Category Archives: defense

Denial // Ontkenning

15 Sunday Feb 2026

Posted by in art, Dada, Decay, defense, Greece, kunst, mental health, philosophy, photography, poetry, street photography

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I. NO

No, I won’t do this.

Your request surprises me / make my toes cramp in / my protective shoes.

No / when I’m asked / the other has the power / and I disappear in nothingness / earn no respect.

The choice is to leave the / power with the other or / a rejection which means / battle.

I. NEEN

Neen / ik doe het niet.

Uw vraag overvalt me / en ik voel mijn tenen / krampen in mijn / beveiligde schoenen.

Neen/ als ik wordt gevraagd / dan ligt de macht bij de ander / en ik verdwijn in nietigheid / verdien ik geen respect.

De keus is dan om / de macht bij de ander te laten / dan wel de afwijzing / en dat betekent / strijd.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

II. Ghost

No:

No, words / stay away / stay away a while.

AWAY!

I don’t need you / now.

Not just now.

Simply, silence / is what I wish/ and-no-more.

II. Geest

Neen:

neen, woorden / blijf maar weg / blijf maar even weg.

WEG!

Ik heb je nu niet / nodig.

Nu even niet.

Gewoon, stilte/ dat wil ik / en-verder-niets

(Photos by DM in Koukaki, Athens, Greece, October 26th, 2025

Text by DM, February 15th, 2026)

Under Threat // Onder Dreiging

25 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in abstract, art, assemblage, Dada, defense, kunst, philosophy, poetry, society

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A society defined by fences

And talking of violence

Shrinks to miniature.

Under Threat – I

Een samenleving bepaald door hekken

En door praten over geweld

Krimpt tot een miniatuur.

Under Threat – II

When stupidity is exposed

It may become explosive.

Under Threat – I (detail)

Als stompzinnigheid wordt blootgelegd

Kan het explosief worden.

Under Threat – II (detail)

Assemblage “Under Threat / Onder Dreiging”

(metal, wood, A1 gypsum, paint, stone, sand, 70x35x30 cm)

Text & photos (c) Drager Meurtant June 25, 2025

Systems of power

01 Tuesday Apr 2025

Posted by in art, creation, Dada, defense, graphics, History, mental health, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie, society

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Those in power know how to gain control:

First, intimidation is an effective means to suppress the voice of opponents.

If necessary, step up and use terror: this works by paralyzing opposition.

Acceptance

If you accept to be beaten
if you dig to be eaten,
then be my guest.

photo of ancient head of wall-sculpture (Stedelijk Museum Breda, NL)

The Pursuit

If you are hunted, and if you are a prey
you better prepare for this fact.
Ignorance and denial are the weak spots in your armour.

The Pursuit, DM, ink transfer under pressure, February 18, 2025

(c) Drager Meurtant, all images and texts

Critic Building a Future // Criticus Bouwt een Toekomst (1)

04 Saturday Jan 2025

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In creating art, this artist examines human actions and the resulting society, with bonds and clefts.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bij het scheppen van kunst, onderzoekt deze kunstenaar het menselijk handelen en de maatschappij die hieruit volgt, met verbindingen en kloven.

The Oil Terminal at Dissension

After one village a second was build // and as so often / these contained two communities / with different beliefs. // After peevishness came quarrel / and this raised high: a full five meters. // The arrival of the oil-terminal / changed little apart from more fencing. // The bridge does not unite the inhabitants / but enables them to dwell on different paths.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

De Olieterminal bij Tweespalt

Na één dorp werd een tweede gebouwd / en als zo vaak, / waren het twee gemeentes in het geloof. // Na wrevel kwam ruzie / en die liep hoog op en wel vijf meter. // De komst van de olieterminal veranderde weinig / behalve nog meer heining. // De brug verenigt geen bewoners, / maar maakt dat de wegen gescheiden voortgaan.

the oilterminal at dissension / de olieterminal bij tweespalt

(assemblage, 78x58x9 cm, DM, 2013)

Inhabited

11 Sunday Aug 2024

Posted by in Decay, defense, philosophy, poetry, street photography

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When locks fail / there is no need for keys.

Doors open freely / when people knock.

At night darkness closes / the access, safe, without sound.

Outside and inside are separated / by will, not by force.

Gäststatte zur alten Post, Witzhelden, NRW. Germany

Veiled

Your utter absence / was revealed by the texture
of these sheers used as veils / for protection against
unwanted looks.

text and photo (c) Drager Meurtant, 2024

Stone Walls

17 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by in archeology, Decay, defense, History, landscape, photography, society, Spain

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(Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla, Toledo, Spain)

Stones were raised by many

hands and backs bend,

to create the walls for protection.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – I

Begging for a raise

of pay did not work.

