Photography: Bethany Grace
Words: Graham Peacock

Alice Vink (aka Dirtydms) is a Rotterdam-based DJ making waves as much for her modelling as for her art. Deeply embedded in the city’s creative world, Vink’s experience as an artist living and working in the city speaks to the immense talent and vibrancy at play in the scene there. With a fluid approach, determined vision, and a love for her community, Alice seems driven by togetherness.

Her work, at once delicate and industrial, natural and experimental, is a valuable insight not only to how one artist’s work morphs across various mediums, but how one individual can offer such a clear insight to their city’s burgeoning art world.

You work across a lot of different mediums — modelling, artwork, music. Do you find the three mediums you work in have a significant influence on each other?

I’ve been modelling since I was 14, so this is the medium I’m most comfortable with. In creative shoots, I see modelling as a sort of dance. Posing in front of the camera is definitely something you have to get comfortable with at first, but after doing it for so many years, I think I’ve found a flow in the movement of my body and expressions. Modelling is also a form of communication between you, the photographer, and the rest of the team. You inspire each other, and sometimes, without talking, you understand each other. This type of non-verbal communication and movement is something I feel when I DJ. You and the crowd feed off each other’s energy and create a movement together. This movement is something I try to find in my 3D work.

When I go clubbing and the night and music are good, I can get so inspired for new visuals. I think the movement of my body is very necessary to come up with new ideas. That’s also why I love walking to get new ideas. My work is very much inspired by nature and the world I see around me. During the day, I love to go for long walks to observe my surroundings, and at night, I enjoy seeing the nightlife communities and moving to the music. I try to capture a sense of space, balance, and motion in my 3D work. My 3D work is always inspired by the music I listen to, but also by the incredible biology of plants, and the insane shapes and colours found in nature. When I create, a question that inspires me is, ‘What is nature?’ I like to think of this question and all of its possible answers. The answer seems simple, but once you try to define it, it’s quite challenging.

In terms of your music, how would you describe your sound?

I always find it a bit hard to describe my sound. I love bass, detailed sounds, and all types of genres. I also like funny, cheeky tracks. Again, I love it when music just makes you move. I love digging [for new music] so much; it’s one of the things I spend the most time on. I make a new playlist almost every day. With DJing, I love finding tracks that sound like they were made for each other. They flow together in a type of energy. By placing them beside each other they can surprise. DJing is something I never thought I would enjoy this much. I’m very happy I found this medium.

What is it that draws you to making music?

I don’t produce my own tracks yet, but I would love to.

Working as part of club nights and DJ communities seems like such a collaborative process. What’s the community like in Rotterdam?

In Rotterdam, there are many talented DJs and producers, and I think there is a lot of support for each other. It feels like a family. Recently, a couple of venues had to close, which has made a difference in the scene. I hope there will be more venues in the future.

How do you see the city changing over the next few years?

I think collaboration is incredibly important in the creative industry and nightlife. You can get so inspired and energised by each other. It’s amazing when you find people in your life with whom you share the same passion as you, and it’s even more beautiful when you can build something together. I believe it’s very important to cherish that. It’s also just a lot of fun.

Are there any other mediums you haven’t explored you want to tap into?

Other than music production, I am very much focused on growing my DJ skills and 3D work.