Are you an art lover, culture vulture, maker, creative person or just interested in the recent developments in the field of (digital) art, culture and design? Join us on September 3rd for the Makers Meet & Eat to see great presentations by young Utrecht and Dutch makers.
During the Meet & Eat, a variety of makers will talk about their working methods and research in the field of (digital) art, culture and design. An afternoon for meeting people, sharing knowledge, tricks of the trade and a look behind the scenes. With the sun on your face we conclude the programme with music, a (vegetarian/vegan) BBQ & drinks.
Everyone is welcome to delve into the developments and share their opinion. Besides the 20 invited speakers, this year it is possible to start a conversation yourself at our new 'wildcard table'.
The event is open to Dutch and English speakers. The main language is English.
17 May 2022 For our season finale, Char Stiles created a performance in collaboration with Dan Gorelich…
3 May 2022 Illestpreacha, aka Kofi Oduro, is an Experiential Storyteller, Creative Coder, and Performative Programmer…
12 April 2022 Raphaël Bastide is an artist living in Paris. He creates convivial instruments, installations, objects, and performances…
In the summer of 2022, out of the beautiful forest of Amelisweerd emerges the interactive exhibition GARDENING. Between its trees, ponds, and flowers hide artworks and sensory experiences, emphasizing the contrasts and parallels between nature and technology. Enter the mansion Oud Amelisweerd and wander around its estate to discover the symbiosis between the digital and the natural. What does nature mean when we look at it through the eyes of an artificially intelligent system? What happens when we no longer focus on people and also give voices and rights to non-humans? GARDENING explores these questions by making our changing relationship with nature tangible through art and design.
We will gradually present the activities featured within the programme, unfolding like a flower, its buds reaching full growth. During the year you can expect meetups, talkshows, performances, tours, and more, leading up to the denouement that is the interactive exhibition.
GARDENING presents new artworks by:
- with more artists to be announced.
Stay tuned to
@gardening.nu and @creativecodingutrecht to witness the upgrowth of the exhibition as the seasons pass by.
The exhibition is made possible by
Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie,
Mondriaan Fonds,
Pauwhof Fonds,
Fentener van Vlissingenfonds,
Niemeier Fonds,
Carel Nengerman Fonds,
and Stokroos Fonds.
Humans and nature are inseparably linked, it’s an ecosystem. Or rather: your ecosystem!
All works in the exhibition are carefully selected and together form one ecosystem.
Do you want to know how the ecosystem works? Take one of the punch cards with you through the exhibition.
At each artwork you are invited to punch a hole along one of the axes: art-analysis and culture-technology.
Will your ecosystem be in balance?
At the end of the exhibition you can fill in your points at the installation.
Together with fellow visitors we are looking for the balance between everyone’s ecosystem.
Visit Gardening.nu for more info.
GARDENING Amelisweerd has opened! Starting today until July 31st you can visit the exhibition about nature and technology in Landhuis Oud Amelisweerd (Wed - Sun 11:00 - 17:00). Upcoming weekend we will celebrate the opening with extra artworks and activities by Kunstmatig de Podcast, Kop in 't Zand, and FOREST5x5 by @elzii.berzii. Visit Gardening.nu for more info.
