About

Wessel Verrijt (1992, Eindhoven) builds sculptures, architectural vehicles and vibrant characters that play the leading role as ‘’entities’’ within his performances and films. In this, the sculptures come together as props, costumes, sets and protagonists to form a immersive installation in which they are catalysts for action.

Performers enter the sculptures and let them move slowly and organically through the space. They look proud, but can only go in circles or almost fall over. The movements, and the arms and legs that stick out, suggest human traits and emotion. They are angry, in love, shy, tired, clumsy or lost; they walk around endlessly or try to move simultaneously in an attempt to perform some sort of ritual together. It is a play of rapprochement and seeking contact, between matter & human, between the performers, sculptures and the audience.

In practice though, the origins of Verrijts works are based in materials. The collected pieces of wood, textiles, satellite dishes and cardboard amongst others are being assembled by Verrijt into new forms and shapes that carry the history of lived time. He utilises found objects because of these qualities, besides their other properties like color, shape or skin. The sculptures are temporary by nature, and form together an amalgamous whole, an organism where materials travel from sculpture to sculpture and move organically from place to place.

Verrijt graduated at St. Joost School of Art & Design in 2018 with ‘the Parade of the Autonomous’: a travelling show of moving sculptures or sculptural characters. In May 2020, the Mondriaan Fund awarded Verrijt with the Stipendium for Emerging Artists. In 2021 he presented a first solo exhibition at Das Leben am Haverkamp (The Hague). In the same year Verrijt did residencies at Art House United-C (Eindhoven) and ARV.International (Vishovgrad, Bulgaria). Verrijt has previously presented and/or resided at De Vishal (Haarlem), De Fabriek (Eindhoven), Extrapool (Nijmegen), Temporary Art Centre (Eindhoven), Geeraard de Duivelsteen (Gent, BE), Derde Wal (Nijmegen), Marres (Maastricht), Museum Jan Cunen (Oss), Arti et Amicitiae (Amsterdam), Prospects (Art Rotterdam/Mondriaan Fonds) & The Greyspace in the Middle (The Hague). 

Article in Eindhovens Dagblad, 19 april 2021 (Dutch only): Click here

Article in Air Brabant (ENG/Dutch): Click here

Interview Zuiderlucht Magazine (Dutch only): Click here

Article in Mestmag (Dutch only): Click here