{{Short description|Dutch conceptual artist and designer}} {{Infobox artist | name = Diddo | birth_name = Diddo Velema | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|7|7|df=y}} | birth_place = The Hague, The Netherlands | known_for = Conceptual art, Design | works = ''High Fashion Protection''<br />''The Cure for Greed''<br/>''Ecce Animal'' | website = {{URL|https://diddo.art/}} }} thumb|''High Fashion Protection'': M-95 Military graded NBC Mask & Scott Promask Mask. Mixed materials thumb|''The Cure for Greed'': Injection kit in mahogany wooden box featuring a 24 karat gold plated syringe and vial with a 5 ml dose of dollar ink recovered from approximately $10,000 in US currency. Dimension: 25 × 14 × 7.5 cm thumb|''Ecce Animal'': Compression molded Skull made from street sourced Cocaine and Gelatin. Commissioned piece. Dimension 12 × 18 × 22 cm thumb|''In Anxiety We Trust'', a series of Rorschach cards made with donated human blood (SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated and unvaccinated)
'''Diddo''' is the artist name of "Diddo Velema" (born 7 July 1977). He is a Dutch conceptual artist and designer.
Diddo is not part of a movement, although the media <ref name="rtl">{{cite news|url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/opmerkelijk/artikel/2366611/nederlandse-kunstenaar-trekt-aandacht-met-cocaine-schedel|publisher=RTL Nieuws|title=Nederlandse kunstenaar trekt aandacht met cocaïne-schedel|access-date=2021-05-11}}</ref><ref name="huffpost">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cocaine-skull_n_3983622|publisher=HuffPost|title=Artist Creates A Life-Size Human Skull Made Entirely Of Cocaine|access-date=2021-05-03}}</ref><ref name="cnn">{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/art-and-drugs/index.html|publisher=CNN|title=The long trip: A potted guide to art and drugs|author=Thomas Page|access-date=2021-05-24}}</ref> have compared his work "Ecce Animal" to the works of Damien Hirst and the other Young British Artists (YBA).<ref name="huffpost" />
== Biography == Diddo Velema studied Media Design at the Utrecht School of the Arts and obtained his MA degree in Media Design from the University of Portsmouth in 2001. He works in Amsterdam.
== Themes == Diddo draws inspiration from human behaviour. Exploring space between what we think and what we allow others to think for us. His work is an attempt to define the boundary between perception and reality, and the process that turns image into icon. Personal crises are a source of inspiration, even more than major political issues.<ref name="independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/dutch-artist-diddo-sculpts-life-size-human-skull-cocaine-9077412.html|publisher=Independent|title=Dutch artist Diddo sculpts life-size human skull from cocaine|author=Jess Denham|access-date=2021-06-10}}</ref>
== Works (selection) ==
=== High Fashion Protection === In 2008, Diddo published photos of a series of gas masks purportedly designed in collaboration with brands such as Gucci and Vuitton. In reality, it was an art project with which he aimed to connect fear and consumer culture. The artist clarifies that we are in a state of perpetual war - with ourselves and with the ecosystem that sustains us. The series consists of a "Scott Promask" mask and two variants of the 'M-95 Military NBC' mask. Although not an actual product, it was considered a logical fashion product by website commentators.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/gucci-gasmasker-tegen-de-consumptiecultuur~b94e9d6f/|publisher=Volkskrant|title='Gucci-gasmasker' tegen de consumptiecultuur|author=Merlijn Schoonenboom|access-date=2021-06-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/gas-masks-for-a-beverly-hills-apocalypse/|publisher=CNET|title=Gas masks for a Beverly Hills apocalypse|author=Mike Yamamoto |access-date=2021-06-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Collaborations aren't always a good idea|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/collaborations-arent-always-a-good-idea-58477f0be83fb502a461e391/|author=Jamie Clifton|publisher=VICE|access-date=2021-05-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.clarin.com/si/conozco-mascarita_0_HJ4VktdnwQl.html|publisher=Clarín|title=Te conozco, mascarita|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/tech/artikel/4093681/louis-vuitton-denkt-ook-aan-rampen|publisher=RTL Nieuws|title=Louis Vuitton denkt ook aan rampen|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref>
=== Project Womb === In 2011, Diddo presented his ''Project Womb'', a re-imagined coffin in the shape of a womb. Media storage within the coffin (and connected to the cloud) allows the deceased to save and pass on their memories. The work questions the boundaries of life and points out how technological advancements are extending our ability to effect the world after our deaths.<ref>{{cite web|title=Project Womb combines technology and birth at death|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/31/project-womb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010161223/https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/31/project-womb|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-10-10|author=Katie Scott|publisher=Wired|access-date=2021-06-14}}</ref>
