PRE-STIMULIS - Opening FASHIONCLASH Festival 2017

PRE-STIMULIS
A project by FASHIONCLASH & MAFAD, in collaboration with the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts
The opening of FASHIONCLASH Festival took place on Thursday 29th of June at the Forza Fashion House in the LAB Building/Het Radium. This was also the official opening of the The Forza Fashion House, the new breeding ground for creative, cultural and entrepreneurial Maastricht and also the new FASHIONCLASH office. Directed by theatre makers Joost Horward and Nina Willems the evening contained interdisciplinary performances and installations by students from MAFAD and Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts.

PRE-STIMULIS Project
Specially for the opening of the festival, FASHIONCLASH teamed up with MAFAD (Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design). In the context of the new design curriculum ‘BODY, OBJECT & MATERIAL’, the second-year BODY design students were assigned to do artistic research on the ‘senses’ in relation to the festival’s theme 'Fashion Makes Sense'. In addition, each student has been connected to one or two students from the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts. Based on the research of the design students, each team developed a concept in which they expressed their vision and findings on the ‘senses’ and new ways how to create an enriched embodied experience for the audience.

Marcel van Kan (MAFAD) and Branko Popovic (FASHIONCLASH), togehter with Joost Horward and Nina Willems coached the students during the proces of research and execution of the performances. The project concluded in nine participatory installations / performances.

Participants Students MAFAD: Ashley Luypaers, Max Niereisel, María Voth Velasco, Michelle Cornelissen, Dana Lipka, Julina Bezold, Natalia Rumiantseva, Empar Juanes Sanchis

Students the Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts: Anthony van Gog, Nora Ramakers, Diederik Kreike, Izak Berman, Luca Meisters, Anna Luca da Silva, Maarten Heijnens, Caro Derkx, Mees Walter, Maxime Dreesen, Anoek Oostermeijer

Photography: Team Peter Stigter

1. Michelle Cornelissen & Nora Ramakers
H2O  (ρ = m / V + 70 °C) - sin α = 1 . λ/d (c=f.λ)
Colour Fluctus, part 9

Colour Fluctus part 9 registers an unique footprint, captured by colour. The movement, translated by the pigments, shows a timetable and controls the colours and patterns. The impact of the movement becomes visible once the colour is poured into the water. At the same time, we archive and measure the body movements as manifestations of emotions. The pattern is a memory of this particular moment and tells a story about one's character.  
Performers: Laura Hogeweg, Froukje de Boer, Nora Ramakers, Michelle Cornelissen

LAGOM by MIJ x MILA HALIZOVA

Dance performance "LAGOM" brings the art of contemporary dance and fashion on the stage to speculate on consumption. Consumerism in everyday life, creativity and consciousness. Minimalist aesthetics in a confrontation with a perversion of excess. What is the highest level of consumption and where it could bring you? Through dance exploration, plastic experiments and various techniques of contemporary and urban dance MIJ asks these questions and comes to an unexpected answers from the side of art. One of the most essential part of our work is the outfit: its absence or presence, minimalism or overbalance, preciseness or mess. Clothes become a metaphor of the main idea and are designed by young Russian designer Mila Halizova, the follower of minimalist style, non-linear forms and restraint based on the idea of «Deceptive simplicity». What is LAGOM? We explore different cultures and their attitude to life, art, design, space, way of thinking and consumerism to find an ultimate example of relationship between human and nature, human and society, human and its inner world. Lagom is a uniquely Swedish term, that doesn’t have an English equivalent. Popular etymological translation is “around the team” meaning enough food or drink for everyone at the table. Lagom is “Just enough,” “Not too much or too little,” “Just right,” “Enough to go around,” “Fair share”. It indicates balance. The value of "just enough" can be compared to the idiom "less is more”.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Raya van der Kroon - Pretty Exposed

