The Bosch Parade, A Floating Artistic Performance in The Netherlands Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch

Every few years, the residents of the Dutch town ‘s-Hertogenbosch put on the Bosch Parade, a massive artistic show on multiple, progressive stages that float along the Dommel River. The work is inspired by the legendary works of Hieronymus Bosch and is wonderfully absurd, surreal and symbolic.

The Bosch Parade is a worldwide unique art event on the water with Jheronimus Bosch (1450-1516) as a source of inspiration. His world-famous works of art are full of symbolism, fantasies and absurdities that continue to call for new contemporary creations. …The Bosch Parade 2019 tale is a story in motion, depicted by an artistic flotilla through a series of tableaux.

The 2019 parade took place in June and featured 17 separate absurdist performances.

Bosch Parade 2019 honours Jheronimus Bosch as a storyteller and inspiration. His paintings bring us mysterious picture stories in which he illustrates his time, in a typical and unconventional manner. Jheronimus Bosch was also the very first genre painter: he acknowledged common people by giving them a full role in his paintings. In Bosch Parade 2019, these common people will demand their place once more.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.