Documentation Nest, Den Haag, 2024 (video by Julia Schmitz)

Men of Steel, Men of Stone

work in progress
16mm, 7 min, 2017-

In the video Men of Steel, Men of Stone. I wash three sculptures of questionable Dutch ‘heroes’ Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Michiel de Ruijter and Piet Heijn with a ridiculous amount of soap, it was meant as an ironic statement, to show that they can never be cleaned.

I made many different edits of this video over the years, but never showed it as a finished work. I decided to accept the video as an eternal (both real and metaphorical) work in progress.

I wrote a essay about my personal struggle with this work for the Dutch magazine Mister Motley. https://www.mistermotley.nl/art-everyday-life/staal-steen-en-sop.

English translation:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xQ9f_TgAE0LdpegiJtZ1Z-47o_q3xfRAVBBE1BjlMhY/edit?usp=sharing

Camera: Ben Geraerts

Edit : Diego Gutiérrez

Geluid & sound design: charly van rest, Diego Gutiérrez en Marcus Bruystens

Post production: Gabriel Vallecillo

Thanks to:

Róża Zamołojko

Maureen Ho

Paulien Oltheten

Lotte Geeven

Marcus Bruystens

Gemeente Hoorn

Gemeente Rotterdam

Gemeente Vlissingen

Het Nederlands Filmfonds