As a child, Dirk Hardy (1989, Boxtel, The Netherlands) dreamed of becoming an architect — to design places and spaces for people to inhabit. He studied Architecture at the Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands) and in 2010 turned to Photography at the Willem de Kooning Academy (The Netherlands). In 2013 he interned in New York and afterwards returned for several short visits. It is clear that this city influenced his work, if only for the U.S. power sockets he once bought at Home Depot on 23rd street, which are now part of Vivarium, Episode 6, On Guard.
Hardy creates meticulously constructed and socially engaged tableaux that shine light on human existence. He explores the complexity of life in an idiosyncratic and empathic way. Hardy: “Stories help us understand other perspectives. By welcoming the viewer to a multitude of worlds I aim to increase our ability to connect and coexist.”
Hardy lives and works in The Hague (The Netherlands). His ongoing project Vivarium has been exhibited at various venues in Europe. Recent exhibitions include UNSEEN, Amsterdam (2023) and Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam (2022). Hardy’s work is part of various (private) collections, including the AkzoNobel Art Collection (The Netherlands).
Vivarium is a series of constructed dioramas by Dutch artist Dirk Hardy. For each Episode, Hardy meticulously designs, crafts and photographs a new world in his studio, creating meaningful narratives around topics like racial profiling, gender roles, modern working conditions and more.
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