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Some artists go about their business like a DJ. David Bade is such an artist. He cuts and copies pieces of visual material from our daily urban environment and incorporates them into his drawings and ever-expanding sculptures and installations. Bade prefers not to limit himself to one single theme or visual element, and is at his best when he can make a mash-up in which he provides different things with a new context and meaning. The result is an explosion of associations.

This is evident when you look at his bright yellow 'Big Fish Day (avant la lettre)' which was placed in front of the entrance to the then GEM in 2002. It was a gift from the Association of Friends of Gemeentemuseum The Hague on the occasion of the opening of GEM and Fotomuseum Den Haag. The sculpture depicts the honorary scaffold of the big fishing day at a fishing club. At number 1 is the stork, the coat of arms of The Hague, or The Hague heron. Second place is reserved for Miss Hague Hairy, a female version of the famous cartoon character Hague Harry. Finally, at number three, there is a boatman with an open jacket that immediately evokes associations with cabaret artist and songwriter Harry Jekkers and his hit song O, o Den Haag (Oh The Hague), which is the official anthem of the Dutch capital.

Since his solo exhibition in 1994 at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Bade has traveled all over the world with his work. That work is strongly rooted in the world of today. Hardly anywhere is it smooth or neatly finished. It is precisely from the frayed edges and splatters that the speed with which the artist works is evident, as if he can barely keep up with his own associations. His artworks are colorful, critical and mocking. They provide the viewer with a visual spectacle that one can not only look at for a long time, but also think about for a long time.