Special edition book (signed) and small artwork by HERMAN DE VRIES: "BEING THIS JOY EXPERIENCE UNITY 2012

Herman de Vries

Price on request

Gallerease Selected

• About the artwork
  Box with signed book by the artist, plus a small artwork and Dvd
  Limited edition of 50
  
  Also available in a larger luxe booksuite of 10 with artists:
  
  - Hermann Nitsch, "Under My Skin." 2010
  - Lawrence Weiner, "Skimming the Water / Ménage à Quatre." 2010
  - On Kawara,"Unanswered Questions." 2011
  - Roman Opalka,"Time Passing." 2011
  - Arnulf Rainer,"Unfinished Into Death." 2011
  - Lee Ufan,"Encounters." 2012
  - Ben Vautier, "Introspection, Thrugh Art & Sex" 2013
  - Yoko Ono, "Arising." 2014
  - Herman de Vries: Being This Joy Experience Unity." 2014
  - Otto Piene & Heinz Mack: "From ZERO to ZERO"
  
  Content: https://europeanculturalcentre.eu/var/gallery/file/6836287246393a9a8a0405555352eb79.pdf
• About the artist

  Herman de Vries, a distinguished Dutch artist born on July 11, 1931, in Alkmaar, chooses to present his name in lowercase—herman de vries—on his artworks as a statement against hierarchical structures. Alongside his wife Susanne, de Vries resides and creates in Eschenau, near Knetzgau, Germany, where nature and the environment play a central role in his artistic exploration.

  De Vries embarked on his artistic journey with a focus on "nature and plants" starting in 1953 and transitioned to painting towards the end of the 1950s. His work often intertwines with environmental themes and historical narratives, offering a profound critique and celebration of the natural world.

  A notable installation by de Vries, unveiled in May 2002 along the banks of the Rhine in Düsseldorf, serves as a poignant critique of Saint Boniface's historic act of felling the Donar Oak. This piece features a 7-meter tall oak tree encircled by a palisade of cast-iron spears, each tip gilded in gold. Inscribed along this barrier, in Latin, is the phrase "wynfrith me caesit--herman me recreavit" ("Wynfrid cut me down, Herman resurrected me"), symbolizing a rebirth and homage to the ancient tree's significance.

  In 1993, during the World Horticultural Exposition in Stuttgart, de Vries created "Sanctuarium," a serene forest space enclosed by a circular palisade of wrought iron spears, again with gold tips. This installation was intended as a sacred, undisturbed haven. However, in a controversial move in 2018, the city's parks department cleared the area as part of a routine pruning policy, prompting de Vries and two fellow artists to consider legal action in defense of the artwork's integrity. A similar installation by de Vries, located in Münster, is protected by a brick wall, underscoring his commitment to creating spaces that invite reflection on our relationship with nature and the environment.

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