Inès Buter

CONTACT

Email: inesbuter@hotmail.com
Instagram

Feel free to contact me for art or educational projects related to collectivity, ecology, gardening, working with natural materials, community engagement, critical inquiry into systems, eco-feminism, food systems or practices engaging with food, artistic research, or other research methodologies.

I also curiously welcome inquiries beyond these areas.

Artist statement

My practice does not begin with the autonomous art object, but with connection: to place, to the people and living beings who inhabit it, and to the site-specific knowledge already present. I approach art as a shared practice in which making, learning, sharing, and living are intertwined. This can take shape through installations, rituals, collaborative projects, communal meals, gardening, ceramics, publications, events, and site-specific artistic research.

For me, “the other” is not separate, but part of the same complex network of relationships—connecting organisms, fungi, plants, animals, humans, and processes of life and decay. This interdependence creates a sense of shared responsibility, as our actions are always part of these ongoing relations and inevitably affect the living systems we are embedded in. In my work, I aim to cultivate environments of attention, exchange, and care where interconnectedness can be experienced. Art can expand how we perceive the world; it can create spaces that are both inviting and thought-provoking, and give voice to feelings and stories that help us question dominant systems and narratives.

Collaboration is central to my practice. As co-founder and member of VELD Collectief, I work within an interdisciplinary structure based on exchange and shared authorship. From our studio at the Suikerterrein in Groningen, we engage with the northern Dutch landscape—agricultural fields, salt marshes, peatlands, and wetlands—as active participants in the work.

Through site-specific projects, we develop installations, material practices, a living archive in the form of a garden, publications, community events, educational programs, performances, and culinary experiences in collaboration with local communities, farmers, gardeners, and others connected to the land. These proceses open up space for shared knowledge and collective ways of relating to places.

Photo: Veld Collectief

CV

Education, Additional Education and Certificates

2019- 2024
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen – Minerva Art Academy
Bachelor of Arts in Art Education (B.A.)

2023–2024
Terra MBO
Assistant Gardener Course
Certificate obtained

2013–2017
Cibap Vocational School, Zwolle
MBO Level 4 – Spatial Design
Graduated

Innovation Atelier: Diversity and Inclusion
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
Part of a research group on inclusivity and diversity, led by Karolien Dons

2021
Honours Programme Certificate -
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen

First Aid (BHV) Certificate
2023-202

Awards

2025
Winner: Groninger Beeldende Kunst Stipendium LAND – VELD Collectief

2024
Winner Art education Prize
Academy Minerva awards

2024 Nominee, Art & Research Prijs Academy Minerva

2017
Nominee: Cibap Talent Award

Selection of
Projects

Upcoming

Herman de Vries – Natural Relations × VELD Collective & BLOCK C (Sept 2026)
Collaboration within the Natural Relations programme, supported by the Mondriaan Fund.

Haunted by Waters – Into Nature (July 2026)
Opening performance and edible installation.

VHDG Tour – OERZETTERS (2027) – VELD Collectief
Travelling exhibition and public programme.

Surroundings – Sense of Space (2027) – VELD Collectief
Community-based project exploring harvesting practices, landscape, and place-making.

Levend Archief - Publication (end of 2026) – VELD Collectief
Publication documenting collective artistic research into food, ecology, and landscape.

SPARKLAB × De Rijzende Popschool (2026–2027)
Co-developer and facilitator of a multidisciplinary educational programme for children from earthquake-affected areas in Groningen and their communities.

Climate Quilts (2026–2027)
Lecturer and collaborator in an interdisciplinary European project transforming underused urban areas into interconnected green spaces through artistic and ecological practices.

2026 - Projects

Nieuwe Gilde Festival – De Proef, Frederiksoord (July 2026) – VELD Collective
Site-responsive artistic contribution as part of the Nieuwe Gilde Festival programme. In collaboration with Brood voor Weldadigheid, we developed a bread using wild yeast cultivated from the site. The project was presented as an installation accompanied by an essay about the process.

Garden Sessions / ‘Tuinsessies’ – VELD Collectief
Series of small-scale community gatherings exploring food, ecology, and collective learning. Activities include learning to identify plants, reading and discussing texts, sharing meals, and making things together, such as insect hotels.

Selected participant, artist roundtable by We the North, hosted by MOBI, NP3 (2026)
Joined artists from diverse disciplines to discuss visibility in the Northern Netherlands from the perspective of artistic practice.

Zonnewende Festival – De Salon, De Biotoop, Haren
Co-organisation and co-production of a non-profit cultural event.

Bodembedekkers – Wongema, Hornhuizen
Edible installation, performance, curation, and artistic research exploring women’s contributions to landscape stewardship in the Northern Netherlands.

Heyerdahl MDT – Trefpunt Groningen, Stichting Tamino
Guest lectures exploring artistic thinking within special education and community-based learning.

