Biography / CV
Geert Mul (1965) is a pioneer in the field of digital art and has been exploring for over 25 years the possibilities of a poetry in the language of new media. This resulted in a flow of experimental artworks in a wide range of media: prints, light-objects, video and interactive/generative computer installations. The interrelationship between technology and perception is a leitmotiv in the oeuvre of Geert Mul.
After over 25 years of artistic practice, Geert Mul’s work has evolved into an exploration of the interconnectedness between humanity, technology, and nature. ‘I aim to reconceptualize the perceived divisions and connections between ‘man’, ‘technology’, and ‘the natural’,’. Mul emphasizes that it is literally of vital importance to acknowledge how technology determines our relationship with nature.
Geert Mul (1965) studied art from 1985 -1990 at the HKA Arnhem where he graduated with computer animations, video and kinetic sculptures. After his studies, he traveled in Mexico, the United States and Asia. He resided for one year in Tokyo. Since 1993 Mul lives and works in Rotterdam, Holland. In the mid-1990s, Mul became one of the first VJ’s, in the alternative Techno scene. These events grew into interactive audio-visual environments, commissioned artworks and installations which were exhibited in a variety of contexts: public space, museums and festivals.
Mul exhibited in major musea in The Netherlands: Kröller-Müller Museum, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Rotterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. International: National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto Japan, Museo Nacional Reina Sofia Madrid, Institute Valencia Arte Moderne, Fondation Cartier, Paris, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Geert Mul lives and works in Rotterdam, is represented by gallery Ron Mandos, Amsterdam.
Artist statement.
We utilize media as a means to observe and document the world around us. However, when our ideologies are ingrained within our technological media, shaping our perception of reality, can we truly engage in critical observation?
I believe that art offers a means to break free from this closed loop. The history of art is a history of experimentation with media. At its core, the concept and practice of art revolve around exploring the relationship between medium and content, in order to both free the media and the message.
For me, the content in art arises from a subversive approach to media conventions, just as poetry plays with the conventions of language. My work is not bound by logic, I improvise with correlations and connotations. The resulting artworks are speculative in nature and eschew the pursuit of perfect technological representation in favor of poetic creation.
Collections:
Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, NL
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, NL
Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Schiedam, NL
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen
Kunstcollectie Menzis / Menzis Art Collection
Collection Citizen M Hotels
KRC Collection / Collection Rattan Chadha
Collection Jeroen Princen
Collection of Hugo and Carla Brown, Cobra to Contemporary, The Hague, NL
Collection Antoinde de Galbert
IVAM, Valencia, ES
Activities:
1993 – present Digital Media artist, artistic research, art in public space.
2009 – present Parttime professor at Gerrit Rietveld Academy, DOGtime, Amsterdam.
2010 – present Board member Telco Systems: Rotterdam based experimental art collective.
2018 – present Board member Culture Unlimited: contemporary crossover music festival.
2023 – present Board member Ron Mandos Young Blood Foundation: supporting young artistic talent.
2008 Co-founder Baltan Media Laboratories, Eindhoven.
2004 – 2012 Creative board Showroom MAMA,Rotterdam.
2002 Jury – Prix de Rome – Rijksacademie Amsterdam.
1994 – 2000 VJ Cut-Up.
Awards:
2023 FESPA Award 2023 München: Media art
2016 Art in Public Space Award – Lenticular Cloud for Deloitte Building Amsterdam
2015 International FIAT/IFTA Award with Beeld en Geluid Hilversum: Most innovative use of Archive.
2011 Best Practice Award Virtual Platform Holland.
2011 Share Prize Museum of Science Turin Italy.
2010 Witteveen+Bos Art & Technology Award.
1995 The Rotterdam Art Award.
Selected Exhibitions:
2024: Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Immersive video installation “Queries in algorithmic Landscapes”
2023 Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, NL, Permanent installation, Lighbox 250cm x 250cm “Natureally”
2023 Campo Santo, Ghent, Belgium: The Anatomy Lesson Revisited (group)
2022 Brutus Rotterdam Wild Summer of Art – Part II (group)
2021 Dortmunder-U, Dortmund Germany. Permanent interactive media installation (New acquisition)
2020 Kröller-Müller Museum: Staging Silence. (New acquisitions)
2020 Het HEM, Amsterdam Chapter 3HREE gastcurator: Maarten Spruyt (group)
2018 EYE Film Museum / Amsterdam Light Festival – Projection mapping. Databased Dialogues, 2018
2017 The Wrong – New Digital Art Biennale. Then And Now 1993 (web-adaption 2017)
2017 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo Japan, CommandN 20th Anniversary, video works.
