Mediamatic 2021

Here you will find an overview of our highlights, go here to see the full overview of our 2021 program or here for who we worked with this year.

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Dancing on the mycelium dance floor -

Pigeon Towers

In the Summer of 2020, Arne Hendriks and Mediamatic started experimenting with different shapes and methods to build this living cycle, and investigate material decomposition as part of the design process. In 2021 many different towers emerged at the biotope, a lot of mushrooms were harvested, we organized workshops and lectures, and we experimented with ways to care for the mycelium waste. By organizing gentle disco's, were people are invited to gently dance on the mycelium waste, we prepare the mycelium for the building process. 

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Hidden treasures when you peek inside of the tower -

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Susanne and Arne discussing life cycles - Sadhbh O'Donnell

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22-04-2022 - Arne Hendriks kijkt in zijn duiventoren - Duiventorens - Arne Hendriks De duiventorens zijn een doorlopend experiment om te bouwen met levend myceliumafval van oesterzwammenkwekerijen. Het project onderzoekt vragen als: Kunnen we structuren bouwen om wilde duiven te huisvesten? Wat is het beste ontwerp om een toren met mycelium te bouwen? En hoe lang duurt het voordat de stenen aan elkaar groeien? Door te experimenteren met verschillende vormen en bouwstructuren zien we hoe het materiaal reageert en of we een comfortabele leefruimte voor onze Amsterdamse duiven…

Pigeon towers at Dutch Design Week

The experiment even traveled to Eindhoven for Dutch Design Week!

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Putting some extra gentle weight on our building blocks - During Dutch Design Week on the Ketelhuisplein in Eindhoven we danced and pressed the mycelium bricks from Verbruggen Paddestoelen.  Arne Hendriks  builds pigeon towers with mycelium. These structures are an ongoing experiment to build with living mycelium waste from oyster mushroom farms. Anisa Xhomaqi, Arne Hendriks, Verbruggen Paddestoelen, DJ Huppeldepup

Inhuman Carnaval

Kick off at Dutch Design Week

How can we break out of our anthropocentric worldview and learn to feel more empathy for the other species on the planet? Can we train ourselves to see the world from a non-human perspective by wrapping ourselves in pink velvet and becoming the endangered pink velvet worm?

We challenged artists, designers, grime artists, creators and audiences to dress up themselves and each other as one of the many beautiful species of our ecosystem during the kick-off of this new research interest at Dutch Design Week. We hosted talks, parties, an exhibition, a tattoo stand, workshops and an open costume lab where we tried to experience what it's like to be something else then a human.

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Costumes created in the Open Costume Lab - At Dutch Design Week 2021 we are hosting an open costume lab where one of the participants created this costume inspired by animals in our ecosystem. Caroline Aravicius

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Costume library exhibition - Participants explores the costume library exhibition. The exhibition explore the theme of biodiversity and the non-human other. In this merging of fashion, art and interspecies appreciation we invite the participants to get inspired and ready for a change of skin. Caroline Aravicius

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Desirée Hammen during the workshop "Embroidering Species" - Fashion designer Desirée Hammen  explains embroidery techniques to the workshop participants and instructs them on how to create animals in mixed media.  Caroline Aravicius, Desirée Hammen

Serres Separees

During Covid-19 virus times we are intrigued by contamination precautions and the redesign of togetherness. How can we rethink a restaurant and dining experience? Dining in a personal small greenhouse! Our greenhouses protect you from the outside and others while offering you a unique experience of intimate dining. 

Year two of the pandemic, and the serres separees, we tried to optimize the process and researched how to deal with factors as cold, rain and wind. 

During the winter periods we served pizza from our home made clay oven.

