TUINVERHALEN (2004) (Garden Stories) Documentary produced by Pieter van Huystee Film / NPS

Biography

Boris Gerrets was educated at the Arts Academy of Dusseldorf and at the Atelier International de Theatre in Paris. He has a background in visual arts, dance and theatre. He was co-founder of Cloud Chamber Interdisciplinary Dance Company in Amsterdam. Presently, he mainly works as an editor and film director. His latest film is DROOMRIJDERS, a portrait of the life at the Dutch highway.

Boris Gerrets, Voltairean Bulgarian, was born in 1948 in Europe among the rubble of WW2. Tried miscellaneous identities and finally embraced the idea of continuous mutation. He became known for having coined the phrase: 'If you look at anything long enough it will become meaningful. 'Not surprisingly, he developed an eclectic curiosity. With almost scientific fervour he consecutively tried: walking, drawing, political activism, performing, dance, acting, business, film, and some other things in different, more or less subservient capacities and with various degrees of success. Hopelessly romantic, he appreciates the myths and attitudes proposed by the art world although he remains suspicious regarding ideas such as the artist as hero, visionary, bohemian, dandy, collective consciousness, anarchist, spiritual healer, alternative lifestyle and other marketing strategies.

Since 1979 Gerrets has been actively exploring various forms of interaction between visual and performing arts in collaboration with his partner Desiree Delauney, a French dancer and choreographer. In 1983 they moved to Amsterdam where they founded the Bilski Algemeen Foundation. The organisation served as a platform for individual and collaborative works including American composer Jose-Luis Greco.