Climate Quilts – Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen (EU Project)
Guest lecturer and collaborator in an interdisciplinary European project exploring artistic and ecological approaches to urban regeneration, including the development of an edible installation for the closing event and mentoring students throughout the process towards their final presentation

FUTURE LAB – Alfa College MBO
Development of educational materials focused on artistic thinking, clay, foraging, and food cultures.

Hybrid Art Guest Lecture – Academy Minerva (March 2026)
Guest lecture on artistic research and site-specific practice at the Suikerterrein, Groningen.

Smartlab Groningen (March 2026)
Development of interdisciplinary educational sessions combining art, philosophy, and food.

Seed Market Meerhuizen – VELD Collectief (March 2026)
Installation and exchange platform centred on heirloom seeds, biodiversity, and food sovereignty.

Field Research Tour – VELD Collectief (Feb–Apr 2026)
Artistic research into seed heritage, food narratives, and food sovereignty, resulting in a living archive garden.

De Salon – De Biotoop, Haren
Multidisciplinary fundraising event in solidarity with the people of Iran.

BIOWAD – Wongema, Hornhuizen
Installative dining experience developed in collaboration with farmers from Het Hogeland and artist Linn Morsink.

Let’s Gro Festival – Food Security – Academy Minerva (2025–2026)
Educational programme on food sovereignty and food waste, developed in collaboration with Let’s Gro Festival and the Municipality of Groningen. Co-hosted with Rina Hellinga.

2025 - Projects

Into Nature / Network for Culture & Nature – “Het Moeras spreekt” (2024–2025)
One-year artistic research trajectory in the Onlanden wetland area, with public outcomes, collaborations, and installations.

Pictura Groningen – Workshop: Hydrosol of Your Environment
Public programme workshop exploring local plant waters and distillation processes. One session in collaboration with Ilse Donker

Pictura Groningen – “The Wind Is Always There, No Exceptions”
Group exhibition in collaboration with INTO Nature and Network for Culture & Nature. Opening installation developed with VELD Collectief.

VELD Collectief – The Three sisters / the Living Archive (2025–2026)
Collective artistic research project exploring symbiosis, food sovereignty, and seed systems.

Ecology & Art in Transition – Academie Minerva (2024–2025)
One-year Art programme with Susanne Luurs and Noa Bakker. Building on a communal garden developed during my graduation project and a collaboration with the practoraat GREEN = ART, we followed the rhythms of the land as a foundation for artistic practice. The programme explored how artists can build communities, work with landscapes, and design future-oriented practices in a time of ecological and social transition.

Food Film Fest × VELD Collectief × Terra MBO – “Seeds of Resistance” (Nov)
Installation featuring paper seeds, metal, forgotten beans, and textile and clay capsules containing harvested seeds from our garden.

Suikerbrij Festival × VELD Collectief – “Soil Fermentations” (Sep)
Installation involving kefir cultured drinks and clay.

Alfa College MBO, Groningen – Expedition Programme (9 Sep)
Garden workshop and communal lunch for students.

Wongema, Hornhuizen – “Alternative Realities” (Aug)
Dayprogramme exploring speculative futures 100 years ahead, co-hosted and produced with Rina Hellinga

Terug naar het Begin Festival – “Kiem Kerk” (May)
In collaboration with VELD Collectief, curated by Het Resort Groningen. A site-specific installation developed with the local community in the Maria Church.

Het Resort Groningen – Artistic Stamppot Competition
Second prize, in collaboration with Rina Hellinga. A stamppot dish combining self-made ceramics, forgotten vegetables, and seaweed.

Kunstwerk Kolderveen – Artistic Tea Ceremony
In collaboration with Beth May and Kim van den Belt (May 2025). Wild-foraged tea, storytelling, and performance.

De Vrolijkheid Assen – Mushroom Project (May–July 2025)
In collaboration with Rina Hellinga, we developed a project at the AZC Assen exploring the symbiosis of mushrooms with children through collective making. The project included building a communal table, creating mushroom hats, making kites, and a closing gathering, among other activities.

“Bodem, Buik, Brein” – Communal Meal and Recipe (Nov)
In collaboration with Liz de Vries for the programme and theatre performance Bodem, Buik, Brein, developing a local, artistic meal.

2024 - Projects

VELD Collectief – “Binnen Eb en Vloed”, Het Lage Noorden, Marrum
Installation with storytelling, videomapping of tides, and accompanying dishes.

Protein Transition × Speeddating Event – Minerva Art Academy (Dec)
Group installation, teacher role and production

Kunstzone Magazine – Interview + Editorial Design (Online, 2024)
Editorial contribution and design.

Wongema, Hornhuizen – ‘Verzamel Excursie’ × Minerva Art Academy
A workshop day on collecting as a (collective) practice.

