Out of nothing

You are M. Presents: Out of nothing. Almere has existed for fifty years now. The city was built on new land. There are no old ruins and no ancient legends. But under every street and every house lies what was once sea. Who lived there? What still lies at the bottom? And what stories does a city literally made out of nothing deserve?

The Uit het niets exhibition gives Almere something that old cities naturally have: myths of their own. Seven artists each create a new story for this place. They look at what was underwater, but also at how myths are created. What creatures, forces or events give a city character?

Why do people believe in mermaids or monsters? Because stories make the world richer. Because they make you see not only what is, but also what could be. The artists invite you to think for yourself: which story do you think belongs to Almere? Which legend fits here?

"Every landscape carries stories. Mountains have their gods, forests their spirits, rivers their creatures. Myths don't just tell how places are created. They make places meaningful." - Ellis Kat

Out of nothing is an invitation to rethink Almere - with room for facts as well as imagination. Because imagination does not replace reality. It gives it extra meaning.

The artists participating in the exhibition are: Anders Dickson, Carmen Schabracq, Daniel Dmyszewicz, Marnix van Uum, Müge Yilmaz, Natalia Papaeva, Roberta Petzoldt and Wessel Verrijt.

You are M.
Exhibitions by You are M. are more than displays of art. They are experiences that surprise and bring people together. You are M. lets visitors experience their surroundings in a new way. Curator Ellis Kat thinks about art in the same way and was therefore asked to curate this exhibition. Ellis Kat (1993) is a curator and writer. Until 2025, she was director of Nieuw Dakota in Amsterdam. There she made exhibitions in which art forms were mixed up and experimentation was central. She also worked for the Cobra Museum, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam and Kunstinstituut Melly. Her exhibitions focus on experimentation and invite artists and audiences to look differently at art and the world around them.