Pretty Exposed performance by Raya van der Kroon presented in the Fashion Makes Sense LAB, during the Afterparty of FASHIONCLASH Festival Pretty Exposed is a project by Raya van der Kroon, featuring designers Nine Parre - Deniece Clermonts & performers Emma Haniotis Riccetto - Aziza Prameswara - Vanessa Ntinu. ‘Is female nakedness in nightlife clothing a result of sexualisation or female empowerment?’ As an i-Arts graduate I dove into the history of unclothing, the growth of new feminism, and the use of nakedness as a tool for either protest or attraction. Engaging into highly revealing sceneries - the nightlife of Amsterdam and of Rio de Janeiro - I concluded that my vision on contemporary femininity is a fusion of both places and their characteristics. Whereas Amsterdam is trying to re-incorporate femininity into feminism, Rio is striving for more social equality within their sensual culture: both are longing for a balance between sexiness and empowerment. The balance and combination of the terms is the core of this work: the visualization of the sensual feminist, the combination of Amsterdam and Rio. This idea is translated into a nightlife clothing collection, presented through an immersive performance, a magazine and exhibition.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Future of Fashion - Chengdu - Performances

FASHIONCLASH Clash with China

Chengdu - Future of Fashion: Performances

FASHIONCLASH, jointly with Chinese partners Punch Me, Cross Lab and Dutch-Chinese organization About Asia presented “FASHIONCLASH 2017: Future of Fashion” in Chengdu (China).
The opening weekend contained a two day event with performances by promising Dutch theatre performers Lotte Milder, Mami Izumi, Anthony van Gog and Milou van Duijnhoven. In addition a group of Chinese dancers from a local dance company have where included in the series of performances.

The scenography and (art) direction is created in cooperation with Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck.

FASHIONCLASH Chengdu 2017: Future of Fashion

FASHIONCLASH, jointly with Chinese partners Punch Me, Cross Lab and Dutch-Chinese organization About Asia presented “FASHIONCLASH 2017: Future of Fashion” in Chengdu (China).
The opening weekend contained several performances by Lotte Milder, Mami Izumi, Anthony van Gog and Milou van Duijnhoven. The scenography and art direction is created in cooperation with Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck.

After a successful first exhibition of FASHIONCLASH in China (2015), as part of an exchange programme between the cities of Maastricht (Netherlands) and Chengdu (Sichuan, China), FASHIONCLASH now presented a larger, more comprehensive, and complete story at the newly opened “Future Center” in downtown Chengdu from 24 March until 23 April.

‘Future of Fashion’ is a multidisciplinary exhibition composed out of work of more than 30 emerging designers and artists from The Netherlands and Flanders. The exhibition represents a broad spectrum of fashion design aesthetics, visions and various approaches to fashion. The presented work stands out for its concept, experimental material and textile, innovative shapes and tailoring. In addition to fashion the exhibition features screenings of interdisciplinary fashion films and performances.

Among the participants there are award winning designers like Marlou Breuls and Nikki Duijst, avant-garde designers’ collective Das Leben Am Haverkamp and promising theatre makers like Lotte Milder and Milou van Duijnhoven. The selection of participants is an eclectic mix of designers that graduated from the top schools such as AMFI, ArtEZ Arnhem, MAFAD, KABK, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and Theatre Academy Maastricht. FASHIONCLASH gathered a team of theatre performers that will bring the exhibition alive. Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck created an overall concept that serves as a platform to connect the physical space of the exhibition with performance space and engage interactions with the audience.

Designers/artists/performers:
Designers: Ailene van Elmpt, By vanharten, Annewil Ravensbergen, Anouk van Klaveren, Bluedenîmes, Christa van der Meer, Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, Dewi Bekker, Ebby Port, NONOCAKE by Elke van Zuylen, Esther Haamke, Evie Cowan, Gino Anthonisse, Isis Elsa Fee, J.R. Sypkens Smit, Jivika Biervliet, Jorieke Tenbergen, JUDITHvanvliet, Kaho To, LAU – by Laura Verdonk, Lisa Konno & Karin Vlug, Maarten van Mulken, Christina Albrecht & Marina van Dieren, STOP by Marketa Martiskova, Marlou Breuls, Nikki Duijst, Draga Dina, Peer Cox, Rosanne van Wijk, Sanna Schubert, Steven Vanderyt, Yanaika Nuyts

Fashion films: ‘Time’ (Couzin and Maarten van Mulken) + Act! Cut! Play! films
‘Your approval is not essential’ (Scheuller de Waal, Jelena Kostić, Leen Michiels), ‘The Parallel Pyramid Platform’ (Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, Daniel van Hauten, Emmanuel A. Ryngaert, ‘iii’ (Suze Milius, Marie-Sophie Beinke, Femke Huurdeman)

