Koelhuis x Dutch Design Week 2023
At Dutch Design Week 2023, Koelhuis Eindhoven open its doors for the final time in its raw, existing state, before undergoing renovation and presents two exhibitions: “Bubble Trouble” on the ground floor and “Lichtspiel” in the basement.
As the building transforms from the former freezer warehouse into a new cultural hub focused on Immersive Experiences (IX), Koelhuis has invited artists to craft site-specific installations, playing with the building’s unique architectural features and reflecting on its industrial heritage. With a selection of immersive projects and artistic interventions, we invite you to wander through a gigantic, inflated landscape, immerse yourself in the illusion of artificial scenery, and descend into the illuminated, water-flooded Koelhuis basement for a truly embodied experience.
"Bubble Trouble" delves into the symbolism of bubbles as spaces of comfort and safety, reflecting our collective tendency to isolate from uncertainties. Once a symbol of safety within our constructed realities, bubbles can have profound consequences, such as housing bubble disparities and social segregation. As Koelhuis transitions to a cultural hub, we contemplate our role in shaping and breaking bubbles, sparking dialogue on preserving heritage, artists' roles, gentrification, and urban revitalization through art and culture. The artistic playground within Koelhuis invites you experience the balance between comfort and fragility within our constructed bubbles that are about to burst.
"Bubble Trouble" on the ground floor of Koelhuis presents works of Elsemarijn Bruys, Sjoerd Geerts, Pepelsenkrepels (Myrthe Krepel and Nadia Pepels), and Taco Tarn Joosting Bunk.
“Lichtspiel” by Zalán Szakács engages with the water-flooded basement of Koelhuis Eindhoven through light, haze, and sound. By combining various kaleidoscopic lenses with a kinetic motor, the spectators find themselves in a configuration of mysticism and technology.
Featured artists:
Elsemarijn Bruys
Elsemarijn Bruys is a visual artist with a strong curiosity for sensory perception. In her hybrid practice, she alternates between making sculptures and architectural interventions, but the spatial experience is always her starting point.
Air is the main medium Bruys works with. She takes the material so seriously that she considers it her collaborator. Within her work, the air has the freedom to take its course: rectangles become round, spaces are filled and occupied, objects breathe in and out, visitors are subtly flattened and perspectives become deformed. The addition of air makes her objects performative, and the change of form it brings about is simultaneously the core of her work.
Her work has been shown at the Van Eesteren Museum, Kunsthal KAdE, Art Rotterdam, Down The Rabbit Hole, Torrance Art Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, among others.
Pepelsenkrepels
Pepelsenkrepels (Myrthe Krepel and Nadia Pepels) is a performance and visual arts duo. They call themselves professional players. While improvising they create imaginative worlds together, with the absurdity of the zeitgeist as inspiration.
Sjoerd Geerts
Multidisciplinary designer Sjoerd Geerts encourages the interaction between people, the spaces they inhabit, and the objects within. He creates interactive installations and unique objects, fitting for both private spaces and public settings. His work arises from thorough research and is shaped by a fluid, multidimensional mindset.
Sjoerd initiates independent projects while also demonstrating a fondness for collaboration and assignments. He perceives these diverse work modes as mutually enriching, offering fresh insights for clients and simultaneously broadening his own creative perspective. Through these symbiotic collaborations involving clients, retailers, material suppliers, and often local manufacturers, Sjoerd creates value and quality in his work that transcends his individual thinking.
Zalán Szakács
Zalán Szakács is an artist who brings together immersive art, scenography and media theory research.
Through his work, Szakács explores the relationship between space, body and technology, resulting in multi-sensory experiences that include elements such as light, sound, smell, time, tactility and movement.
Based on the research of media theory and media archaeology, his artistic work brings forgotten analogue technologies – such as 17th century optical experiments and 18th century phantasmagoria – to the contemporary context, unfolding as experiential art installations. For each project, Szakács closely collaborates with scientists and researchers as well as filmmakers, artists, and sound designers.
Taco Tarn Joosting Bunk
Taco Tarn Joosting Bunk is a scenographic artist, active in the music and art -industry, who turns his interests and fascinations into technical research. With a background in audiovisual media, he likes to focus on different visual forms, using space as a foothold. He strives to explore new horizons, inspire you to step out of your comfort zone, discover your creativity and let you experience it. He does this by cleverly combining art forms, themes and different forms of media by interweaving visual, auditory and interactive elements.