The trade-unions still had to be

invented.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – II

Romans were forgotten

their road nearby used

for later people’s needs.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – III

Foundations had been laid by

Islamic rule, in the XI – XII century,

while in later ages the Order of Templars

(los templarios) enforced the construction

and the walls were thick.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – IV

The fortification aimed

to defend the strategic route

near the river Tajo along which

merchandise travelled.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – V

Rulers that lived inside

the walls such as Juan-II of Castille,

did hold the reins of

arrogance.

Castillo de Villalba en Cebolla – VI

Thick walls are not meant

for enlightened minds.

all photos and texts (c) Drager Meurtant, May 17, 2018 – June 17, 2024

Borders and Fences

06 Thursday Jun 2024

Posted by in archeology, art, assemblage, Dada, defense, demography, development, Figurative art, History, kunst, landscape, philosophy, poetry, rocks, society, Uncategorized

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At the age of one year, the artist Drager Meurtant (b. 2012) wanted to create a vision of the world in it’s infancy.

With mountains, a lake and mystical homonoid figures standing idle.

“With a few”


“The mountains that I encountered, the swamps and gadflies: for milennia remained nearly unchanged: One time the first people came, or were Neanderthals earlier? People won, but whether that was the best outcome? “

In the years that followed, the increased tendency in our world to strengthen frontiers, raise walls, and push back ‘illegal’ immigrants, became a worry and cause to doubt progression of human society.

This did in 2023 lead to transformation of the above sculpture – assemblage, into “Borders and Fences”


The lake became a place for a small city with skyscrapers.

“Borders and fences – 1”


A high gate was raised, on a scale that in real life would be 10 m high, and that makes existing roads and path dead-ends.
And a refugee camp was created on the other side of the fence.

“Borders and fences – 2”

Two societies come into existence, populated by the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

“Borders and Fences – 3”

After the ‘Chinese Wall’ and the ‘Hardrian’s Wall’, modern society got to know the ‘Iron Curtain’, and became aware of the fences that separate Northern and Southern Korea. However, in 2024 the length of walls and fences that separate Israel from Palestine, the (U)SA from Mexico, and in several countries in Europe to impair crossing the borders for immigrants impossible stretch of thousands of kilometers…

“Borders and fences – 4”

All images and texts by Drager Meurtant, 2013 – 2024.

Advise to Leave

08 Friday Sep 2023

Posted by in art, death, defense, demography, development, History, installation, kunst, philosophy, poetry, society, tentoonstelling

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Drager Meurtant, “Frontex – 1”, 2023

Migration in animals and humans is of all times.

Often the drive is caused by the wish / need to improve living conditions and procreation.

However, the effects may be a disaster for groups indigenous for a specific area. The Black Death, or plague, caused by Yersinia Pestis is related to migration due to war or trade. In the Americas, the arrival of European conquerers did lead to massive slaughter by violence and introduction of diseases for which native people were very vulnerable.

In the 21st century, migration is composed of people hired by companies as well as refugees from counries stricken by war and / or poverty. Increasingly, migration is caused by consequences of climate change.

There is often resitance against the arrival of migrants, often with focus most at refugees.

Walls are created in Europe that exceed mileage manyfold as compared to the former ‘Iron Curtain’.

Still, demographic changes in Europe and some other areas lead to a shift towards old age and insufficient numbers of young workers to keep business going, and threats of deficient care for elderly people…

At NDSM-Fuse the exhibition – curated by Ellen Klijzing – with 35 artists has focus on the experience of refugees.

The contribution of Drager Meurtant deals with slogans / banners telling refugees to

“Go To Hell = If You Are Not From Here”

Next to the banner with this text, separate words on pieces of wood, as advised by the curator, are present to charge visitors in seeking for word combinations.

Drager Meurtant, “Frontex – 2”. 2023

Finally, the letters cut from carton to serve as template for the painted banner, are assembled as collage with additional transformation.

Drager Meurtant, “Frontex – 3”, 2023

NDSM-Fuse ON THE RUN (OP DE VLUCHT), September 1st 2023 – January 28th, 2024.

Amsterdam, NDSM-plein.

https://www.ndsm-fuse.eu/programma.html#content1-17f

Sense or no sense

14 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by in death, defense, internet, kunst, mental health, philosophy, photography, poem, poetry, poezie, society, street photography, Uncategorized

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Where and when sense switches to no – sense, is illustrated by three poems and images.

Ears

The size of ears / devised to hear signals

of distant life

parallels / the loss of perception

from life nearby.

big ears

 

Call center

“Think simple and relax:

by moving this job to Asia / the lady has more time/ to go shopping

and that’s good/ for our economy.”

call center

 

Digital death

We are digitally / close to death

after loosing three / of our passwords

and having forgotten / the birthdate of

our parents.

The screen will snow / and our ears hear

the whistle of / the amazone

going by.

digital death

(photos and text (c) Drager Meurtant)