The Hartwig Art Production | Collection Fund was established in 2020 to support artists in realising ambitious new productions. Artworks commissioned through the Fund are donated to the Dutch state, becoming part of the national art collection (‘Rijkscollectie’) and made available for presentation in institutions across the Netherlands and internationally. The curatorial team for the inaugural edition comprised Sharmyn Cruz Rivera, Iris Ferrer, Aude Christel Mgba, Jo-Lene Ong, and Rita Ouédraogo. Works developed through Special Project 2020–2021 were presented in collaboration with partner institutions including Oude Kerk (Amsterdam), Kunstinstituut Melly (Rotterdam), Stroom Den Haag, Vleeshal (Middelburg), and Casco Art Institute (Utrecht).
Together with these institutions, the curators selected fifteen artists: : Ana Guedes, Anna Dasović, Em’Kal Eyongakpa, Geo Wyeth, Joy Mariama Smith, Kent Chan, Kevin Osepa, Maria Pask, Mariana Castillo Deball, Mariëlle Videler, Neo Matloga, Ola Hassanain, Family Connection (Rudsel Martinus, Glenda Martinus, Gala Martinus, Quinsy Gario, Jörgen Gario, Caldron Lewis and Whitney Lewis), Saeeda Saeed, and Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide).
As part of the curatorial team, Jo-Lene Ong worked closely with artists Kent Chan, Maria Pask, Ana Guedes, and Em’Kal Eyongakpa, supporting the development of new works through in-depth dialogue and collaboration.
The artists were selected from a longlist of 35 nominations by Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, De Ateliers, If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution and CBK Zuidoost (all based in Amsterdam) as well as Jan van Eyck Academie (Maastricht), BAK basis voor actuele kunst (Utrecht) and TENT (Rotterdam) De Appel and Framer Framed, two institutions in Amsterdam which actively promote an emerging and diverse group of curators.