Rooted in the Deep, 2024
Part of the exhibition Deep Watering at Broedplaats Baggerbeest
Organised by artist collective Please Ground

Artist Rik Dijkhuizen created a new, site-specific performative installation in an open field near Broedplaats Baggerbeest in Amsterdam, as part of the exhibition Deep Watering, organised by the artist collective Pleasure Ground on 28 September 2024. Titled Rooted in the Deep, the work explores humanity’s reconnection with the hidden forces that sustain life, merging philosophical, ecological, and phenomenological perspectives. Inspired by several historical and literary sources, including Nietzsche’s meditations on nature, Astrida Neimanis’s work on water, embodiment, and ecological interconnectedness, and Silvia Federici’s critique of capitalist alienation, the installation underscores the concept of being ‘rooted in the deep’ — both within the natural world and the often overlooked aspects of human existence.

Rooted in the Deep
Set within a sculpted garden featuring a deep pond, gravel and dense foliage, root-like medical tubes weave through the landscape, forming a network that sustains the watery ecosystem of the installation. In this otherworldly place between reality and fiction, the artist staged a performance where he, embodying a plant-like figure, reconnects with nature, seeking solace and nourishment from the waters in the deep — thus becoming part of the landscape once again.

The installation unearths the often-hidden narratives of how modern life has uprooted us from our natural state, despite how deeply connected we are to the landscapes we inhabit. The exposed medical tubes serve as a metaphor for the unseen forces that bind all living things as interconnected bodies of water, relying on each other to thrive. As the artist remains motionless for over an hour, he encourages viewers to reflect on how the loss of collective embodiment and belonging continues to erode our fragile well-being. The immersive experience is further enriched by a soundscape created by Hugo Boccara, echoing the resonant sounds of subterranean waters and deepening the sense of fluid interconnectedness.