Artist collective WERC focuses on designing and developing interactive media art in relation to nature, theater, science and technology. The humanization of technology and the interaction between humans, nature and technology are the guiding principles in their work. In their installations and performances, WERC plays with the boundary between the physical and digital world: where does one world stop and where does the other begin? And can we really speak of two different worlds?
The three artists of WERC are Olav Huizer, Joachim Rümke and Jelle Valk. They got to know each other during their studies at the Minerva Academy in Groningen. Their shared love of digital art and location-specific installations brought them together.
Studio WERC is located in an industrial area just outside the city center of Groningen. This studio functions as a lab, test space for prototypes, rehearsal space for various performances and open space for building setups and installations. Studio WERC also functions as a meeting place for young makers in the creative scene. The members of WERC are always looking for new creative talent and encourage other young creators to find their artistic voice.
Research forms the basis of every WERC project. Based on the expertise of the makers, the collective works on design and practice-based research with an open and associative attitude. By working together with different scientists, academic research is often linked to their projects. Through WERC’s research, the collective contributes to new insights in the fields of technology, philosophy, art, biology and artificial intelligence.
As the largest player in the field of media arts, WERC has an important voice in the cultural landscape of Groningen. Groningen is an important cultural city in the Netherlands and a great operating base for the collective. In addition to a large network in Groningen, WERC also has an ever-growing international network. With this network, WERC is part of an interdisciplinary makers community with connections in Europe, Australia and Asia.
WERC’s acquired knowledge, experience and expertise are also exchanged through talks, lectures and workshops. These often take place within educational institutions, (art)festivals, conferences and meetups in the creative industry. Find out more about WERC’s Talks and Workshops.
We are hosting s series of talks with our favorite new media artists. Over the years we’ve met some inspiring, thought provoking and kind artists from all over the world. We’d love for you to meet them as well and so we’re inviting them for an Artist Talk in our studio, so we can all have a drink, talk about the current challenges and opportunities in new media art and discuss their work. Find out more about WERC TALKS
WERC LAB is a place where emerging young artists can drop by and discuss all their burning questions and ideas about new media arts. Find out more about WERC LAB
