Ridder, Willem de, 1939-

Born in 1939, Willem de Ridder is a Dutch artist and founder of the international artist group Fluxus. Fluxus was a group of artists, composers, designers, and poets who carried out experimental art perfomances, often emphasizing artistic process and concept over finished artwork. Fluxus members explored different artistic media and disciplines, including intermedia, radio, sound, and video works, and are sometimes seen to conceptual artists. Some of the work types created by Fluxus include Neo-Dada noise music, enactments of scores and time-based works, concrete poetry, urban planning, visual art, architecture, design, radio, literature, and publishing. De Ridder showed and sold works in Amstel 47, a gallery he owned, as well as his shops Fluxshop and European Mail-Order Warehouse. He organized Dutch Fluxus festivals with colleagues such as Wim T. Schippers in 963 and 1964. De Ridder owned a club in Amsterdam, Provadya, and spoke out for sexual equality and liberty. He also worked with artist and sexologist Annie Sprinkle, and was an active part of the Radio Art Foundation, All Chemix radio, Eldorado (a broadscasting company), and multiple other artist groups and communities.