Wessel Verrijt

Wessel Verrijt (1992, Lierop NL, based in The Hague) explores the boundary between the living and the non-living, seeking to soften this rigid divide through new, in-between forms. By merging sculptural work with performance, Verrijt creates “hybrid entities” where bodies and objects fuse, transforming static materials into active participants.

Characterized by slow, repetitive movements, these entities carefully sense their environment. The interplay between sculptural forms and the performers’ outstretched arms and legs evokes everyday behaviors, rituals, and emotions. Within this choreography, each sculpture assumes its own role, dictated by its unique physical possibilities and limitations.

Drawing from folklore, myths, and ecological phenomena, such as insects constructing protective shells from environmental debris, Verrijt investigates the interweaving of humans and their surroundings. His installations function as temporary ecosystems where matter and body continuously affect one another, inviting the audience to sense the hidden vitality of materials and reconsider their relationship to the world.