Privacy & cookies

Your privacy matters. On this page you can read, in plain words, which personal data this website processes, why and for how long, and what your rights are.

Who is responsible?

I am Dirk De Middeleer, a visual artist based in Belgium, and I am responsible for the processing of your data on this website (the “controller”). You can reach me via the contact form.

What data do I process, and why?

Contact form. When you send me a message, I process your first and last name, your email address, your phone number (if you fill it in), your message, the language and the page you wrote from, and the time. I only use this data to answer and follow up on your question, for example about a work, an exhibition or a commission. This is based on my legitimate interest in answering messages or, when your question is about a purchase or a commission, on taking steps at your request before entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(f) and (b) GDPR). You are not obliged to provide any data, but without an email address I cannot reply.

Technical data. On every visit, the hosting service Cloudflare processes technical data such as your IP address, your browser, the page requested and the time. This is needed to deliver the website securely and quickly and to prevent abuse such as spam. Your IP address is also used briefly to block too many messages in a row, but it is not stored with your message. Legal basis: legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Visitor statistics (optional). If statistics are switched on, I use them to understand how the website is used. Statistics without cookies and without personal data rely on my legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Services that set cookies or track you as an individual only load after you have given your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). The services that are active right now are listed at the bottom of this page under “Services on this website”.

Cookies

Without your consent, this website sets no cookies to track you or for advertising. Only if statistics or marketing cookies are used, a cookie banner first asks for your consent; you are asked again after 6 months. In that case a “Cookie settings” button also appears at the bottom of every page, so you can change your choice or withdraw your consent at any time.

Who receives your data?

I do not sell your data and do not pass it on to third parties, except to the service providers that run the website for me. They only process your data on my behalf (as processors):

• Cloudflare: hosting, security and fast delivery of the website.
• Supabase: database and storage for the content, the images and the messages from the contact form, on servers in the European Union.
• Resend: an email notification to me when a new message arrives (if these notifications are switched on).
• Other services: such as analytics, spam protection, embedded videos or the image storage of the previous website, only when they are active. They are listed at the bottom under “Services on this website”.

Some of these companies are based in the United States or may process data there. Such transfers outside the European Economic Area are covered by appropriate safeguards: the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (for companies certified under it) or the European Commission's standard contractual clauses.

How long do I keep your data?

I keep messages from the contact form as long as needed to answer and follow up on your question; they are deleted no later than 24 months after receipt. Technical data at Cloudflare is only kept briefly, in line with Cloudflare's own policy.

Your rights

You have the right to access your data, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict its processing, to object to processing based on legitimate interest, and to receive your data in a common format (portability). If you gave consent, you can withdraw it at any time; this does not affect anything that was lawfully done before. Send your request via the contact form; you will receive an answer within one month. No automated decision-making or profiling takes place.

Complaints

If you are not happy with how I handle your data, please let me know first. You can also always lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données), Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels: www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be.