De Belofte @ Pa//////kt

De Belofte @ Pa////kt, Amsterdam



















Eduard Douwes Dekker (AKA The Freedom Force and The Freedom Force on tour) was a group collaboration organised by Reinhaardt van Hoe in response to a request from PA//////KT (an exhibition space / Gallery) in Amsterdam to select the “Most Talented” student to represent the Academie / University.

Eduard Douwes Dekker consisted of Eric Roulen and Magreet van der Helm. The also included an outside group “Salon Rotte” (AKA Eddie and Jessica) who where not to make work but add conventions, such as “you have to present from our bureau (writing desk)” which I took from Salon Rotte to the PA//////KT space in a van.

Eduard Douwes Dekker used the Exhibition space as a studio space for one month then put the bureau and all of the art back into the van and toured for two days as a miniature portable exhibition. (*I drove!)

Eduard Douwes Dekker was in fact one of the first campaigners for fair trade. When he discovered corruption in the coffee industry he wrote the significant book Max Havelaar (then one of the common brands of coffee) under the pseudonym Multatuli.

Among the work we produced was a series of specifically sun damaged sheets of A4 paper, plans and imaginary reconstructions of the cabinet (courtesy of Eric), a home for 2 live baby chicks, dead and dieing plants and animals (courtesy of Magreet) a series of strange communications including taped messages, diaries and emails. My work continued my exploration into masculine identity. I produced series of lectures about art, jewellery made out of dried rose petals and exhibited work of other students from Nottingham Trent University (Ash Gallant and Lizzy Guy)
(This was a useful transitional period for me as I was still making my delicate feminine crafts and moving into the portrayal of a professor/scientist or HERO…)