The Czech Republic (Metro): The Dynamics of Urban Life Through the Eyes of Julien van Middendorp

2025-10 The budoart Gallery at the Galerie pohybu presents Julien van Middendorp. The budoart Gallery, led by Tereza Buchtová Fidlerová, presents works by Dutch painter Julien van Middendorp in the exhibition Dimension. The exhibition features a series of paintings titled Rise of the Fall, Empire of the Clouds, Out of the Shadow, Transformer and Cutting Edge, which reflect the dynamics of the contemporary world and its contrasts. From the neon glow of urban scenes to the darker undertones of the digital age—each work tells a story that draws the viewer into an internal dialogue between reality and fiction.

“Julien’s paintings are a visual record of movement—both external and internal. The energy he infuses into them resonates strongly with the concept of the Gallery of Movement, where we connect visual art with the movement of the body and emotions. His work thus naturally becomes part of our space,” says Tereza Buchtová Fidlerová, curator and owner of the budoart Gallery.

The Dynamics of the Urban Environment

Julien van Middendorp is a Dutch painter who captures human daily life in its routine ordinariness in a unique way. His greatest inspiration is the dynamics of the urban environment—its movement, changeability, and constant flux. His studies in design in Utrecht have also had a significant influence on his work.

“For me, painting is a way to capture movement that cannot be stopped—the transformation of the world, of people, and of myself. I believe that viewers will find their own stories and emotions in my paintings,” adds Julien. 

Julien’s work straddles the line between abstraction and expressionism. His oil paintings capture the pulsating energy of city life, the contrasts of light and shadow, and the tension between chaos and harmony. The colors in his works are not merely a visual element, but a means of expressing emotions, thoughts, and stories. He finds inspiration primarily in the structures and rhythms of architecture. He has been strongly influenced by the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose fascination with color and organic forms is echoed in the artist’s own work.

What is particularly appealing is the openness of Julien’s work toward those viewers who have not yet decided to take the decisive step (or rather, leap) across the chasm between the concrete and the abstract. Although Julien’s canvases are abstract, viewers standing before them can still, in moments of doubt or dizziness, safely anchor themselves in the concrete: figures, landscapes, harmonies, and music. And at the same time, they can see and appreciate the abstraction.

Budoart

The exhibition activities of the Budoart Gallery, which regularly showcases leading figures in Czech visual art, began in 2011 in an Art Nouveau apartment on Perunova Street in Vinohrady; subsequently, its exhibition and sales activities moved to a courtyard space on Havanská Street. In 2022, another intimate space was added on Maltézské Square. It is now preparing exhibitions in collaboration with, among others, Galerie pohybu, which was the first venue to connect visual art with movement and the culture of the body.