Dadara
Encyclopedia
Dadara or Daniel Rozenberg (born 8 February 1969) is a Dutch
artist
known for his flyers
, painting
s, album cover
s, statues
and performance art
work.
at the Delft University of Technology
, after which
he studied at the Free Academy Psychopolis in The Hague
, the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven, and the Academy of Visual Design in Genk
(Belgium
), before graduating from the Willem de Kooning Academy
in Rotterdam
in 1992.
After completing studies, Dadara started designing flyers
, live-paintings
and record covers
for the then upcoming international electronic house music
scene. This included work for the RoXY club in Amsterdam
, Outland Records, and the Mysteryland
festival. The public recognition gained through this underground exposure led his paintings to be noticed by the Reflex Modern Art Gallery in Amsterdam, where till today he had ten solo-exhibitions, as well as exhibitions in Paris
, Berlin
, Stuttgart
, Miami and New York
.
Commissions include baby-shaped loudspeakers for B&W
, an Absolut Vodka
ad, a Greenpeace
campaign, invited artist for Expo 2000
in Hannover, and a 70 meters long mural
for Leiden University
in the Netherlands.
In the past 10 years, Dadara mainly focused on both large interactive art projects and making paintings. The common thread throughout most of these works is that they provide a commentary on contemporary society. Topics include on one hand governmental control, lack of transparency, privacy
issues, and regulations, and on the other hand value creation, money
, and dream
s.
: the 9 meters high Greyman Statue of No Liberty in front of the Rijksmuseum
in Amsterdam
. This marked the beginning of the production and design of more big public pieces, which over time became more interactive, combining theatrical aspects with the use of multi-media.
, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean
to be burned at the Burning Man festival
in Nevada
. After its burn the Fools Ark rose like a Phoenix
from its ashes to be burnt again on the island of Terschelling
during the Oerol festival ('continuing its journey through the clouds, granting wishes and desires to all aboard....').
Footage of the Fools Ark and next year's Grey man project was intertwined into an audio-visual journey through forgotten worlds to tell the tale behind the project, resulting in the part documentary/ part animated movie “Fall and Rise of the Fools Ark”.
The music on the DVD Fall and Rise of the Fools ark was composed by Lamb
.
was built on a rooftop in the center of Amsterdam
as part of the Love, Peace and Terror project, which was later blown to pieces with explosives in an act of aesthetic visual terrorism.
, Dadara worked on Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia, a border control
checkpoint
to enter your own Dreams, which could be experienced in Nevada
and Texas
before crossing borders itself, after which it was resurrected at the Lowlands Festival and destroyed in Berlin
in an old swimming pool
, where the walls between dreams and reality were smashed with chainsaws and sledgehammers twenty years after the Berlin Wall
came crumbling down.
September 2011 the Exchanghibition Bank travelled to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, based on a gift economy, where money doesn't exist, and gifted people a zero banknote in exchange for the signing of a Spiritual Karma Laundering Contract.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
known for his flyers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
s, statues
Statues
Statues is a popular children's game, often played in Australia but with versions throughout the world.-General rules:# A person starts out as the "Curator" and stands at the end of a field. Everyone else playing stands at the far end...
and performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
work.
Biography
After finishing high school in 1986, Dadara briefly studied mechanical engineeringMechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at the Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology , also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands...
, after which
he studied at the Free Academy Psychopolis in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven, and the Academy of Visual Design in Genk
Genk
Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...
(Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), before graduating from the Willem de Kooning Academy
Willem de Kooning Academy
The Willem de Kooning Academy is a Dutch Academy of art and design based in Rotterdam and named in memory of the famous Dutch artist Willem de Kooning.- Overview :...
in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in 1992.
