Gouden Kalf for Felix de Rooy
Felix de Rooy was awarded the Gouden Kalf for film culture on September 27, 2024, in Utrecht, recognizing his contribution to Dutch cinematic art and culture. From the recommendation report, a phrase widely quoted in the Dutch press notes: “As an advocate of alternative perspectives, Felix de Rooy highlights themes in his multidisciplinary artistry that are still relevant today; the colonial past, the viewpoints of different cultures and the importance of queer identities in art.”
In Curaçao, Felix de Rooy received the Cola Debrot Prize for the visual arts in 1979 at 27. Although he later settled in the Netherlands, he maintained strong ties with Curaçao. His solo exhibition, ‘Egodocument’, was organized by Mon Art Gallery in 2010, and in 2012, he presented his autobiography “Ego Documenta” in Teatro Luna Blou. Felix curated several important exhibitions, including ‘Antepasado di Futuro’ (2010) alongside art historian Jennifer Smit, and ‘Isla i Arte den nos Bida’ at NAAM in 2017. In 2020, he served as director of the inauguration ceremony of ‘The Cathedral of Thorns’.
Felix is a dynamic and multifaceted artist with a long list of accomplishments. Despite his impressive body of work and international recognition, he remained relatively unknown outside creative circles. However, this has changed in recent years. His work is now receiving greater attention.
Last year, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam hosted ‘Apocalypse’, a retrospective of his five-decade career. Around the same time, Filmmuseum Eye highlighted his cinematic work under the title ‘The Museum of My Mind’. At the upcoming edition of the Dutch Film Festival, the short documentary ‘Nomad in No Man’s Land’, a portrait of Felix de Rooy by Hester Jonkhout, will be screened. The documentary premiered earlier this year at the Curaçao during the Curaçao International Film Festival (IFFR) in April 2024. The Gouden Kalf (Golden Calf) for film culture is another well-deserved recognition.
Written by Josée Thissen-Rojer.
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