2017 Dortmunder-U, Dortmund Germany. Solo. Geert Mul, Matchmaker 25 years of media-art.
2016 Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. Solo. Geert Mul, Matchmaker 25 years of media-art.
2015 Beirut Libanon; Global week for Syria, Big Data Poetry. Audio/Visual with Michel Banabila.
2015 Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision. Hilversum “Ander Nieuws” interactive installation.
2014 Logan symposium Barbican center, London. Big Data Poetry, with Michel Banabila.
2014 Stuk Kunstencentrum, Leuven Belgie PLEISTO-SCENE ARTEFACT Installation in public space.
2013 Strarta art Fair at Saatchi Gallery London. Interactive Installation SHAN SHUI.
2013 Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam at Trouw Big Data Poetry, with Michel Banabila.
2013 Stedelijk Museum Zwolle ‘Beeld van een Stad’ (group) God’s Browser
2013 Tschumi Pavillion Groningen. (solo) Pleisto-Scene: Installation with prints and led-light.
2013 Raw China Expo Art Rotterdam. (group) Interactive Installation. Curator Piet de Jonge.
2012 GLOW Forum of Light and Architecture, (group) Interactive installation
2012 Museum of The Image, Breda, The Image in the 21st Century (group) MatchMovie
2012 Wood Street Galleries in Pittsburgh U.S.A. (group) HORIZONS Interactive installation.
2011 Gallery Ron Mandos Amsterdam. (solo) Gods Browser and other works.
2011 Museum of Science Turin Italy. (group) God’s Browser Interactive Installation.
2011 International Public Art Manifestation Ankara Turkey. (group) Museum of Symbolic Debris
2010 Witteveen + Bos Art & Technology, oeuvre award + exhibition (solo) Coincidence is never arbitrary.
2010 Gerrit Rietveld Busstop Eindhoven. i.c.w.Maurer United Architects (solo)
2010 European Capital of Culture 2010. Hagen Germany (solo) “Preparation for a possible future”
2009 21rozendaal, Enschede (solo) 2012 Interactive installation.
2008 Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Rotterdam HORIZONS (solo) Interactive installation.
2008 Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam ‘Deep Screen” (group) SNX4 Video installation.
2008 The Galerie Art & Essai of Rennes (FR) Look at Us’ Video.
2006 I.V.A.M. Institute Valencia Arte Moderne. Valencia Spain (solo) Local Squares, Global Stars,
2004 ‘Portraits of Warsaw’ Film by the sea festival, Scheveningen (NL)
2005 Museum of Modern Art, Chengdu, China 3rtd Triennale Chengdu China 2005, (group)
2005 National Gallery of Modern Art India New Delhi, India (solo)
2005 The Royal Dutch Embassy, 11th Triennale India New Delhi, India, Generative installation.
2005 Museum Vlakhof Nijmegen (group) Tiles and Drawings, generative installation.
2003 Portobello Film festival, London (UK), ‘Transfer Points’
2002 ISEA, International Symposium on Electronic Arts Nagoya, Japan (group) TransferPoints Video.
2001 MU art foundation Eindhoven, NL GENERATING LIVE (solo) A generating cinematographic environment Featuring: Speedy J. & Lucas van der Velden.
2001 ‘SONAR festival, Barcelona (ES) Transfer Points. Video.
2000 International Biennial, Torino Italy (group) Generating Torino, Interactive video installation.
2000 De Vleeshal Middelburg (solo) Generating Live. Generative video installation.
2000 Witte de With Rotterdam (group) This Land is Man-made. Interactive video installation
2000 National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto, Japan. This Land is Man-made, interactive video installation.
2000 ‘Akihabara tv, Tokyo, Japan. Time Cross’ Video.
