When Belgian artist Marijke De Roover passed away at just 36, the art world lost a rare talent. She was the kind of artist who looked at a meme, saw high art, and then used it to dissect feminism, sex, and capitalism. Because apparently that’s where we are now, and honestly, it’s brilliant.
Now, her community is rallying to ensure her uniquely witty, often absurd, and always insightful work doesn't fade away. They’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to preserve her artistic estate, with 48 donations already pulling in €3,684 ($4,292) towards a €10,000 goal. Her family, who started the GoFundMe, noted De Roover affectionately described herself as a “part-time professional karaoke singer and meme connoisseur.” Which, if you think about it, is a pretty perfect LinkedIn bio.
Her art tackled big themes: love, romance, motherhood, the ethics of reproduction, and the ever-present specter of capitalism. But she did it with a humor and generosity that left a lasting mark on contemporary art, and especially on feminist and LGBTQIA+ communities. Imagine taking a TikTok trend and turning it into a profound statement on societal norms. That was Marijke.
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De Roover’s journey wasn't exactly typical. Simon Delobel, director of Kiosk Gallery in Ghent, remembered her as a "wunderkind" with an uncanny eye, even creating an installation in front of a cafeteria – because why stick to boring white walls? She even appeared on The Voice van Vlaanderen in 2013, belting out tunes "like nobody else," according to Delobel. Her real interest wasn't the stuffy art world, but popular culture and its power to deliver political messages.
Her work truly exploded in 2019. During London's Frieze Week, she performed Live, Laugh, Limerence, an operatic piece, in a nightclub. Yes, an opera in a nightclub. Later, her installation video Cum as Your Madness — described as a “horror musical comedy that subverts the codes of pornography” — made its way to the Pompidou Centre in Paris. It explored witchcraft trials and the brutal history of women who dared to defy early modern European norms. Heavy stuff, delivered with a wink.
Before her passing, she hosted “Pride Speech Karaoke” in London, an open mic night where people could perform queer speeches, poems, or lyrics. Because if you’re going to make art, you might as well get people singing. Her community’s effort to preserve her work isn't just about art; it’s about making sure that singular, meme-infused, opera-singing, profoundly feminist voice continues to echo.
