Over the past months, a new group of artists has been working within the Open Culture Tech residencies, each exploring how open, experimental technology can reshape live performance. The projects bring together musicians, designers and creative technologists to develop new tools, workflows and artistic formats.

 

Earlier this year, the first residency performance already took place during ESNS, where Might Delete Later presented her interactive voicemail-based show. The performance was received very positively and demonstrated how technology can deepen audience connection without taking centre stage. Read more about the show in our blog section.

 

This spring, five more residency performances will follow across the Netherlands.

 

 

Rafaele Andrade: audience biofeedback as instrument

11 March — Cinetol, Amsterdam

 

Composer and instrument maker Rafaele Andrade, together with design studio Superposition, is developing a performance in which the audience literally becomes part of the instrument. Using biofeedback such as heart rate, breathing and brain activity, visitors influence sound and light in real time. The show explores how collective physical responses can shape a musical composition, placing the crowd at the centre of the performance.

 

 

 

Mathilde Nobel: body, image and sound in one system

2 April — Cinetol, Amsterdam

 

Multidisciplinary artist Mathilde Nobel collaborates with artist and designer Chagall to investigate how movement can directly control visuals and music. Her residency focuses on dissolving the boundaries between performer, technology and stage environment. The resulting live show combines voice, physical movement and generative visuals into one integrated performance system.

 

 

 

Jeroen Ermens: performing with an AI counterpart

22 May — Muziekgebouw Eindhoven

 

Keyboardist and bandleader Jeroen Ermens is working with Bureau Moeilijke Dingen to develop an AI-driven musical partner. Rather than replacing musicianship, the project explores how an artificial counterpart can expand improvisation and interaction on stage. The performance at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven will present the first public iteration of this human–machine collaboration.

 

 

 

RBDJAN: rap, lyrics and AI-driven visuals

23 May — Cinetol, Amsterdam

 

Dutch rap veteran RBDJAN teams up with creative technologist Wesley Hartogs to create what they describe as an “album book” performance. In this theatrical live show, AI-generated visuals respond to the rhythm, structure and narrative of his lyrics, translating the literary qualities of rap into a dynamic visual layer that evolves during the performance.

 

 

 

Mihir Raina: AI and oral heritage in a new musical workflow

30 May — De Helling, Utrecht

 

Composer and researcher Mihir Raina collaborates with AIxDESIGN to explore how artificial intelligence can support a musical practice rooted in Indian oral histories. The residency focuses on building a workflow where traditional source material, storytelling and contemporary electronics come together. The live show at De Helling will present the first immersive audiovisual outcome of this research.