‘Power, control and chance play an important role in every creative process. I explore this complicated correlation.’
Michiel van Opstal is a researcher at the Situated Art and Design research group and tutor at St. Joost School of Art & Design in Breda and Den Bosch.
Michiel van Opstal studied Culture and Science Studies at Maastricht University, from 1995 to 2001. During his education, he specialised in culture and media philosophy, and film theory. His master’s thesis was a critical reflection on German philosopher Heidegger’s concept of identity.
From 2003 to 2007, Michiel taught at Leiden University within the Faculty of Arts. He developed minor programmes at the intersection of media philosophy, history, art and politics. Parallel to this, he worked as a creative producer for Het Portaal, a communication agency in Rotterdam that specialises in stakeholder participation. Michiel developed formats and film plans for social documentaries and television programmes. Since 2008, Michiel has worked as a theory and research tutor at St. Joost School of Art & Design in Breda and Den Bosch.
As a tutor and researcher, Michiel specialises in media theory, narratology, photography and film theory. He is interested in the question of how new and old media influence and change our society and our existence. Within this research area his focus is on the following topics:
- authenticity in a post-digital age;
- new visual strategies of engagement in fine art, photography and film;
- new interactive and immersive forms of narrativity;
- the democratisation of the image in our visual culture.
The power-paradox of situated and participative art & design
This research takes a critical look at the assumption that spectator participation in situated art and design emancipates this spectator, and examines situatedness and participation as a play of power.

Research Group: Situated Art and Design
Living in cities developed around data and acting within the inscrutable structure of our techno-society demands art and design that can help understand how we relate to these rapidly changing surroundings and to reflect on that relationship. The research group Situated Art and Design responds to this exigency by fostering a situated turn in art and design through a diverse portfolio of interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with academic and cultural partners, as well as with government and industry.
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