2000 International Film Festival Rotterdam, ‘La Derive’ Video.
1999 Cartier Foundation, Parijs, France, ‘La Derive’ Video.
1999 Museo Nacional Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain, Home Screen Home, ‘Sans Issue’ video.
1999 ‘Sans Issue‘ International Film_Festival Rotterdam
1998 Museu D’art contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, Home Screen Home, ‘Sans Issue’ video.
1997 2e Global Attic” Rotterdam NL. / Winnipeg CANADA. Video: “Sans Issue” (final remix, 10 minutes)
1996 “Manifesta” Nestwork, Zaal de Unie Rotterdam. Displacement & Identity. Video installation.
1996 International Filmfestival Rotterdam, Exploding cinema. ”I love you so much” video.
1993 “5th International Video Week”, Saint-Gervais Genève. Switzerland. “I love you so much” Video.
1991 International Audio Visual Experimental Festival Arnhem Holland. “Toen en Nu” Generative digital Installation.
Selected Commissioned Artworks and Projects
2023Nieuwe Hollandse Waterweg, Lunet aan de Snel, outdoor permanent interactive installation.
2023 Almere Central Station: Lightwall “kunstwerk Almere”
2021 Dortmunder-U, Dortmund Germany, Interactive permanent interactive installation, Shan Shui.
2019 Knoptoren, st Oedenrode, windows for the 14th century tower and video installation.
2016 MST hospital Enschede, Lightwall 8 x 4 meters: NATUREALLY
2015 Permanent installation at Deloitte Headoffice Amsterdam: Lenticular Cloud_01.
2014 Voorburg, Marianne viaduct: Exponential View
2014 M S T, hospital entrance. Animated photographic print on glas with backlight light, 4,5 x 8,0 meter.
2012 Interactive installation and 3D video commissioned by VOLT, Beeld en Geluid Hilversum
2012 Permanent artwork, public space: mural with paintings led light, Voorburg, Holland.
2011 City theatre Agnietenhof Tiel: Generative Led sign for poetry and doggerel.
2010 Headquarters Royal Netherlands Army, Kromhout-kazerne, Projections from the archive.
2010 Raalte: De Horizon, Interactive installation
2009 25th anniversary Gasunie art collection Permanent video installation,
2009 MFA Maastricht, TijdVerkijker Interactive installation
2009 Las Palmas building Rotterdam, I.C.W. Maurer United Architects, Interactive installation.
2008 Dutch Photo museum Museum Rotterdam, 3 interactive installations.
2006 Spoorlaan Tilburg Holland Ive been watching you, installation, 237 meter x 1.5 meter
2006 Sofia Hospital Rotterdam. CF Lounge I.C.W. Maurer United Architects
2006 Centre for Financial Information Zoetermeer, Interactive installation
2005 4 in1 building Breukelen, Interactive installations.
2004 DEMOGRAPHICS Cityhall Middelburg Interactive installation
2004 Split Representation Higher School of Economics Rotterdam (HES) NL Interactive installation.
2001 (2000, 1999) DIESEL Fashion Italy. Video production & presentation collections 1999 & 2000.
GALLERY presentations
2022 Galerie Ron Mandos Art Antwerp.
2020 Galerie Ron Mandos Art Rotterdam.
2018 Galerie Ron Mandos Art Rotterdam.
2014 Galerie Ron Mandos Amsterdam: Shan Shui Interactive installation.
2011 Galerie Ron Mandos Amsterdam. New Installations.
2008 Galerie Ron Mandos Amsterdam: reflections & perspectives
2008 Galerie Ron Mandos FIAC Paris, Parijs (FR)
2006 Galerie Ron Mandos DIVA video art fair, New York (USA)
2006 ARCO, Madrid My Name is Art Gallery, Madrid (ES)
2005 Galerie Ron Mandos Art Forum Berlin, Berlijn (DE)
2004 Galerie Ron Mandos FIAC Paris, Parijs (FR)
Software Research & Development:
