Artists

Dries Verhoeven

Press release

With The Fortress, Verhoeven and Vos examine the human instinct for self-protection – the urge to safeguard one's boundaries, peace of mind and way of life. In an age of uncertainty, the duo reflects on how Western society grapples with the tension between its enlightened self-image and an increasingly bleak outlook on the future. The work examines how Western societies respond to geopolitical uncertainty by retreating behind borders and defensive ideologies. As visitors move through the space, they confront a striking paradox: the structures we build to protect ourselves can easily become prisons. Working in collaboration with curator Rieke Vos, Verhoeven becomes the first artist to bring performance art to the Dutch Pavilion. The Rietveld Pavilion itself becomes the subject of the work through an architectural intervention. Artist statement: "The Biennale's design perpetuates an old-world order, which fascinates me. Many former Western powers have a prominent place there. The Netherlands, with its modernist pavilion, can present itself as a model of openness, progress, and internationalism." Curator: Rieke Vos. Commissioner: Mondriaan Fund.