Antistrot is an artists' collective founded 10 years ago by a group of 6 students of the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. The collective has grown over the years to include Johan Kleinjan, Paul Borchers, Charlie Dronkers, David Elshout, Bruno Ferro, Yvonne Gaemers, Marco Kruyt, Silas Schletterer, Xavier da Silva, and Michiel Walrave . Antistrot explains their origins on their web site, www.antistrot.com, "Fed up by boring creative restrictions at the illustration department, they started a magazine…After a series of magazines… Antistrot started making drawings, paintings, and later murals with multiple individuals at the same time." By the time the original group graduated in 2001, their visual and performance work could be seen in such esteemed institutions as The Center for Contemporary Arts in Prague, and at the R EJECT festival in Rotterdam.

On their web site, the group states that they put the "premium of idea/concept above the medium," a statement which echoes the trend in 21st Century art towards deeper meaning, purpose, introspection and direction in art rather than aesthetic content. This statement is mirrored in the mission of the Sara Tecchia Roma Gallery in New York, where Antistrot recently were a part of an exhibition titled, Your line. "[The Sara Tecchia Roma Gallery] embodies a vision of the art gallery as an environment that encourages artists to initiate a cooperative intellectual effort following in the legacy of the 20th Century Avant-Gardes. The prerogative of the gallery is to establish an international, transcultural and intergenerational dialogue between artists and mediums." (www.saratecchia.com) The Sara Tecchia Roma Gallery is representing Antistrot in the United States, currently, and are the first American institutions to host their work.

Antistrot’s presence in the United States will be furthered this summer by 3rd Ward Gallery in Brooklyn. On June 30, 2007, 3rd Ward will host an opening of a show called Pipo, Rocky and the Free World, which will consist of the unveiling of a new mural by the group, and the viewing of performances such as Skate Bush, Ouija Bord, CEO Charlie, Yobkiss, and Leprechaun Island, the latter in collaboration with the famed duo Eru & Emu from Tokyo, Japan. The innovative techniques explored by Antistrot, and the idea of a collective community of artists working together is not unfamiliar to the 3rd Ward; 3rd Ward classifies itself as a workspace and studio facility for artists & creative professionals, located in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “By helping artists pursue professional careers and creative projects, 3rd Ward is spearheading a movement that aims to create a permanent artist community in Brooklyn.” 3rd Ward also features gallery spaces for exhibitions, installations, and performances, and presents monthly and weekly exhibitions of multi-disciplinary artworks created both by international and local artists.

The Antistrot experience is one that words fail to easily describe. The raw energy and the extreme collaborative nature of the work promises an encounter that will not soon be forgotten. For more information on Antistrot, and their exhibition at 3rd Ward, please visit www.antistrot.com, and www.3rdwardbrooklyn.org.