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Draft:Idiots (Art Duo)

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  • Comment: Entry is written in an informal, anecdotal tone - creator has a COI, which may be the reason for it not complying with NPOV. Way too many photos, WP is not a web host. Netherzone (talk) 22:27, 17 June 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: Entire paragraphs of this have no citations. All unsourced information should be either cited or removed. -- NotCharizard 🗨 10:23, 16 June 2025 (UTC)

Idiots is the artistic collaboration between Dutch artists Afke Golsteijn (Amsterdam, 1975) and Floris Bakker (Amsterdam, 1975), founded in 2006. The duo combines taxidermy with materials such as glass, textiles, wrought iron, embroidery, and pearls, exploring themes of life, death, beauty, and transience. Their work, balancing between reality and fantasy, is exhibited internationally in galleries, museums, and private collections.

Biography

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Afke and Floris at Museum Flehite in Amersfoort

Afke Golsteijn, Floris Bakker, and Ruben Taneja knew each other through their early interest in creating art with dead, stuffed animals. In 1997, Golsteijn and Taneja appeared on television in episode 10 of the art and culture segment *Schepperdeschep*.[1] on Villa Achterwerk, transforming a stuffed flamingo into a colorful peacock in bridal attire using colorful tulle. Following this, Golsteijn and Taneja studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie[2]. Their work with taxidermy, inspired by fables and mythological events, led to pieces like the sleeping hare with back number 13, known as "Sleeping Hare" or "Self-portrait"(showed in the gallery below Taxidermy and Sculptures), depicting the hare from Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare[3]. Taneja later pursued a solo career, and Golsteijn and Bakker formed the duo Idiots in 2006.

Work and Themes

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Taxidermy and Sculptures

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Artwork "Ophelia," exhibited in the Idiots section at the National Museum of Oslo, Norway.

The work of Idiots is characterized by the use of dead animals, crafted into art objects that explore beauty and decay[4]. Their sculptures and installations combine taxidermy with artisanal techniques such as glassblowing, blacksmithing, and embroidery, often described as emotionally evocative[5]. Their magical-realist style, blending taxidermy with materials like clay, silk, and glass, creates narratives that both attract and alienate[6]. A key work is "Ophelia" (2005), a lion dissolving into gold, symbolizing the transience of beauty and wealth, part of the collection at the National Museum of Architecture and Design in Oslo (object number NMK.2006.0077). The work is discussed in Steven Connor’s essay "Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On", exploring the boundary between matter and imagination[7][8]. "In Gold We Trust", a golden cage with a bleeding bird, reflects societal contrasts like wealth and destruction, drawing inspiration from the phrase "In God We Trust" and the controversy stirred by the reality series "The Golden Cage", which divided the Dutch public and was featured on the cover of the VPRO Gids[9][10]. The work also alludes to the myth of King Midas, who wished for the golden touch—a curse that turned even food to gold, leading to his downfall[11]. In "No Title, No Status" (2007), a calf emerges from a carpet of cowhides, critiquing the destructive exploitation of animal bodies[12]. "Don’t Worry, We’ll Straighten Him Out!" (2009) features a skunk on an ironing board, referencing Max Ernst’s surrealist collage principles and Steve Baker’s concept of “botched taxidermy,” questioning the artificial reality of human-animal relationships[13]

Jewelry

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In the booklet Looking at Jewelry[14], Jeroen Redel describes Golsteijn as one of the pioneers of creating jewelry with stuffed animals. He compares the approach to the nineteenth-century fashion world, where hats were adorned with stuffed birds and fur was common among the wealthy. The animals Golsteijn uses all lived and were found dead, either in an aviary or under power lines where they collided with the wires. Each animal has a story. Redel also notes that the purpose of these jewelry pieces differs from the past. While they were once trophies decorating the wearer, here the animal itself is also adorned. The animal lives on, albeit dead, with honor. Art historian Van Lieverloo experiences the touch of the feathers in these jewelry pieces as a return to one’s imagination. She finds they possess an emotional depth that tells an intimate story of life and loss[15]. Several are depicted in the gallery below. Golsteijn is regularly invited to exhibit at international fairs, museums, and exhibitions such as MIDORA Leipzig, the Wereldmuseum (formerly Museum of Ethnology) in Leiden, and renowned galleries like Galerie Marzee in Nijmegen, Ornamentum in New York, and Museum MAD in New York. The primary support comes from Galerie Door, which organizes their exhibitions and hosts its own shows.

