Meet the Jury: the Maker Behind the Maker Award
The MELLYs Awards 2025
Kunstinstituut Melly is proud to announce the jury for the Maker Behind the Maker Award, part of the first edition of The MELLYs, which takes place on Thursday, 27 November 2025 at Arminius in Rotterdam. Conceived on the occasion of Kunstinstituut Melly’s 35th anniversary, The MELLYs recognize and celebrate the often-unseen individuals whose expertise, creativity, and dedication sustain the art ecosystem.
Maker Behind the Maker Award
The Maker Behind the Maker Award is an initiative of Kunstinstituut Melly in collaboration with the Mondriaan Fund. It recognizes a person or group working in the Netherlands who, through their impeccable craftsmanship and collaborative support, has helped a visual artist realize their work to its fullest potential.
Visual artists with more than five years of experience creating artworks and carrying out projects were invited through an open call to nominate one or more individuals for this award.
The Maker Behind the Maker Award specifically honors the skilled craftspeople, fabricators, and producers whose work brings artistic visions to life. From constructing large-scale installations to designing custom instruments and experimenting with materials, these professionals often operate behind the scenes, yet their expertise and innovation are essential to contemporary art. The award carries a prize of €25,000, made possible through the generous support of the Mondriaan Fund and Stichting Stokroos.
Other Award Categories
In addition to the Maker Behind the Maker Award, The MELLYs include two other categories which also carry a prize of €25,000 each:
Behind the Lens Award (formerly the Berry Koedam Award)
Recognizing photographers and documenters who expand how we see and remember art.
Visionary 010 Award
Highlighting Rotterdam-based cultural leaders whose initiatives shape the city’s creative life.
Meet the Jury: Maker Behind the Maker Award
The jury for the Maker Behind the Maker Award combines curatorial insight, artistic innovation, and hands-on technical expertise, ensuring that the award honors the makers whose skills are essential to bringing artistic visions to life.
Amira Gad
An accomplished curator, writer, and editor specializing in modern and contemporary art and architecture, Gad is currently Conservator of Modern & Contemporary Art at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Her curatorial work spans exhibitions of artists including Ian Cheng, Sondra Perry, Arthur Jafa, Hito Steyerl, and Zaha Hadid. Gad has previously held positions at Serpentine Galleries (London), KANAL–Centre Pompidou (Brussels), and Kunstinstituut Melly (Rotterdam). She has also served on several prestigious juries, including the Oskár Čepan Award, OGR Award, and the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Ammodo Tiger Short Awards, making her contribution a vital bridge between institutional, curatorial, and artistic perspectives.
Charly van Rest
A pioneering experimental artist, van Rest has developed a multifaceted practice that spans photography, assemblages, soundscapes, and performance-based works. Deeply influenced by Arte Povera, his work often incorporates natural materials, primitive motifs, and radical technical experimentation. Van Rest is also widely known for inventing new tools and methods, including electronic musical instruments and ultraviolet light-based “uvots,” which challenge conventional approaches to seeing and hearing art. His longstanding focus on making as an act of experimentation offers a unique perspective to the jury.
Ron Bernstein
An artist, maker, and Head of the Material Matters Lab at the Jan Van Eyck Academie, Bernstein has more than 25 years of experience collaborating with hundreds of artists, designers, architects, and filmmakers. His expertise spans the realization of installations, performances, experimental projects, and films. Bernstein’s practice emphasizes hands-on production and technical innovation, positioning him as an essential behind-the-scenes collaborator. Beyond the visual arts, he has also contributed to architectural projects, including a prize-winning collaboration for the Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) Emscher Park in Duisburg, Germany. Bernstein’s career exemplifies the spirit of the Maker Behind the Maker Award.
An Evening of Recognition, Dining, and Celebration
The MELLYs combines an awards ceremony with a seated three-course dinner designed as a shared experience. The program will be moderated by Evita de Roode, and includes a live performance by donna Kukama as well as a dancefloor takeover by DJs Jollyfish. Scenography is by Loui Meeuwissen.
A Vital Fundraiser for Future Programming
Beyond celebration, The MELLYs serves as a vital fundraiser for Kunstinstituut Melly. Proceeds from the evening will directly support the institution’s 2026 programming, including a major retrospective of Moshekwa Langa.
Practical Information
Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Location: Arminius, Rotterdam
Tables: Available for 10, 6, or 4 guests; individual seats also available
Information & Reservations: [email protected]