Green is Art Festival – Group Exhibition, Suikerunie terrain, Groningen. Showing my graduation work: A cookbook for collectivity

Graduation Show – Minerva Art Academy (15–20 Jun)
Location Terra

Kunstzone Magazine – Editorial Contribution & Design Spreads
Recipes for Collectivity

Wongema – “Aardappelwandeling” (Oct)
Performance walk with zine about potatoes

Project Host – Artschool Programmes, Wongema
During one-week residencies and school programmes for students from the Rietveld Academie, WdKA, Zandberg Institute, and HKU, I supported both participants and teachers throughout the programme. I was responsible for preparing (collective) meals for the group, assisting teachers with the coordination of activities, and helping organize the final presentations. At the end presentations, I also provided feedback to students on their work.

2023 - 2022 - 2021 - Projects

PARADIGM, Groningen – Performance & Installation (2023–2024)
In collaboration with Susanne Luurs, we hosted a week for students of Minerva Art Academy and developed a performance for the Paradigm Backyard Festival.

A Manifesto for the Question?
A long-term project in collaboration with philosopher Marjolein Salemink, consisting of tours, rituals, performances, letters, and a manifesto on questioning.

Ik ben mijn muze – Book Presentation and Salon Opening From Loes Faber(Amsterdam)
Group Performance, performing Amrita Sher-Gil.

Tiny House Dorp Ten Boer – Community Project and Performance
Developed for the Garden Festival, combining community-based work and performance.

2ND Floor Exhibition – Group Exhibition - Collectief Vraagteken?
With Collectief vraagteken?, a collective I founded together with artists Joy de Vegt, Noa Bakker, and Jackie Galema, we participated in the 2nd Floor exhibition, sharing work and ideas around collectivity.

Witte Wieven – Performance and Installation
In collaboration with Susanne Luurs.

“The Space Around Us” – Suikerterrein Groningen
Artistic research on the Suikerterrein in Groningen and processes of gentrification. Developed during a residency and presented as a final exhibition in collaboration with Susanne Luurs.

Residencies

2026 – Wongema, Hornhuizen & SFYN Slow Food Network
Residency (May 2026)

2025 – DE PROEF, Frederiksoord
Artistic research residency (Nov 2025) with VELD Collectief, De Drie Zusters

2024 – Eissingeheem
Residency and group exhibition on performance art

2022 – The Space Around Us, Suikerterrein Groningen
Duo exhibition with Susanne Luurs

Selection
of jobs

CO-FOUNDER AND MEMBER - VELD collectief
VELD Collective is an interdisciplinary artist collective working as a shared organism on site-specific research mostly in the landscapes of Northern Netherlands, combining installation, community-based practices, artistic research, clay, textile, food and gardening.

Freelance – independent multidisciplinary artist, educator & project leader
commission-based projects | 2022 – present
Project management, educational trajectories, and event organisation.
clients and collaborators include: INTO Nature, Netwerk cultuur & Natuur, Minerva Art Academy, NOORDWOORD, Terra mbo, Alfa college, Northern seed market, Groninger voedseltuinen, Association Wij zijn wongema, De Vrolijkheid, Het Ziltepad, Het resort, VHDG, The Municipality of het Hogeland and The Municipality of Groningen, De Pionier, Culinary school of Groningen + more.

NOORDWOORD, Groningen – April–June 2025
Production of reading communities in neighbourhoods, in collaboration with Noordwoord and various partners.

Wongema, hornhuizen | 2021 – Present
multidisciplinary role
Co-initiator of the association ‘Wij zijn Wongema’ and former member of the organisational team, contributing to its integration within the community of hornhuizen until 2025. Focused on volunteer coördination, system development, community building, artist guidance and themed dinners. At the moment I only work here on freelance base.

Teacher & developer – “In de kas”
terra mbo | 2022
Developed and hosted a 10-lesson series for the flower & styling programme at Terra mbo, focusing on talent development, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Art education, project developer & coach Terra mbo | 2021–2022 (internship)
Teacher of food, life & innovation students. Subjects included art history, visual design, CKV (cultural and artistic education), lesson design, project supervision and mentoring sessions. Projects developed in collaboration with Christien Beukelaar focused on food waste solutions.

Expedition Alfa – Alfa college | 2019–2020 (internship)
Supervision and coaching within an excellence programme for talented students. Together with the students, a site-specific pathway with sculptures was designed for an outdoor terrain.

