Puck Verkade: Breeder

Dürst Britt & Mayhew is proud to present Puck Verkade ’s first solo exhibition at the gallery. A sculptural video installation is piercing the entire space, drawing from Verkade’s research into how social control informs the framing of our lives and the stories that instruct our bodies and construct our identities. The installation comprises a selection of recent work that resonates with thoughts and struggles concerning social, feminist and political issues.

‘Frame or be framed’ is a deep-rooted motif in Verkade’s current practice as an inquiry into the complexities of (mis)representation. How do these complexities inform gendered and racialised biases in everyday interpersonal encounters? How are they mediated and visualised in order to perpetuate social inequalities? Digging through generational layers of visual culture tropes has led Verkade to use humor and irony as an entry into the stickiness of subjectivity. By creating speculative constructions composed of re-appropriated found footage, sampled pop music, low res animations and personal recordings, she aims to interrogate the manipulative power structures inherent in using the lens as a medium.

Formerly predominantly screen based, Verkade’s recent body of work is unfolding into a diverse materiality of sorts and has made way for sculptural elements to support and situate her video works as part of space-intrusive installations. Privacy screen-like latex sculptures and blown-up word necklaces are dotted throughout the space, adding another layer to Verkade’s exploration of identity politics.

Puck Verkade (1987) received her BFA from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and recently completed an MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, London. Her work has been shown at various venues, such as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Museum Hilversum, Showroom MAMA in Rotterdam, Gasworks and SUNDAY in London, and LOOP in Barcelona. Work by Verkade is held in private and public collections, including the AKZO Nobel Art Foundation in Amsterdam. She lives and works in London, where she has been selected as a resident artist at Sarabande The Lee Alexander McQueen Foundation for 2017-2018.

This exhibition has been made possible with the kind support of Stroom Den Haag, Stichting Stokroos and Fonds Kwadraat.