Cocky Eek

COCKY EEK (b. 1966) has an experimental field and spatial practice encompassing monumental inflatables and lightweight immersive installations. Her focus lays on expanding the power of perception in direct relation with our environment and our senses. She stages the human body in various tangible experiments resulting in moving, flying or floating experiences. Her spatial interventions let you experience that you are not moving through space, but that space is moving through you. Her work connects with the deeper layers of ourselves and of our surroundings.

Cocky: “To perceive directly that there is no separation between the environment and us is profoundly different from thinking about it.

Cocky is a core-team teacher at the ArtScience Interfaculty (BA/MA) of the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague since 2009 and takes part in the Deep Futures Research Group ’23-’24 of the KABK where she explores the voice of darkness along the Mudflats above the coastline of the Netherlands. She led artistic field research programs at the Field Academy at StrandLAB Almere between 2018 -2023.

Presented works include Sphaerae, AxS Festival, Los Angeles (2014); Le vide el la lumière, Le Lieu Unique, Nantes (2017;) Landing Sites, Oerol Festival, Terschelling (2017); Landscape of Care, Tiznit Marocco (2019);  Spectrum, Spring Festival, Utrecht (2020), Amstelpark as Sensorial Heritage – fieldprogram, Zone2Source, Amsterdam (2022); Resonant Bodies, 23th Biennale Sydney (2022); The Muddy Muddy Mystery Tour, Sonic Acts Biennial, Amsterdam (2024); UMAA-Unité Mobile d’Action Artistique,Mille Plateaux – Centre Chorégraphique National, FR (2024).

Biography

COCKY EEK (b. 1966) is a spatial artist practitioner. Her focus lays on expanding the power of perception in direct relation with our environment. She stages the human body in various tangible/lightweight yet grounded experiments resulting in moving/flying/floating experiences. She studied Fashion Design BA/MA from 1984- 1989 in the Netherlands, France and Italy and set off with a wearable collection Fashion is Ugly, You have to Change it Every Half Year nominated for the Salon des jeunes stylistes (1994) Hyeres. In collaboration with Maria Blaisse the Kuma Guna dance costumes led to a nomination for the Dutch Design Awards (1997). Since 2001 she has been an active member of FoAM, a network of trans disciplinary labs at the intersection of art/science/nature and everyday life. She co-founded FoAM Amsterdam with Theun Karelse in 2005 and received a Prix Ars Electronica Honorary Mention 2011 for the urban foraging app project called Boskoi. Between 2013-2023 Cocky did the spatial designs for the mime group Schweigman& and together they created the works Blaas, Erf, Curve, Landing Sites and Spectrum, all presented in an international context. Besides her artistic practice she is active TaijWuXigong practitioner and a core teacher at the ArtScience Interfaculty [BA|MA] in The Hague since 2009. Between 2018- 2023 she initiated and led the Field Academy at StrandLAB Almere, NL and she puts her focus now on igniting new cultural sparks along the northern coastal line of the Netherlands.

COCKY EEK / 1966/ born in Eemnes, NL
based in St. Jacobiparochie, NL

events (recent years)
2024

Dark Skies, various sensorial experiences from ArtScience students inspired by dark skies and the expansive muddy planes of the high north. 21 March, presented at Zone2Source, Amsterdam. Dark Skies is part of the Sonic Acts Biennial 2024.

The Muddy Muddy Mystery Tour, fieldtrip to the salt-marches in Friesland, incl. workshop mud-sensing devises,  diner and ArtScience students presentations, 10 March, Het lage Noorden, Marrum. Part of Sonic Acts Biennial 2024.

