Together with the departments, Rietveld and Sandberg organises a series of monthly lectures to prepare students and recent graduates for professional practice after their studies. By inviting both experts and alums, the series aims to give participants a clearer idea of what professional practice they aspire to and what their first steps will be after graduation.
The programme is open to Rietveld and Sandberg students as well as alums who have recently (less than 5 years ago) graduated.
16 October 2025: How to Portfolio
Session hosted by Jens Pfeifer (Head of The Large Glass department, Rietveld Academie), together with Benedetta Pompili and Katharina Nejdl. They shared tips on how to portfolio.
20 November 2025: Money? Money! Money...
Session hosted by Alina Lupu (writer and post-conceptual artist, Fine Arts alum Rietveld Academie 2016), together with two SI alums, Pablo Rezzonico Bongcam and Anto López Espinosa. An open conversation about something we all deal with in the visual art field, but rarely discuss: money.
15 January 2026: On Funding Bodies & Presentations by Funds
A session hosted by Pedro Matias (alum Rietveld and Sandberg), with presentations by Amarte Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Stimuleringsfonds and Voordekunst. This session offered a direct look at how Dutch funding structures operate and how artists can engage with them critically and strategically.
19 February 2026: Positioning Yourself as an Artist
A session hosted by Mercedes Azpilicueta (Head of TXT department, Rietveld Academie), together with alums Marie Ilse Bourlanges and Waèl el Allouche. Together, we explored questions such as: How do you place your practice within existing narratives, sectors, or communities? What kinds of dialogues and collaborations do you seek in your work life? How do ethics, responsibility, and care shape the systems we participate in, or help transform them. The session offered a chance to learn directly from alums as they share their real-world experiences of entering the professional field after graduation.
A session hosted by Elif Satanaya Özbay (alum Sandberg Instituut) exploring how artists and cultural practitioners position themselves and their work, build visibility, and navigate professional networks—while also questioning and unpacking the complications that come with the term “exposure.”
Location: Theory Stairs
All recordings of the past sessions can be found here.
Life After Rietveld and Sandberg Workshop by tax advisors Melvin van Jaarsveld and Ilona Veldhuis
We would like to invite you to register for two workshops, part of Life After Rietveld and Sandberg.
Monday 13 April from 17.00 – 19.00 Income Tax Returns & Allowances
Monday 20 April from 17.00 – 19.00 All about VAT (Dutch taxes)
RSVP - Please note RSVP is mandatory, before 8 April.
More info here
Campaign design: Cleo Tsw (alum Graphic Design Rietveld Academie 2019)
Tape design 2025 – 2026: Jingran He (alum Design Department Sandberg Instituut 2025)
Tape design 2024 – 2025: Mae Smith and Catherine Hu (alums Graphic Design Rietveld Academie 2024)
