At first sight, Els Dietvorst’s work is of a breathtaking diversity. It ranges from installations and clay sculptures to drawings in red ink, theatre monologues, and other texts; from woodcuts and graphs in metal frames to magazines and artist books; from audio works, 16mm film, documentaries and various types of video pieces to tattoos and community building. This is what Joseph Beuys would describe as ‘sociale Plastik’ and what cultural policy makers in Flanders in recent years labelled ‘socio-artistic work’. (Bart De Baere)