Tisztás, a film by Zalán Szakács. artistic advisor: Cocky Eek. Premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam, 26-28 Februari, Rotterdam. https://iffr.com/nl

2023

The Night of the Falling Star, course-leader ArtScience Interfaculty. Continuous ceremonial performance during the Leoniden meteorite swarm. Het Lage Noorden, Marrum. 17 November. https://www.hetlagenoorden.nl/

UMAA, design: Unité Mobile d’Action Artistique, first public presentation La Motte, France, 25 Oktober. https://www.milleplateauxlarochelle.com/unite-mobile-d-action-artistique,

Flowing patterns, course-leader: wind-flocking performance with ArtScience Interfaculty and Mime – Academy for Theatre and Dance, LED Lente – Standlab Almere, 12 May https://strandlab-almere.nl/led-lente-flowing-patterns/

Grounded Experiences, Spring Lecture Series, Master Institute for Visual Cultures, Den Bosch, 29 March https://www.akvstjoostmasters.nl/

2022

Amstelpark as Sensorial Heritage. Field Academy program curation. Amstelpark, Amsterdam, Zone2Source, 24-25 September, https://zone2source.net/en/field-academie-by-cocky-eek/

Field Academy StrandLAb Almere, Open Summer Sessions, program curation,  24-26 August, https://strandlab-almere.nl/drie-dagen-veldacademie-zomersessies/

Machine Wilderness art-science fair. ArtScience students course presentation Why Look at Animals? 24 june, ARTIS-Groote Museum. https://www.artis.nl/nl/te-doen-artis/machine-wilderness/

Void, black sonic sphere, a collaboration piece with Joris Strijbos. presented at Klankvorm, 2-5 June 2022, V2- Roterdam, NL.https://www.klankvorm.nl

23th Biennale Sydney, Resonant Bodies_Tankstream, Audiopiece in collaboration with Carolyn Strauss and Anna Maria Fink produced by Slow Research Lab. https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/events/space-in-between/ 12 march-13 juni 2022.

Spectrum, immersive color installation by Cocky Eek, Boukje Schweigman, Yannis Kyriakides and Matthijs Munnik produced by Scheigman&, 9 feb t/m 16 feb 2022: last minute covid cancellation, Le Lieu Unique, Nantes (France).

2021

Spectrum at Amare Theatre,  immersive color installation by Cocky Eek, Boukje Schweigman, Yannis Kyriakides and Matthijs Munnik produced by Scheigman&. Co-presented by Todaysart and We are Europe.
16 dec t/m 19 dec 2021, Amare, The Hague NL.
21 t/m do 23 dec 2021: last minute covid cancellation, Amare, The Hague NL
26 t/m do 30 dec 2021 and 2 jan 2022: last minute covid cancellation, Amare, The Hague NL

StrandLAB Almere, Field Academy-summer sessions, curation program, 11-13 august. https://strandlab-almere.nl/field-academy-zomersessies-veldacademie/

Spectrum, SPRING Performing Arts Festival,  immersive colour installation in coll. with Schweigman&, 20-29 mei, Utrecht

Zone2Source, Why look at animals? Collective performance with students from the ArtScience Interfaculty BA/MA in the context of Machine Wilderness program, 22 April, Amstelpark Amsterdam

2020

SPRING Festival Utrecht, Spectrum, immersive light installation by Schweigman& and Cocky Eek, in collab. with Matthijs Munnik and Yannis Kyriakides. 28 oktober – 20 december 2020,  https://springutrecht.nl/

Global Broadcast of the Total Eclipse: 2’10” a joined solar eclipse performance with 21 artists from across the globe to simultaneously acknowledge, the wondrous alignment of earth, moon and sun, December 14, 2020 at 16:12:30.8 UTC. http://www.solareclipsebroadcast.earth/

SOLO#1, spatial design for performance piece by Amber Dockters van Leeuwen, 10-11 September 2020, Westergasfabriek Amsterdam. https://amsterdamfringefestival.nl/programma/solo1/

Spectrum, immersive light installation by Schweigman& and Cocky Eek, 6-16 august 2020, Afzender Boulevard, Brabanthallen, Den Bosch. https://www.schweigman.org

Open Brainstorm Sessions –  Studio Fieldwork,
Meeting 1: what is the field?  30 july
Meeting 2: on methods, practices & diverse ways of knowing? 11 august.
Meeting 3: on  transdisciplinary sharing –  26 augustes.
https://strandlab-almere.nl/brainstorm-mee-over-het-masterprogramma-veldwerk/

