NEWS

Dennie Boxem (1983) is an independent artist, entrepreneur, musician and gallery owner of Galerie Dennie Boxem in the city center of Zwolle, The Netherlands.

Boxem makes his art in his simple philosophy The New Definition Of Progress.

And The New Definition Of Progress (2020) Contains the following.

We, humanity, are main responsible for deforestation, plastic soup, bio-industry, overfished seas, biodiversity-loss and the rest. This is a fact. But, it is a fact as well that we have only booked progress since the beginning of our existence.

The fact that these two conflicting facts are both true at the same time, has two reasons. One; we have only booked progress for our own specie. Two; we wore blinders for the collateral damage our progress was causing.

So, with humanity’s constant thrive to keep moving forward, how do we solve this?

Easy.

With a new definition of progress.

Boxems New Definition Of Progress is simple and effective. It implies that everyone, in every moment of choice, can try to minimise the collateral damage to our fellow man and the natural world, when possible exclude it. Or better, reverse the earlier damage. Every act, action, change or development can only be considered as progress, when there is no collateral damage caused by this act, action, change or development.

Every individual choice, as simple as picking up a piece of litter, eating no (or less) meat, not buying plastic wrapped products or rewilding your garden, can be considered as progress. The philosophy starts to get interesting when it gets to the level of politics. Say every future political decision has to minimise, exclude, and ideally reverse earlier inflicted collateral damage. Where politics often lack decisiveness due to conflicting interests, The New Definition Of Progress provides this common interest above all others. And these goals are getting more essential every day.

Boxem wants his art to propagate this new definition. He wants his art to visualise progress in its full potential; progress used in its full advantage. Progress without collateral damage to fellow man and the natural world. He aims to promote awareness, provoke dialogue and inspire action, to help catalyse an important change of mentality; humanity has to switch from a ‘top of food chain’-mentality to a modest role in balance with the natural world. “Thanks to David Attenborough: Let’s Rewild The World I am proud to see the visitors leaving my gallery more decisive, hopeful and positive. This artwork visualises that every individual contribution in bettering our climate counts.”

Team-Artworks are an important part of Boxems. A Team-Artwork is an artwork where tens or hundreds can contribute as an artist. The group literally gets immortalised in an artwork together. This stimulates acquaintance, connects, bonds and raises awareness. Over 18.000 people have directly contributed to Boxems artworks.

By letting people be a part of his art, Boxem lets them be a part of his message.

Boxem is singer in Koorbazen.

As a cultural entrepreneur, Boxem has organised and curated exhibitions like Public Expo and POP UP Museum Theater de Spiegel aiming to promote contemporary artists from Zwolle.