Maarten Heijnens

Maarten Heijnens (1996) is an interdisciplinary artist and performer currently based in Amsterdam. In 2019 he graduated from the Institute of Performative Arts in Maastricht with a BA degree in Performance Art. 

‘We ask a lot from our bodies, but what does our body actually want to tell us?’ 

In his performative installations he uses the sensory experience of the spectator’s body as a means of reflection. His research focuses on how the (experience of our) body can unfold aspects of our being and our society that we have learned to oversee. 

Maarten is interested in the reversal of the traditional subject-object relationship and therefore engages in creating works that looks at the spectator, instead of the reverse. He aims to create performative installations in which the presence of the spectator influences the work in order to (re)present this person. In his work he connects scenographic elements to the behaviours of the spectator which results in works that are characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic, duration and formal strategies. 

Next to his own work he also worked as a performer in theatre pieces by Performance Collectief URLAND and The Airport Society (in collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen). 

His previous works have been co-produced by Veem House for Performance, STUK, Makershuis Tilburg and Via Zuid and have been supported by Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK), deBuren (Grensverleggers), Janivo Stichting and Stichting Melanie.