Performance and Scenography
Especially for the ‘Future of Fashion’, FASHIONCLASH gathered a team of theatre performers to develop performances that will bring the exhibition to life. Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck created an overall concept that serves as a platform to connect the physical space of the exhibition with performance space and engage interactions with the audience.
“The White Curtain Labyrinth” scenography concept designed by Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck for Future of Fashion, explores the idea of perceiving from a fixed perspective. On the one hand creating a highly aesthetic framed space with using white pleated curtains and on the other hand visualizing a playful deconstructed space. Embracing the existing space and translating it to a performative spatial exhibition.

More information: http://fashionclash.nl

FASHIONCLASH CHENGDU 2017

“FASHIONCLASH 2017: Future of Fashion” 

24 March – 23 April 2017, in Chengdu, China

In March and April of this year, Maastricht-based interdisciplinary fashion platform FASHIONCLASH, jointly with Chinese partners Punch Me, Cross Lab and Dutch-Chinese organization About Asia will introduce “FASHIONCLASH 2017: Future of Fashion” in Chengdu.
After a successful first exhibition of FASHIONCLASH in China (2015), as part of an exchange programme between the cities of Maastricht (Netherlands) and Chengdu (Sichuan, China), FASHIONCLASH now presents a larger, more comprehensive, and complete story at the newly opened “Future Center” in downtown Chengdu from 24 March until 23 April.




‘Future of Fashion’ is a multidisciplinary exhibition composed out of work of more than 30 emerging designers and artists from The Netherlands and Flanders. The exhibition represents a broad spectrum of fashion design aesthetics, visions and various approaches to fashion. The presented work stands out for its concept, experimental material and textile, innovative shapes and tailoring. In addition to fashion the exhibition features screenings of interdisciplinary fashion films and performances. Among the participants there are award winning designers like Marlou Breuls and Nikki Duijst, avant-garde designers’ collective Das Leben Am Haverkamp and promising theatre makers like Lotte Milder and Milou van Duijnhoven. The selection of participants is an eclectic mix of designers that graduated from the top schools such as AMFI, ArtEZ Arnhem, MAFAD, KABK, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and Theatre Academy Maastricht.
FASHIONCLASH gathered a team of theatre performers that will bring the exhibition alive. Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck created an overall concept that serves as a platform to connect the physical space of the exhibition with performance space and engage interactions with the audience.

STEVEN VANDERYT

Partners
In collaboration with the Chinese cultural initiative Punch Group and their cultural festival “PunchMe Art Festival”, FASHIONCLASH meets west China for the second time. The exhibition will be staged in ‘Future Center’, an unfinished raw space within a building that perfectly fits the spirit of the new generation designers and artists who are redefining the future with their visions. ‘Future of Fashion’ creations will temporarily find their home in this space and inspire the audience of the potential that lays ahead. Anything is possible! Like in a labyrinth FASHIONCLASH invites visitors to wander and get lost in imagination of the future fashion makers. The Chinese showcases of FASHIONCLASH are developed and initiated in close collaboration with About Asia; a Dutch-Chinese promoter of cultural and creative industries in west China.

Lisa Konno & Karin Vlug
Photo: Peggy Kuiper

Designers/artists/performers:
Designers
Ailene van Elmpt, By vanharten, Annewil Ravensbergen, Anouk van Klaveren, Bluedenîmes, Christa van der Meer, Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, Dewi Bekker, Ebby Port, NONOCAKE by Elke van Zuylen, Evie Cowan, Gino Anthonisse, Isis Elsa Fee, J.R. Sypkens Smit, Jivika Biervliet, Jorieke Tenbergen, JUDITHvanvliet, Kaho To, LAU – by Laura Verdonk, Lisa Konno & Karin Vlug, Maarten van Mulken, Christina Albrecht & Marina van Dieren, STOP by Marketa Martiskova, Marlou Breuls, Nikki Duijst, Draga Dina, Peer Cox, Rosanne van Wijk, Sanna Schubert, Steven Vanderyt, Yanaika Nuyts

