Interview in ArtDependence Magazine

Published in september 2025 – by Dirk vanDuffel (klik hier voor Nederlandse versie)

Power, History, and Change: The Art of Marit Otto

Thursday, September 11, 2025

"Power, History, and Change": The Art of Marit Otto

Dutch artist Marit Otto experiences art on many levels and in many different ways. She looks for aesthetics and eloquence but also for a particular angle. 

Marit Otto creates contemporary engaged art. She says: “It has a certain urgency. It is reflecting us, people and the zeitgeist. Images speak louder than words and basically appeal very directly to our feelings. My images are something of a mix between activism and philosophy, they want to engage in dialogue.”

ArtDependence (AD): How does your work reflect your view of the world right now?

Marit Otto (MO): My work is a reflection of the Zeitgeist. It’s what I distract from the daily news, developments, movements and fashions. Questions it provokes, sadness it arouses, anger that it sparkles need to find their ways into something visual and meaningful.  Everything eventually solidifies into an image that hopefully radiates something universal, embodies beauty and is also identifiable as critical or/and philosophical. The image may be abrasive, provocative and controversial, but it must also be attractive. It must appeal to the viewer. 

This appeal is essential so that, after their initial encounter with the image, viewers feel compelled to explore it further.

AD: What role do you think art plays in connecting people today?

MO: To be honest, I have mixed feelings. On one hand we see an increase of art lovers all over the world. It has become less elitair and accessible for the masses. That’s a good development. On the other hand we see that commerce is getting a vast grip on every aspect of art in every art discipline.  It has more and more become so intertwined with capitalistic motives. While I truly believe, artists should be independent in their minds and souls. Their talents should not be used for mere financial gain and profits but to offer the world an alternative route or narrative. I believe that art is essential for connection and nuanced communication. But, that being said, also for a bit of fresh air in the minds and hearts.

AD: What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from your art?

MO: I hope to shake them up a little and make them contemplate about the topics I present to them. This is my message always; there are alternative routes to the one we are all walking now. Change is up to us. But for seekers of beauty I hope to meet their expectations too. Celebrating beauty in art is not vain.

AD: Can you tell us the story behind the artwork artwork, Man’s World, painted this year.

MO:  We see a few men toying and tossing around with a blue ball, resembling the earth. One of them pushing the biggest ball has a likeness with Sisyphus, a figure from Greek Mythology. Sisyphus was a cunning man but made the mistake to challenge the Gods. Time and again he managed to escape the wrath of the gods, but in doing so he only made his ultimate punishment worse. His penalty was that he had to push a boulder up a mountain in Tartarus until the end of time. 

There are a few hooks in this respect with this day and age where men challenge Gods and her creations in many disrespectful ways. What and who this challenged God is and what it represents is something that differs for each individual. Yet we are all witnesses to the dismantling of her creation. You could say whomever God is: supernatural, a miracle or nature,  she’s used and exploited by fickle men with egoist mindsets.

The rock that is eternally pushed up the mountain represents history, which, though
possibly in a variety of guises, repeats itself endlessly. I would add: without genuinely learning from it. The other men in the picture are no celebs in this regard, but merely a group that enthusiastically and devotedly follows a supreme leader, which is the one manifesting itself by masculine scream and roar.

Read whole article at: https: //artdependence.com/articles/power-history-and-change-the-art-of-marit-otto/

Main Image: Marit Otto, Man’s World, Acrylic on canvas

More works on Art to Collect

Almost Sold Out

Almost Sold out

Pen en ink on paper/ Pen en inkt op papier

70 x 70 cm

2025

Almost Sold Out 2025- Pen and ink on paper - 70 x 70 cm
Almost Sold Out 2025- Pen and ink on paper – 70 x 70 cm


Life as we know it: ‘Only few left. Don’t miss out. Last stock. While stocks last. Everything apparently has its price.  Does it matter? Should it matter? Cause before you know it, it’s gone.


Het leven zoals dat gaat: ‘Er zijn er nog maar een paar over. Mis deze kans niet. Laatste voorraad. Zolang de voorraad strekt. Alles heeft blijkbaar zijn prijs. Doet het er toe? Zou het er toe moeten doen? Want voor je het weet is het weg

Occupied

Pen/ink on paper

(Nederlandse versie)

70 x 70 cm

2025

Occupied - pen/ink on paper- 70 x 70 cm -2025
Occupied – pen/ink on paper- 70 x 70 cm -2025

How are things there?  How does hunger feel? How does it feel to be slowly erased? How does it feel to dominate the news but still not be seen? What would I do if my country was occupied? Would my resistance be armed? What if the aggressor was once a victim too? And what if that is precisely at the root of this mayhem .