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Chef Elmer cooking in the kitchen of Mediamatic - Reopening Serres Séparées For the re-opening of Mediamatic ETEN and the Serres Séparées we've teamed up with vegan chef Elmer Kesseler. For the first weekends he surprises our guests with a plant-based lunch and dinner, composed with seasonal produce, self foraged herbs, and fresh picked edible flowers from our Aquaponic greenhouse.  Sjoerd Houben

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The clay oven heating up for pizza and bread - Julia van der Veen

Serres Separees Dutch Design Week & Dubai Design Week

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Serres Séparees nominated for Dutch Design Awards - Category Habitat "Good timing, fast acting: the ingenuity of Mediamatic shines out with this project. With Serres Séparées they have responded in an accessible way to a complex topicality, with a focus on what  is  possible, not what isn’t. The transparent cell placed within a public space is a solid concept, with a highly symbolic value for this covid-era. The design itself could have been stronger, but the implementation and knowledge sharing have served as a guide that led to a great deal of international…

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Serres Séparées at Dubai Design Week 2021 - Photo by Nabeela Huda

Beftival

For Museumnight, artists and curators Ine Poppe and Olga Middendorp created a festival featuring over 30 artists and scientists. The festival created an artistic space to discuss, feel and celebrate fe-male sexuality, gender and preference.

 

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Anna Gimbrere quizzing the audience during Beftival - At Beftival  during Museumnacht 2021 science journalist  Anna Gimbrere  puts the audience's sex knowledge to the test by hosting the Bef Quiz. Anisa Xhomaqi

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Beftival participants on a (sex) toy playground - At Beftival  during Museumnacht 2021 artist Jin Lee  asks: "Can a sex toy be a toy?" and transforms sex toys into slides, seesaws and swings that participants can ride and play with. Anisa Xhomaqi, Jin Lee

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Beftival portraits of Olga and Ine - Caroline Aravicius

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Colourful course in oyster, with flowers from the aquaponics - Tasting and testing the Bef dinner Caroline Aravicius

With: Yacinth Pos

Odorama

In 2021, we hosted four odoramas: our lecture program on the intersection of art and smell. We learned about the smell of happiness, about the smell of summer, how smell is intergrated in feminism and we learned how the sense of smell from different species differs from ours.

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Smelling ritz cracker - Sadhbh O'Donnell

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Robin Habbé's presentation at the 43rd edition of Odorama on Happiness - Sadhbh O'Donnell

With: Robin Habbé

Open Aromalab

In our Open Aromalab, we challenge people to create a scent using our scent library. Want to make a perfume? Or recreate the smell of a chair, your grandma or a dream? Our scent artists help you on the way. 

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Carefully counting the amount of drops - Iines Råmark

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Explaining the consequences behind different scent choices - Behind every perfume there is a fascinating story and memories linked. During the Perfumery Basics workshop, perfumer Nour Akoum will guide you into the right balance and the selection of raw materials to reach your focus. Suzana Orsolic

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The Scent Script of Susanne Koevoets - Participant of the Open Aroma Lab Susanne's perfume composition inspired by a "Smokey Vegan leather". Scent description: Smokey Spicy Leather Join us at our weekly Open Aroma Lab and create your own fragrance!

Neo Futurist Dinner Research

Alice Heron and Martin Butler did a recidency at Mediamatic where they developed a new Neo Futurist Dinner experience. Click here to read more about the research week.

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Candied Hortus Dijkspark flowers and plants - Suzana Orsolic

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The Sin Eaters - Promotie beeld voor het 14e Neo Futurist Dinner: The Sin Eaters, met Alice Héron en Martin Butler.  Foto credits:  Nolwenn Leflanchec

 

New life in Raising Doubts

Raising Doubts is the living eco-graphic that you see next to Mediamatic. We renewed the installation and using our own waste materials, we created compost and bokashi to revive the soil in the eco-graphic. 

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Preparations for the reopening of Casting Doubt - Soil delivery in May 2021 In Spring 2021 was the reopening of the exhibition Twijfel Zaaien/Casting Doubt. New soil was added to the growbeds and new seeds got the chance to grow. 

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Suzana at reopening of Casting Doubt - In April 2021 was the reopening of the exhibition Twijfel Zaaien/Casting Doubt. 

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Reflecting on Casting Doubt with a drink - Reopening of Twijfel Zaaien/Casting Doubt 2021 In April 2021 was the reopening of the exhibition Twijfel Zaaien/Casting Doubt. 

Workshops

In 2021 we developed the following new workshops, that were added to our workshopprogram: Keukenkast snuffelsessies, Essential Eau de Cologne, Foraging for Mental Health, Observational Plant Drawing, Enzo Mari workshop.

