17 May —
24 Aug 2025

Machine Entanglements

Program

At Museum Dr8888, the exhibition Machine Entanglements: Humans and Machines in Motion unfolds. A layered exploration where technology, ecology and heritage intertwine. What does progress mean when everything is connected? This exhibition invites you to look differently—at relationships, at history, and at our entanglement with machines. A poetic call to reflect, to feel, and to reimagine the future.

humans and machines

In Fryslân, the interplay between humans and machines takes center stage—along with the invisible impact of technology on ecology and the hidden forces of nature. “This fits perfectly with Drachten as an innovative city of makers,” says museum director Wybren Jorritsma. “A place where art, technology, and experimentation have come together since De Stijl in a continuous search for renewal. It also complements the exhibition 75 Years of Philips Drachten: People, Machines, and Society.”

At Museum Dr8888, artists show how technology shifts our perception of reality and identity.

the role of technology

In Groningen, the exhibition highlights the double-edged nature of (technological) progress. In Drenthe, traditions of horticulture and techno-farming take center stage. With Machine Entanglements, Noorderlicht seeks to spark awareness and open dialogue about the role of technology in our lives and environment. Visitors are invited to reflect on their own place in this shifting technological landscape.

about noorderlicht

Noorderlicht is a dynamic platform that has been making visual culture accessible to all since 1990, using photography and lens-based media as a powerful tool for dialogue and reflection. The biennial Machine Entanglements is curated by Roosje Klap (director of Noorderlicht) and Rosa Wevers (researcher of Art & Technology at Academy Minerva). The international launch took place in Japan during Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai—marking a festive start to this new edition of the biennial.

participating artists at Museum Dr8888:

  • Noor Boiten
  • Sophie Gerrard
  • Hendrik Hantschel
  • Thomas Kuijpers
  • Steven Maybury
  • Sylvia Sanchez
  • Sasha Rudensky
  • Sebastian Schmieg
  • Martine Stig
  • Katja Stuke