Sigrid van Essen

Living together, in biology they call it symbiosis, and in politics, society, but I prefer to say “living together”, because it sounds less complicated. In the world we’ve all created together, quite a lot of things have become complicated. So complicated that something like “news in simple language” now exists. I think the news should always be in simple language, and I feel the same about politics and philosophy.

When it comes to matters that affect everyone, like politics or living together, it is important that anyone who wants to can join the conversation. I don’t always manage to join. Politics often uses complex words, along with rules and systems discussed as if everyone understands them. And yet it is politics that shapes how we live together, or so I thought… It certainly does when it comes to laws and regulations, but I’ve learned from others that living together is also shaped by everything we coexist with.

In my practice, I see living together as the act of giving or receiving something from another and that could be a cake, but also a compliment.

I want living together to look kind, kinder than it does now at least. I like to imagine neighbours greeting and helping each other, eating food grown without poisons that kills animals, everyone knowing how to say sorry and how to bake pancakes, and meeting your great love in real life rather than on a dating app.

As you can hear, I am hopeful, because I believe this is all possible. In fact, I want to show you that this kind way of living together can truly exist by showing multiple examples through all the works I make.