The Fen-fire

Erik van Lieshout returns to his birthplace: a former peat harvesting region known as the Deurnese Peel, now a nature reserve in the province of North Brabant in the southwest of the Netherlands. The internationally renowned artist spent 8 months in the area, supported by the nearby Het Noordbrabants Museum. He created installations that reflect on the history, present and future of the Brabant countryside.

The poor soils around Deurne are the setting for issues that are also hot topics in Dutch national politics: intensive livestock farming, nitrate pollution, immigration, housing shortages, agricultural odor nuisance, nature conservation. Van Lieshout strides across farms with childlike enthusiasm and talks to local residents. With his open questions, he addresses numerous topical issues and sore points. Surprisingly enough, no one seems to get angry with him and his playful jabs.

Van Lieshout navigates smoothly between struggling farmers, concerned citizens and the occasional big earner. And then there is the vet who intends to breed rabbits to extract serums against snakebites. In the Van Lieshout universe, everything serves as artistic inspiration, resulting in sand carpets, egg chains or a giant rabbit made of hay.