During Whitsun weekend of June 4, 5 and 6, Landhuis Oud Amelisweerd will open its doors from 11:00 to 17:00 for the opening weekend of gardening.nu. During this weekend you can enjoy live music generated from the underwater world by paddling in a kayak, listen to artificial bird sounds (if you hold very still, they might come closer), and see what the estate during the opposite season looks like through your phone screen. More info gardening.nu, instagram.com/gardening.nu
The internet is broken! What can we learn from the pioneers of media art to take back the internet? For this new edition of ReCoding we are inspired by Mouchette, one of the online persona’s created by Martine Neddam back in 1996, far before the establishment of social media. Net-art researcher Annet Dekker will lead the conversation and give us insights into context and ideologies of early net-artists. Then we’ll focus on Mouchette and Martine Neddam’s work to learn more about how storytelling, personas, and web functions are closely intertwined. It is possible to sign up for dinner, drinks, and networking - taking place prior to the talks. We will be serving soup. Please note: when you buy a Dinner ticket and you are welcome at 18:15 instead of 20:00. More info & tickets: full event & lineup description
Friday 13th and Saturday 14th of May all artists and creatives of the artistic breading ground De Havenloods are hosting their own culturefestival. And we are part of it! Our home, De Havenloods, will give space to a program filled with a diverse array of artists, makers, genres, disciples, and styles, in which the makers of De Havenloods get the leading role. More info De Havenloods Utrecht website
Upcoming Thursday, Kate Sicchio will be kicking off Behind The Screens season 3 with a live coded dance performance called "Terpsicode". Do you want to learn more about her practice and how dance and code go hand in hand? 👉 Read her personal interview on Medium
In this workshop you’ll get a masterclass in minting NFTs of your artwork. The workshop is supervised by Saskia Freeke and will demonstrate a variety of methods and platforms. We'll conclude the programme with a session on the topic of taxation. In this part of the session we’ll review a bundle of text put forth by the Dutch Tax Institution, stating their perspective on how to deal with crypto assets. Together we’ll see if we can make sense of it.
CCU turns 5 and to celebrate we organize Math Expressionism at the brand new venue NAR Café der kunsten! Math Expressionism (Math Ex) is an exhibition showcasing the work of artists from the (inter)national community of creative coders. The programme dives into the field of generative art and presents the makers and their tools, the communities they are part of, and the creative processes that shape their work. We will keep the artist line up a secret for now, but stay tuned for more information! Math Ex is also an experiment with Non Fungible Token’s (NFT’s). Through workshops and discussions we offer both makers and collectors hands-on opportunities to develop their own perspective on this controversial field. Makers will share their experiences of being part of NFT communities such as Hic et Nunc and Artblocks. We’ll discuss the controversies and the interesting developments that have emerged. Of course all of this is embedded in a festive programme where all senses will be triggered by means of art, food, drinks and music
February 17th we’re hosting a meetup together with Sounds Like Touch. Branimir Štivić and The Twin Stranger will present their work (in progress) while they are doing residencies in, respectively, Utrecht and The Hague. As an artist, Branimir works with pneumatic systems, microcontrollers, breath sensors, live coding environment, and music creation software. Jude Cowan Montague and Riitta Hakkarainen, together as The Twin Stranger, will develop ‘Mefite Goddess of the Volcano’: a new site based theatre piece on the theme of volcanology and volcano lore, this project incorporates multiple live coders working with various data streams We welcome all coders, creatives, musicians, artists, visualists and anyone else who is interested or harbours curiousity towards the field of Live Coding to join us in De Havenloods.
In the workshop “AIR RHYTHM MACHINE” Branimir Štivić will guide you through his new media artistic process using practical examples to introduce you to live coding, physical computing and MIDI sequencing. As an artist, Branimir works with pneumatic systems, microcontrollers, breath sensors, live coding environment, and music creation software. Pneumatics is the science and technology of pressurized air—using piped, compressed air to transmit force and energy. With his guidance, you will learn how to control air to produce music through DIY use of industrial automation components and everyday objects. With a simple practical example of making a compressed air drum machine we will go through the basics of pneumatic systems, flow control with electromagnetic pneumatic valves, percussion with pneumatic cylinders, force transmission, air pressure, compressors, Helmholtz resonators and principle of air resonance in cavities. NO CODING OR SOLDERING SKILL REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE!!! Bringing your laptop/computer for active participation is desirable but not mandatory. Materials from the workshop will be published on GitHub.
Encoding the Apocalypse features works by The Twin Stranger and Lazarus Chan who are presenting the outcome of their residencies at iii.
Using data visualisation and performance they explore the theme of apocalypse as a force of nature and as an aspect of human nature
‘Mefite Goddess of the Volcano’ is an original, new site based theatre piece on the theme of volcanology and volcano lore by The Twin Stranger, Jude Cowan Montague and Riitta Hakkarainen.