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Participants at Cut/Paste Cacti - Participants selecting cacti to graft at Cut/Paste Cacti workshop Photo 2021 by Anisa Xhomaqi for Mediamatic Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Martijn Baas
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Carefully counting the amount of drops - Iines Råmark

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Deelnemers Linh Nguyen en Iva Manduric - Beeld Dingena Mol Lees hier het artikel ‘Kijk, net een burrito’: de lijkwade is in opkomst als duurzaam alternatief voor de doodskist, in het Parool van 2 augustus 2021 door Elleke van Duin.

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Choosing different scents during the workshop - Through the workshop several scents will be given to introduce you to the world of perfumery and where you will get the chance to explore the scent and chose your favorites. Iines Råmark

With: Linh Nguyen
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Workshop Aquaponics -

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Participant at Cut/Paste Cacti - Participant peeking through a hole in a cactus grafted by Martijn Baas Photo 2021 by Anisa Xhomaqi for Mediamatic Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Martijn Baas
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Participant measuring wooden planks for an Enzo Mari design - Taken during Self-design Enzo Mari Furniture by Niels Albers. Photo 2021 by Anisa Xhomaqi for Mediamatic Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Niels Albers
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Niels giving carpenting tips - Taken during Self-design Enzo Mari Furniture by Niels Albers. Photo 2021 by Anisa Xhomaqi for Mediamatic Anisa Xhomaqi

With: Niels Albers
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Foraging for mental health participants exploring yarrow - Yarrow, or Achillea millefolium, is an   edible plant with medicinal properties. In the Middle Ages it was thought to have subtle powers for wounds and help with mitigating fevers.   Yarrow Tea is a good remedy for severe colds, being most useful in the commencement of fevers. Some of i ts old names such as Soldier's Wound Wort and Knight's Milfoil testify to its reputation as a vulnerary. Another popular name for it is Nosebleed, as i t is also quite well known for helping with   nose bleeding. Iines Råmark

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Explaining the consequences behind different scent choices - Behind every perfume there is a fascinating story and memories linked. During the Perfumery Basics workshop, perfumer Nour Akoum will guide you into the right balance and the selection of raw materials to reach your focus. Suzana Orsolic

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Desirée Hammen during the workshop "Embroidering Species" - Fashion designer Desirée Hammen  explains embroidery techniques to the workshop participants and instructs them on how to create animals in mixed media.  Caroline Aravicius, Desirée Hammen

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Uitvaartondernemer Susanne Duijvestein wikkelt proefmodel Klaartje Dullemond in een wade - Beeld Dingena Mol Lees hier het artikel ‘Kijk, net een burrito’: de lijkwade is in opkomst als duurzaam alternatief voor de doodskist, in het Parool van 2 augustus 2021 door Elleke van Duin.

Machine no.2

Machine No.2, also known as Reindert, is a steel machine with its sole purpose being to drop helicopter seeds. However, a lot more lies beneath the surface. The mechanism not only drops the seeds but also transports them back up again by means of air and a valve system. While showcasing this work along with his background in photography, David developed machines to capture natural phenomena in a fashion beyond mere image. The installation is made by David Kerssens Goedhart. 

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David Kerssen's Machine No.2 - Visitors at the opening of the exhibition Aakash Nair

Tumulus

Tumulus is an enclosed garden installation that functions as a natural ruin, compost heap, soil sculpture, seed bed, earth work, dyeing source, and dunghill. Over the course of several seasons from June 2019 onwards, artist Ruchama Noorda transforms the patch of greenery next to our Sluisdeurenloods into a living sculpture and performance site. This year a new mediation hut was made, and we hosted firings where Ruchama Noorda, together with artist Suzanne Bernhardt, experimeted with clay and traditional Reki Firings.

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Suzanne and Ruchama during the different stages of firing - Anne Lakeman

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Tumulus at night with flowering woad - Ruchama Noorda

Haeckel Hunt

This year we launched our app about Ernst Heackel. The virtual reality app 'Haeckel Hunt' takes you on an adventure on the Marine Terrain, while discovering the inspiring prints of Ernst Heackel.