Theatre performers: Mami Izumi, Anthony van Gog, Lotte Milder, Milou van Duijnhoven
Overall direction and scenography: Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck

Fashion films: ‘Time’ (Couzin and Maarten van Mulken) + Act! Cut! Play! films ‘Your approval is not essential’ (Scheuller de Waal, Jelena Kostić, Leen Michiels), ‘The Parallel Pyramid Platform’ (Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, Daniel van Hauten, Emmanuel A. Ryngaert, ‘iii’ (Suze Milius, Marie-Sophie Beinke, Femke Huurdeman)

Details
Opening: 24 March 2017, 20:00
Activities: 24, 25 March 2017
Exhibition: 24 March – 23 April 2017
Venue: Future Center Chengdu
Address: 成都市成华区东风路26号未来中心

Lotte Milder, performance at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016

FOLIA performance at FASHIONCLASH Festival

picture by Team Peter Stigter

Project Sally Maastricht presented a “Folia” dance performance at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016, a powerful and visually stunning piece performaned by two very talented dancers.

Each year Project Sally Maastricht invites young choreographers during their Choreographic Residencies Program. Especially for the 8th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival they assigned the talented French choreographer, Martin Harriague to create a new work.
For this performance Martin Harriague once again collaborated with with Maastricht based designer Mieke Kockelkorn. Last year they created Tabula Rasa

'Throughout history, cultural heritage has been threatened by the constant evolution of the world’s social and political concerns. Too often, the result of this threat has been the disappearance of some of the world’s greatest cultural achievements.'
Folia is inspired by the traditions and history of the Iberian peninsula where Martin was born, creating a contemporary adaptation of ‘La Folia’ - a quick-paced, tumultuous dance dating back to the late 15th century.

Choreography : Martin Harriague
Costumes: Mieke Kockelkorn
Performed by: Patrizio Bucci, Luis Pedraza Cedrón
Production: Project Sally Maastricht
Folia is supported by Via Zuid

Mami Izumi/GOTRA at FASHIONCLASH Festival

'COTTON' dance performance by Mami Izumi/GOTRA at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016

'COTTON' is a solo performance on the intersection of dance, installation and fashion. By using design, (visual) poetry and movement, Mami Izumi (Japan, 1987) performed a sample of her solo project COTTON.
Being inspired by the weaving machine and the production of cotton, she is interested to lay bare the tension between the human body and the mechanics we use to manufacture our needs. Mami Izumi found a close creative partner in this process with Maastricht based fashion designer Verena Klein, who designed the costume of COTTON. ‘cotton [sample c6283-01]’ was presented during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016, the full performance of COTTON will be presented during Musica Sacra Performing Arts Festival in Maastricht on 16, 17 and 18 September 2016.

Concept & choreography: Mami Izumi
Costume: Verena Klein
Installation design: Joost Vrouenraets & Mami Izumi
Videography: Simon Bus
Production: GOTRA
Direction: Joost Vrouenraets
Stage technic: Marq Claessens
Website: www.mamiizumi.com
Mami Izumi is supporterd by VIA ZUID

All images by brankopopovicblog

VERWEVEN 2016 by Nina Willems

VERWEVEN  2016 by Nina Willems
Share the story behind your outfit!
Verweven - Trailer 2015 from Verweven on Vimeo.

Clothes are a very personal thing; we wear them directly to our naked skin, and are part of the way we show ourselves to the world.

What is the story behind the clothes YOU wear? What do they tell us about who you are, and what memories and emotions do they hold for you? In this installation, you can share your story with the rest of us!  You will be interviewed, and a short film will be made about your outfit of today and the story behind it.  Big or small, funny or sad, every story is worth sharing.
So don't be shy, don't hesitate and share!

Filming your own short film will take about 10 - 15 minutes.
Within an hour, you can see your own short film on one of the screens on the outside

Verweven is part of the Heritage exhibition at  SAMdecorfabriek
Open 1 July (18:30 — 23:00)
2 July (16:00 — 23:00)

Credits: Interviews: Nina Willems
Camera: Marijn Smulders
Editing: Derk Stenvers
Design: Vincent Willems
With special thanks to: Via Zuid Maastricht
http://www.ninawillems.com

Alya Hessy at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016

photo by Marte van Haaster

Visual artist Alya Hessy, graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2015, operates in the world between the body and textiles. Born in Ukraine, living in the Netherlands and fascinated by Japan, Alya explores the realms of politics, philosophy and physicality through making objects, writing and performing. She seeks emptiness as a way of letting go of the pre-defined and allowing multiple interpretations.

