NEWS

Dennie Boxem (1983) is an independent artist, entrepreneur, singer and first degree teacher of fine art and design.

Boxem strives to be part of the contemporary avant-garde. He deliberately has not made it his goal to push the boundaries of what art is in an experimental or material kind of way to pursuit something that is technically ‘new’. The definition of what art is has changed over time, but the avant-garde has always mirrored the (good or bad) direction society was heading. Today we don’t need more ‘new’. We need to take care of what we got and prioritize using our progress in its full advantage. Boxem encounters this by making art participatory and sending a message: “we collectively need to better out choices and attitudes toward each other and the natural world. And hurry the fuck up with it.”

Boxems work can be divided in two disciplines: Artworks and Team-Artworks.

His Artworks often bring up issues of serious concern. We see Gods being interreligious. We see historical masterpieces prophesying the urge to care for our planet. We see fictional superheroes not saving us from real disasters. With some satire Boxem depicts issues concerning social and political justice, environmental stewardship and sustainability, aiming to promote awareness, provoke dialogue and inspire action. It is frustration that inspires Boxem; humanity is lacking to use our technological and biological innovations in our full advantage. We already have every ingredient for pure progress: progress without collateral damage to each other and the natural world. We can go there.

Team-Artworks are an important part of Boxems work. A Team-Artwork is an artwork on which tens or hundreds people have participated. Over three thousand people have already contributed to these artworks. Boxem places great value on his approach, because the group literally and figuratively gets immortalized together. This bonds. The group bonds with the artwork, with the location, and most importantly with their fellow-participants. Their shared effort is now forever combined in an artwork. This way Boxems art contributes to social well-being; it aims to bring art to a next level socially, and sends a beautiful message of how to make great things happen: together.

Boxem is singer in Koorbazen and Blaas Of Glory.

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