August Dirks’ “Ship of Fools” Journey Documented
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August Dirks' "Ship of Fools" Journey Documented
- August Dirks sailed his "narrenschip," or "Ship of Fools," named Azart, for over 30 years, transforming an old fishing boat into a traveling theater.
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A new documentary, “Azart, Come Make Art,” by Annike Kaljouw and Masha Novikova, chronicles Dirks’ three decades of artistic voyages, culminating in the ship’s final berth in Ecuador.
August Dirks, a Dutch artist and captain, embarked on a remarkable 30-year journey with his “narrenschip” (Ship of Fools), the Azart. What began as an old fishing boat in 1989 was transformed into a vibrant, traveling theater, bringing absurdist performances to ports across the globe. Dirks’ vision was to reinterpret the old VOC trade routes, not for conquest, but for cultural exchange, “playing instead of stealing, sharing and caring instead of killing.”
The Azart served as a home and a stage for a constantly changing crew of artists, actors, and musicians, performing for both children and adults in various locations, including the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean, Africa, and Suriname. The ship’s home base was the Eastern Docklands in Amsterdam, where a quay was renamed Azart Square in its honor in 1994.
A new documentary, “Azart, Come Make Art,” co-directed by Annike Kaljouw and Masha Novikova, captures the colorful history of this unique project. Novikova lived on the ship in its early years, while Kaljouw joined in 2017 for a voyage to Cape Verde. The film, which premiered in May 2024, incorporates extensive footage filmed by the crew over the years. The documentary traces Dirks’ three attempts to circumnavigate the world and highlights his unconventional approach to life and art.
The Azart’s final voyage in 2020 took an unexpected turn when Captain Dirks was diagnosed with a serious illness. The ship, originally en route to Australia, instead found its last destination on a beach in an Ecuadorian fishing village near Manta. It has since been repurposed as a cultural center, continuing its mission of artistic engagement. Dirks, now 73 and having outlived initial prognoses, views this as a new beginning for the Azart.