Mission to the Moon, openingsperformance en expo astronautenpak Apollo Block I A1C, Moon Gallery, Glazenhuis Amstelpark Amsterdam, 6-12 juni 2020, http://zone2source.net/nl/mission-to-the-moon-performance-unlocked-reconnected/

Winterschool StrandLAB, workshop Patterns of Ebb and Flow with students of the creative departments of the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague; ArtScience, Sonology and Composition. Almere Beach, 19-13 Maart 2020. https://strandlab-almere.nl/terugblik-winterschool-met-artscience-interfaculty/

Sinking in Between, floating waterinstallation, in collaboration with Nicky Assmann, during International Rotterdam Film Festival IFFR, 23 jan -2 febr 2020, Rotterdam Harbour. http://klankvorm.nl

2019

Feeler’s: urban walk, ArtScience Interfaculty, 22 November 2019, Schenktunnel Den Haag.

InScience Festival, panel Astronauten van de Binnenwereld, 8 november 2019, Nijmegen

TodaysArt: Locating ArtScience #2, opening lecture/performance, 18 September 2019, The Grey Space in the Middle, The Hague. https://todaysart.nl/program/satellite-program-locating-artscience-2-children-of-the-space-a-forest/

Neuhaus, exhibition 19 may-15 September. Installation in collaboration with Theun Karelse (NL) and Ian Ingfram (US). Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, NL. https://neuhaus.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/

ArtScience year opening event, 2-4 September, Almere Beach, https://strandlab-almere.nl/zomerschool-met-studenten-van-artscience-op-het-strand/

Lansdcape of Care, given workshop, 19- 23 juni 2019, Tiznit community, Marocco. www.slowlab.net landscape of care

Winterschool Schweigman&, body-space-perception, 22-23 March 2019, Het Huis Utrecht https://business.facebook.com/events/363047367592584/

Winterschool Strandlab, workshop Patterns of Ebb and Flow with students of the creative departments of the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague; ArtScience, Sonology and Composition. Almere Beach, 11-15 Maart 2019. https://strandlab-almere.nl/patterns-of-ebb-and-flow/ https://patternsofebbandflow.blogspot.com/

Blaas, Theatrical performance, Adelaide Festival, 2-10 March 2019, Adelaide, Australia. http://www.schweigman.org/schedule/index/?page=agenda

2018

Slow Research Lab, workshop SoftScapes, 14-24 December, Tiznit, Morocco. https://www.slowlab.net/

TodaysArt , Crossing Parallels panel Interactive Environments with keynote speaker Philip Beesley, 17 November, TU-Delft. https://www.facebook.com/events/2141952579202368/

TodaysArt, panel Immersive Environments, 22 september, The Hague.

Moment of [MA], performance with ArtScience students, part of The Intensive Cartografies series, Architecture Theory Chair, TU-Delft, 11 oktober, Delft, NL. facebook.com/architecturetheorytudelft

International FoAM Open Studio, open lab presentation, Kernow, UK.
https://fo.am/events/international-foam-open-studio/

Sphaerae, performance pavilion, {Un][split} Micro Performance and Macro Matters, Science & Art Festival, 31 aug- 2 september, München, DE. https://www.muffatwerk.de/en/events/view/3989

Blaas, performance, 16-20 may, Brighton Festival, Brighton, UK 2018
https://brightonfestival.org/event/13527/blaas_blow/ England

Sense of Place, installation with students of the ArtScience Interfaculty, 23-25 Febr, Sonic Acts Festival, Amsterdam. http://sonicacts.com/2018/

Sonic Acts panel Sensing the Shipyard, 24 February, Sonic Acts Symposium, Amsterdam. http://sonicacts.com/2018/

Tidal States, Modern Body Laboratory #2, commissioned performance installation, in collaboration with Zois Loumakis (GR/NL) light-sound and live performance by dancer-mover Kenzo Kusuda, 8- 10 February, Broedplaats WD4X, The Hague, NL. http://modernbodyfestival.org

2017

Landing Sites, walking installation, http://www.schweigman.org/ documentattion at: http://landingsites.wordpress.com/
– Public Expedition#12, 17 September, De Zandmotor, Ter Heijde, NL. http://www.satellietgroep.nl
– Oerol Festival, 9-18 june, Terschelling Island, NL https://oerol.nl/
– Public tests:1 1 February, 20 February, 6 March, 20 May, De Zandmotor, Ter Heijde, NL.

