ABOUT ARTIST:

Niek Verschoor lives in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and works both as a visual artist and a tutor at the Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam. He is founder of the special army group 11Dutch Airborne Art Rangers (11DAAR), a unique part of the 11Air Assault Brigade of the Dutch Defence Forces.

“Strategic interventions and visual statements on ‘violence’ and ‘threat of violence’ are the main objectives of my projects.

The establishment of a special army unit, the Dutch Airborne Art Rangers (DAAR), in 2004, was the start of my unique collaboration with the 11th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Netherlands.

Since then, raising awareness for the protection of art and artists and the preservation of cultural property in conflict zones is my major goal.

Therefor in 2009, I worked in Uruzgan, Afghanistan and in 2014 the Raw Art Fair in Rotterdam was safeguarded by a platoon Marines. Later in 2017 a museum director and an army general both signed a treaty with the intention to protect and safeguard art and artists in warzones worldwide.”

SUBMISSION: (Last) Bullet

(Last) Bullet is a monument.

(Last) Bullet is a small yet essential monument, founded in commemoration of all the known and unknown victims of violence all over our globe.

In placing this last fired bullet on the face of the moon as a token of faith and hope, we, inhabitants of our planet, strongly emphasize the intention not to export our acts of violence to other planets.

Unfortunately the human kind cannot be trusted blindly, so the (Last) Bullet is accompanied by the Artist’s Watchful Eye to keep checking the fragile balance between good and evil.

The (Last) Bullet is a 7,62 mm Mil-Spec bullet. The jacket is torn, the core is removed and replaced by the Artist’s Watchful Eye. Engraved at the end cap is the text: Last Bullet.