Daan Couzijn

Daan Couzijn
(°1994, NL)

Central to Daan Couzijn's artistic practice is the romantic desire for - and the questioning of - authenticity. Although his creative process exists mostly in the digital realm, the outcome often results in physical, artisanal forms. He draws inspiration from a range of sources, including philosophy, literature and visual culture. In doing so, Couzijn doesn't regard the artwork as an end point, but as a simple moment in an infinite network of contributions. He believes that every idea, every creation, is a combined effort of everything we've ever witnessed and experienced and refuses any form of "source-hypocrisy", embracing all ideas as second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources.

The series ‘Thinking Of Holland’ is a re-interpretation of the famous 17-18th century landscape paintings, created by an AI and machine learning which he programmed himself. Afterwards the results are painted by forger/copyist specialised in recreating (fake) historical landscapes.

The wooden sculptures are the result of different digital techniques based on traditional Dutch and Flemish craftsmanship and classical often religious iconography. By using elements that allude to the palpable absence of a divine entity, Couzijn retains the ornamental beauty and symbolism of traditional religious art, without depicting it directly.

Daan Couzijn has had a solo show titled “Holier Than Thou” (2023) at Rozenstraat - a rose is a rose is a rose in Amsterdam and has participated in several group shows like “BYOB” (2019) at Upstream Gallery, Amsterdam, and also showcased in the “Prospects” section during ArtRotterdam (2023)