You can see Alya Hessy's work during FASHIONCLASH Festival at the Heritage Exhibition (July 1 + 2 at SAMdecorfabriek) and Heritage Show + Talk (July 3 at Gebouw M, Tapijnkazerne).



When did you realise you wanted to be a fashion designer? 
I have always been busy with art through my life, but it became the main thing when I went to study to the Rietveld Academy, where I graduated in the summer 2015.

One, no one, 100.000 by Lotte Milder

Graduation performance "Iemand, niemand, 100.000" by Lotte Milder will be presented
on the catwalk  of FASHIONCLASH Festival (Saturday 2 July, Show 5, 22:00). -> more information.


"Iemand, niemand, 100.000 (One, no one, 100.000)" is a multi-disciplinary project consisting of a performance (on and off the catwalk), a photo series and a short film. The première of the performance will be at the FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016.
The performance, inspired by Luigi Pirandello’s book, is about observing and judging the other(s). The performer searches, and comes to realise that she is not a single person, but numerous people in the consciousness of those around her.
‘’Seeing things with eyes that could not have known how they were being seen by others. Talking and understanding one another. Everybody assumed it to be true in their own way and claimed the concept to somehow, every day and in any way, give their life substance." Luigi Pirandello (1867 - 1936).

A performance by Lotte Milder
Directed by Sophie Mantel
Performed by Lotte Milder
Video projections by Karlijn Milder
Photo by Karlijn Milder
Costume design by Lotte Milder
Costume made by Miralda Nijst-Reinartz

www.lottemilder.wordpress.com
Lotte Milder is supporterd by VIA ZUID. www.viazuid.com

Juliëtte Heijnen at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015

Juliëtte Heijnen is an artistic designer based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She was born in Roermond, and moved to Rotterdam to study after graduating from high school. In Rotterdam, her fashion journey began. This year at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015, she will give us a fantastic performance at the exposition.

Juliëtte Heijnen Performance takes place Sunday June 14 at 14:00 and 18:00 (free entrance)

Q&A with designer Juliëtte Heijnen:

What does fashion mean to you? 
Fashion is a way of expressing myself. In fashion industry, you can be whoever you want. Fashion is a chameleon for me. It changes every day and I make my own rules in it.

How long have you been designing clothing? 
That’s a good question! Doodling outfits is something I already started doing when I was a child. But the real designing started 5 years ago when I came to Rotterdam to study fashion.

FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015 - Preview

FASHIONCLASH Festival countdown has started. In just three weeks FASHIONCLASH will take over Maastricht with the 7th edition of the international clash of talent, cultures and disciplines.
On Saturday May 23, audience got the opportunity to already experience the 'FASHIONCLASH' festival vibe with a preview performance. Bureau Europa invited FASHIONCLASH to organize a preview in a creative hub to be. The afternoon started with a lecture at Bureau Europa by Floor Nijdeken, that followed up with a conversation with Branko Popovic.
After that the audience was guided to Vredestein, former Lab building at the industrial Bosscherveld
area in Maastricht. We invited Lotte Milder to develop a performance where where FASHIONCLASH philosophy clashes with theatre performance and urban heritage and development. Furthermore gender roles where reversed. Models were wearing pieces from collection that will premiere during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015 (June 11-14).
Featured designers were: Yojiro Kake, Joelle Boers, Sofya Samareva, Branko Popovic, Marlou Breuls, BLANK ETIQUETTE, Carlotaoms, Hana Frisonsova, Věra Vtípilová, Jivika Biervliet, Simeon Morris, Flora Miranda, Lotte Milder and Hermione Flynn.

The performance was create by theater performer Lotte Milder, Karlijn Milder, Mats Logen and Tjeerd van Heerdt. Dominque Cordaro and Bas Aarts were responsible for the hair and make-up.

Luca Szymkowiak at Marres during FASHIONCLASH Festival

Luca Szymkowiak performance and video installation at Marres during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015 

The FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015 is happening in less than one month. Next to the main program including fashion shows, exhibition and market in the SAMdecorfabriek, you can enjoy various pop-up-stores, performances, talks and exhibitions.