The piece incorporates multiple live coders working with various data streams, such as seismic data, ground deformation, earthquakes and volcanic emissions.
The theatershow will be accompanied by a live coded performance by Rafaele M. Andrade and eerieear.
More info: instrumentinventors.org/agenda/encoding-the-apocalypse
Tickets: instrumentinventors.org/…/encoding-the-apocalypse
Registers of Code is a concert night where the world of software development unites with that of organ music.
Historically known as a musical tradition evolved from improvisation, organ music shares more similarities to the art of software development than one might expect.
With its roots in improvisation, programming can be used to produce audio visual artworks in real-time.
During the concert, the relationship between the two practices will be highlighted, not by contrasting them but by fusing them into one.
Through three different performances, we will explore how digital artists enrich the organ.
From applying artificial intelligence to create new compositions to using the body as an instrument through sensors, the power of improvisation will be central to the course of the evening.
Visit the concert on the 12th of February and experience the masterful balance between the elements of surprise and recognition
More info: https://www.orgelpark.nl/ (in Dutch)
Tickets: ticketunie.com/widgets/…/OrderActvity/100154
Breaking away from damaging fossil-fuelled practices and transitioning towards urban sustainability has never been more pressing. Yet, in the rush to transition, sustainability related issues, such as waste, are often treated as objective and somewhat isolated challenges that can be addressed through top-down technological solutions. This fails to address what `waste’ means to people on the ground and how they might imagine potential ‘zero-waste’ futures, which may prevent more sustainable futures to come about. Instead, seeing waste as an inherently cultural aspect of our cities, and, in Donna Haraway’s words, “staying with the trouble” this might cause, can support the inclusion of multiple perspectives when (re)imagining 'zero-waste', circular urban futures.
How do recent technological developments empower makers to generate new creative avenues? How is the creative coding landscape going to evolve in the coming few years?
These questions will be explored during the creative coding symposium ITERATIONS organised by Vera van de Seyp in collaboration with Creative Coding Utrecht.
With a focus on inclusivity, we invited an international group of makers from different niches within the field to talk about their practice.
In the form of presentations, interactive sessions, and workshops we will discuss four general themes: web tools, machine learning, world building, and creative education.
Sponsored by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and Pictoright Fund
More info: https://iterations.online
Tickets: ccu.stager.nl/ITERATIONS/tickets
With code, we have the possibility to reshape photographs. The photograph tells a story on its own. By reshaping it through code we can emphasize that story or tell something different. In this workshop, you will code your own programs to reshape photographs. We will look into how to load images, static and generative. What we can do with filters, and how we are able to reshape elements of the photograph. During the workshop, you will collect your own photographs on site. Wilbert is in the last year of his Art & Research study at the St. Joost Academy of Art. In his practice, he explores the balance with photography between the old and the new. Recently he started researching the digital through programming, exploring what the possibilities are of transforming images without photoshop.
As of 2021, the tech industry continues to be a highly male-dominated environment.
Although more and more women are employed in the industry, there’s still only a small portion of tech-related jobs performed by women.
This significant lack of diversity in the industry can lead to products and services that are not inclusive for society.
In the meetup on October 12th, we will be giving the floor to artists and researchers investigating this problem and turning their insights into impactful experiences and art projects to achieve a more diverse and inclusive tech-industry.
The meetup borrows its name from one of these projects.
More info: https://fb.me/e/10e6W3t9x
Tickets: ccu.stager.nl/web/tickets/111117329
Gaudeamus, Creative Coding Utrecht and NL_CL present ALG0MA5: a concert in which you see digital creativity enriching the practice of composers, instrument builders and musicians with new possibilities. Brazilian composer and hardware hacker Rafaele Andrade shows the versatility of her hybrid instrument KNURL; a hybrid cello with 16 strings made of durable material and built-in electronic components. Thanks to the electronics the audience can influence the sounds of the instrument live during the concert. Musicians and artists Jonathan Reus, Sabrina Verhage and Anne Veinberg & Felipe Ignacio Noriega on the CodeKlavier will give a demonstration of this. The programme is framed by three performances by live coders from Barcelona, Karlsruhe and Ljublijana who belong to the European collaborative project On-The-Fly.