Press

https://omroephethogeland.nl/2026/03/23/duizenden-bezoekers-voor-zadenmarkt-in-maarhuizen-video/

https://intonature.net/programs/netwerk-cultuur-en-natuur

https://intonature.net/news/ontwikkeltraject-ines-buter-in-de-onlanden

https://kunstzone.nl/als-artist-educator-op-zoek-naar-collectiviteit/

https://dvhn.nl/cultuur/Kunstenaars-uit-Groningen-wonen-en-werken-vijf-weken-in-een-tent-op-de-voormalige-vloeivelden-van-de-oude-Suikerfabriek.-Het-is-te-begrijpen-maar-ook-erg-jammer-dat-de-wilde-natuur-straks-verdwijnt-26841807.html

𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓼

𝓷𝓲𝓮𝓾𝔀𝓮 𝓰𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓵 - 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓮 𝓰𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷 (VELD COLLECTIEF)
click on photo above to see the gallery

Tijdens een wandeling over het terrein van De Proef raakten we gefascineerd door de vele planten en waren we benieuwd naar de wilde gisten die leven op planten als trosbosbes, lievevrouwebedstro, bosaardbei op op een appelboom. Van deze planten maakten we een wilde gistenstarter: hiervoor voeg je plantmateriaal aan water toe, met een schepje suiker als voeding voor de gisten. Samen met @broodvoorweldadigheid bakten we hier broden van, met verschillende smaken en resultaten. Zo geeft de lieve vrouwebedstro een zoetig, aromatische geur aan het brood en was trosbosbes een eigenwijze starter, waarbij het moeilijker was om een luchtig brood te kunnen creeëren.

Werken met deze wilde gisten vraagt om het loslaten van controle. Hun gedrag verandert met de plek, het seizoen of de temperatuur en de organismen waarmee ze samenleven. In plaats van het proces volledig te sturen, leer je observeren, afstemmen en reageren op wat de gisten doen. Door voor de starter te zorgen en mee te bewegen met het fermentatieproces, kan er zich een relatie ontvouwen die er eigenlijk altijd al was. Ook wij zijn namelijk onderdeel van een levend ecosysteem: op en in ons lichaam leven miljarden micro-organismen die onmisbaar zijn voor ons bestaan en gezondheid.

Tijdens @nieuwegildefestival konden bezoekers lezen over onze experimenten met wilde gisten en de verschillende broden proeven die daaruit voortkwamen.

In samenwerking ontstaan met Broden voor weldadigheid in Frederiksoord.

Reclaim the seeds, Amsterdam

𝓒𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓽𝓼 – 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓽 𝓢𝓾𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓷 🐛
click on photo above to see the gallery

Over the past few weeks, we have been working together with researcher Gloria Maria Cavalieri to support the students of the European Climate Quilts programme in preparing for their final presentation. Climate Quilts explores how small-scale, participatory greening initiatives can contribute to greater biodiversity, social cohesion, and more resilient cities.

Across the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia, and Sweden, 10 × 10 metre gardens are being developed by researchers, artists, students, and local residents. Together, these sites form a living green patchwork: a collection of micro-ecosystems that not only bring more nature into the city, but also foster encounters, engagement, and care for the surrounding environment.

To celebrate the students’ final presentation and the opening of the Quilts, we prepared a harvest from our own surroundings: rhubarb, chamomile and strawberry lemonade; focaccias baked in the clay oven with sage, rosemary and edible flowers; a green pea dip; and wild pesto.

All credit goes to the students, who immersed themselves wholeheartedly in this project, and to everyone involved in making it possible. We are excited to continue this collaboration next year and, together with Terra MBO and Gloria, support the next group of Climate Quilts students in further developing this inspiring project.

𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓢𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 – 𝓘𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓢𝓬𝓾𝓵𝓹𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮

click on photo above to see the gallery

We organised a garden session as VELD as part of the Week of Biodiversity. Lotte D’ailly and ‘Veldgenoot’ Ali Salek prepared a delicious lunch for the participants using all kinds of ingredients harvested from the garden. Afterwards, we got to work in the sunshine—like gods in France—building the insect sculpture.

Soon, we will organise another garden-making session to continue work on the insect tower. We’ll add a roof, weave willow branches, and finish the structure with cob, a mixture of straw, clay and water.

This session was made possible by the Week of Biodiversity and @gemeentegroningen.

𝓖𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓒𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼 / 𝓑𝓸𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓴𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓼
click on photo above to see the gallery
This past Mother’s Day was dedicated to women.

We began the day with a talk by @instabien_, which sparked conversations about the role of women in agriculture. Visitors of different ages, from both rural and urban backgrounds, shared their perspectives, leading to inspiring exchanges and meaningful discussions.

These conversations resonated with our ongoing artistic research, for which we visited and spoke with female farmers and growers from the region about their roles and experiences. Mieke from @waddenmax shared stories about their family farm, where care, collaboration and generations come together. Christa spoke about working intuitively: starting, experimenting and leaving room for organic forms and unexpected directions. Jacobien introduced us to the “crypto” of crops: the onion. Prices can fluctuate from day to day, requiring farmers to constantly navigate between trust and action. The women of @landgoud spoke about taking responsibility for a piece of land and the importance of seeing the bigger picture, both within the food system and on a smaller scale at home. Liz from the Eemstuin reflected on the balance between flow and go, and her longing for a more feminine rhythm instead of an exclusive focus on productivity and constant action.

