Michiel Vijselaar & Tjarda Sixma, Collective in distribution

Tjarda Sixma (27 augustus 1962).
Michiel Vijselaar (21 november 1959).

Tjarda Sixma and Michiel Vijselaar have both lived in Arnhem since their academy days. However, they already know each other from Breda, where they both attended the Academy. Tjarda Sixma followed the painting and monumental department there and Michiel Vijselaar was trained as a graphic designer. In Arnhem they both concluded their education at the free department of the Academy of Visual Arts, Michiel Vijselaar majored in video, Tjarda Sixma graduated in photography and video.

They have been making films together since 1984. Before that time, Michiel Vijselaar had already made three short films. He liked to make adventure films that he then took to the absurd.

Tjarda Sixma has gained some fame in recent years with her photographic works. She regularly exhibits them at the Torch gallery in Amsterdam, a gallery that specializes in so-called staged photography, photos of staged situations in which symbolism and sometimes the story play a clear role. Her work has been shown in exhibitions such as Fotografia Buffa in the Groninger Museum and at the Art over the floor manifestation in Amsterdam.
The first film the duo made together under the banner of the Dolores Foundation was Gretel.

From 1984 to 1993 Sixma and Vijselaar made brief narrative video films in which painted sceneries and scale-models featured prominently. These filmed tableaux vivants were shown at various video festivals and museums in the Netherlands and abroad.