How to be brave?
Commencement speech at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie on July 1st, 2026
By Rieke Vos
Good afternoon everybody. It’s a tremendous honor to be here with you today at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie – a place that I find absolutely remarkable. I used to be a tutor in various departments and I spent many hours at the academy, especially during this time - the graduation season – which always coincides with this joyful feeling that summer has arrived.
When I walked onto the grounds a few hours ago I was instantly struck by the incredible vibrancy. Seeing all the things that the students here created feels like walking through a forest full of fruits that after many months of patient growth have now reached the point of ripening. Their smells and colors invite me to discover their sweetness, their medicinal qualities, or perhaps even their poisonous effects. Sometimes you need to be away for a while to notice things, and I realized this afternoon that there aren’t a lot of places quite like the Rietveld Academie.
I want to congratulate all 157 students who are graduating today. I want to congratulate you on your diploma. But most of all. I want to congratulate you on your courage. On the courage you have shown sharing those artworks – the fruits of your labor – with us today. But also on the courage that you showed four years ago when you decided to enroll at this school: a decision that people in your surroundings may have questioned; a path that does not quite fit within a society driven by efficiency and profit.
I want to congratulate you on your bravery to keep going in moments when you doubted whether you belonged here, whether you had what it takes, and when your mind convinced you that everyone else was so much better. That you stayed even though your tutors triggered your insecurities, and their feedback seemed to say more about them than about you. In moments when you felt the academy was messy and chaotic, and did not seem to understand you, did not support your beliefs, or act on political urgencies. You kept going, you looked for a bigger picture, and acted on what was important to you, and that takes courage.
I also want to congratulate everyone else here – all the parents, the siblings, the friends and the supporters – on the courage of these graduates. We live in a system that is failing people, a system that rewards greed, widens inequality, grossly de-humanizes people, and remains unable to respond adequately to the greatest challenge of our time: the climate crisis. We are in desperate need of courageous people who speak out, show leadership, and claim justice. And we also need people brave enough to hold silence, stand up for poetry, and strike the minor keys that give depth to our humanity.
Especially on this day — July 1st, the day of Keti Koti – on which we commemorate the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands, 163 years ago. A day on which we acknowledge the long history of culturally and economically ingrained racism in this country. A system built on cultivating fear of the other, that still deeply affects us. And we need courage to overcome that.
And with that I want to give a shout out to the incredible artist Farida Sedoc who made me this keti-koti t-shirt that I am wearing today. It is decorated with Faya Lobi – the national flower of Suriname which symbolizes love, harmony and togetherness.
I am not a very courageous person. I speak up in small circles, but not often in public. But in my life – and especially this year, whilst curating the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennial – I have found myself surrounded by brave people – and YES most of them are artists – and they have made me braver too. Looking back, I think courage often works like that. It is contagious. It travels through communities.
What makes the Rietveld Academie demy such a special place is that it actively fosters courage. I remember when I was still a tutor at the department Image and Language, one of my colleagues – the esteemed poet Maria Barnas – told me about an exercise that she would do with the first-year students. The exercise was as follows: think of something that SCARES you. And then DO it. And THEN write about it. I was in awe – it was so simple and yet so rare. How often do we acknowledge, and then challenge, and then reflect on, and then tell our classmates about – our fears?
And when you walk through the graduation show today you see the effects of this fostered courage everywhere. I saw it in the fiery eyes of a graduate from the VAV-department, who is a passionate advocate against animal cruelty, both in their art and in their personal life. Or in the artwork underneath we have gathered here today, an installation of fine fiber threads running from one building to the other. It speaks about the ominous feeling of being under hostile surveillance and the destabilizing effects this can have on one’s well-being and sense of trust. If there is one thing students learn at the Rietveld Academie, it is to articulate and give shape to the things that matter to them. And in times like these, that is something the world really needs.
I also want to briefly address all the directors, the managers, the administrators, policy-makers and curators that are here today - representatives of various institutions –
It is not always easy for institutions to show bravery. There are many complexities to consider - many conflicting interests to reconcile. But even if your institution cannot always be the source of courage, you can still create the conditions for it. Offer space, trust and funding to those who stick out their necks. Because courage doesn’t exist in isolation – it’s something we can cultivate together and the institutions play an indispensable role.
So this is my wish for everyone here – graduatues, supporters, and professionals: Find your circle of bravery, find the people who challenge you, who inspire you and who have your back when things get difficult. Stay close to them, move together. Make yourself seen and heard, claim space! The world needs what you have to offer. And I can’t wait to see more! Thank you!
Photo by Sophia Jiaqi Xu