These stories also found their way onto the lunch table. Some dishes were inspired by conversations with the farmers and growers, while others drew from family stories and recipes passed down through generations. In this way, the conversations continued to grow.

Several of the farmers and growers joined us during lunch and stayed to answer questions. Special thanks to Liz from the Eemstuin, Mieke from Waddemax, Christa from the Woldtuin, all the ladies of Landgoud and Jacobien Lauwes.

After lunch Lotte D’Ailly gave a performance about forgotten voices and the importance of giving a voice to craft and embodied knowledge. We ended the day with the wonderful hits of ‘De zingende Grootmoeders’, performing songs written in the 1970s that proved to be just as relevant today.

Made possible by #ruralvoices2030 #eudearprogramme.

Photos by Joy de Vegt

𝓜𝓓𝓣 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓗𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓻𝓭𝓪𝓵

click on photo above to see the gallery

Over the past few weeks, students from Heyerdahl College have been working hard to transform the well-known community centre Het Trefpunt in Beijum, Groningen.

Together with @marouschkabrian, I worked with students on a textile wall piece about the neighbourhood, based on a cycling route through Beijum during which we documented architecture and street art. The photographs from this journey were translated into fabric, sourced from local thrift shops.

I also worked with students on designing and making tablecloths for the final celebration—with fantastic results. Some of the students had never worked with textiles or a sewing machine before, making what they achieved even more impressive.

In parallel, other artists and students have been working on planters, insect hotels, a give-away cabinet, and a large wooden wall panel. Along the way, the young people are learning a range of new techniques, including lino printing and photography.

This project is made possible by Stichting Tamino.

Visit Ten boer, 2025

Reclaim the seeds, Amsterdam

Mediametic, 2026

Groentekwekerij Noordlaren, 2026

Volunteering, De woldtuin 2026

Voedselbos Glimmen, 2026

Reclaim the seeds, Amsterdam, 2026

Visit, De heert, 2025

Eikemaheert, 2025

The four siblings Collective, 2026

Tuinen van Weldadigheid, Volunteering

De Heert, 2025

Mediametic visit and tour, 2026

De woldtuin, 2026

Visit ten Boer, 2025

Contribution to seed market, Maarhuizen 2026

Garden group, seeding workshop from Quinten

Visit, stadsakker, 2025

De heert, 2025

Eikemaheert, 2025

Tuinen van weldadigheid, 2025

Visit, Blije Bodem 2025

Beginning of the garden in 2025

𝓥𝓔𝓛𝓓 𝓣𝓞𝓤𝓡 2025 -2026 click on photo above to see the gallery

In the project “living archive”, VELD Collective collaborates with growers, makers, researchers, and pioneers who develop alternatives to dominant Western food practices. These collaborations form the VELD Tour: an ongoing trajectory of visits, conversations, and shared activities through which knowledge, stories, and seeds are collected.

We engage with regional networks, farms, and initiatives across the north of the Netherlands, as well as with researchers and practitioners working with seed-saving and local crop varieties. Throughout the VELD Tour, we systematically document stories, observations, and — where possible — seeds, using image, text, sound, our communal garden, recipes and sculptures as archival tools. In March, we visited Tuinen van Weldadigheid, an initiative that focuses on cultivating heritage seed varieties as a strategy to counter biodiversity loss and the disappearance of plant species, offering an alternative to the widespread standardisation associated with genetically modified and industrial seed systems.

VELD Collective participated in a volunteering exchange at the farm, through which we gained access to situated knowledge. The narratives that come up, alongside the collected seed varieties from different farms and gardens, contribute to our developing living archive: a community-based vegetable garden that is located on the Suikerterrein and collectively maintained through weekly sessions with a local gardening group. This way of working is characteristic of our research practice: not only gathering knowledge, but also actively contributing to and enacting the principles we explore.

In addition to farm and garden visits, we attended and participated in several seed markets, facilitating the exchange of heritage seeds and gathering oral histories connected to these materials. Other sites visited include De Blije Bodem, De Stadsakker, De Volkstuin van De Biotoop, Tuinderij De Heert, De Woldtuin, and Boerderij Eikemaheert, Community garden Ten Boer, among others. We also engaged with several professionals from related fields, including artists, scientists, and other practitioners, whose expertise expands and deepens our understanding of the subject. Apart from that we did fieldtrips to places such as Mediametic, Zone2source, Ruigoord and visited the project from the Kruideniers in Eindhoven that was focussed on the diversity of tomato seeds in The van Abbe Museum.

