A square with a long history, equality should also be a top priority in China, but the flag presented for the first time on this square in 1949 already gives some indication of how things are: The five stars symbolize the Chinese communist party ( big star) and the four social classes (the workers, the peasants, the petty bourgeoisie and the patriotic entrepreneurs).

The most famous photo of the square is of course of the man with his two shopping bags who prevent a number of tanks from leaving the square, which had been roughly cleared a few days earlier. The hundreds to thousands of deaths have disappeared from China's history books.

Now China is a hypermodern country with all power in one party.

What will happen in the coming years remains a question mark that casts a shadow worldwide.

The history of Dedemsvaart: “A wealthy Baron sets up a project that is partly aimed at helping poor people. In practice, there is of course a considerable difference between the people who divide the land and make a profit from it (the peat farmers) and the people who scoop the lime from the hot ovens, cut the sods or dig the canals.”

DNA KUNSTEXPEDITIE

A work of art worth 7.5 billion on the station square in Rotterdam. Wim van der Vorm, an imaginary philanthropist, from the "Gouden Bergen" Foundation donates his entire private property to make this pure gold work possible! 440 blocks of gold measuring 25x25x25cm. It is a temporary project (due to security costs). Afterwards, the various blocks are donated to charities in Rotterdam. Wim also talks to everyone standiing on the artwork about equality and inequality.

In 2023, the royal family came to Rotterdam to celebrate the king's birthday and his tenth anniversary. I have a bit of mixed feelings about that. That's why I made this version of equal distance and placed it next to Zadkine's statue. It has become a playful interactive version. Do you put Maxima higher than the king? Or should they both be downstairs? And would you rather stand high or low? There is always more than one side to a story!

Inequality is a many-headed dragon.

It's not just about gender, skin color or orientation. Also about rich and poor, young and old, highly or poorly educated, powerful or not, do you have a network? This version at the van Nelle factory was specially made for ArtRotterdam:

“As an outsider, Rotterdam artist Jeroen Hoogstraten placed this work next to the van Nelle factory during ArtRotterdam. It is part of a global series of Panoramas about equality and inequality. The pedestal itself makes it possible to stand at exactly the same distance from each other. In this version the spot is occupied by the same statue four times. This creates a tension of possible meanings. It has been given the working title 'Coffee, tea, bronze and gold' and asks questions about the value of raw materials, art and people, but especially about equality and inequality. What determines that you are part of the art world as a visitor, artist or gallery owner and that you are not in De Schie prison across the canal?"

At Equall Distance at the United Nations

An exhibition on the square in front of the UN headquarters in New York! The United Nations was founded on the idea that all countries together could solve most problems. In practice, of course, it is often a country's self-interest that is decisive and often delays or blocks the necessary decisions.