series and now continues to explore the impact of film both behind and in front of the camera.

Navigating through the world with Dutch, Somali and Yemini influences, Hana's interpretation of identity in familial dynamics, native linguistics and sociology is constantly being questioned throughout her artistic practices.

 






Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day 2023




 Nikè Marchand: Expressionist artist

As an expressionist artist, Nikè mainly draws inspiration from events within her own life. This way, she aims to visualise and open conversations about vulnerable topics. The stories that often exist only in the dark.

Nikè's paintings are made using acrylic and oil paint on canvas.

 






Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day 2023

Pris Roos: Artist, teacher, curator, researcher and storyteller


As a child, Pris Roos grew up in the toko of her family, who emigrated from Indonesia.For her, the toko symbolises a space of being together, colours, smells, food, stories and a mixture of people from different backgrounds. The toko is a source of wealth for her art practice. 

As an artist she works with different mediums such as painting, spoken word, video, performance and installation. By listening to and observing the people she encounters, she reflects on topics such as identity, migration and memory. 
Photo Credits: Arno Stevens @arnostevens

 


Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day 2023

senakirfa A.: Artist, poet and writer

senakirfa works primarily with and through poetry, sculpture, and text. In her recent work, she examines the emergence of the conceptions of 'gazing' and ‘glancing’. She considers a polarity between both terms, rooted in the two modes of meaning distinguished as the postmodern object and subject.

With the aid of linguistics, she tries to thicken their kinship to thought and understanding and simultaneously exposes a contradicting coexistence.

Subtle as the differentiation between glancing and gazing can be, she sculpts a reconsideration for meaning its own ‘meaning’ - while she intervenes in this process, one might remember - and possibly even resist. 

Photo Credits: Ashley Röttjers

 

Maha Amsterdam - Nike Air Max Day 2023

TengTeng Ho & Vasilisa Ikryannikova: Multidisciplinary artists

After years of friendship, the Amsterdam-based duo TengTeng Ho and Vasilisa Ikryannikova connected on the experiences of being children of the diaspora. Vasilisa moved to the Netherlands when she was eight, while TengTeng was born and raised in Belgium.

Much of their work draws inspiration from the current political climate and personal experiences. These topics are often explored in a multidisciplinary and abstract way fusing their background of sound, visuals and fashion.