A recurring observation across these engagements is the diversity of attitudes and practices among growers, many of whom function as pioneers actively seeking to intervene in and reshape existing food systems. Working with the land within the Dutch contet requires ongoing adaptability and responsiveness to environmental, economic, and regulatory conditions. At the same time, a significant burden of responsibility rests on both growers and farmers. Farmers in particular, due to the scale of their operations and regulatory constraints, often face heightened risks. This can limit their capacity to implement biodiversity-oriented practices that may be more feasible at the smaller scale of market gardeners.

All findings generated through the VELD Tour will be further analysed and consolidated in a publication scheduled for release at the end of 2026. In the meantime, we continue to visit farmers and gardens, expanding the scope of our research.

If you would like to contribute to this project—whether by participating in the research, joining the garden group, or sharing seeds and stories related to seed-saving—please feel free to get in touch at veldcollectief@gmail.com

𝓗𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓸𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓴𝓽

click on photo above to see the gallery

Development Project & Exhibition in Pictura
Network Culture & Nature
Partner: Into Nature

In 2025, I participated in a development project with Into Nature and the Network for Culture & Nature, exploring the Onlanden — a vast wetland and water retention landscape southwest of Groningen, where the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen meet. This living environment of marshes, reed beds, and open water functions as a natural buffer protecting the city from flooding.

During this process, I became fascinated by the shifting—and partly disappearing—language used to describe wetlands. The word Onlanden itself reflects how landscapes are often defined through human usefulness: when we cannot directly utilize a place, it risks being perceived as empty or insignificant. What influence does language have on a landscape? From which vocabularies can we read a territory? How does a landscape speak, and how can we learn to listen?

Together with different experts, including wild forager and artist Ilse Donker and her child Vlier, I walked through the area collecting plants, tasting and recording sound fragments. Ilse gathered oak leaves, valerian, and bog myrtle to ferment an oak moor beer—bubbling and transforming like the wetland itself.

Alongside these field encounters, I wrote a text about the area and developed a film with Marieke van der Sloot focusing on the sonic landscape of the Onlanden. I also created an installation containing water from the marsh. During the presentation at Pictura, visitors were invited to write letters to the marsh and place seeds of native species that I collected from the area, into the water. The biodegradable paper allowed the messages to dissolve naturally. After the exhibition, I returned the water—and the audience’s questions, reflections, and words— to the Onlanden.

I further collected plants carrying the scents of the landscape and hosted a workshop in which visitors created marsh perfume using hydrolats derived from local species. In collaboration with VELD collectief I also developed fermented drinks inspired by the ecosystem, including a water kefir infused with meadowsweet, cattail, and water mint, which visitors could taste during the opening.

Through these interconnected elements—sound, fermentation, scent, text, participation, and ritual—I sought to allow the marsh to speak within the exhibition space.

𝓑𝓸𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓴𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓼 May 2026
click on photo above to see the gallery
Ground covers (bodembedekkers) are plants that protect and nourish the soil. They maintain fertility, prevent depletion, and create the conditions for new life to emerge. As such, they form a powerful metaphor for the women who care for and protect the land.

On upcoming Mother’s Day (May 10th 2026), we honour these women at Wongema in Hornhuizen, Groningen.

Veld Collectief visited several female farmers and growers in the northern region to learn about their experiences within the agricultural sector and their role in caring for the land. These insights were gathered during our residency in collaboration with Sfynn Academy at Wongema in Hornhuizen. We translate these conversations into a multisensory lunch installation, featuring texts, recipes, ceramics, and culinary interpretations of the stories shared by the farmers—offering visitors a chance to quite literally taste their experiences.

Click on the photos to explore behind-the-scenes moments from our visits with the farmers, where we spoke about their roles, collected family recipes, and were guided through their land. Following these sessions, we created clay objects that will become part of the edible installation.

𝓕𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓕𝓲𝓵𝓶 𝓕𝓮𝓼𝓽 - 𝓥𝓔𝓛𝓓 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓯, 2025
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Collaborations
Ietje Meerman
Maaike Meindertsma
Terra MBO
Food Film Fest
Green is Art (Practor)
Lila Veloo
Joy de Vegt
Floor Buter
Yateesha van Loon
Jackie Galema
Evanne Stiekema
Linn Morsink

For our work Seeds of Resistance, we were inspired by The Last Seed, a film in which small-scale African farmers navigate the complex power structures of large corporations while demonstrating the strength of sustainable, adaptable agriculture. The Senegalese women in the film moved us deeply: their determination to protect seeds and Indigenous knowledge for future generations lies at the heart of their resistance.

From this inspiration, we created local clay capsules filled with seeds that we harvested ourselves from the garden surrounding our studio. The capsules are suspended within a web of roots, alongside paper “seeds” carrying quotes from, among others, Vandana Shiva—an important role model and activist in seed sovereignty.

During a shared meal—a (forgotten) bean stew with herb oil and bread with fennel seeds—we came together to celebrate the richness and resilience of local, pesticide-free seeds. At the same time, we reflected on the importance of autonomy and seed sovereignty, and on how cultivating, saving, and sharing seeds can foster communal rituals, care, and collective responsibility.

