Podcast #15 – AAA Fresh 123: The life of true artists

The AAA Fresh gallery in Rotterdam is home to three artists: Hans Kleinjan (1958), Maikel Kleinjan (1984), and Roderik Faasen (1990). At this location, they produce their manic, colorful, wild artworks.

This interview dives deep into their way of working, their backstory, the future, and their wild rock ‘n roll lifestyle.

Previous related episodes:
Episode 2: Talking (a lot of) shit with real Aussies
Episode 10: Maniakism, inside the artist mind of Roderik Faassen

About this episode
The boys started to paint together in the year 2009 in Rotterdam, Holland.

Through the last ten years Hans, Maikel and Roderik developed a new handwriting. Their three art-ego’s became a new one; ‘AAA’. After multiple exhibitions around Europe, they started their own gallery concept, called AAAFRESH123 (AAA Gallery). The majority of the paintings displayed in the gallery are collaborations between the three of them. This gallery, located in Rotterdam, is unique in its kind, as it does not only display art but also gives visitors a taste of the creative process.

By walking though a hole in the wall you will enter the atelier. Additionally, they were also involved in various artistic-activities ranging from live-painting at events like ‘North Sea Jazz 2013’, the ‘Grand-Prix Monza 2014’ and the ‘MTV EMA Awards 2016’.

As an answer to ‘nihilism’, ‘cynicism’, and the unconsciousness, the artist-trio of AAA developed a new art-movement, popularly known as ‘Maniacism’. It does not only describes the art itself as it is a lifestyle.

Mania: An excessively intense enthusiasm, interest and desire for something.

The AAA Gallery grew out being the cult-livingroom of Rotterdam / The Netherlands after ten years of ‘live-painting’, exhibitions and shows. As Rotterdam grew up as one of the world cities, AAA grew together with it.

The show

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Contents
00:03:06 – Starting at the end
00:12:20 – A collective ego
00:20:30 – It starts
00:29:18 – Maniakism and the opposite
00:33:20 – 4D guitars collaboration (episode 2)
00:40:13 – Shanghai
00:54:11 – The goal for AAA
01:02:40 – Hard times
01:16:30 – Roderik’s inspiration
01:20:18 – Hans lives only in his brain
01:24:10 – The danger of this lifestyle
01:31:40 – The stories behind the paintings

Notes & links
AAA Fresh 123 website
AAA Fresh 123 virtual tour through the gallery
AAA Fresh 123 Facebook
AAA Fresh 123 Instagram
Roderik Faasen website
Roderik Faasen Facebook
Roderik Faasen Instagram
Maikel Kleinjan Instagram

Recording details
Recorded on Jan 26, 2018; at the AAA Fresh 123 gallery in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.