Janneke Leenders (b. 2003, Roermond, the Netherlands) is a visual artist based in Rome.
Her practice is rooted in a long background in classical dance, choreography and set design. She holds a BA in Fine Arts from RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts, and has exhibited in Italy and internationally, including at film festivals, galleries and residencies.
Janneke Leenders’s explores how art comes alive: how something material, and therefore lifeless, can be perceived as alive. Through sculpture, print, video projection and staged spaces, she manipulates matter until it conveys a sense of aliveness that may invite the viewer's empathy.
Sleep and memory are her main frameworks. Dreams and memories exist in one mind only, but through storytelling the artwork turns them into a shared visual, in which someone else can recognize them as their own.
Exhibitions and screenings
2026 Approachable Art, Campo & campo (Antwerp BE)
2026 Exhibition in collaboration with Gilda Lavia, TBL consulting (Florence)
2025 NURSIALAND, Palazzo Graziani (Norcia), curated by Andrea Sampaolo
2025 Mangia Perle, Parco Delle Stelle (Rome), curated by Alessandro Martina
2025 Marco Polo, Acquario Romano (Rome)
2024 Dancing With Nobody, Mercato Tufello (Rome), curated by Canova22
2024 Impressioni, Stamperia X (Rome)
2024 TAU, Rufa Space (Rome)
2024 Have You Seen Paolo Miller?, Pianobi Arte Contemporanea (Rome)
2024 Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, Kino im Walzenlager (Oberhausen)
2024 Beyond The Pale, Rufa Space (Rome)
2023 Just Sleeping, Galleria Gilda Lavia (Rome)
2023 The Realness, SOHO House (Rome), curated by FYAH
2023 Fave Vol 1, Circolo Degli Illuminati (Rome), curated by Katerina Sopielkina
2023 Forof Essenza, Forof (Rome), curated by Giovanna Caruso Fendi
2023 Incubi, La Società Lunare (Bossano in Teverina), curated by Andrea Fogli
2023 Ànemos, Rufa Space (Rome), curated by Giulia Vitiello
2023 Performance Cluster, Rufa Space (Rome), curated by Marta Jovanović
2022 Kougart X Fave, Defrag (Rome), curated by Katerina Sopielkina
2022 The Cigarette Is Over, Inside Art Fondamenta Gallery (Rome), curated by Fabrizio Pizzuto
Residencies & workshops
2025 Kulturfactory Residency, Kulturscio’k Live Art Collective (Domicella)
2025 Multimedia Workshop for Performing Arts, Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
2025 Casape Residency, Cem Kanyar (Casape)
2023 Biennale Sessions workshop, Marta Jovanović & Fabrizio Pizzuto (Venice)
2023 Independent Publishing as Art Practice, Michela Palermo (Rome)
Press
2023 Cianni, Chiara."Si parla di sogni e inconscio nella nuova mostra alla Galleria Gilda Lavia."
Exibart, 31 October.
2022 Mannocchi, Davide Maria. "Va a Lorenzo Finardi il primo premio per The Cigarette Is Over, la gallery."
Inside Art, 11 March.
Nobis, Chiara. "The Cigarette Is Over: la fine artistica e culturale della sigaretta."
LIAF Magazine, 11 March.