ArtEZ alumni present their work at Manifestations during Dutch Design Week

During Dutch Design Week (DDW), five ArtEZ alumni present their work at Manifestations. Katrijn Westland, Kajetan Oniszk, Harrison Holland, Marlies Meenks and Nik Esmeijer will be showcasing their work in Eindhoven from 17 to 25 October. Their work ranges from interactive textile objects and fictional worlds to satellite imagery and explorations of connection.

photo: Dutch Design Week (art: Marlies Meenks)

Alumnus Katrijn Westland graduated from Design Art Technology in 2021. At Manifestations, she presents Soft Companions, a collection of dynamic, creature-like textile objects. The objects respond to their surroundings and to touch, and can move, emit heat and produce light. Westland explores how interaction between humans and non-human matter can create space for care and connection.

Kajetan Oniszk graduated from BEAR Fine Art at the Academy of Art & Design Arnhem in 2026. His work Gaza Strips consists of a series of screenshots of satellite imagery of Gaza from Google Maps. The images form a visual archive of the landscape and show the impact of the war. The work has been nominated for the Manifestations Young Talent Award on behalf of ArtEZ.

Harrison Holland graduated from AKI ArtEZ in Enschede in 2026. In Temple of Saj’tal, he combines world-building, game design and interactive theatre. Visitors enter a fictional world and encounter the Saj people and their ideas about truth. The work has been nominated for the Young Talent Award on behalf of AKI ArtEZ Enschede.

Marlies Meenks, who graduated from the bachelor’s programme in Fine Art and Design in Education in Arnhem in 2026, is also presenting work at Manifestations. In Still Connected, she explores the invisible connection between presence and absence. Through layered lines and skin-like forms, she makes traces of connection visible.

photo: Dutch Design Week (art: Marlies Meenks)

AKI ArtEZ Fine Art alumnus Nik Esmeijer is also presenting work at Manifestations. In The Slime Behind Your Eyes, Esmeijer draws inspiration from the way snails and slugs communicate with each other through slime. Using chemoreceptors, the animals can, in a sense, ‘taste’ where they are and who they are with. Inspired by this, Esmeijer explores the different ways in which people can connect with one another.

Manifestations is part of Dutch Design Week and focuses on art, technology and the future. The exhibition can be visited in Eindhoven from 17 to 25 October 2026. Through their diverse work, the five makers show how art and design can offer new perspectives on the relationship between people, technology and society.