Building and staging a booth at a major fair such as PAN AMSTERDAM requires more than a single vision.

What started as a bold creative enterprise became a reality only through the trust, generosity, talent, and shared energy of an extraordinary community of kindred spirits, a global village of sorts, with nationalities spanning the the US, China, Russia, Senegal, Scandinavia, Poland, Benin, and the Netherlands.

From artists, set designers and builders, to dear friends, collaborators, gallery assistants and chosen family. All came together to turn an ambitious concept into tangible form.

Every corner of our booth carried the fingerprints of people who believed in one dream. Congregating powerful Afro-diasporic voices alongside contemporary creative minds was never a solo endeavor, but a labor of love, built by hands, hearts, and minds moving together in synchronized rhythm.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to:

Mark Welsch | Set Designer

Anastasia Nefedova & Thierno Deme | Gallery Assistants 

Gijs Van Poecke, Preben Simensen and Stabilo Solutions  | Build Up Team 

Kenneth Chin Sue | Driver 

Marita Van Der Bijl | Creative Consultant 

and last but not least Eliza De Geus…for their invaluable love & support.

Stay tuned for the Part II of our group exhibition, unveiling at the gallery in just 10 days.

THE BEACH IS IN THE FOREST
Group Exhibition

Painting | Sculpture | Photography

Dominique Zinkpè | Gérard Quenum | Nicola Lo Calzo | Eddy Ochieng | Wabi Dossou | Elon M Tossou | Nathanaël Vodouhè

20 November - 19 December 2026

Wed - Sat | 13:00. - 19:00

Gallery ILÉ
Utrechtsestraat 44
1017 VP Amsterdam