Fascinated with themes such as absurdity, existentialism and nihilism, Dutch curator Thom Hamer has a foot in many worlds. With experience and vast knowledge in everything from German romanticism and postmodern philosophy to composing their own jazz music, Thom adds a sense of creativity that one might not expect from a curator. From this varied platform Thom aims for their curatorial creations to reflect the diverse nature of existence.

 Originating from a town near Rotterdam, Thom studied Liberal Arts and Sciences in Utrecht before continuing on to a Masters and, subsequently, a PhD in Philosophy in Cardiff, UK. Thom’s PhD research deals with the big questions, like What is the meaning of life? Through the lens of humor and irony, they focus on how one might use these to deflect or emotionally detach. Thom investigates a humoristic approach to existential problems along with what the benefits and drawbacks may be of this. 

Thom says artists inspire hope

While looking at the psychological diversity among people in their responses, not just to existential absurdity, but also tragedy in general, Thom noticed that artists have the ability to remain positive and deeply spiritual amidst political catastrophe i.e climate change and the rise of right-wing extremism. They retain the ability to create safe spaces and blossoming communities. Thom believes they do this, not out of being realistic, but through trying to be methodological about their future. “We need to embrace hope to make political resistance viable.”

images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by curator

Inspired by this artistic hope and in conjunction with their peaking interest in the idea of metamodernism, Thom set up the Metamodern Festival in 2022. Metamodernism puts forth the concept that one can be both ironic and sincere in the same instance, without one diminishing the other. The festival was an online event which included several artists who Thom characterizes as having a disarming sense of spirituality accompanied by highly technological practices/elements. 

central theme or playful progression?

In March of this year, Thom had a hand in co-organising a pop-up group exhibition in Rome called Encountering Rome. During this process they learned that, from a curatorial point of view, exhibitions need not have one central theme or overarching concept. Instead, perhaps they could foster a narrative that runs from one concept to the next, connecting the works in more of a free-form way. This is of great importance to Thom as they wish to create spaces that can be more inclusive for people outside of the societal norms.

“Existence is mind-blowingly diverse and it cannot be unified. This is something I want to reflect in the curatorial framework”. 

Despite having these numerous doorways and avenues of thought open, Thom remains remarkably grounded and fully attentive to those in their presence. Through their expansive philosophical knowledge and past experience in artistic scenarios, Thom wants to aid in providing a welcoming community and an inclusive environment for personal growth and self-discovery. 

written by Marika Sheridan

Keep up with the latest from Thom on his website and instagram

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