Dennis Vanderbroeck will speak on how his ponymous studio's work is fundamentally about the spatialization of narrative, transforming stories and concepts into immersive physical environments. Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck's approach centers on creating a dialogue between the designed space and the visitor, ensuring that each spatial installation becomes an active participant in the unfolding narrative rather than a passive backdrop. By employing a hyper-aesthetic visual language and integrating elements from fine art, fashion, and performance, the studio crafts environments where narrative and space are inseparably intertwined, inviting visitors to experience and interpret the story through their movement and presence within the space.
Collaboration with architects and other creative disciplines is a cornerstone of Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck’s practice. These partnerships allow for the merging of architectural expertise with the studio’s conceptual vision, resulting in projects that are both structurally sophisticated and narratively rich. For example, in projects for institutions like Palais de Tokyo and International Theater Amsterdam, the studio has worked alongside architects to translate abstract concepts into tangible spatial forms, often using modularity and live performance as tools to further blur the boundaries between narrative, space, and audience engagement. Such collaborations expand the possibilities of spatial storytelling, enabling the studio to operate across diverse contexts, from theater and exhibitions to fashion and music. The studio’s design process is deeply rooted in the translation of narrative into spatial experience, beginning with a core concept or story that is meticulously developed through research, sketches, and physical modeling. There is a constant interplay between conceptualization and realization: the initial narrative is dissected and reimagined, then materialized through iterative prototyping and close dialogue with collaborators. This process ensures that the final spatial design not only embodies the original narrative but also leaves room for visitor interpretation and interaction. In projects like “The White Curtain Labyrinth,” the studio embraced the existing space, using scenography to create a performative exhibition that guided audiences through multiple narrative layers and perspectives, demonstrating how narrative can be both the starting point and the evolving outcome of spatial design.
Dennis Vanderbroeck is a Dutch artist and spatial designer known for creating cross-overs between fashion, fine art, and performance, often using video, photography, and live performance to produce hyper-aesthetic and humorous images. He holds a Bachelor of Performance from the Toneelacademie in Maastricht and a Master of Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins, and leads Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck in Rotterdam, where he works internationally on spatial installations and stage designs for theater, fashion, and art projects.
The Berlage Sessions is a thematic series exploring critical approaches to investigate architecture’s history and theory. Its spring 2025 edition, The Architect’s Friends, interrogates interdisciplinary dynamics between architects and designers. The series will dissect collaborative processes, emphasizing mutual creative exchange across design disciplines such as graphic design, photography, and spatial practice.Speakers will include artists, graphic designers, model makers, photographers, and others.