Plant Installations and Land Art

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In their studio at Het Domijn in Weesp, Golsteijn and Bakker work on sculptures and installations made from organic materials that grow and bloom in an ecological area. They consciously involve nature in their projects to show how structures—such as veins, branches, nerves, and blood vessels—are interconnected. Their plant installations can grow outdoors and continue living indoors as autonomous artworks. An example is Lungs (2022-2025), an installation of braided hemp plants forming a network of “veins,” symbolizing the interdependence of ecosystems. The work was exhibited in the Domijn sculpture garden and grew there for three seasons before being moved indoors. Similarly, Sacred Heart emerged, a sculpture of the same material depicting the plant as a human figure. The roots became the head, and the plant skeleton the body, allowing Sacred Heart to also be seen as the Holy Trinity.

Het Domijn itself, with its unique character, is ideal for land art. Golsteijn and Bakker connect art with environmental management by transforming a polluted landfill into a thriving ecosystem, demonstrating art’s potential to catalyze ecological restoration. The Adonis Gardens (Adonis is the god of fertility, death, and rebirth) originally refer to a concept from Greek and Phoenician mythology. In these sagas, these gardens were associated with rituals where women grew plants like lettuce, fennel, or barley in shallow pots or baskets. These plants grew quickly but wilted just as fast, symbolizing Adonis’s transient beauty and cyclical life. These rituals were particularly popular in the cult surrounding Aphrodite, Adonis’s beloved. The term “Adonis Garden” is sometimes used figuratively to describe an aesthetically pleasing or idyllic garden, inspired by the beauty and youth Adonis represents in mythology. However, there is no specific, physical location in the Netherlands officially known as “Adonis Gardens.” One might think of the gardens of Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, known for their baroque design and seasonal maintenance, though these are not directly called “Adonis Gardens.”

Paper and Drawings

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The duo has also dedicated themselves to works with paper and drawings, further developing their signature magical-realist style. Using delicate techniques like watercolor and collage, they explore themes of transience and nature. In October 2023, Idiots participated in the family exhibition *Art & Zoo*[16], held at Museum Flehite in Amersfoort to mark the 75th anniversary of DierenPark Amersfoort. This exhibition focused on the relationship between humans and animals. Idiots contributed with their work of colorful butterflies, folded into paper airplanes, symbolizing the careless treatment of nature, prompting the question of how thoughtfully we handle our environment. Several images of Idiots’ works from this exhibition are shown in the gallery below.

Exhibitions

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Idiots has exhibited worldwide, including:

2024: Paperwork and Snakepits (solo), Galerie Door, Mariaheide, Netherlands (11 July - 31 October)[17][18]

2024: Voor de Vlam, National Glass Museum, Leerdam, Netherlands[19]

2023: Art & Zoo, Museum Flehite, Amersfoort, Netherlands[20]

2022: Butterflies and Hurricanes, Galerie Door, Mariaheide, Netherlands[21]

2021: A New Order, A New Earth, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands[22]

2020: Nieuwe Verleidingen, CODA (Apeldoorn), Apeldoorn, Netherlands[23]

2020: Animalia, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands[24]

2020: Amazons (solo), Galerie Door, Mariaheide, Netherlands[25]

2019: Oversight Idiots (solo), Fabriekswinkel, Veghel, Netherlands[26]

2019: Nature First (solo), Art Kitchen, Amsterdam, Netherlands[27]

2018: Amazons (solo), Ornamentum Gallery, New York, USA[28]

2017: Jewelry - Makers & Wearers, Museum Volkenkunde, since 2023 Wereldmuseum Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands[29]

2017: The Beauty of the Beast, Kasteel d'Ursel, Antwerp, Belgium[30]

2016: Solo Show (solo), Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, Netherlands[31]

2015: Beauty of the Beast - Jewelry and Taxidermy, Museum Arnhem, Arnhem, Netherlands[32]

[33]

2015: I Wanna Be Your Dog, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany[34]

2014: Natural Beauty, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, USA[35]

2014: Late Harvest, Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, USA[36]

2013: Twente Biënnale, Roombeek, Enschede, Netherlands[37]

2012: Generaal Pardon #1: Taxidermia, Paraplufabriek, Nijmegen, Netherlands[38]

2012: Camouflage, Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland[39]

2010: Meat-ing Mens & Vlees, Perron 58, Tilburg, Netherlands (curator: Tineke Schuurmans)[40][41]

2009: Art Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands[42]

2009: De Aard van het Beest, CODA (Apeldoorn), Apeldoorn, Netherlands[43]

2007: SOFA Chicago, Chicago, USA[44]

2007: Bloedmooi, Natural History Museum, Rotterdam, Netherlands[45]

2006: The State of Things, Galleri 21:24, Oslo, Norway[46]

2005: Ophelia (collaboration with Ruben Taneja), various galleries[47]

2004: Open Borders, Lille, France (4 September - 28 November), work: Rabbit with Embroidered Ears[48][49]