=== The Cure for Greed === In 2012, he published an art object consisting of a 24-karat gold-plated syringe accompanied by a vial filled with ink extracted from currency. For the vial of ink, 10,000 dollars' worth of 50 dollar bills were ground and chemically processed. In an accompanying video,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cure for Greed - Making of|url=https://vimeo.com/47717259|author=Diddo|access-date=2021-06-11}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> the artist states that he wants to start a dialogue with the object about all aspects of greed. He wonders what greed is, where it comes from, and how it shapes our personal and cultural values—and thus our future as a species.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/diddos-the-cure-for-greed-2012-10|publisher=Business Insider|title=A Dutch Artist Has Come With A Creative 'Cure For Greed'|author= Megan Willett-Wei|access-date=2021-06-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://gizmodo.com/this-re-stabilized-pure-dollar-ink-is-literally-the-mos-5945444|publisher=Gizmodo|title=This Re-Stabilized Pure Dollar-Ink Is Literally the Most Beautiful Waste of Money You'll Ever See|author=Molly Oswaks|access-date=2021-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.frizzifrizzi.it/2012/09/17/diddo-e-la-cura-contro-lavidita/|publisher=Frizzifrizzi|title=Diddo e la cura contro l'avidità|author=Simone Sbarbati|access-date=2021-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Диддо лечит от жадности. Дорого, но эффектно|url=http://rollingstone.ru/articles/social/news/13563.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920005313/http://rollingstone.ru/articles/social/news/13563.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-20|author=РИЧАРД ДУБРОФСКИ|publisher=RollingStone|access-date=2021-06-15}}</ref>
=== Ecce Animal === In 2014, Diddo introduced ''Ecce Animal'' ('Behold the animal'), a skull made with cocaine. The title of the work refers to Ecce Homo ('Behold the man'). In a statement belonging to the art object, the artist asks what becomes of the animal instincts of humans when they are no longer needed in today's society. The conflict between civilization and our animal instincts, according to the artist, is a tension between opposing forces that is alleviated by many with the use of drugs.<ref name="numode">{{cite web|title=Arena for thought|url=https://www.thenujournal.com/arena-for-thought|author=Alexandra Stevens|publisher=Nu-Mode|access-date=2021-05-25}}</ref> For the artwork, Diddo collected cocaine from street dealers and then had it tested for purity in a laboratory. The artwork sparked outrage from people who believe that an object made of drugs should not be called art.<ref name="rtl" /><ref name="huffpost" /><ref name="cnn" /><ref name="numode" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/susannahbreslin/2015/06/21/drugs-in-art/|author=Susannah Breslin|work=Forbes|title=A Piece Of Art Made Of Crack Vials Says A Lot About America|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20130926/54388064097/esculpe-craneo-cocaina-reflexion.html|publisher=La Vanguardia|title=Un artista holandés esculpe un cráneo en cocaína para invitar a la reflexión|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2013-09-26/asi-pierde-el-arte-la-cabeza-por-la-cocaina_33054/|publisher=El Confidencial|title=Así pierde el arte la cabeza por la cocaína|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.elespectador.com/actualidad/artista-holandes-esculpe-craneo-humano-hecho-de-cocaina-article-470567/|publisher=El Espectador|title=Artista holandés esculpe cráneo humano hecho de cocaína|access-date=2021-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.elcolombiano.com/historico/artista_holandes_esculpio_un_craneo_en_cocaina_para_invitar_a_la_reflexion-EYEC_262240|publisher=El Colombiano|title=Artista holandés esculpió un cráneo en cocaína para invitar a la reflexión|access-date=2021-05-24}}</ref>
=== In Anxiety we Trust === In 2022, he presented: ''In Anxiety we Trust'', a series of Rorschach cards made with donated human blood (SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated and unvaccinated). Like the Rorschach test, the work invites the viewer to explore their perceptions and projections. The artist questions whether in times of chaos and uncertainty, it is still possible to make informed and rational decisions when exposed to a high volume of information, misinformation and disinformation. He argues that when we are unable to rely on our decision making, we become anxious. And that this would eventually result in a choice between living in ignorance or in a constant state of anxiety. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://schoenhaesslich.de/designart/ein-blutbild-der-besonderen-art-in-anxiety-we-trust-von-diddo/|publisher=Schoenhaesslich|title=Ein Blutbild der besonderen Art – "In Anxiety we Trust" von Diddo|access-date=2022-08-15}}</ref>
== Exhibitions == His work has been exhibited at Guy Hepner gallery in New York and the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guyhepner.com/product/cure-greed-diddo/|publisher=Guy Hepner|title=The Cure For Greed By Diddo|access-date=2021-06-16}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://diddo.art/ Official Diddo Website] * {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Dutch conceptual artists Category:Dutch designers Category:Living people Category:21st-century male artists Category:Alumni of the University of Portsmouth Category:1977 births