It keeps me occupied, it keeps them occupied.

Serenity Now

Pen (ink) on paper

70 x 70 cm

2025

Serenity Now - Pen on paper- 70 x 70 cm 2025
Serenity Now- Pen on paper – 70 x 70 cm- 2025

To be connected and being connected can be of a completely different nature.

To be in touch, getting in touch and a physical touch can be worlds apart.

An introspective gaze does not necessarily mean you are soul searching.

Title is inspired by the comedy Seinfeld. 

MAN’S WORLD

Hereby I present my latest artwork to you:
MAN’S WORLD

Man's World - Acrylic on canvas -180 x 100 cm- 2025
Man’s World – Acrylic on canvas -180 x 100 cm- 2025

Acrylic on canvas

180 x 100 cm

2025

Part of the Brave New World series

James Brown cried; ‘It’s Mans World’,

Do you know that man makes money

To buy from other man

………………………………………….

This is a man’s world

But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing

Not one little thing without a woman or a girl

…………………………………………

He’s lost in the wilderness

He’s lost in bitterness

He’s lost, lawd have mercy now, in loneliness

……………………………………………

I’ve condensed it a little on the key points.

And then I imagined Joe Jackson replied with his Real Men;

…………………………………………….

What’s a man now? What’s a man mean?

Is he rough or is he rugged? Is he cultural and clean?

Now it’s all changed, it’s got to change more

‘Cause we think it’s getting better but nobody’s really sure

……………………………………………………………………

And so it goes, go ‘round again

But now and then we wonder who the real men are

……………………………………………………………………

Time to get scared, time to change plan

Don’t know how to treat a lady, don’t know how to be a man

Time to admit what you call defeat

‘Cause there’s women running past you now and you just drag your feet

………………………………………………………………….

Man makes a gun, man goes to war

Man can kill and man can drink and man can take a whore

Kill all the blacks, kill all the reds

And if there’s war between the sexes then there’ll be no people left

…………………………………………………………………………

And so it goes, go ‘round again

But now and then we wonder who the real men are.

………………………………………………………………………..

And again me condensing it on key points…… but still, a mans point of view on men and I agree on it.

Mans World By James Brown:

Real men by Joe Jackson

Het Zwols Stadsatelier

Het Zwols Stadsatelier

Met gepaste trots presenteer ik Stichting Het Zwols Stadsatelier. Vrijdag 20 juni J.L. opgericht en statutair vastgelegd en bij de notaris beëdigd (heet dat zo?) Samen met Gina Draaisma en Jos Mulder vorm ik nu het 3 koppige bestuur van een concept wat hopelijk binnen nu en 6 maanden vaste vorm gaat krijgen.

Omdat we nog volop in een onderzoeksfase zitten en nog allerlei punten op I’s moeten zetten, zeg ik er inhoudelijk nog niet te veel over.

Wel kan ik zeggen dat we hele vruchtbare gesprekken hebben gehad met beleidsmakers en leegstandbeheerders. Het is nog best een ingewikkelde maar mooie culturele, sociaal maatschappelijke puzzel die we moeten leggen.

Meer hierover volgt maar dit eerste concrete wapenfeit wilde ik vast met jullie delen.

Ik bedank de regeling ‘Oog voor Impuls’ die deze onderzoeksfase/verkenning mede mogelijk heeft gemaakt.


Wordt vervolgd.

Denk je toch hierin iets te kunnen of willen betekenen, mail of bel mij.

(English version)

Het Zwols Stadsatelier

With pride I present The Zwols Stadsatelier Foundation. Friday, June 20, J.L. established and statutory and sworn in at the notary (is that how it’s called?) Together with Gina Draaisma and Jos Mulder, I now form the 3-person board of a concept that will hopefully take shape within the next 6 months.

Because we are still in a research phase and still have to fill in some blancs, I won’t say too much about the content.

What I can say is that we have had very fruitful discussions with policy makers and vacancy managers. It is still quite a complicated but beautiful cultural, social puzzle that we have to put together.

More on this will follow but I wanted to share this first concrete achievement with you.

I would like to thank the Oog voor Impuls’ (Eye for Impulse) organization that made this research phase/exploration possible.

To be continued.

Do you think you can or want to mean something in this, please mail or call me.

Life Is Too Short

(Nederlandse versie)

Hereby I present my latest work, Life Is Too Short, To you

Life is too Short- 2025
Life is Too Short- Digital artprint (on Dibond) 90cm x 150 cm x 0,5 mm- 2025

Life is too short to be negative.

