AUCTION - BUY OR BURN
On March 29, 2025, at 6:30 PM, BUY OR BURN: Relics of the
Future will take place in the Brutus Garden. This spectacular
event, part of Rotterdam Art Week, merges art, performance, and
critical discourse in a radical reinvention of the traditional
auction format. Loes Luca will act as the auctioneer. BUY OR
BURN challenges the conventional value judgments of the art
world.
My participation in the Buy or Burn auction is a statement. In this auction, artworks are either sold or burned—a ruthless boundary between recognition and destruction. This mechanism reminds me of the medieval witch burnings, where women were condemned and erased, often simply for deviating from the norm.
My work, a self-portrait, directly engages with this theme. The self-portrait as an image of female identity has historically been shaped by the male gaze, expectations, and censorship. Women who claimed their bodies or sexuality were seen as dangerous. This hasn’t changed—female bodies are still suppressed, sexualized, and censored.
By placing my own image in this auction, I ask: who determines the value of a woman? As an artist, am I worthy of being ‘bought,’ or will my expression, like the witches of the past, be ritually burned? This project confronts the constant threat of exclusion and destruction—a modern-day witch burning, where art and identity are at stake.
Buy me or burn me!
BUY OR BURN is not just an auction. It is a bold, conceptual confrontation with our ideas about preservation, value, and cultural heritage. In a world where art is often seen as an investment object, this event calls on the public to actively engage with the future of art. Unsold artworks will be dramatically destroyed before the audience’s eyes, posing the central question: What is art worth, and who decides? Relics of the Future offers a profound reflection on contemporary art and culture, allowing the audience to determine which works become the relics of the future. The boundary between art and theater blurs, as visitors gain the power to choose: which works will be given a new life and a place in art history, and which will disappear
forever in flames?
This unique event, which explores the dynamics of art and its future value, promises to be an unforgettable experience. The purchased artworks have the potential to become icons of our time, perhaps even earning a place in major museums worldwide.
We warmly invite everyone to participate online in this historic event that will shape the future of art. Don’t miss BUY OR BURN: Relics of the Future—an evening that will forever change the way we understand art.
BUY OR BURN: Relics of the Future
Hosted by ODISSI and Brutus during Rotterdam Art Week 2025
Location: Brutus Garden, Keileweg 18
Event Date: March 29, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
The auctioned artworks will be displayed at Brutus (Keileweg 10b) on March 27, 28,
and 29.
LIVE AUCTION – By Invitation Only
Public Online Auction Available (Link to online auction)
Following the event: Operator x Brutus RAW Afterparty starts at 9:00 PM (Ticket link available)
Participating Artists:Eleye Boerenkamps, Felix Burger, Harmke Datema-Chang, Daniel Martin, Jaco Schilp, Hester Scheurwater, Anouk Kruithof, Leonardo Morales, Olaf Mooij, Munir de Vries, Ricardo Saga, Ronald Westerhuis, Gert Wessels, Joep van Lieshout, Judas Companion, DP, and
more.