A complete list is available on their official website[50]

Literature

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The work of Idiots has received attention in various media, including:

  • An article by Chiara Sartori in the Italian magazine *DROME* (ca. 2004), about the work *Swan with Human Heart of Glass*[51]
  • An article in the Russian magazine MAX Trend (February 2006), about the works Fake (bird on a branch with a wind-up key) and Sleeping Hare (lying rabbit with back number 13), highlighting Idiots’ international fame and mentioning their website (www.idiots.nl)[52]
  • The cover of the *VPRO Gids* (14-20 July 2007), featuring the work *In Gold We Trust* (a cage with a bird), with Idiots’ name mentioned on page 3 (table of contents)[53][54]
  • Exhibition catalog Gravity (2008), published by Gustavsbergs Konsthall, compiled by Mai Sandell, with a text on Idiots on pages 18–19[55][56]
  • The art book Taxidermy Art: A Rogue's Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself (2014), published by Artisan, with a story about Idiots on page 158, images of their artworks on pages 160–165, and an artwork with their name on page 240[57]
  • The art book Wonders are Collectible: Taxidermie: Verstilde Schoonheid (2016), published by Lannoo, with images and mentions of Idiots on pages 146–147[58]
  • "What You Encounter When Making Art from Dissected Lions," VICE, by Djanlissa Pringels, 12 July 2017. Accessed 8 June 2025 via [1]. (Archived via Wayback Machine: [2]).
  • The art book The Dark Book (2019), published by Cypi Press, with mentions of Idiots on pages 160–163[59]
  • The art book Birdland: Birds in Art (2025), published by 99 Uitgevers/Publishers, with a mention of Idiots on page 59[60]

Collections

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Public Collections -CODA (Apeldoorn), Apeldoorn, Netherlands (including a permanent exhibit of artwork Rain comes before the Sun, you can find in photo gallery under Taxidermy and Sculptures)[61] -Fonds National d’Art Contemporain (FNAC), Paris, France -AkzoNobel Art Collection, Netherlands -Museum Arnhem, Arnhem, Netherlands (including "Blue Parakeet," 2009, and "Stereo," 2009, headphones with two bird heads)[62][63] -National Museum of Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway (including Ophelia, object number NMK.2006.0077)[64] -De Nederlandsche Bank Art Collection, Amsterdam, Netherlands -Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke, Belgium -Museum Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland -Collection Vincent Bazin, Grenoble, France -Nike Collection, Netherlands -Flexa Collection, Netherlands -Auckland Museum, New Zealand[65] Private Collections -Worldwide, including Netherlands, Belgium, France, Kuwait, Austria, USA, UK, Italy, Singapore, Hungary, Switzerland, and London

