Between Art and Night

Johnny Buivenga × Daggers Barbershop

Artist Johnny Buivenga (1992) explores identity, performance pressure, demanding beauty ideals, and the friction between human nature and society. What better place to explore these themes than his favourite barbershop, Daggers? Traditionally a place where men meet, talk and get groomed, the barbershop carries a complex relationship with masculinity. It can reinforce beauty ideals and offer a space for ‘men’s talk’, while also making room for care, connection and vulnerability. During Tussen Kunst en Nacht, Johnny creates new work inspired by the man in the chair at Daggers. He explores the different sides of masculinity he encounters in society and in himself: hard and soft, caught between vulnerability, care, strength and expectation.