Proud to announce that I became a member of the KunstenaarsCentrumBergen in April 2024. (KCB) The KCB is embedded in a long, beautiful tradition, but also with several sparkling new ventures. To stay in the spring mood. I hope to be a unique addition to the KCB, with my speculative design and vision of the future artworks.
On Sunday, May 5 at 5:00 PM, the opening of the exhibition ‘Hitchhiking’, in which I am participating, will take place.
And in January 2025, I will participate in the KCB’s ‘Salon of New Members’. (Still a long way off, but there are still activities planned this year) The Bergen Artists Center is located on the first floor of Museum Kranenburgh. The KCB is a foundation for professional artists in the painting village of Bergen and organizes changing exhibitions for its members and guests throughout the year and has around 200 members. – Nicole Spit – Studio Dáárheen
KunstenaarsCentrumBergen | KCB in culturele buitenplaats Kranenburgh, 1e verdieping Hoflaan 26 1861 CR Bergen NH
Speculative Futures is an international community of meetups focused on Speculative & Critical Design, Design Fiction, Futurism, and Strategy & Foresight and any vision or approach which involves using design as a vehicle to speculate about potential or alternate futures. Are you also interested in those topics and want to join for a meetup? Or perhaps want to share your speculative design project? Stay tuned and follow us on our meetup page or instagram page
We host speakers — practitioners, designers, artists, teachers, students, and other professionals who will be talking about relevant praxis and methods and inspiring projects about future thinking and envisioning futures.
We also host workshops that will allow you to learn how to conduct and apply futures thinking in a variety of circumstances as a method of synthesis and strategy.
Who are the driving forces of Speculative Futures Amsterdam?
Nicole Spit, organizer and co-lead of Speculative futures Amsterdam. Nicole is a speculative designer, originating in productdesign, and owner of design Studio Dáárheen. ‘I convert striking findings or issues that amaze me from my (trend-) research into speculative design and art objects’.
Mari Fujiwara is a researcher and facilitator at Digital Society School @digitalsocietyschool with a background in philosophy and new media. She likes engaging on topics around societal challenges in interactive and playful ways, and that is how she got interested in speculative design. Her current side project is developing a video game which touches on social exhaustion and the theme is to escape a family Christmas dinner.
Theo Ploeg, initiator of Speculative Futures Amsterdam,SFA ambassador and in his own words “Renegade sociologist caught up in design, uses speculative design to tell meaningful and positive stories of alternative realities’. Theo is owner of Studio Hyperspace.
What is Speculative Design?
With speculative design, a tool for future thinking and creating, we try to focus on the preferred futures. We cannot predict the future, there are many different possibilities, but we can think about possible futures based on current developments. We can also use ‘Backcasting’, backcasting is a planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backwards to identify policies and programs that will connect that specified future to the present.
Are you also interested in Speculative design and Future thinking and do you want to join for a meetup? Or perhaps want to share your speculative design project? Stay tuned and follow us on our meetup page or instagram page . We would love to welcome you in our community and are also interested in your thoughts.
‘Artist and speculative designer Nicole Spit gives her vision of the field bean of the future in 6 works of art. On display are her works of art, alienating and exciting objects, in which nitrogen nodules, ‘field bean blood’ and future agriculture are discussed.
An art-science research project with speculative design object concerning the field bean ‘Vicia Faba’. The field bean is a prospect for the proteïn transition in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands.
What is so special about this crop? How can we make it future proof? What is going to be the future of agriculture in this area if we listen to the farmers living in this area? The nitrogen fixing possibilities of the field bean are much needed in the current agriculture plans of the Netherlands. Are there ways to alter the crop with genetic modification, so that we can make it maximum beneficial for humans ánd for nature?’.
^ Here we see an enlargement of tubers of a field bean plant, showing the pink red fleshy inside.
Legumes, including the field bean, can fix nitrogen from the air in collaboration with ‘Rhizobacteria’ living in the soil and store it in root tubers. These root nodules arise after an infection of the bacteria. This infection is not dangerous for the plant, in fact, both the bean plant and the rhizobacteria benefit from it.
A hair root curls around the bacteria, after which an infection thread is formed. The bacteria can enter the root through these tubes and form root nodules there. The bacteria continue to live in the root of the field bean, with both the rhizobacteria and the plant benefiting from this cooperation. The bacteria ensure that nitrogen from the air is converted into usable nitrogen for the plant in exchange for sugars supplied by the plant.
The root nodules contain leghemoglobin, an iron-containing substance that, just like our blood, can bind oxygen and gives the nodules a pinkish color. The oxygen concentration is low enough not to interfere with nitrogen fixation, but high enough for the bacteria to breathe.
