Interview: Herold Van Den Berg
Luca Curci talks with Herold Van Den Berg during THE BODY LANGUAGE 2021, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

Born in Breda and after living in Turnhout (B), London and Amsterdam I eventually settled in the artistic village Laren, well known for its former inhabitants like Anton Mauve, Albert Neuhuys, Piet Mondrian, William Singer Jr. I have a creative free spirit and I am a realistic dreamer with ambition, a strong preference for round shapes and with a social message. During my years of sculpting courses at the Gooise Academy in Laren NH, I discovered my own style and continue developing it. Art reflects the spirit of the times and holds up a mirror to us. It reflects what we are as a society. This raises questions: is this development desirable or not? My artworks arise from my interpretation of social developments and challenges and the desire to influence developments and directions. I like to contribute to the necessary social change through creation with the aim of reflection and awareness. A large part of the profit on my art is used for good and/or social purposes.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Herold Van Den Berg – My name is Herold van den Berg and I am a serial entrepreneur for which I led and manage fast-growing companies (so my background is international business). Since 2015 and after many severe sporting injuries, I have been sculpting at the Art Academy ‘Academie voor beeldende Kunsten’ in Laren NH. One day, after I finished my first sculpture ever (a torso in marble), I got a sales inquiry and a serious offer from an art collector. I did not sell it but from that moment I realized that my art was appreciated and so I invested more time in developing my skills. This was in 2016 and since then my sales went up very fast and from 2018 I am listed in New York, I got several assignments by private art collectors to create large bronze sculptures and my first assignment was finished in 2019.

LC – Which subject are you working on?
HVDB – I have many projects and subjects I work on. Besides working on a 3 meters high (115 inches) sculpture for a private art collector, most of my sculptures are inspired by social issues and current environmental topics.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
HVDB – The most challenging part is to create what you have in mind without continuously being inspired by the results so that it never finishes and the demands of the final result are shifting and challenging.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
HVDB – My favorite subject is ‘Mankind’ (human beings) and how they (groups) behave and react to certain developments and circumstances. But also, how things change over time and predicting the future by current events.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
HVDB – ‘My art is like real life: a journey, an adventure, a bit coarse and not always perfect’. It looks and feels like it is never finished.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How did it inspire you?
HVDB – The Body Language is exactly what my work is all about and most of my artworks are inspired by it and it symbolizes how I look at certain creations. Most of my works have a base in a human body mostly large exaggerated, oversized round curves.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
HVDB – Selfie 3: My golden ego and dark side is a concept I started based on the many selfies people make and post on different social media. It is a life-size artwork based on a real negative (plaster) of a female body in an assignment (selfie), what you see is the golden outside (ego) in iron rings and I used the official positive in black to represent the dark side of selfies, egoism and idealization. The evolutionary adaption of the juvenile brain: is inspired by the many kids and young people in general that constantly look at their smartphones and have no eye for the real surroundings, real life etc. They live their life online and reflect and look at the world through their handy. They are isolated and not living a real life.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event? Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
HVDB – It is very well organized and looks professional and has serious exposure and is located in very inspiring and influential environments and cities.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
HVDB – I think that for upcoming artists or less experienced artists you need to provide more information on what is expected and how things work out before the exhibition. Especially if artists have to plan and travel and need to know in advance what will happen and when.