Dick Verdult

Dick Verdult (1954, Eindhoven, The Netherlands) lives and works in the Netherlands, Spain, and Argentina. Verdult's practice spans film, performance, graphics, drawing, sculptures, ceramics, radio, text, and music. His approach is built on relinquishing control, allowing imperfections, and making an unprepared start, combining no-tech and high-tech elements while working across disciplines, often in collaboration with friends and artists in ad-hoc or more durable groups. His work includes the founding of the IBW (Instituut voor Betaalbare Waanzin / Institute for Affordable Lunacy), a vehicle for trash aesthetics, provocations, and complications, and the Festicumex festival. As the musical alter ego Dick El Demasiado, he developed the Cumbias Lunaticas and Cumbias Experimentales, a wide-ranging work including the creation of musical personalities, myths, and a new musical category, achieving cult status in South America, Russia, and Japan. His recent work focuses on deforming popular culture and on manipulation itself.

Verdult studied Film and Plastic Arts at Université Paris VIII Vincennes (1973–1977) and undertook a brief in-depth study with filmmaker George Kuchar in San Francisco. Residencies include the European Ceramic Work Center (3-month residency), Residencia in Bogota, Colombia, and a recording residency in Arkhangelsk in the Russian Arctic.

Solo exhibitions include Internet and Elvis will Never Die, Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam (2013); Inklusief Dick Verdult, 1646, The Hague (2013); Soloshow, Museo El Chopo, Mexico D.F. (2013); and on Sundays we celebrate Friday, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (2011); and Bullshit defines architecture, Art Rotterdam, Rotterdam (2018).

Group exhibitions include Blindenzimmer, Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam (2022); Documenta 15, Kassel (2022); XIV Femsa Biennial, Mexico City (2022); The Great Hanging Icon Flagellation, Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam (2019); Superfritz, Dortmunder U, Dortmund (2016); Theatre Dreams of a Beautiful Afternoon Part 2, Manifesta Office, Amsterdam (2016); Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju (2012); Be Mobile in Immobility, Depo, Istanbul (2011); and How do I tell the people?, Witte de With, Rotterdam.