Exposities

Dit Lichaam collective’s mission was to not only showcase themselves as (comics) artists, but to publish their manifesto for the future of Dutch comics: a future in which manifold expression, joy, and artistic experimentation play center stage and we acknowledge and embrace our past as a pulp medium rather than disown it for acceptance in the mainstream. An important aspect of this approach was also that it becomes more commonplace to pay artists fairly for their contributions and professionalise the comics world.

Central to the book and the collective’s approach is the concept of the cadavre exquis, where each person draws a body part without knowing what the previous body part looks like. This metaphor came to stand for its view of the comics world at large, where a multitude of people with different ideas and backgrounds can come together in one medium.

After the publication, exhibition, and multiple talks and workshops discussing the various topics raised by the collective, the project was put to rest at the end of 2024. 

In 2026, inspired by Nieuwe Vide’s organisational principles for social change ‘Composting Politics’, members of the collective have picked up their spades and returned to the project with a renewed ambition to make it a long-term presence in the (comics) art world. In this way, we wish to foster sustainable practices with lasting positive impacts for young, queer comics artists. By employing a cyclical and regenerative approach, we take with us what we have learned from the first iteration and change and improve where necessary, experimenting with a new approach, which still embraces a speculative, hopeful, intention to circumvent the limitations of current reality and imagine new futures for the comics world grounded in social justice and intersectional politics.

In this cycle of Dit Lichaam, we will be developing a network of young, queer visual storytellers in which members can mutually support each other, share knowledge, and learn from one another. Click here for more information about the Queer Visual Storytelling Network

To kick this long-term project off, a group of starting queer visual storytellers (late-stage students or recently graduated) have been invited to partake in the kick off of the mentorship network. This first phase will be led by four members of Dit Lichaam van Ons, as well as one guest mentor: Abe Borst, Dido Drachman, Guus Møystad, Saint Theophanu, and (German artist Nino Bulling). 

Together, the network will develop an exhibition at de Nieuwe Vide, based on pre-existing work that is given new contact by entering into dialogue with each other.

In the long-term, the new network will provide mentees with community and chances to gain key experience in the workfield, develop themselves professionally and artistically, and will be invites to form the core of the developing professional network of queer visual storytellers. 

Mentors

Abe Borst 

Abe Borst (1989) is a comic book artist living and working in Arnhem.
He’s one of the first alumni of the Comic Design course at ArtEZ in Zwolle and is currently freelancing through Studio Funny Farm where he makes a variety of work: From ego-centric gag comics to serious comics with social value, from illustrations for kids’ books to infographics for big companies, and from cartoons about God to barbarian gay-porn. Abe is known for his diary-comic ‘Squabe’, the comic cookbook ‘Smikkelen en Smullen’, and Kidsweek’s ‘Zoo & Zo’. Other works of Abe have been published in Zij aan Zij, UIT and Tabletop RPG-zine Not A Mimic. He also works as a live cartoonist and gives workshops to both children and adults.

Dido Drachman  

Dido Drachman (1992) is a graphic novelist based in Amsterdam. Dido paints to create atmospheric images, with a keen eye for color and design. Their stories are dreamy and intimate, inspired by the emotional world, the fine arts, underlying grief, and history. Drachman has worked for Advalvas, AUP (Amsterdam University Press), Het SpeelKaartenmuseum in Turnhout, and the OranjeHotel, among others. In 2020, Drachman debuted with the sensitive graphic novel Zwanendrifters (Scratch Books). Their first children’s book is Het Begon met Peper (2025, Gottmer), about the history of the Netherlands and Indonesia.

Guus Møystad

Guus Møystad (1992) is a visual artist, writer and storyteller based in Amsterdam. His work weaves story, text, image, truth and fiction in and out of each other. He draws from history, fantasy and folklore, and is fascinated by the boundaries and vulnerabilities of the body. His comics and illustrations have appeared in various print and online magazines and platforms, including Wobby, Stripgids, and Hard//Hoofd. In addition to this he self-publishes and sells work, and produces a cyberzine called ‘Letters from Skemer.’

Saint Theophanu 

Saint Theophanu is a visual artist, comic artist, and party animal. Their appearance can be dated to a time around their first publication in 2024, but given their severe allergy to burning sage, Saint Theophanu believes they’ve been here much longer. Their first comic appeared in This Body of Ours (2024). Their dancing demons were in the exhibition at Nieuwe Vide in 2024, and since then, their fascination with fetish, bondage, and Catholicism has only grown.

Nino Bulling 

Nino Bulling (1986) is an artist and author from Berlin with a focus on comics, textiles, and publishing strategies. Nino has published several comic books shaped by a strong interest in visual politics, including ‘Bruchlinien. Drei Episoden zum NSU’ and ‘Lichtpause’. Their graphic novel ‘abfackeln / firebugs’ was originally published as part of their contribution to documenta 15 in Kassel, alongside an exhibition and an extensive public program centered on trans and queer strategies in graphic publishing. During their upcoming residency in Kyoto, Nino will explore gender-nonconforming characters in manga from the 1960s and 70s, with a particular focus on Osamu Tezuka’s “Princess Knight” (Ribon no Kishi).

Mentees

Desmond Dorival 

Max van Meeuwen 

Will Matuszczyk 

Ndeh Monteiro 

Laurent Broeke