2023 Gardens of Event. Interface for Generative A.I. software. (G.A.N.)
2022 Latent Space, Generative A.I. adaptation.
2014 The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision “Ander Nieuws”
2012 REALIA Images analyses (programmed by Carlo Prelz)
2010 God’s Brower Images analyses (programmed by Carlo Prelz)
2009 Baltan_Tracker (Motion tracking software)
2001 No-Ta-Ti-On Image Analysis and Image Composition. ( with Carlo Prelz)
2002 FX1 (programmed by Carlo Prelz) realtime video effect generator
1999 The Epic Generator, Interactive and generating video software. At V2_Lab, Rotterdam
Stage Arts:
2015 Beirut, Libanon. Global Week For Syria. Geert Mul & Michel Banabila “Big Data Poetry”
2014 BARBICAN CENTRE, LONDON Geert Mul & Michel Banabila “Big Data Poetry”
2013 RED EAR FESTIVAL Rotterdam. Geert Mul & Michel Banabila “Cloud of Identity”
2012 TENT Rotterdam Audio-visual life performance. Geert Mul & Michel Banabila “Cloud of Identity”
2010 Harbour NDSM Amsterdam Live audio & Video Geert Mul & Michel Banabila
2005 Soweto & Grahamstown, South Africa, Video design and live mix : Vuka! Vuka ! Het waterhuis.
2002 FreeBirds South Africa, Het waterhuis theater Video design & live video mix
2002 Ro-Theater with Guy Cassiers / Eric Sleichim, Blindman: La Grande Suite’ Video design
2000 Dance-group Krisztina de Chatel, Amsterdam, NL ‘Dynamix’ Art director/ design interactive video.
2000 Speedy J. De Vleeshal Middelburg NL. Speedy J. & Geert Mul, live
2000 Museum of contemporary Art Chicago U.S.A. MCA summer Solstice celebration.
‘The best real Live Show’ with Liquid Media.
2000 Lille, Maubeuge, Paris France Dangereuses Visions with Eric Sleichim, Blindman, Art Zoyd.
1999 Mappe’ 99 Percorsi Urbani, Catania Sicily, Italy Installation/ performance. With Peter Duimelinks.
1999 Speedy J. & Geert Mul Maritime museum Rotterdam, NL ‘Harbour, Sound & Vision’
1999 LOWLANDS, NL The Best Real Live Show DJ Alien, Liquid Media & Cut-Up
1998 D.E.A.F. V2 Rotterdam, NL “The best Real Live Show” Performance with DJ Alien & Liquid Media.
1998 Paard Den Haag NL “The Best Real Live Show” Performance with DJ Alien & Liquid Media.
1995 International Filmfestival Rotterdam, Video and Music with DJ Alien & Liquid media
Lectures:
2018 LIMA Symposium Future Proof, Amsterdam
2018 The Sensory Moving Image Archive (SEMIA). EYE Filmmuseum Amsterdam
2017 Datafied Society, Imaging Data Visualisation Utrecht.
2016 LIMA Symposium Future Proof, Media Art Preservation, Amsterdam
2015 Symposium Photography Research in the Digital Age, Paradiso Amsterdam
2015 Info-mania, de waan van de data, Prodentfabriek, Amersfoort.
2015 Academy for Information & Management: Creative Mediation in a Databased Culture. Amsterdam 2015 Studium Generale Willem de Koning Academie: Copy / Paste, Rotterdam, Holland
