Dennis Vanderbroek

Dennis climbing a hill.

What is your name? My name is Dennis Vanderbroeck. I'm 21 years old and living in Maastricht but I'm originally from Zoetermeer, that's a small village kind of thing near The Hague.

Where did you study and when did you graduate? I'm still studying at the Theatre Academy in Maastricht and I'm in my second year. My study has a multidisciplinary approach. We're making short movies, live performances and visual art.

What inspires you as a theatre maker/performer? Everything. When I look around I can be inspired by anything. The smallest things in life can generate a world. Like my neighbour who lives across the road, I see him every morning, the guy I see every Wednesday at 8.30 sharp, the photo's where my father looks exactly like me, the music I liked when I was young, someone who's sleeping in the train, a dream, cardboard houses and pop-up books.

I think everybody lives in his own created reality. What we have in common is relative. It's about those millions of bubbles where everybody lives in. I really like to try to create a world, another world, a new world. Every single piece I make represents another part of my own created reality.

Dennis' work

Who is your favourite artist? Why? There are so many artists who inspire me. I collect photo books, pictures out of newspapers, like to watch documentaries, listen to music. I like artists who are brand of themselves, like Andy Warhol did. But also Viktor & Rolf and Gilbert & George.

Besides, photographer like Hedi Slimane, Jurgen Teller, Ryan Mcginley, Annie Liebovitz and The Selby make me jealous.

What can you bring to FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2011? I really like those pop-up books. When I was young I collected them, and every time when someone gave me a pop-up book, I went to my bedroom and opened it. Those books are hiding something inside, they have a secret.

My installation called NESTtogo (nest to go) is about a man who is travelling around the world with his cardboard pop-up house. A man who's an outsider of society. He's looking for a place to stay and searching for his real identity.

I made a house out of cardboard and wood. And with that pop-up house I travelled around and made a series of photos.

What do you expect from FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2011? I love the FASHIONCLASH. Last year II also took part in it and I loved it. It’s amazing how Nawie and Branko created a place for fashion. And with fashion I don't mean only the clothes. I think it's a unique event where there's a place for different kinds of art. It's a great event for young artist and it's an honour to show my NEST at the FASHIONCLASH.

Why fashion? Why theatre and fashion together? When I was young, my best girlfriend and I had our own brand, called DAY. We didn't know at that time that there actually was a brand with the same name. We made sketches and tried to make our own clothes.

I really like it when a collection creates a world. Like Henrik Vibskov for example, his shows are great, he tries to create a story, together with his clothes, music and visuals. Last year during FASHIONCLASH I saw a collection of a young designer called Ingo Binder, his futuristic clothes told a story that triggered me. I asked him to participate on NESTtogo.

I think the meaning of art is to infect each other, to translate the things that are itching in your head, to translate you imagination and it doesn't matter if you need fabric for it, or a photo camera, or a guitar.

What are your goals concerning your career? Where do you see yourself in the future? I don't want to think about that yet. It scares me. It's a cliché, but I hope I can do what I want. Of course, I've got ambitions but first I would like to finish school, become an artist, for now I'm just a student who tries to make something that communicates with people.


Edited by Natalia Serwanska