Performance artist Luca Szymkowiak presents her two-fold graduation piece during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015.
 The piece consists of a video installation - What are they doon here? - and a live performance - In the Milky Ways of eternity. 
What are they doon here? and In the Milky Ways of eternity question gravity and identity. Luca clearly remembers her first encounter with the nature of the galaxy. When walking in the woods with a friend after a geography lesson, she realised the concept ‘galaxy’ created an inconceivable vacuum in her brain. Its elusive nature became a trigger to strip all concepts of their premises and to start shaping the formless. In her most recent piece, Luca proposes a new definition for nothing.

Concept: Luca Szymkowiak

Costumes, video: Luca Szymkowiak

Construction: Luca Szymkowiak + Trimet Sound: Jimi Zoet

Both pieces are performed by Urland: Ludwig Bindervoet, Marijn de Jong, Thomas Dudkiewicz, Jimi Zoet (www.urland.nl) 

Thanks to Stichting FASHIONCLASH, Stichting Edmond Hustinx, Trimet, Hannah De Meyer, Peter Missotten and many others.

Luca Szymkowiak is graduating student from Toneelacademie Maastricht (Theatre academy Maastricht)

Fashioned My Way by Monique van Kerkhof‏

Performance Fashioned My Way by Monique van Kerkhof‏ at De Brandweer Maastricht during FASHIONCLASH Festival Side Program 2014.

Performance by Bo, Nie, Zowi Oudendijk, Monique van Kerkhof

www.mmondesign.wix.com/org 

Costumes and shoes were made of Ice 

Pictures by John Sondeyker 

Special thanks to Sam and Fumi

Multi talented Dennis Vanderbroeck

Dennis Vanderbroeck is a 23 years old designer who now lives in Rotterdam and studies in Maastricht. At this moment He is graduating from the theatre academy, performance art. In his work, he is trying to create cross-overs between fashion, fine art and performance using video, photography and live performance. With his "childish" way of approaching it he create hyper-esthetical and humorous images. 

HAAX at FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2012

 If you have not seen this live here is a great video that captures this iconic performance.

 HAAX - FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2012

 Sound: Jimi Zoet Video: Daniel van Hauten
 Fashion: Sonja Schödel Performance: Karel van Laere
 Models: Vanja Rukavina, Fenneke Dam, Jasmijn de Nood, Sophie Mantel

Theatrical Encounter by Juliette Bogers and Cynthia Jordens

Cut Away The Time Will Tell (fragment)

CUT AWAY THE TIME WILL TELL
Juliette Bogers & Cynthia Jordens

While I am reading J.D. Salingers’s A Perfect Day for Bananafish, sending a text message and, simultaneously, updating my status on facebook, I wonder; how do I use my time? And more specifically, how do I relate to the power of images and information to which I constantly expose myself and which is poured out on me? 
The performance Cut Away The Time Will Tell is situated in a contemporary interior. The dancers represent fragments of scenes from a past which contours slowly, occasionally place a still frame around the present and try to get a grip at a future which is not yet defined.  
Cut Away The Time Will Tell takes away from our contemporary visual culture which is dictated by velocity and visibility. But above all, seeks to make the most precious possession in modern society tangible: time.

RASH by Karel van Laere

For many people, the performance 'RASH' by Karel van Laere was one of the highlights of FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2011. Karel van Laere is a student from Toneelacademie Maastricht (Theatre academy Maastricht).

* pictures by Peter Stigter

Karel van Laere

What is your name? Karel van Laere

Where did you study and when did you graduate? I am currently in my 3rd year of Theatrical Performance at the theatre school in Maastricht and will graduate next year.

What inspires you as a theater maker/performer? The New Media is always a huge inspiration. Its endless possibilities.

Who is your favorite artist? Why? Hussein Chalayan is one of my favorite fashion artists. In my opinion he thinks more like a performer than like a fashion designer. Plus his shows can definitely be considered performances. I also love the way he uses the new media in his designs.

Another artist who inspires me is the sound artist: Alva Noto. His sounds and videos are mostly based on things that could go wrong in a computer.