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Haeckel in Augmented Reality - With the Haeckel Hunt app you can scan the biological illustrations on your phone to discover the organisms and collect them all!  Àmber van de Ven

Haeckel was also celebrated in the sustainability exhibition in the Contamporary art Museum in Busan South Korea!

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Visitors at MoCA Busan during the Sustainable Museum exhibition - Courtesy of Museum of Contemporary Art Busan. Photograph by Studio Jeongbiso. © 2021 Museum of Contemporary Art Busan. MoCa Busan

The Mediamatic Garden and its fruits

Mediamatic is surrounded by growbeds that give space to hundreds of medicinal plants. Also the greenhouse grows many rare fruits, herbs and vegetables. The harvest was used for the restaurant, fermented or used for artistic research.

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Scoby for making kombucha - Photo 2021 by  Ben Hopley  for Mediamatic Nadine Schütz

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Pomegranate water kefir - Photo 2021 by  Ben Hopley  for Mediamatic Ben Hopley

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Our Elderflower tree - Picking the biggest Elderflower heads as possible to make champagne Elise Chalcraft

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Dipping the Elderflowers in! - We gently place the Elderflower heads just under the water surface, leaving the stalks out as they have a bitter taste when left in to ferment. Elise Chalcraft

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Water kefir grains - Photo 2021 by  Ben Hopley  for Mediamatic Ben Hopley

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Mediamatic Greenhouse - Bitter gourd, grown in-house

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Abhay preparing soil in the Aquaponics - Spring gardening preparations 2021 In Spring 2021 the growth of new outdoorplants was supported by the warm temperatures of the Aquaponics. Our Aquaponics team worked on the preparation and care of the seedlings.

With: Abhay Villa

Pop-up De Voddenmannen

Mediamatic and Voddenmannen hosted the Voddenmannen 1 pop-up shop. The pop-up sold affordable design items that are remodelled from discarded textiles.

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First Collection of Voddenmannen - Affordable design items remodelled from discarded textiles

With: Rens de Waal

Disclosing Discomforts

The Disarming Design department at the Sandberg Instituut presented Disclosing Discomforts at Mediamatic: an exhibition sketching research from 17 participating artists and designers through action, participation, performance and installation.

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Disclosing Discomforts - by Disarming Design department at Sandberg Instituut Disarming Design is a two-year Master programme at the Sandberg Instituut Amsterdam committed to design practices that deal with conditions of conflict, oppressive forces and entangled histories. Operating at the intersection of design, crafts, community and politics, the programme derives from the long-term collaboration between the Design Department and the design platform ‘Disarming Design from Palestine’. This exhibition was sketching research from 17 participating artists and designers… Sandberg Instituut

Open Podium: Marjolein Boterenbrood

Artist Marjolein Boterenbrood used the Mediamatic biotope for her research on underwater life and surfaces.

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Begroeid aluminium test-plaatje - Marjolijn Boterenbrood

Collaborations

We are proud of our collaborations in 2021 with these partners: Expedition Oosterdok, the Witchcraft, Nemo - Weekend of Science, Museum Night Amsterdam, Shaffy's Garden, Verbruggen Mushrooms, Baltan, Natlab, MU, Dutch Design Foundation, Museum of Contemporary art Busan.

We would like to thank the following people:

Simone Brus, Mieke Auguste Macenaite, Illiana Somoroff, Suzana Orsolic, Larisa Dima, Reginaldo Goncalves, Dominik Einfalt, Nathan Henneken, Ejla Miletic, Nadine Schütz, Ben Hopley, Amber van de Ven, Gabrielle de Haseth, Hyunsuh Kim, Nur'Ain Taha, Ruth Brickland, Minh Sandberg, Lisa Witte, Jessica Cohen, Nour Akoum, Ejla Miletic, Abhay Villa, Linh Nguyen, Elise Chalcraft, Maureen Kortenbusch, Sadhbh O'Donnell, Alessandra Avanzi, Aakash Nair, Abdul Hadi Paryani, Abigail Larasati Setiadi, Josie Dibnah, Jana Stocker, Héloïse Floc'h, Jeanne Rousselot