The work Seeds of Resistance was part of the Food Film Festival that we curated and hosted in November 2025. The program also included works by Ietje Meerman and Maaike Meindersma, curated by VELD collectief.

𝓞𝓯𝓯 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮 - 𝓕𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓽𝔂 - Sep 2025 - Feb 2026
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Partners: Academie Minerva, Municipality of Groningen, Paradijsvogeltuin Groningen, Let’s Gro Festival
Co-Host: Rina Hellinga

As part of the Let’s Gro Festival, students from the Food Security off-course presented a public exhibition at the Paradijsvogeltuin in Groningen. The projects explored food waste in domestic contexts from social, ecological, and psychological perspectives.

Through installations, participatory works, and workshops, visitors were invited to reconsider their relationship with food. Projects addressed awareness around eating habits, creative strategies to prevent waste, food storage knowledge, and balcony seed-growing as a way to reconnect with food production. Students also developed a map highlighting local producers offering vegetables, fruit, dairy, and meat that fall outside supermarket aesthetic standards but are often more sustainable and flavourful.

The presentation included a fermentation workshop where participants transformed vegetable leftovers into pickles and natural ink, emphasizing circular food practices. The day concluded with a collective leftovers lunch, reinforcing community exchange.

After the groupspresentation, students worked on their individual interests—either in groups or independently—and developed their ideas into analogue booklets and corresponding presentations.

Subsequently, their work was showcased for two weeks in the main building of the Municipality of Groningen.

𝓣𝓮𝓪 𝓒𝓮𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓸𝓷𝔂 - 𝓚𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓴 𝓚𝓸𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓮𝓷
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Performative reading, workshop, tea ceromony with wild picked tea from the Onlanden, 2025

Netwerk cultuur & natuur
Kunstwerk Kolderveen

At Kunstwerk Kolderveen in Drenthe, I conducted a tea ceremony in which I read a text reflecting on the Onlanden landscape. Participants were invited to share their sensory associations with this environment, engaging sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. The tea served during the ceremony consisted of a wild-harvested blend collected in the Onlanden, including water mint, meadowsweet, and a variety of local wildflowers.

The Ceremony was in collaboration with Beth Wong and Kim van den Belt.

𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓬𝔂 - 𝓭𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓮𝓯, 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓸𝓻𝓭, 2025click on photo above to see the galleryVeld collectief x de proef

As part of our ongoing collective research project De Drie Zusters, we worked at the Proefkolonie Frederiksoord on deepening our knowledge. The site, originally founded in 1884 as the first horticultural school in the Netherlands, forms a historical landscape of agricultural experimentation and learning.

During this research period, we investigated contemporary food systems and possible alternatives, exploring themes ranging from seeds and polycultures to soil health and food production. Central to the project is the question of how we can deepen our relationship with the land and reimagine future forms of cultivation, care, and collective food practices.

𝓢𝓾𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓳 𝓕𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓵, 𝓖𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓷
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Interactive waterkefir installation

Installation with Groninger Clay, Kefir, Local seeds Guarillia Balls, Sea Buck Torn concentrate

𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓶𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓽 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 - 𝓗𝓮𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽

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At site-specific artspace Het Resort, as participants in the World Championship Stamppot Making.

Together with Rina Hellinga, I created a stamppot using forgotten local vegetables, seaweed pearls, and a diverse blend of flavours and stories. We finished in second place. This was part of the qualification round at Het Resort for the official World Championship Stamppot Cooking.

On January 24th, Het Resort was bustling and filled with delicious aromas during the qualification event. Ten teams, selected through an open call, each prepared three kilos of sauerkraut stamppot. Visitors were treated to unique dishes featuring ingredients such as sunroot, seaweed pearls, and mustard waffles.

Using ballot papers, the audience voted for their favourite dish. At the end of the evening, the votes were counted and the winner was announced. Sanskrit Kulmanochawong w

𝓞𝓯𝓯 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓽 & 𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝔂 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

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𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Students organized a speed-date event where visitors could engage directly with artistic research on the shift toward plant-based diets. Each project functioned as a “date,” inviting the audience into conversations with both the work and the artist.

Every “plate” served during the event was paired with research, blending sensory experience with critical inquiry.

𝓖𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓛𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 - 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓪 𝓐𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂

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𝓘𝓷 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓫 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓥𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓯

Workshop on circular practices using vegetable waste for natural dyeing and collective cooking, transforming food scraps into both textile color and shared meals.

𝓐𝓻𝓽 & 𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓰𝔂 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 - 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓪 𝓐𝓻𝓽 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂

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Off course art & ecology in transition Endpresentations semester 2

On the sugar terrain, the students of the course created a tour and harvest feast around the terrain for visitors and showed the projects they did: from site-specific installations, performance art and video to text and workshops.