References

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  1. ^ Schepperdeschep: Episode 10, Villa Achterwerk, VPRO, 1997. Accessed 5 June 2025 via Beeld en Geluid Wiki.
  2. ^ "CV". Idiots. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  3. ^ Marbury, Robert (2014). Taxidermy Art: A Rogue's Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself. Artisan. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-57965-558-7.
  4. ^ Marbury, Robert (2014). Taxidermy Art: A Rogue's Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself. Artisan. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-57965-558-7.
  5. ^ "Animalia - Collection of Splendor & Pastel". CODA Museum. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  6. ^ Karin van Lieverloo (2020-09-19). "Ode to Imagination" (PDF). Galerie Door. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  7. ^ Steven Connor. "Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On". Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  8. ^ "Ophelia". National Museum of Architecture and Design, Oslo. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  9. ^ "In Gold We Trust". VPRO Gids. VPRO: 3. 14–20 July 2007.
  10. ^ "Have You Heard - September 2024, Part 2". Art Jewelry Forum. 2024-09-16. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  11. ^ "Greek Myths". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  12. ^ Koch, Barbara; Wittkowski, Marco (2015). I Wanna Be Your Dog. Sprungturm Verlag. p. 6. ISBN 9783981699074.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Positionen zur Mensch-Tier-Beziehung in der aktuellen Kunst. Künstlerhaus Dortmund. 2015. pp. 30–33.
  14. ^ Redel, Jeroen. "Looking at Jewelry". Bibliotheek.nl. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  15. ^ Karin van Lieverloo (2020-09-19). "Ode to Imagination" (PDF). Galerie Door. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  16. ^ "Art & Zoo". Museum Flehite. 2023. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  17. ^ Doreen Timmers (2024-07-11). "Paperwork and Snakepits". Galerie Door. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  18. ^ "Have You Heard - September 2024, Part 2". Art Jewelry Forum. 2024-09-16. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  19. ^ Maja Houtman (2024-01-21). "Maja Houtman - National Glass Museum Leerdam". Hedendaagse sieraden. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  20. ^ "Art & Zoo". Museum Flehite. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  21. ^ Doreen Timmers (2022-02-24). "Butterflies and Hurricanes". Galerie Door. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  22. ^ "A New Order, A New Earth". Embassy of the North Sea. 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  23. ^ "New Temptations: Acquisitions of the Jewelry Collection". CODA Museum. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  24. ^ "Exhibitions Idiots". Idiots. 2020-11-15. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  25. ^ "Idiots". Galerie Door. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  26. ^ "Galerie Door presents Idiots at Fabriekswinkel Veghel". Galerie Door. 2019-05-03. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  27. ^ "NATURE First: Solo Exhibition by the IDIOTS". Art Kitchen Gallery. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  28. ^ "Idiots Present "Amazons" at Ornamentum". Dutch Culture USA. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  29. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2017-12-14). "Jewelry - Makers & Wearers". Hedendaagse sieraden. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  30. ^ "The Beauty of the Beast". Kasteel d'Ursel. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  31. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2017-03-21). "Idiots". Hedendaagse sieraden. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  32. ^ "Exhibition Museum Arnhem: Beauty of the Beast - Jewelry and Taxidermy". Arnhem Nieuws. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  33. ^ "Oracles du Design Press Kit" (PDF). Trendtablet. 2015-04-01. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  34. ^ "I Wanna Be Your Dog". Künstlerhaus Dortmund. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  35. ^ "Natural Beauty". ArtSlant. 2014-06-14. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  36. ^ Northrup, Joanne (2014). Late Harvest. et al. Hirmer. pp. 4, 46, 48, 49, 60, 61, 166. ISBN 978-3-7774-2350-0.
  37. ^ "Twente Biënnale 2013 Program". Twente Biënnale. 2013-05-23. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  38. ^ "Generaal Pardon #1: Taxidermia". Mediamatic. 2012-05-25. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  39. ^ "Camouflage". e-flux. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  40. ^ "Meating – Humans". Lost Painters. 2010-11-10. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  41. ^ "mEATing, Tineke Schuurmans". Geheugen van Tilburg. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  42. ^ "Afke Golsteijn & Floris Bakker aka Idiots and Art Amsterdam 09". A Shaded View on Fashion. 2009-05-26. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  43. ^ "The Nature of the Beast". CODA Museum. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  44. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2017-03-21). "Idiots". Hedendaagse sieraden. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  45. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2017-03-21). "Idiots". Hedendaagse sieraden. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  46. ^ "The State of Things". 05031979.net. 2006-07-05. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  47. ^ "Afke Golsteijn, Ruben Taneja and Floris Bakker". highlike. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  48. ^ "Open Borders". Exact Editions. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  49. ^ "Droog Design is." Design Week. 2004-09-09. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  50. ^ "Exhibitions Idiots". Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  51. ^ Sartori, Chiara (2004). "This must be designed by Idiots". DROME (in Italian).
  52. ^ Unknown (February 2006). "Дыхание Юга". MAX Trend (in Russian). Unknown: 28.
  53. ^ "In Gold We Trust". VPRO Gids. VPRO: 3. 14–20 July 2007.
  54. ^ "VPRO Gids Podcast". Spotify. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  55. ^ Sandell, Mai (2008). Gravity. Gustavsbergs Konsthall. pp. 18–19.
  56. ^ Northrup, Joanne (2014). Late Harvest. et al. Hirmer. pp. 4, 46, 48, 49, 60, 61, 166. ISBN 978-3-7774-2350-0.
  57. ^ Marbury, Robert (2014). Taxidermy Art: A Rogue's Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself. Artisan. pp. 158, 160–165, 240. ISBN 978-1-57965-558-7.
  58. ^ Lemaitre, J. (2016). Wonders are Collectible: Taxidermie: Verstilde Schoonheid. Lannoo. pp. 146–147. ISBN 9789401429696.
  59. ^ Chu, Kuang (2019). The Dark Book. Cypi Press. pp. 160–163. ISBN 978-1-908175-79-3.
  60. ^ Boerland, Riëlle (2025). Birdland: Birds in Art. 99 Uitgevers/Publishers. p. 59. ISBN 978-90-78670-71-1.
  61. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2019-03-14). "Idiots". Hedendaagse Sieraden. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  62. ^ "Collection". Museum Arnhem. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  63. ^ Esther Doornbusch (2019-11-05). "Anne-Karlijn van Kesteren". Hedendaagse Sieraden. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  64. ^ "Ophelia". National Museum of Architecture and Design, Oslo. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  65. ^ "Idiots". Auckland Museum. Archived from the original on 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
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Category:Handicrafts Category:Taxidermy Category:Jewellery designers Category:Art duos Category:Greek mythology in art