‘The essence of the situated, cinematic experience of dance lies in the mental interaction where the public becomes co-author.’
Noud Heerkens was a researcher within the Situated Art and Design research group from 2016 until retiring in 2021. He also was a tutor at the Master Institute of Visual Cultures.
Noud Heerkens is a filmmaker, curator and producer. He briefly studied philosophy and architecture. Since 1978, his practice he has focussed on film. In his work he investigates how film, autonomously or in connection with other disciplines, can express the human condition of ‘being alone’. Noud’s work has been presented (inter)nationally on many platforms. His films are included in the film collection of the EYE Film museum, Amsterdam.
Noud taught at various Dutch art academies, including the Royal Academy of Visual Arts, the Hague, the Theatre Faculty of the Utrecht School of the Arts, and the CoDarts choreography programme in Rotterdam.
Since 2000 he has been affiliated with the bachelor and master programmes of St. Joost School of Art & Design and Master Institute of Visual Cultures.
An Invitation to DANCE
This research project examines the cinematic experience of a dance performance.
New Media & Performance Workshop
Noud Heerkens provided a five-day exhibition workshop that stemmed from his research An Invitation to DANCE. By looking, hearing, moving and associating the visitor can create his ‘own’ story in this installation: the audience becomes a co-author of the work. This concept formed the starting point for new media & performance exhibition workshop. During the workshop, the participants were divided into six interdisciplinary groups in which they developed an interactive work.
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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‘People are the product of their relationships with their environment. It’s important to understand how technological developments influence these relationships.’
Michel van Dartel 
‘Almost everything I design is based on giving form to the invisible.’
Tara Karpinski
‘‘Understanding how creativity and imagination emerge from interactions with our environment will lead to improved innovation processes, tools and technologies.’’
Alwin de Rooij
‘Through an interplay of design and research, the apt questions and necessary tools can be discovered and applied to each research project.’
Antal Ruhl
‘Could experimental sensory translation of art works improve their accessibility for sensory diverse exhibition audiences?’
Eva Fotiadi
‘I’m interested in how we can implement situated learning within design education.’
Sarah Lugthart
‘How can the notion of the ‘script’ be used in a situated design practice? ’
Ollie Palmer
‘The ultimate goal is to enable people to improve their lives, making them more enjoyable and comfortable.’
Simone van den Broek
‘Attention during interaction is personal, not a given fact.’
Misha Croes
‘Investigating the potential of sensory augmentation to bridge the sensory gap between deaf and hearing.’
Michel Witter
‘Getting comfortable with ambiguity enables designers to absorb feedback and use it to make better design choices.’
Gabri Heinrichs
‘I look at the ways in which citizens can play an active role in shaping their cities, and how new media and technology can contribute to this.’
Barbara Asselbergs
‘For me, the iterative design-research process is an exciting journey towards designs that can transform human consciousness.’
Danielle Roberts