September 28th we’re hosting a meet-up with On-The-Fly and NL_CL. We welcome all coders, creatives, musicians, artists, visualists and anyone else who is interested or curious in the field of Live Coding to join us in De Havenloods for talks about coding, show work-in-progress and to explore the live coding practice. We’ll be closing the evening with an open code jam and drinks. Bring your laptop and join the jam session, no matter your expertise we’d love to see you perform. Jamming is open for anyone, but if you already know you’d like to join you can email us.
10 tables, 4 rounds, 40 short talks by 20 makers, 1 inspiring keynote, 1 XXL vegan meal, 100+ makers and like-minded people. These are the ingredients of the second Makers Meet & Eat organised by Creative Coding Utrecht, IMPAKT, RAUM, and SETUP on Sunday 19th of September from 12:00 - 20:00 at RAUM on Berlijnplein. During the Meet & Eat you will get around the table with various makers to get to know their ways-of-working and research in the field of digital art, culture and design. An afternoon for meeting, sharing knowledge, tricks of the trade and a look behind the scenes. The day will end with a BBQ hosted by Venster, during which we will chat whilst enjoying a good bite, drink and (hopefully) the sun.
Gaudeamus, Creative Coding Utrecht and NL_CL present ALG0MA5: a concert in which you see digital creativity enriching the practice of composers, instrument builders and musicians with new possibilities. Brazilian composer and hardware hacker Rafaele Andrade shows the versatility of her hybrid instrument KNURL; a hybrid cello with 16 strings made of durable material and built-in electronic components. Thanks to the electronics the audience can influence the sounds of the instrument live during the concert. Musicians and artists Jonathan Reus, Sabrina Verhage and Anne Veinberg & Felipe Ignacio Noriega on the CodeKlavier will give a demonstration of this. The programme is framed by three performances by live coders from Barcelona, Karlsruhe and Ljublijana who belong to the European collaborative project On-The-Fly.
The first weekend of September, Uncloud Festival, Modulation., and CCU join forces for a two day programme filled with electronic music and immersive performances at Cultuurterras De Nijverheid. On Saturday September 4th, we will have a selection of amazing artists performing experimental electronic music mixed with theatre and audio-visual performances by Bakah, Bodyscan 223, Diogo Carriço, Timo Hoogland, and Skander Jaïbi & Jaco Schilp. On Sunday afternoon, there will be a live painting in creation while we enjoy the chill- and spacy vibes of Ambient and Drone music by Dubberdink & Cathy Daniëls, Allert Aalderes, and Skander Jaïbi, priming us for a Modulation concert at night with Jerome Mardga, Dennis Weijers, and Mieke van Dam. So join us during Cultuurterras #8 for immersive performances and mesmerizing mellow tunes! Tickets will be sold at the door.
August 26 and 27, CCU organizes a meet-up and workshop about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its weakness to ‘Adversarial Attacks’. During an adversarial attack, the AI vision is misled by adding visual noise to images, leading to malfunctions in the system. During the meet-up, we will be joined by experts in the field to talk aboutt. During the workshop led by Javier Lloret Pardo, we will have an introduction to Adversarial Attacks applied to images and we will explore code examples that implement different adversarial techniques. This workshop will also propose a space for dialogue and discussion around the subject.
Rainbows End 🌈🌈🌈 is made possible by Gemeente Utrecht, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, Mondriaan Fonds, VSBFonds, Stichting Elise Mathilde Fonds, Stichting Fentener van Vlissingen Fonds, and Pictoright Fonds.
