herman de vries - change

First solo show by herman de vries at the gallery, and also the first solo exhibition in Belgium by this important artist in many years.

Bio

herman de vries (born in Alkmaar, 1931) is a contemporary visual artist from the Netherlands. His work addresses the problematic relationship between humans and nature by showcasing the immense diversity and change in the most direct way possible. Repetition, variation, change, and chance result in a highly poetic oeuvre that is well worth exploring.

Zero

In 1960, herman de vries, together with Armando and Henk Peeters, founded the magazine *nul=0*, which was of art-historical significance for the Dutch Nul Group. During this period, he based his work on chance operations and random tables, allowing him to exert as little influence as possible on the artwork.

Works by herman de vries from this period, known as *random objectivations*, have been included in every major museum group exhibition on the (international) Zero movement (Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Guggenheim New York, etc.). Other members of the Nul Group include Jan Schoonhoven and Jan Henderikse.

Throughout his career, herman de vries has consistently maintained this Zero mindset.

Steigerwald

From 1970 onwards, herman de vries settled with his wife suzanne in the Steigerwald forest in Germany, far away from the Dutch art scene. The forest became his studio, where he took long walks every day in search of materials to work with—a dead piece of wood, grasses, leaves, and other materials from the forest floor. Natural charcoal, found after forest fires or following the ritual celebration of the solstice…

He balanced his quiet life in the woods with long, adventurous journeys to the far corners of the world. He collected soil to grind and document in his "earth museum" and "earth catalogue". Herbs, shells, stones, and plants from across the globe also found their place in his work.

Venice Biennale 2015

In 2015, herman de vries represented the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale with the exhibition "to be all ways to be". The work was met with international acclaim.

At the Rietveld Pavilion, visitors were presented with a cross-section of de vries' practice: an entire wall covered in soil rubbings, a large installation featuring sickles, "rosa damascena"—a scent piece made from thousands of rosebuds, a journal of 122 panels created in the Venetian lagoon, stone sculptures, and the book "flora incorporata", which documents all the plants the artist has ever consumed.

Additionally, he placed textual works on the island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, a former plague colony. He also designated a part of the island as a "sanctuary", where nature could flourish freely without human intervention.