Blaas, Fadjr Festival, 24-28 January, Teheran, Iran, http://fitf.theater.ir/en

ZHdK Zurich University of the Arts, symposium Its all Air, talk and workshop, 12 may Zürich, CH

Le vide el la lumière, two large-scale commissioned works: Non-Locality and Fascia, by Cocky Eek and Theun Karelse in regards to the oeuvre exhibition of Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand. 20 October 2016 January 2017, Le Lieu Unique, Nantes, France, www.lelieuunique.com

2016

50% Human, exhibition in collaboration with Sonja Baumel and dep. Microbiology Wageningen, Oranjerie, Amstelpark, Amsterdam, 7-14 oktober, Zone to Source. http://zone2source.net/nl/home/

Sandsongs, presented works of The Elements Lab. SandSongs is a collaboration of De Satellietgroep, iii (Instrument Inventors Initiative), TodaysArt and The Elements Lab of the ArtScience Interfaculty. June 18th, De Zandmotor, Kijkduin/Monster, NL. https://elementslabblog.wordpress.com/.org

Curve, inflatable installation work, http://www.schweigman.org https://elementslabblog.wordpress.com/ presented at:
– Oerol Festival, Terschelling, NL, 10-19 Juni
– Theater aan de Markt, Amsterdam, 11-14 aug, Hasselt, BE

Blaas, inflatable performance, http://www.schweigman.org presented at:
– Grote Kerk, Den Haag, 8 april, Nutshuis performance program. https://www.nutshuis.nl
– Plekk, Amsterdam, Frascati, 13,14,15 april, https://www.frascatitheater.nl

IN SITU, European network for artistic creation in public space, showcase presentation Curve -Schweigman&,
12 aug, Hasselt, BE. http://www.in-situ.info/en

2015

Curve, inflatable installation, http://www.schweigman.org presented at:
– Boulevard, 7-16 august, s-Hertogenbosch. www.festivalboulevard.nl
– Noorderzon, 21 t/m zo 23 and 27 t/m 29 augustus, Groningen. www.noorderzon.nl – Castellum Hoge Woerd, 17 t/m 19 en 25 t/m 27 september, Utrecht

Sphaerae, residents program iii (Instrument Inventors Initiative),1-30 june, public presentation 5 july,
EAP-lab the Hague, http://iiinitiative.org/event/sphaerae-in-residence-at-eaplab/

Braille, scenography and costume design. choregraphy: Kenzo Kusuda, dans: Indu Panday 20 – 23 may,
Korzo, The Hague, NL http://www.korzo.nl/nl/producties/voorjaarsontwaken-2015

Erf, in situ theatre play, costume and props. http://www.schweigman.org
– Tuin der Lusten, 13-17 may Eefde, NL
– Festival, 12-20 june, Terschelling, NL
– Groene Kathedraal, 10, 11, 12 september, Almere, NL

Mission to the Moon, performance in regards of The Lift Off: a Cosmonautics Day Celebration, April 12, Kunstkapel, Amsterdam. http://synergeticalab.com/

2014

Dark Ecology Expedition, participant 9-12 oktober, Kirkenes/Norway and Nikel/Russia. Sonic Acts, http://www.sonicacts.com

Sphaerae, http://sphaerae.net/ inflatable multi-dome pavilion presented at : – AxS festival, 19 sept 5 okt, Pasadena, Los Angeles, USA, http://axsfestival.org/2014/sphaerae/
– GOGBOT festival, 11- 14 sept. Enschede. http://2014.gogbot.nl/

Boskoi, exhibition Designing Scarcity at Het Nieuwe Instituut, 28-juni t/m 30 aug, Rotterdam, NL. http://www.hetnieuweinstituut.nl/

Blaas, inflatable performance, http://www.schweigman.org presented at:
– HEMbrug,1- 30 juni, Zaandam, NL
– Fort aan de Klop, 24 sept 12 oktober, Utrecht, NL

Sounds and Stripes, Mediamatic, Amsterdam. http://www.mediamatic.net/367574/en/stripe
– Stripe performance with Aki Onda (sound) and Kenzo Kusuda (dance), 7 june, Amsterdam.
– Stripe performance with GertJan Prins (sound) and Kenzo Kusuda (dance), 8 june, Amsterdam.