Yes! This is your chance to visit a physical Rainbows End 🌈🌈🌈. On 30th of April, 1st & 2nd of May we are hosting a Pop-Up Store & Gallery in the heart of Utrecht. At the Pop-Up Store, you will be able to buy Rainbows End merchandise like posters and face masks (designed by our lovely @pleunpleunpleun), and admire a fine selection of Rainbows End artworks.
Entrance: FREE! (just reserve a timeslot using te ticket links bewlow please)
More info: creativecodingutrecht.nl/rainbows-end
Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3bHUsoy
Join our Telegram group: t.me/creativecodingutrecht
We’re very excited to introduce you to our exhibition Rainbows End 🌈🌈🌈, where we strive to give a platform to underrepresented makers (femme, poc & queer) who use art and virtual worlds as an artistic medium. The exhibition takes place from April 22 until May 2 at De Havenloods and De Nijverheid and is curated by HERVISIONS. The next few months, we’ll be announcing many great events like workshops, hackathons, tours, all leading up to this exhibition. Stay tuned for updates!
We’re starting off the RAINBOWS END 🌈🌈🌈 era with an interactive pre-event, a hackathon about sex tech, together with artists, academics, technologists, thinkers and tinkerers from all backgrounds and perspectives… We'll learn about the diverse and evolving field of Sex Tech, and the implications it has on the past, present, and future of intimacy, companionship, and human behaviour. Let's get hands-on and physical with intimate technologies from a maker perspective through live demonstrations and tutorials!
21 July 2020 An interview with creative coder and co-founder of Creative Coding Utrecht Carolien Teunisse.
14 July 2020 An interview with Sabrina Verhage, a live coder and co-founder of Creative Coding Amsterdam.
7 July 2020 An interview with creative coder and composer Rafaele Andrade.
30 June 2020 An interview with livecoder and performer Marije Baalman.
23 June 2020 An interview with coder and electronical musician Roald van Dillewijn.
16 June 2020 An interview with Saskia Freeke (Sasj).
9 June 2020 An interview with livecoder Giovanni Muzio (Kesson).
3 June 2020 An interview with Joana Chicau, graphic designer, dancer and livecoder.
26 May 2020 An interview with livecoder and data scientist Jo Kroese (Jobi).
CCU is a community founded in 2017 by Carolien Teunisse and Fabian van Sluijs with the goal to stimulate digital creativity and creative coding in Utrecht and beyond.
Through a variety of activities such as workshops, meetups, performances and exhibitions we bring together the community of makers (artists, designers, researchers, developers, performers, musicians) to share knowledge and collaboratively explore the artistic potential of self-made soft- and hardware for creating expressions.
In framing our activities we employ a postdigital perspective in which we make no distinction between 'old' and 'new' media and reflect on 'digital' creativity as part of a long tradition around arts and crafts. In this context Creative Coding Culture is interesting as it's thoroughly hybrid and composed of practices so diverse that its meaning is in flux. As such we research and reflect on what creative coding is and can be, in order to look for new and anti-disciplinary methodologies that can help shape our contemporary society in a fair and positive way.
Anne-Linde Munsterman - communications & PR
Christine Breur - business & operations manager
Carolien Teunisse - co-founder & education
Fabian van Sluijs - co-founder & artistic director
Saskia Freeke - programme & education
Sietse van der Meer - communications & web
Sjuul Stax - production
Axelle van Wynsberghe - nomadic researcher
Benjamin Hull - photography
Benjamin van Vliet - editor
Bram Snijders - technical producer
Costanza Tagliaferri - intern
Iris Jansen - producer
Mariska Berrevoets - pr & marketing
Mavi Irmak Karadermirler - intern
Myrthe van der Boom - business & operations
Tanja Busking - videography
Tanja van Zoest - creative producer
Vincent Schrijnemakers - photography
The board of CCU receives no remuneration. For management and permanent employees, CCU has its own salary system, based on the model of De Zaak Nu and taking into account the Fair Practice Code.
Stichting Creative Coding Utrecht
Mailing address: Sluyterslaan 81, 3431BB, Nieuwegein, Utrecht
E-mail address: