Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys

Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys are a Belgian artist duo who have been collaborating since the late 1980s. Their multidisciplinary practice encompasses video, sculpture, photography, installation, and performance. Their works are characterized by a distinctive combination of humor, absurdity, and darkness, often exploring themes of power, violence, and the unconscious.

De Gruyter and Thys are known for their use of doll-like figures and puppets, which they use to create unsettling and often humorous scenes. Their work has been exhibited extensively throughout Europe and internationally, including BOZAR, Kunsthal Aarhus, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, MoMA PS1, and Kunsthalle Basel. In 2019, they represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale with their project "Mondo Cane," a surreal and dystopian installation that featured robotic animals and human-like figures. De Gruyter and Thys are regarded as two of the most important artists working in Belgium today, and their work continues to inspire and challenge audiences around the world.