HERMAN DE VRIES:
TO BE ALL WAYS
TO BE

Edited by Cees de Boer,
Colin Huizing
Published by Valiz
274 pages
17 x 24 cm
English
Hardcover
ISBN 978-90-78088-99-8

Price: 1250 lei (€250)

Authors: Jean-Hubert Martin, herman de vries, Cees de Boer, Colin Huizing, Birgit Donker


The relationship between man, culture and nature is gaining ground as a research topic within the visual arts. herman de vries has developed an uncommonly versatile oeuvre in which art, science and philosophy are confronted with the world’s reality. He focuses on natural processes and phenomena and presents them as the primary, physical reality of human existence. De vries gathers, isolates and displays objects from nature, directing our attention to both the unity and the diversity of the world around us.

herman de vries – to be all ways to be focuses on de vries’ recent work, which he showed at the Biennale di Venezia 2015. The book shows the works intimately, makes connections and provides a historical, art historical and philosophical context. The book’s guideline is a dialogue between de vries and Jean-Hubert Martin about the works on show in Venice. Martin confronts de vries with key concepts such as poetry, smell, chance, nature and ecology, and interweaves the works and thoughts of de vries, with images, texts and other sources throughout his text.