2014 Dutch Electronic Art Festival SEMINAR: programmable Behavior, Rotterdam Holland
2014 Media / Technology and Public Space, Oslo Norway
2014 International Conference: Imaging at the Intersections of Art, Science and Culture, Istanbul, Turkey.
2014 Overgaden lectures: Art + Science – Towards a Third Culture, Copenhagen Denmark
2013 Gerrit Rietveld academie Amsterdam: Browser Based: Artistic Big Data.
2013 National day of science Holland, Van Nelle Fabriek Rotterdam: Artistic Big Data.
2013 University of Leiden dep. Media-technology: Databased Perception.
2012 Gerrit Rietveld academie Amsterdam LAPS: advantages and disadvantages of a doctorate in art.
2013 University of Maastricht, Studium Generale: Generation 2.0 Art, Design and Media.
2011 STRP Festival Eindhoven: Interactive Design.
2011 Van Abbe Museum Eindhoven: De Stijl vs RGB, ism Baltan Laboratories.
2010 SKOR, Amsterdam A wedge between private and public public space and interactivity.
2010 BKKC, Tilburg: From LED screen to Media facade.
2010 The Hague University of Applied Sciences: Stereotyping and Visual Communication,
2009 PRUFROK The Hague, Light in interdisciplinair arts
2008HKU, Faculty interaction design ‘Creativity Through Research’
2007 PICNIC Amsterdam. “Interactive Design”
2006 Grimstad Norway Short Film Festival “Grasping Structure”
2006 Kunst, Context en Realiteit Hotel New York
2006 Visual Sensations, Paradiso / Monte Video Amsterdam
2004 BEK, Bergen, Norway. “Pertunia” “Time perception in dynamic media”
2004 Media-Matic Amsterdam “Dynamic Media in Art, Architecture & Design”
2004 Willem de Koning Academie Rotterdam, Interactive Design
2004 Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Arnhem, graphic design
2003 Hogeschool voor de kunsten Utrecht, graphic design
2003 Dutch foundation for Stage Arts (f.v.p.k.)
2001 Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University, The performer and the mediated image
2000 Gemeente Museum Den Haag Den Haag, “The domain of the art”
2000 Kunstlerhaus MOUSONTRUM Frankfurt, Germany “Generating structures sounds and cityscapes”
1999 Studium Generale Willem de koning academy Rotterdam, Looking at City Screens
1999 Groninger museum, Groningen, NL “The Epic Generator”
1999 Studium Generale Hogeschool Den Bosch. Lecture ‘Sample Minds’
1998 Studium Generale, H.K.A. Arnhem Holland ‘Geen praatjes maar plaatjes’ (Not talk, but pictures)
1998 Studium Generale Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam C.B.K. with Henk Oosterbeek lecture.
1998 N.A.I. The Best Real Live Show 1998. Performance with DJ Alien & Liquid Media
Interviews / Publications:
2015 We moeten eens koffie drinken: Auteur(s) : Koen van Vliet, Jozien Wijkhuijs ISBN: 9789463010078
2013 De Vindmachine: Drs. J. A. (Jos) Baijens Het beste idee van 2013. ISBN. 978907905109
A Blueprint for a Lab of the future. (Baltan Laboratories 2011 ISBN 978-90-815830-0-8)
Dutch Heights Award winning Dutch Artists 2011 (ISBN 978-94-90529-03-1)
Exploring New Information Cultures 2011 (ISBN 978-90-78088-55-4)
Dutch Eyes, New history of Dutch photography Nederland Waanders uitgevers,Zwolle2007
Still Moving, Contemporary Photography, Film and Video from the Netherlands The National
Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 2000
Monography:
– Geert Mul: Witteveen+Bos-prijs voor Kunst+Techniek. Deventer 2010
– Geert Mul: Local squares, Global Stars Institut Valencia d’art Modern Valencia 2006
– Geert Mul: Match Maker Prototype Editions Delft 2005
VJ Cut-Up (selected performances)
2001 (2000, 1999) DIESEL Breganze Italy. Presentation new collection video.
SHOCKERS (id&t) RAI Amsterdam.
D-NIGHT AHOY Rotterdam
1999 DRUM & RHYTM festival
westergasfabriek Amsterdam Cut-Up & Liquid Media
LOWLANDS Holland
Live video Show during concerts at the Lowlands pop festival, Holland
The Chemistry
MTC Rotterdam: party’s at the HAL, Cut-Up & Liquid Media
North Sea Jazz Scheveningen. Video installation Cut-Up & Liquid Media
1998 Ahoy, Rotterdam, NL
D.E.A.F. V2 Rotterdam “The best Real Live Show” Performance with DJ Alien & Liquid Media.
10 year Nighttown with the Underworld and Speedy J. Cut-Up & Liquid Media
International Filmfestival Rotterdam:
Design and video concept for dance events during the Exploding Cinema
LOWLANDS Holland
Live video Show during concerts at the Lowlands pop festival, Holland
VERONICA MEGA DANCE
Design, concept and realisation Live Video Show
DRUM & RHYTM festival
Westergasfabriek Amsterdam
1997 De Balie Amsterdam a Japanese Love Party
DANCE VALLEY Dance festival
lInternational Filmfestival Rotterdam:
Design and video concept for dance events during the Exploding Cinema
LOWLANDS Holland Live video Show during concerts at the Lowlands pop festival, Holland
VERONICA MEGA DANCE
Design, concept and realisation Live Video Show
DRUM & RHYTM festival westergasfabriek Amsterdam
1994 – 1999 Techno Club the FUTURE, NightTown, Rotterdam
geert@geertmul.nl
info@ronmandos.nl