After completing studies, Dadara started designing flyers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
, live-paintings
Live painting
Live painting is a form of improvisational performance art, in which artists complete a visual art piece in a public performance, often at a bar, music concert, or public event, accompanied by a DJ or live music...
and record covers
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
for the then upcoming international electronic house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
scene. This included work for the RoXY club in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Outland Records, and the Mysteryland
Mysteryland
Mystery Land holds the title of ‘oldest dance festival’ in Holland, being the first festival of its kind there since its inception in 1993. Its current location is Haarlemmermeer on the grounds of the former Floriade. In 1993 and 1994 Mystery Land lasted 3 days and has been staged in February,...
festival. The public recognition gained through this underground exposure led his paintings to be noticed by the Reflex Modern Art Gallery in Amsterdam, where till today he had ten solo-exhibitions, as well as exhibitions in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Miami and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Commissions include baby-shaped loudspeakers for B&W
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins is a British loudspeaker company that produces mid-range through reference quality hi-fi and home theater speakers. The company name is often abbreviated to just B&W.Joe Atkins is current owner and chairman...
, an Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
ad, a Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
campaign, invited artist for Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hannover, and a 70 meters long mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
for Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
in the Netherlands.
In the past 10 years, Dadara mainly focused on both large interactive art projects and making paintings. The common thread throughout most of these works is that they provide a commentary on contemporary society. Topics include on one hand governmental control, lack of transparency, privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
issues, and regulations, and on the other hand value creation, money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
, and dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s.
Grey man
In 1999 Dadara built his first big public sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
: the 9 meters high Greyman Statue of No Liberty in front of the Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam or simply Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. This marked the beginning of the production and design of more big public pieces, which over time became more interactive, combining theatrical aspects with the use of multi-media.
Fools ark
In 2002 Dadara built a wooden threemaster, the Fools Ark, which was built during the Over het IJ festival in the old Amsterdam NDSM shipyards, then was used as mainstage for MysterylandMysteryland
Mystery Land holds the title of ‘oldest dance festival’ in Holland, being the first festival of its kind there since its inception in 1993. Its current location is Haarlemmermeer on the grounds of the former Floriade. In 1993 and 1994 Mystery Land lasted 3 days and has been staged in February,...
, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to be burned at the Burning Man festival
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. After its burn the Fools Ark rose like a Phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
from its ashes to be burnt again on the island of Terschelling
Terschelling
Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...
during the Oerol festival ('continuing its journey through the clouds, granting wishes and desires to all aboard....').
Footage of the Fools Ark and next year's Grey man project was intertwined into an audio-visual journey through forgotten worlds to tell the tale behind the project, resulting in the part documentary/ part animated movie “Fall and Rise of the Fools Ark”.
The music on the DVD Fall and Rise of the Fools ark was composed by Lamb
Lamb (band)
Lamb is an electronic music duo from Manchester, England, whose music is influenced by trip hop and drum and bass. The duo consists of producer Andy Barlow, who also produces under the pseudonym Hipoptimist, and singer-songwriter Lou Rhodes...
.
Love, Peace, and Terror tank
In 2007 a big pink tankTank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
was built on a rooftop in the center of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
as part of the Love, Peace and Terror project, which was later blown to pieces with explosives in an act of aesthetic visual terrorism.
Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia
During his artist in residence period in Dallas 2008-2009, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Dadara worked on Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia, a border control
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
to enter your own Dreams, which could be experienced in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
before crossing borders itself, after which it was resurrected at the Lowlands Festival and destroyed in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in an old swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, where the walls between dreams and reality were smashed with chainsaws and sledgehammers twenty years after the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
came crumbling down.
Exchanghibition Bank and Pool of Plenty
In 2010, Dadara started working on the Pool of Plenty project: a pool filled with millions of money bills, bundled in stacks. A closer look at the pool will reveal that the bills in the pool are not real money, but pieces of aesthetically pleasing art. The pool will be protected by security guards so not one of the bills can be removed. Visitors who do want a bill though, can buy or rather exchange one at a bank initiated by Dadara - the Exchanghibition bank. This bank will take form as a traveling exchange booth. Amsterdam Central Station and Paradiso are two of the pop-up locations. The project links to a dedicated blog about the value of art and money.September 2011 the Exchanghibition Bank travelled to the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, based on a gift economy, where money doesn't exist, and gifted people a zero banknote in exchange for the signing of a Spiritual Karma Laundering Contract.