𝓚𝓲𝓮𝓶𝓴𝓮𝓻𝓴 - 𝓣𝓮𝓻𝓾𝓰 𝓷𝓪𝓪𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝓷 he𝓽 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽
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Location: Mariakerk, Oosterwijtwerd
Photos: Joy de Vegt

For the festival Terug naar het Begin, the Mariakerk and the resort joined forces to create a space for contemporary art inside the centuries-old church, in the heart of the village. Through a local art committee, VELD Collectief was selected — a collective consisting of Lotte d’Ailly, Rina Hellinga, Liz de Vries, and Inès Buter.

Inspired by the village and the church, we transformed the Mariakerk into a Germination Church: a space where ideas, plants, and encounters could take root and grow. Under the theme Sowing and Symbiosis, we invited visitors to reflect on the relationship between humans and nature, and on how we might continue to grow together.

Visitors tasted herbal teas blended from the village garden, encountered clay works, and walked alongside meters-long textile pieces exploring the “three sisters”: maize, bean, and pumpkin. Holding a handmade seed bomb, some continued their journey by bike, scattering new life into roadside verges and gardens using a local seed mix.

The three sisters — maize, bean, and pumpkin — demonstrate what it means to live together: to give and receive, to grow with one another rather than alongside each other. A living system of mutual care. The fourth sister is us: the people who place the seeds into the soil together.

𝓥𝓗𝓓𝓖 - 𝓑𝓸𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓼
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Leeuwarden, VElD collectief
Openinginstallation with different fermented drinks

Part of the exhibition “grensverleggers” from Curator Roisin Douglas Veld Hosted drinks in an installation we created for the opening

𝓐𝓵𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓮𝓼 - 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓮 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓪click on photo above to see the gallery

We welcomed distinguished guests at Wongema in Hornhuizen: the Council of Unpredictability 🌀
Teachers — taking on imaginative roles from the future — engaged with students from the Fine Art and Education program to explore visions of the world 100 years from now.

The students presented a wide range of speculative futures: from the dissolution of the individual and a renewed reverence for nature, to Assen as Europe’s second city, alternative burial rituals, and the mythological Terpgoddess Bolletje alongside Hornhaven—a fictional island and port city located where Hornhuizen once stood.

While these future perspectives are not always optimistic, they reflect a strong commitment: to shape a more meaningful and sustainable world through art, imagination, and education.

𝓑𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓷 𝓮𝓫 𝓮𝓷 𝓿𝓵𝓸𝓮𝓭 - 𝓗𝓮𝓽 𝓵𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓝𝓸𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷

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VElD collectief
Made possible by Netwerk Cultuur en Natuur & Het Lage Noorden
Images: Jeanne van der Horst
Light and sound: Manon and Kai

Fascinated by how the rhythm of ebb and flow continuously reshapes the landscape, Binnen Eb en Vloed came into being.

Together, we explored the layers of this living archive on the Frisian Wadden. For the first edition, we created a participatory experience where local residents and members of the Cultuur en Natuur network gathered around a single table.

A space emerged where personal and collective stories came to life, supported by light projections echoing the rhythm of the tides. Visitors were invited to literally and figuratively taste the landscape through local flavors, sounds, and artworks rooted in the area.

It became an evening of encounter and connection, where past, present, and future of the landscape came together through storytelling.

𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓹𝓪𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓮𝓵 - 𝓓𝓮 𝓿𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓲𝓳𝓴𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓭

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In collaboration with Stichting De Vrolijkheid, an eight-week workshop series was developed and facilitated at the AZC in Assen, focusing on themes of collectivity and mushrooms. The program concluded with a festive final event, co-created together with the children.

Due to privacy considerations, limited documentation of the project is available.

‘𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔃𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓭𝓪𝓰’ - 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓭𝓪𝔂
click on photo above to see the gallerySummer 2024 – 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓏𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓍𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓈𝒾𝑒
Wongema, Hornhuizen

For the Arts and Education programme at Academie Minerva, VELD organized a day focused on collecting.

Students gathered all kinds of materials around the village of Hornhuizen: from thoughts to objects, conversations, sketches, and ideas. Collections were also made just outside the village (including slippery feet in the Wadden Sea 👻).

All collected works were presented together on a long cloth inside the inn.

In the afternoon, we served a lunch in the church, introducing participants to the flavours of the Groningen Wadden Sea and surrounding farmland. Students composed landscapes on their plates using ingredients such as double-infused seaweed broth, potatoes, spelt, and sea aster.

𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 / 𝓸𝓸𝓰𝓼𝓽𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓼𝓽
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A week-long happening celebrating collectivity through food, gathering, art and
sharing. Centered around a 9-meter handmade tablecloth, the event included a
communal harvest feast, presentation of research, a self-published cookbook, a
co-created vegetable garden, multiple colaborations, a movie and handmade ceramics.
This work got nominated for the Art & Research Minerva Prize and won the Art Education Prize of Academy Minerva.