Beeldbeeld

Beeldbeeld is a term used in Dutch visual culture to refer to a self-referential or reflexive image: a representation that foregrounds its own status as an image rather than merely depicting a subject. The word is formed from the Dutch words beeld (image or representation) and beeld again, signaling emphasis on mediation and the conditions of seeing.

In theory and criticism, beeldbeeld is associated with debates about mediation, perception, and the status of image technologies. It describes works in which the act of looking or the apparatus of imaging becomes part of what is being shown, rather than a straightforward depiction of reality. Common strategies include frames within frames, screens displaying other screens, and installations that reveal the process of projection or recording.

Beeldbeelden occur across media: in contemporary art installations that juxtapose multiple screens, in film and video that comment on cinematic conventions, and in digital practices that highlight algorithmic generation, glitches, or metadata about images. They are often understood as meta-art, inviting viewers to reflect on how images are produced, circulated, and consumed.

Scholars note that beeldbeeld challenges traditional notions of representation by making sight itself an object of inquiry. As a concept, it intersects with reflexivity, metacognition, and media theory, and it has been used to analyze trends in post-digital culture where images proliferate and display their own constructed nature.