About the Artist

Video artist and self-proclaimed “nation’s first video artist/head gardener,” eddie d (b. 1963, Enschede, Netherlands) has set the standard for rhythmical video and video poetry. Transforming spoken language, facial expressions, and small gestures into carefully edited compositions, he constructs works where the everyday gains a sense of absurdity. Starting with simple television footage – often talking heads from Dutch media and politics – he remixes found material into poetic and critical visual experiences.

eddie d graduated from AKI Enschede (Media Art, 1991), and made his debut with the acclaimed Eddie D. Presents, a breakthrough in rhythmical video, also known as Videomusic. Working with photos, videotapes, and video/computer installations, he directs and edits all his films, combining found footage, self-shot video, and animated images into layered, collage-like compositions. His work deconstructs language, explores rhythm, and examines the interplay between image and sound, reflecting a DIY ethos and a persistent curiosity for the possibilities of media art.

eddie d is internationally recognised for his meticulous editing, inventive interactivity, and formal rigor. His work has been presented internationally, at ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany; the Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement in Geneva, Switzerland; and Switzerland, and at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) in Bucharest, Romania. He lives and works in rural Dunsborg, the Netherlands.

Highlighted Works: 10 Video Poems

eddie d's video poems are short, single-channel visual poems that remix everyday language and gestures into rhythmic, often hypnotic, and uncanny compositions, frequently using found footage or self-recorded video from Dutch media and politics.

Remixing and Deconstruction

Central to eddie d’s practice is the exploration of rhythm, language, and the musicality of everyday life. Through cut-up and remix techniques, he transforms gestures, sounds, objects, and images into poetic, absurd, and critically engaged compositions. Editing functions as a form of musical notation: repetitions, pauses, and cuts structure visual sequences into sonic and temporal experiences. Spoken words, TV clips, and ordinary sounds are reworked into new patterns, blending humour, social reflection, and subtle critique.

In his video compositions, editing becomes a musical act: repetitions, pauses, and cuts structure the flow like a score, turning visual sequences into sonic and temporal experiences. Spoken word, gestures, and everyday sounds are transformed into patterns that highlight the musicality inherent in ordinary life. Through cut-up techniques, he deconstructs language and imagery, remixing fragments into new contexts that mix humour, alienation, and social reflection and critique. This process not only reshapes familiar materials but also emphasises the fluidity and performativity of meaning, showing how technology and human perception continuously interact in his work.

Many works engage viewers directly, requiring audience participation to unlock temporal or spatial layers, emphasising the co-dependence of viewer and artwork in the creation of meaning. Political and social commentary is a recurring thread. For example, Pas de Deux satirises parliamentary debates, while Cuore and Accumulate critique mass media and societal behaviors, demonstrating how the familiar can be rendered strange and revealing. Across his oeuvre, humor, alienation, and formal rigour intersect, producing a distinctive voice in media art.

Retrospective at GoShort

The Dutch Go Short Festival and LI‑MA present an online programme making eddie d’s pioneering video works accessible to audiences year-round. Featuring a curated selection of his short videos, video poems, and interactive pieces, the programme, part of GoShort’s Filmmakers In Focus, highlights the artist’s innovative use of rhythm, language, and montage, offering a unique opportunity to explore his exploration of the everyday, the absurd, and the poetic in media art from anywhere in the world.

Header: eddie d, Pas de Deux (2007). In collection: LI-MA.