Life is too fickle to be naive 

Life is too dynamic to be relaxed

Life is too unfair to be positive

Life ends that makes it relative.

This image is a digital collage of pictures I made in Rome (2022) Man holding his head and massaging his temples was posted on a bridge crossing the Tiber, the Tiber is now flooding behind the man, the graffiti found on a wall somewhere in Rome. La Grande Bellezza.

Expositie Wankel Evenwicht

(English version)

Wankel Evenwicht is een groepsexpositie in het Hoogkoor van het Academiehuis, Zwolle. De expositie is van 25.04.25 tot 08.06.25. Deelnemers: Everdien Post – Marian Dorothe Visscher – Jan Pieter Gootjes – Ludie Gootjes Klamer en Jolan van de Waeter en ikzelf, Marit Otto

Opening 25 april om 11u – Academiehuis Zwolle. Welkom!

Speciaal voor deze expositie heb ik de kunstinstallatie W.I.P. (Work In Progress) gemaakt. Een interactieve installatie van 4 meter breed en 2 meter hoog. Waarover ik later meer zal vertellen.

Expositie: Wankel Evenwicht
Expositie: Wankel Evenwicht

De expositie Wankel Evenwicht is een bijzondere verkenning van het maatschappelijke thema: “Hoe kunnen we samen leven” in een tijd van verandering. Deze tentoonstelling is het resultaat van een unieke samenwerking tussen zes Zwolse kunstenaars, ontwerpers en de gemeenschap, waarin kunst en erfgoed samenkomen om de complexe vraagstukken van onze samenleving aandacht te geven en in beweging te krijgen.

Deze tentoonstelling is geen eindpunt, maar een startpunt voor gesprekken, bewustwording en actie. Laten we samen verder verkennen en ontdekken wat het betekent om echt samen te leven.

W.I.P. in Academiehuis Zwolle
W.I.P. in Academiehuis Zwolle: klik hier voor video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnaj7ERvC0

Artistic message from Gaza

(Nederlandse versie)

In this post I feature the latest work ‘No time to recover’ and WAR by Ahmed Aldaalsa, an artist from Gaza (March/April 2025)

Ahmed about this drawing:
Well this person is me and I am trying to talk in this work about not recovering because you know the war is back again so I did not take enough time for my mind and body to recover and now I feel very scattered and also I am holding a cactus in my hand which is a symbol of patience here in Palestine

While Gaza is, still and again, under siege by Netanyahu’s army. Ahmed and his family are still trying to survive and overcome this devastating defeat. But like the titel of his latest drawing, he is not able to recover this intense and brutal crimes against them. While most Gazans drown in silent despair, Ahmed can still draw us a picture.

Ahmed’s story is the story of many Gazans; their situation is dire and distressing. I gave Ahmed a guest page on my website in July 2024 and exhibited his work in art space the Langhuis Zwolle. You can read more about it at https://maritotto.nl/guest-page/ or https://www.langhuis.nl/expected-gaza-24/.

I am fully aware of my own lack of power but I think it is still important that the story, including the personal and in this case the artistic story, continues to be told and that the eyes of the world remain on Gaza (and the West Bank). Also, it is my indictment of Netanyahu, I hope justice will be done.

WAR - drawing by Ahmed Aldaalsa - Gaza
WAR – drawing by Ahmed Aldaalsa – Gaza
Detail of No time to recover'. The catus is symbol for patience in Gaza.
Detail of No time to recover’ – Holding cactus meaning ‘patience’

Do you wish to support/help Ahmed? check this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-get-ahmed-and-his-family-to-safety

Enable & Disable

(Nederlandse versie)

Hereby I present my latest artworks to you; ‘Enable & Disable (diptych)

Acrylic on canvas

50 x 50 x 1cm each

2025

Enable & Disable -Enable & Disable - acryl op canvas - 50 x 50 cm- 2025
Enable & Disable – acryl op canvas – 50 x 50 cm- 2025

Enable and disable; these words hold power to switch on or off. Each time we are asked to enable or disable we take a turn in one direction. This trivial action may have implications.

As individuals we sometimes seem and feel powerless but together we can be a force of change, if we choose to.

Sadly, the global unregulated free market in its current form has been proving destructive to the planet but is now endangering our democracies as well.

At the root of every product is a producer, but then there is also, ultimately, a user. We are that users. Without a user a producer is a king without a kingdom, an empty, harmless shell. So what we as consumers do, buy and use matters. We are able to enable and disable. Switch on and off. With every purchase, we enable someone at the end of the line. We are able to make kings rise and fall and disable or enable anyone who can or can’t handle our confidence and saves or steals our future.