Ignite 37, lightness opening presentation, 30 april, Mediamatic, Amsterdam http://www.mediamatic.net/202960/nl/ignite-amsterdam

current positions
2023- 2024

Deep Futures Research Group ’23-’24. KABK – The Hague, NL. researchplatform.art/ deep-futures-research-group-23-24/

2018 – 2023

Field Academy – StrandLAB Almere, NL. Initiator and curator. https://strandlab-almere.nl/

2009 – present

ArtScience Interfaculty of the Royal Conservatoire and Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague, NL. Staff member and teacher BA/MA. http://www.interfaculty.nl

2005 – present

FoAM studio Amsterdam, co-founder and active member. FoAM Amsterdam is a foundation for research, presentation and contemplation of creative practices in general and multidisciplinary art forms particularly; to stimulate active participation for the audience in these fields; to create new public contexts which will rise from the above mentioned hybrids. https://f0.am

2001 – 2016

FoAM Bruxellesactive member in the topics of human/plant relations and wearable architecture in responsive mediated surroundings in projects as Txoom, T-garden, TRG, Borrowed Scenery. http://f0.am

guest tutor (recent years)
education

European Fashion and Textiles Design (MA) Milan – Paris. Specialization: fashion design and fashion management. 1994
Hoge School voor de Kunsten Utrecht, department fashion design, NL. She graduated with the collection “Fashion Is So Ugly – You Have to Change it Every Six Months”. 1989-1993

awards

-Prix Ars Electronica 2011, Honorary Mention, the first mobile urban foraging project Boskoi, Linz, AUT.

Design Price Rotterdam 1997, nomination for the wearable Kuma Guna project in collaboration with Maria Blaisse, Kunsthal, Rotterdam, NL.

Salon des jeunes stylistes 1994, nomination for pret a porter fashion collection Shake Before Use, Hyeres, FR.

book contributions

2023.  A Field Guide to Machine Wilderness, by Theun Karelse and Alice Smits. Contribution ArtScience Interfaculty student program Why look at Animals? in Artis Zoo from March 21th to March 31th 2022. pg 130-153 .Zone2Source

2021.  Slow Spatial Reader: Chronicles of Radical Affection, Carolyn F. Strauss (ed.), essay contribution: Standing with Two Feet in Complex Matter, Amsterdam: Valiz, 2021, Published under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, and was presented in june 2021 at Het Nieuwe Instuut, Rotterdam, NL.

2020. Landscape of Care, handbook for urban design engagement. essay: Standing in a Landscape of Care. Slow Research Lab. https://issuu.com/slowlab https://www.slowlab.net/.

2020. Nicky Assmann – Witteveen+Bos-prijs voor Kunst en Techniek 2020, book contribution: our collaborative work: Sinking in Between.

2019.  Materialisation in Art & Design (MAD), Sandberg series nr 4, Sternberg Press.

2018. Sonic Acts Academy 2018, pg 104-113, Sonic Acts Press, ISBN: 978-90-823216-4-7.

2017.  Landing Sites, published by Schweigman&.  Landing Sites book publication PDF

2014. Inflatable Art, Architecture and Design, LinksBooks, edition 2013, ISBN-13: 978-8415492344, pg 286 -293.

2013. PARN, physical and alternate reality narratives, Authors: Time’s Up, FoAM, Blast Theory, Auer Tina, Boykett Tim, Eek Cocky, Gaffney Nik, Harger Honor, Howse Martin, Kuzmanovic Maja, Mayrhofer Andreas, Mertens An, Nisi Valentina, Orlic Paola. release april 2013, Times Up, ISBN-13: 978-3200030756, English, 160 pages, 2013, Austria, http://physicalnarration.org/parn-book.

