Maarten Bel

Artist Maarten Bel came out of an egg in 1987. Since then he has loved animals and questions the status quo by imitating plants and sucking bagpipes. (Did you know that piping used to mean playing the flute?)

Maarten alienates his audience by addressing heavy themes in a humorous way, often drawing inspiration from everyday events. In his world, the Smurfs are melting due to climate change, the cleaning up of rubbish becomes a more fanatical game than Monopoly, and there is few as sexy as an embroiderer. It also sometimes happens that Maarten involves his audience in his work. Then people look very difficult at first and then they really like it. Nine out of ten dentists agree: Maarten Bel gives you a headbutt after which you feel reborn.