Dennie Boxem (1983) is an independent artist, entrepreneur, singer and first degree teacher of fine art and design.
Boxem makes Artworks in his philosophy called The New Definition Of Progress.
Our planet exists about four point six billion years. Humanity exists relatively short. Say the world would spin one day, humanity exists the last two seconds.
In these ‘two seconds’ we are main responsible for deforestation, plastic soup, bio-industry, overfished seas and biodiversity-loss. This is a fact. But let us be positive, because it is a fact as well that humanity has only booked progress since the beginning of our existence.
The fact that these two facts are true at the same time has two reasons. We only booked progress for our own specie. We wore blinders for the collateral damage our progress was causing.
So, with humanity’s aim to keep going forward, how do we solve this?
Easy.
With a new definition of progress.
The New Definition Of Progress is Boxems simple but effective philosophy that everyone, in every moment of choice, should try to minimalize the collateral damage to our fellow man and the natural world, when possible exclude; any act, action, change or development is only progress, when there is no collateral damage produced.
Your individual choice of picking up a piece of litter; eating less meat; not buying plastic wrapped products or rewilding your garden, is progress. The philosophy starts to get interesting when it gets to the level of politics; say every future political decision has to minimalize, exclude, and ideally recover 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. Goals that are getting more essential every day.
Boxem wants his art to propagate this new definition. He wants his art to visualize progress in its full potential; used in its full advantage; without collateral damage to fellow man and the natural world. He aims to promote awareness, provoke dialogue and inspire action to help catalyze 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. “I am proud to see the visitors of my gallery leave more hopeful, positive and decisive. Take David Attenborough Rewilds The World, it visualizes that every individual contribution in bettering climate change counts.”
Important part of Boxems work are his Team-Artworks. A Team-Artwork is an artwork in which tens or hundreds of people can participate. The shared efforts of a group are immortalized together. This connects. It stimulates acquaintance, bonds and raises awareness. This way Boxem aims to bring art to a next level socially.
Over five thousand people (and growing) have directly contributed to Boxems Team-Artworks.
Boxem is singer in Koorbazen and Blaas Of Glory.
As a cultural entrepreneur, Boxem has organized and curated exhibitions like Public Expo and POP UP Museum Theater de Spiegel aiming to promote contemporary artists from Zwolle.