Could be seen at art space Artphy on from August 5 until October 22 2023. This special group exhibition, dedicated to the protein transition, presents new works by international artists: Anna Dumitriu, Ana Kun/Dan Perjovschi, Marc Bijl, Mitzi Schreuder, Dasha Tsapenko, Nicole Spit, Maro Pebo, Danielle van Vree, Špela Petrič and Domenique Himmelsbach de Vries.
The exhibition promises to be a unique experience, in which art in relation to the protein transition is central.
The official opening was at August 5 by Tjeerd Jongsma, director of Institute for Sustainable Process Technology and Fascinating.
Ten artists from Europe and South America, several scientists, performances, lectures and a concert…
Under the umbrella ‘Digestible’, the name of this exhibition, Artphy is developing many activities this summer.
Where: Kempkebosweg 4 , 9591VG Onstwedde When: The exhibition at Artphy can be visited freely on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon from 13:00 to 17:00.
Or by appointment. Tel: 0653236241 The expo runs until October 22 in 2023.
Nicole Spit & Eveline Mooibroek duo-exhibition at ‘Kunstfietsroute Castricum 2023’.
Invitation to the duo-exhibition of Nicole Spit and Eveline Mooibroek at the Art Route Castricum 2023
This year the two artists will present themselves together on the Kunstfietsroute in Eveline’s studio. This results in an interesting meeting in which they look for common ground in their work, both visually and in terms of content.
— Nicole Spit— Nicole Spit is an artist and speculative (future) designer. Speculative design imagines futures based on current technological and social developments. A recurring theme in her work is the tension between synthetic nature, manipulated by human intervention, and biologically grown nature. This often produces alienating and sometimes bizarre images. For example, for her ‘Digital Tree Monument’ she digitally converted trees into 3d software to a virtual world and 3d printed them. She also works with Artificial Intelligence creation and researches the possibilities of genetic modification. What could future nature look like?’
— Eveline Mooibroek — ‘Eveline Mooibroek’s artwork is about our perception, about the functioning of the senses and about appearances and reality. About the feeling of not being completely at ease or at home in the world we have created. Eveline is inspired by the cultivated and manipulated environment. In her work, life is frozen and frozen in an alienating way. We don’t immediately know what we see. Eveline makes awkward and sometimes incongruous art. Her world is one of contrasts and contradictions. The artificial beauty, and the beauty of the ugly: she tries to bring it together into one image.’
In my artproject ‘Digital Tree Monument’ I selected eight trees in Castricum, which all represent a specific tree threat. Like nutrient-poor soil. urbanization, tree diseases, drought, salinazation. Some, like the old chestnut tree at Huize Koningsbosch or the old Willow at the ‘Tuin van Kapitein Rommel’ have already been felled and live on in the digital world.
We can restore stone monuments, but unfortunately not old monumental trees. How could we preserve them, with their specific phenotypic properties? Is a digital arboretum in a metaverse perhaps an alternative?
Opening of the Digital Tree Monument Exhibition by Alderman Brouwer of the municipality Castricum. (foto: R. Redmijer)The 2d prints can be scanned with an augmented reality app for an extra animation layer.3D printed trees of Castricum in their digital world.‘Digitaal Boment Monument’ book, (Dutch, hardcover, full color, 32 pages. With AR scannable images)
Als kunstproject voor de gemeente Castricum zal Nicole Spit in 2022 een digitaal bomenproject verder onderzoeken en uitwerken.
photogrammetry van een Castricumse boom
Tijdens de COVID Lock downs merkten veel mensen dat ze behoefte hebben aan energie uit de natuur, bos en bomen om zich heen. Onze bewustwording over de waarde van bomen verandert. Steeds meer bomen verdwijnen door kap of bosbranden of door een andere kijk op natuurbehoud. Daarom wil ik onderzoeken of we monumentale bomen wellicht behouden door ze digitaal op te slaan in Virtual Reality?
Ik wil door middel ‘Photogrammetry’ en speciale 3dsoftware, namelijk ‘Blender3d’, bomen digitaal in 3d vastleggen. Ze leven dan als het ware voort, als digitaal monument, in een virtuele droomwereld.
Mijn plan is om een aantal karakteristieke oude bomen uit de gemeente Castricum of regio, vast te leggen door ze te scannen en digitaal om te zetten.
Per boom zal ik zodoende een digitaal gerenderde fotoprint met daarover een korte digitale AR filmlaag waarin de boom de ‘hoofdrol’ heeft in zijn digitale droomwereld, creëren.
Daarna wil ik met deze boomgegevens in september een mooie tentoonstelling inrichten, waarbij ik de mensen uit Castricum en regio, bewust wil maken van de waarde van oude karakteristieke bomen uit hun eigen omgeving, van (verdwijnende) natuur, van nieuwe technieken en verbondenheid kweken met de natuur in de regio Castricum.
Het gehele proces wil ik ook vastleggen en laten zien. Vind je het leuk om te zien hoe en wat er allemaal bij komt kijken? Dan is dat proces is binnenkort te volgen op, onder andere deze site Art.studiodaarheen.nl op https://digitaalbomenmonument.wordpress.com/ en op instagram @digitaalbomenmonument . Kijk je ook mee?
