Biographies

Arno Coenen
Arno Coenen (1972) is a Dutch visual artist known for his monumental artworks in public spaces. He combines traditional crafts, such as glass mosaics, with contemporary computer graphics. Coenen graduated from Academie Minerva in Groningen in 1997 and earned an MFA in computer graphics at Media-GN in 1998.
His work is often inspired by subcultures, youth culture, and popular culture, with a preference for explosive phenomena such as hooliganism, heavy metal, and martial arts culture. One of his most famous works is Hoorn des Overvloeds (2014), a digital image of 11,000 m² on the interior facade of the Markthal in Rotterdam, which received international media attention.
In 2016, he collaborated with Iris Roskam on Amsterdam Oersoep, a 450 m² glass mosaic in the Beurspassage in Amsterdam, as a tribute to the city's canals. Coenen frequently works with others and often involves local residents and stakeholders in his projects, which contributes to the appreciation of his work. His art is praised for its simplicity and energy, with strong communicative power that appeals to both the general public and art professionals.
He is currently working on a major international commission in Taipei, creating a porcelain sculpture in the form of various food items.

Femke Gerestein
Femke Gerestein (1982) is a Dutch visual artist who explores the relationship between the body, time, and place in her work. She uses her body as an instrument in performative actions such as falling, jumping, and rolling through landscapes or directly onto paper, resulting in detailed, almost forensic, large-scale drawings.
In 2023, Gerestein received the Vleeshal Art Prize, selected by curator and artist Martha Jager. This led to the solo exhibition Moving Through Thin Places at Vleeshal in Middelburg, where new works on paper were presented, inspired by the exhibition space, with her body as a central theme.
Gerestein's work invites viewers to reflect on the conditions and constructs that shape identity and the desire to distort or escape them. Her installations encourage visitors to wander through the works, absorb the details and dedication present in each piece, and experience an existential journey of self-discovery.

Kees Kaan
Kees Kaan (1961) is a Dutch architect and founder of KAAN Architecten, an internationally operating firm based in Rotterdam. He graduated from Delft University of Technology in 1987 and co-founded Claus en Kaan Architecten, where he remained active until 2013.
In 2014, Kaan established KAAN Architecten with partners Vincent Panhuysen and Dikkie Scipio. Since then, the firm has completed a wide range of projects, from urban planning to architecture and interior design. Recent projects include the master plan for El Prat de Llobregat in Barcelona, the Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat in Lille, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, and the Pharmacy Building at the University of Granada campus.
Alongside his architectural practice, Kaan has been a professor of Architectural Design (Chair of Materialization) at TU Delft since 2006. In 2012, he initiated the Complex Projects chair, focusing on large-scale projects characteristic of rapid global urbanization. In 2019, he was appointed chairman of the Architecture Department.

Saskia Noor van Imhoff
Saskia Noor van Imhoff (1982) is a Dutch visual artist known for her installations, sculptures, and photographic works. She grew up in the Netherlands and studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy (2004–2008) and De Ateliers (2010–2012) in Amsterdam. She lives and works between Amsterdam and Mirns.
Van Imhoff's work explores systems, hierarchical structures, and ideas about collecting. She examines the considerations underlying decisions on what to preserve for the future and what to discard. She questions the notion of a collection as a knowledge system and as a mechanism that selects, differentiates, and classifies. She approaches these structures through various media, such as photography, sculpture, and architecture, which merge into cohesive installations.
Van Imhoff has received multiple awards, including the Gerrit Rietveld Academy Prize (2008), the Walter Tielmann Prize for Book Design (2012), and the ABN AMRO Art Prize (2017). In 2017, she was one of four nominees for the Prix de Rome.
Her work has been exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Frans Hals Museum, Centre Georges Pompidou, and the 11th Gwangju Biennale (South Korea). Her work is also included in numerous collections, such as ABN AMRO, Akzo Nobel, AMC, De Nederlandsche Bank, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Museum Voorlinden.

Ronald Rietveld
Ronald Rietveld (1972) is a Dutch architect and visual artist. He graduated cum laude in 2003 from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, specializing in landscape architecture. His graduation project Deltawerken 2.0 won third place at the Archiprix in 2004.
In 2006, Rietveld won the prestigious Prix de Rome Architecture, which led to the founding of RAAAF [Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances] with his brother, philosopher Erik Rietveld. This multidisciplinary studio operates at the intersection of architecture, visual arts, and philosophy.
Their spatial interventions, such as Bunker 599 and Deltawerk //, cut through past and present in search of new meanings for the future. They reflect on societal issues and challenge conventions that people take for granted. Many of their works articulate emptiness, creating space for reflection by removing elements. In their words: "In a world full of objects and images, a 'poetry of emptiness' is crucial."
RAAAF's work has been exhibited worldwide at leading biennales and museums. Vacant NL was the thought-provoking Dutch entry for the Venice Biennale in 2010. For their experimental oeuvre and "Hardcore Heritage" approach, they have received the UNESCO Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2023) and the European Prize of Architecture (2017). In 2016, Ronald and Erik Rietveld were invited to join the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Marlies Rohmer
Marlies Rohmer Architecture & Urbanism was founded in 1986, immediately after her graduation from TU Delft. The firm, which once had about 45 employees, is one of the few architectural practices led solely by a woman.
Her distinctive designs, characterized by strong detailing, range from expressive to restrained: a signature style that speaks different languages while always keeping the user at its core. Themes such as brickwork patterns and ornamentation demonstrate a deep love for materiality and craftsmanship. Her sketches reveal an investigative design approach, balancing analysis and intuition.
Her first book, Building for the NEXT GENERATION (NAI 010, 2007), explores vital urban neighborhoods and the route from school to home. It weaves together years of research on youth culture—drawing from a personal newspaper clipping archive on topics like childhood obesity and lack of physical activity—with architecture and urban planning.
A second publication, What Happened To My Buildings (2016, NAI 010), investigates the longevity and sustainability of the firm's past projects, aiming to learn from both successes and failures.
Marlies Rohmer's work has been published internationally and has won numerous awards.

Guido Wallagh
Guido Wallagh is a Dutch consultant specializing in spatial development, urban renewal, and participation. Since 2023, he has worked as an independent advisor for governments, housing corporations, and developers, focusing on process coordination, vision formation, and community engagement.
Wallagh has built a distinguished career in various roles. From 2008 to 2022, he was a partner at the architecture and urban planning firm INBO. He also served as an associate professor of planning at Utrecht University (2006–2018) and was a fellow in area development at the Amsterdam School of Real Estate/UvA (2004–2010).
Known for his vision on optimizing urban spaces, he advocates for a radical reorganization of available space, promoting multifunctional use of office buildings for living, working, and recreation. In a 2024 interview, he emphasized the need for more flexible approaches to underutilized office spaces.