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Merel van Helsdingen
Founder & Managing Director at Nxt Museum
Merel van Helsdingen is the founder and managing director of Nxt Museum, the first museum in the Netherlands dedicated to new media art.12 Located in Amsterdam North, Nxt Museum focuses on large-scale, digital art installations that explore the intersection of art and technology.1
Background and Achievements
Merel built Nxt Museum from the ground up between 2018 and 2020, developing the concept, securing funding, and establishing relationships with artists.3 Her vision was to create a space that showcases "tech art" on a scale previously unseen in the Netherlands.1
Nxt Museum's Mission
The museum aims to:
- Provide a home for art and technology
- Exhibit new media art in an immersive, large-scale format
- Invest in developing new artworks
- Offer educational programs focused on technological development in art
- Encourage visitors to think about the impact of technology on our lives and identities1
Professional Experience
Prior to founding Nxt Museum, Merel gained experience in London and Paris, refining her understanding of cutting-edge trends and innovations.5 She has also held positions on the boards of the Door Foundation and Schemerlicht Foundation.4
Approach to Art and Technology
Merel describes the art at Nxt Museum as using "modern tools to embody modern times." The museum focuses on contemporary issues and technological challenges, such as digital personalities in virtual worlds, facial recognition software, climate change, and the role of deep-fakes in communication.1
Through Nxt Museum, Merel aims to provoke thought about the future and the increasing role of technology in our lives, while showcasing art that addresses relevant topics of today.1
Highlights
Wednesday’s experiment: Pulse. AI and ballet - an experiment between woman and machine run by Innovation:Lab at Dutch National Opera & Ballet.
In the first edition of Techlab, opera and ballet creators are given the space to experiment with digital technology. The outcomes, such as prototypes, are presented to the public. In 2024 they explore the role AI can play in creating a (ballet) choreography.
In the video below you can see Zoe, she is wearing a motion capture suit that records her movements. Speed and flow are converted into data that AI translates into emotions. This data feeds real-time visual and audio generators, which use light and sound effects to reflect and amplify Zoe's emotional state. We were actively contributing to the presentation using our mobile phones, blurring the boundaries between spectator and participant.
Wonderful to see new experiments with Art & Tech - can’t wait to find out what’s next.
SOUND ON!
Congrats: Abdelhadi Baaddi and Peter Leung Thomas Wolf thanks for joining
Top als mijn netwerk deze wil tekenen om cultuur te beschermen ✍️🙏
