Mees Elias van Zanten 

Mees Elias van Zanten (he/they; 1995) is a multidisciplinary, self-taught artist with visual works previously presented in Berlin, Utrecht and Amsterdam. Their short film ”Overbevolking” was nominated during the Nederlands Poezie Film Festival and presented at Queer Currents Festival, and their most recent performance work ”I ain’t got time for self-disgust no more” has gained some attention in the club scene. Their practice mainly centers around social taboos, gender, sexuality, physicality and soft-activism. Through performances, confronting texts, and explicit visual art, Mees challenges the status quo and exposes the mechanisms of shame and taboo. Discomfort, for Mees, is not something to avoid — it’s a political tool. Only by facing it can we spark real conversations and push for collective liberation.

Mees Elias van Zanten
@mees.vanzanten