De ‘Oase der Muzen’ kunstexpositie is van 6 t/m 10 september met een mooie kunst en landart-expositie en als plek om je op te laden! Verlengd tot en met 25 September!
Op de mooie doorstroom- buitenlocatie in de tuin van Kapitein Rommel met Wellness, kunst klank en gedicht en bijzondere activiteiten op inschrijving. De land-artgroep ‘de Feniks’ (Anja Jonker ,Marije Duthler, Nicole Spit) exposeert door de gehele tuin met bijzondere natuurlijke landart. Suzanne van Reenen maakte tuindichtjes gebaseerd op deze specifieke tuin. In het witte tuinhuis exposeert Nicole Spit.
Nicole Spit is speculatief conceptdesigner en kunstenaar en vertaald toekomstvisies in kunstobjecten.
Bomen
Digitaal boommonument. Tijdens de COVID lockdowns merkten veel mensen dat ze behoefte hebben aan energie uit de natuur, bos en bomen om zich heen. Steeds meer bomen verdwijnen door kap of bosbranden. Kunnen we monumentale bomen wellicht behouden door ze digitaal op te slaan in virtual reality? Nicole Spit heeft door middel ‘photogrammetry’ en speciale software bomen digitaal in 3d vastgelegd. Ze leven als het ware voort, als digitaal monument, in een virtuele droomwereld.
Boom vastgelegd door Photogrammetry – Nicole SpitDigitaal Boommonument in virtuele wereld
Synthetische boomwortel communicator. Bomen kunnen communiceren met elkaar en de ondergrondse wereld via het Wood Wide Web, het mycelium schimmelnetwerk onder de grond. Zouden we via een synthetische boomwortel-communicator met deze ‘gesprekken’ mee kunnen praten, door signaalstoffen te monitoren en toe te voegen?
Synthetische Boomwortel Communicator
ZON
Cyanotype sunprints. Nicole Spit heeft de energie uit de natuur ook vertaald in ‘Cyanotype-Sunprints’, waarbij er mysterieuze beelden ontstaan. Cyanoprint is de fotografische techniek waarbij de zon inwerkt op chemicaliën en contactafdrukken van planten achterlaat.
Cyanotype sunprint van Nicole Spit
Chloroplast BioTattoo. In een speculatief design kunstproject van Nicole, laat ze zien hoe we wellicht in de toekomst gebruik kunnen maken van fotosynthese van planten, door bladgroenkorrels in de huid te integreren.
Dier met groene bio tatoeage waarin energie wordt opgewekt d.m.v. fotosynthese.
Waar te zien? In de Tuin van Kapitein Rommel (ingang schuin tegenover het station) in Castricum, in het witte tuinhuis.
Wanneer? van maandag 6 september t/m vrijdag 25 september. 09:30 uur- 16:30uur.
Er is ook de mogelijkheid om wat te snacken en te drinken.
‘In this intriguing lecture, speculative designer Nicole Spit will take you to the world of tomorrow. Speculative design explores plausible future design products and scenario’s based on current developments and existing recent scientific knowledge. Nicole reflects in her art and design often on the tension between the makeable, manipulable and the idiosyncratic character of biological nature. This time she raises questions about future products in relationship to our forests. What if we could use a ‘Synthetic Tree Root Communicator‘ to interfere with the myceliumnetwork underneath the trees, the Wood Wide Web? What if we use genetic manipulated plants or animals in our forests? Should we discover the soil world underneath us like the deep sea and space? How can we merge forests and urban design? Speculative design can be a great inspiration and discussionstarter for designers, business, students, scientists and everyone who influences the future. Thus, also for you.’
Nicole in Corona times/COVID lockdown, in the Residency program
In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, I participated in the Fillip Studios X Future Based Residency program. I was working with a small team on an ‘Interdisciplinary Intervention’ case for ArtEZ University of the Arts and Radboud University for the minor ‘Create Space‘. Create Space offers the space and opportunity to research, prototype and share a vision on possible futures. This will be driven by fundamental questions related to the societal, environmental or scientific challenges of the next generation.
Art drawing entitled ‘café Piet de Gruyter’ exhibited during the CEK
Art drawings by De Spit Smuis – Nicole Spit at the Castricumse Etalage Kunst (CEK) in Castricum.
With ‘De Spit’ Smuis’, focussed more on 2d work, I will exhibit in several shop windows in Castricum. (see also: de_spit_smuis on instagram) With drawings and illustrations and collage paintings. You can find artwork from me at:
On Stock, Burgemeester Mooijstraat 33
De Gele Vinck, Burgemeester Mooijstraat 33-a
Hairdresser Patrick Boots, Burgemeester Mooijstraat 18
