Artist Profile Marcel Dirkes

Dirkes’s elegant, e-paper crownwork reframes authority for the algorithmic age.

Artist Statement

For millennia, kings and queens have ruled under the symbol of the crown. Crafted from rare and precious materials inaccessible to ordinary people, the extravagance of a crown aims to show the divide between ruler and subject, making its wearer’s power visible. A crown is not an ornament—it is a declaration of authority, overseeing the claim of new territories and symbolizing dominion over lands far and wide.

Today, the conquest of land has shifted to a new frontier: the digital domain. Corporations now claim vast territories in social media, navigation, and retail. These modern rulers—self-crowned kings and queens of the digital age—wield their power not over physical landscapes but over virtual spaces.

This new digital sovereignty extends into my own life. Where I once had a choice in how I engaged with friends, family, and colleagues, I now find myself navigating a digital kingdom—one that shapes the most important aspects of my daily existence.

In response to this era of digital rule, I have created regalia fit for these contemporary monarchs. These crowns are crafted from electronic paper—a material that serves as both symbol and warning. In the digital realm, power is fleeting; a single update, a momentary glitch, or an algorithm change can erase entire empires. These screens can go dark at any time, leaving only an empty silhouette of authority—a stark reminder that digital power can vanish as quickly as it appeared.

Artist Biography

Marcel Dirkes is a Paris-based multidisciplinary artist recognized for his semi-figurative paintings of cities around the world and his innovative sculptures crafted from electronic paper. Drawn to rhythm and repetition, Dirkes finds inspiration in the patterns of metropolitan architecture and the synchronized choreography of city sidewalks, where people move to the cadence of an unspoken routine. His work explores how identities are shaped by these structures and the often-unseen expectations to which we unconsciously conform. Dirkes invites viewers to consider the moments when these expectations loosen, allowing freedom and individuality to emerge.

Born in 1982 in The Netherlands, Dirkes studied medicine at Leiden University before working in the technology sector. Ultimately, he decided to end his career and further develop his practice in painting and sculpture. Now based in Paris, he exhibits his work in both Amsterdam and Paris.