2011. Erratic, book publication on dynamic art and design works, Robert Klanten, Floyd Schulze, publisher Gestalten, pg 56-57. DE, ISBN: 978-3-89955-370-3.

2011. See Yourself Sensing, book publication, M.Schwartzman, pg 86-87, Black Dog Publishing, NY,
ISBN 10: 1907317295.

2010. Entangled: Technology and the Transformation of Performance, Chris Salter, book publication The MIT Press, Publication Date: February 12, 2010, ISBN-10: 0262195887, pg 330-336: on trg, TGarden and TxOom. FoAM.

2009.  Grig, Pneumatology, Cocky Eek, http://issuu.com/oscar-miller/docs/cocky, 17 pages, FoAM supported by culture 2000 Framework of the European Commision.

2006.  TRG: On Transient Realities and their Generators. ISBN: 9081073338 http://fo.am/trg.

2006.  x-med-a. Experimental Media Arts, Electroluminescent Potato, glowing in response to audio patterns in the room. ISBN: 9081073311 http://xmeda.be http://fo.am/files/xmeda.pdf. 2006

2001.  Finding Form, Maria Blaisse, Cocky Eek published by Internationalen Sommerakademie für Bildende Kunst Salzburg, AT, ISBN 3-901369-14-7 http://www.sommerakademie.salzburg.at.

printed press reviews (recent years)
2020

NRC Handelsblad ****, Spectrum is a lightshow that conjures up an array of emotion. Spectrum presents light emptically, not as something to sense passively, but as an almost tangilble experience. 7 August.
Volkskrant **** (…) a Brillant display of light and sound. Each person in the audience feels their own physical sensation. 13 august by Annette Embrechts.
Trouw **** ..’every sense of time disappears, the senses are sharpened’, 10 Aug,by Margriet Prinssen.
De Groene Amsterdammer, (…) ‘the spectacle is the fading, scorching colors in this steadily deforming firmament.’ 12 August by Marijn van der Jagt.
Parool, review expo Moon Gallery Garden, Zone2Source, by Kees Keijer, 19 juni

2018

WhatsonStage *****, review Blaas: ‘This piece is the star of Brighton Festival and like nothing else I’ve seen’, Bella Todd, 18may 2018, Brighton

2017

El Gran Otro, Componiendo con fuerzas invisibles, Natali Blugerman. http://elgranotro.com.ar/index.php/componiendo-con-fuerzas-invisibles/

2016

NRC Handelblad, ‘Duinpoezie op Oerol’, hoogtepunten Oerol: Curve, by Ron Rijghard. Including a birds-eye-persective foto-spread of Curve by Catrinus van der Veen, 16 juni

2015

Trouw ****, review Curve, pg 3, 10 Augustes
Volkskrant ****, review Curve, Annette Embrechts,
Volkskrant, Erflaters, review by Annette Embrechts, pg V8 en V9, 9 Juni
Theatermaker, wat is scenografie, oktober, jaargang 19, nummer 5, pg 45

2014

Los Angeles Times, Deborah Vankin. Inflatable Domes as home of the arts, September 22, pg 4
http://eedition2.latimes.com/Olive/ODE/LATimes/
KCET, cultural journal California, Holly Willis,19 sept: http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/los-angeles/axs-festival-2014-pasadena.html
TKTNK publication, 1th edition may, MADCOW: Food, Form, Memory by Victoria Douka-DoukoPoulou, pg 15-21 http://issuu.com/cbadal/docs/tktnk_one_intersection_web/1?e=3316994%2F7662185

2013

Trouw, 3 augustes, Blaas, Robert van Heuven
De Morgen, Arjan Benning, Buitelende, Blaas vertedert iedereen, dinsdag 30 juli, pagina 7
NRC Handelsblad – review Blaas, Fritz Abrahams, 1 oktober
Parool *****, review Blaas, Simon van den Berg
NRC Handelsblad, review Blaas by Ron Rijghard, ‘Vervreemdend theater op een eiland’, 17 juni, pagina 12

research