Spotlight: Iwein

“I love collaborating with other creatives that have an idea of where they want to go but might want help and wisdom on how to get there."

Here’s the beautiful thing about the Birdcage Radio community – it doesn’t only end with the DJs and musicians. It’s a collective of talented and passionate people crossing boundaries of art and creativity and together, by tapping into each other’s strengths, we’ve created something amazing that’s constantly growing and evolving.

One such member of our community is visual artist, Iwein. Someone who can be described as being particularly fond of supporting fellow creatives in realizing their dream projects using his gifted artistic vision and diverse set of design skills. Through traditional image-making, animation and technical support for events, Iwein aims to share the beauty and mystery he sees in life.  

“I love to co-create experiences that foster kindness and carve out some pockets of sanity, connection and wonder for people to get away from the rat race out there.

Outside of work I am a counter-culture lover, humble stoic idealist and a bit of a nature-loving hermit.

In summers, for years now, I use my wood-working skills to build DJ booths, décor-pieces and elaborate playgrounds out in the woods with my music-festival family to play, laugh and rave our socks off. This includes video mapping the stage for Birdcage in France and VJ-ing parties in EKKO!”

His interest in art was present and evident from a young age but it wasn’t until after high school, when he took a year off to travel, did he decide on a path. The signs pointed to enrolling in an art school, so that's just what Iwein did.

“Choosing to go to art school after this gap year was a bit of a casual 'off the cuff' choice. Maybe rebelling against society's definition of success and usefulness. Choosing personal interest over making 'the smart career choice'.  I went into art with a kind of 'let's try it on for size' attitude instead of a sure-footed step in life. But I grew into it! I developed from just 'that kid that likes to draw' to working with machines and physical materials in the theatre-décor workshop. I learned about video projection, figured out I had a natural gift for animation and an easy time working with both technology and art” Iwein fondly recalls.

Through exposure to music and transformational festivals, his appreciation and interest for art and music grew even more. It showed him what a group of people that do see the value in art can achieve together. 

“Going to Boom Festival in Portugal blasted open my eyes to how incredibly gorgeous and awesome festivals can be. No ugly metal crowd control fences. No stages built from scaffolding material, watered down beer and advertisement banners. Instead, lovingly made handmade land-art pieces. Wild theatre performances, stages with natural materials and artful designs. Even the damn fences were made from bamboo and looked pretty! That opened my eyes to how amazing we could make our world together when we are able to take the time. When we have dedication to beauty and are able to work from the heart.  I developed further in this scene with my 'Familiar Forest Festival' family. Gaining a bigger love for woodworking and some serious skills. Working with professional carpenters and builders in a kind of 'playground' setting brought me a lot of joy. Without the pressure to be a 'professional' in building or stage design straight away. It provides for many, an escape from the rat-race and a welcome culture of openness, acceptance and playfulness. If that's not valuable I don't know what is” shares Iwein.

Some of Iwein's stage designs at the Familiar Forest Festival

His influences and inspiration on his artistic journey come in many forms, ranging from the psychedelic artworks in the festival galleries to studio Ghibli films at home. “I love anything that takes me on a fantastical imaginative journey. Painters like Klimt and Alphonse Mucha formed my early sense of what classical art I find beautiful. They have an interesting mix between stylized and realistic/'accurate' aspects. Having both shows off the artists imagination and their technical capability; they can copy lifelike form and light, but choose to simplify or stylize some aspects to make it more. I experience it as a struggle sometimes to find my own 'visual' language that I like and want to stick with. Blending the 'life-like' with the 'abstract' remains a challenge. 

For film I remember stumbling onto 'double king' by Felix Colgrave which convinced me there is a way to use film as 'autonomous art' even as a solo artist and that film doesn't have to be cinema movies only. Also, it revived my courage that an 'outdated' technique like 2d animation in this age of 3d, 'mocap suits' and high-tech art IS still fricking awesome! And you can do things differently.”

You may notice some of these influences in the animation videos Iwein has helped Birdcage Radio with. He first met Rochelle via a mutual friend from the Familiar Forest collective.

“We hung out every once in a while, so I ran into a lot of other lovely birdies around Utrecht for events, hangouts or at other social gatherings. I was enthusiastic and available to help out the budding collective with video mapping in small shows at EKKO every now and then, graphic design or event banner creation. A small animated logo for the twitch channel, helping out with stage design when they hosted a floor at Chateau Perche in 2022, you know… support stuff for my peeps!

A snippet of Iwein's animation from Chateau Perche (2022)

I live a bit farther removed so I'm rather like a migrating bird that comes across his feather full flock more rarely but with stories and adventures to share before setting off again. I have a long term side project that I get back to every now and then, turning the world of some of these Birdcage banner designs into a connected short, short film. Paid work and other life events has been keeping it unfinished for a few years now, but it's not abandoned and I could use a hand with audio design from the Birdcage community at some point!” You heard the man, Birdie fam.

Below you'll find a preview of the sketches and the final short animation Iwein made for Birdcage Radio's 5th anniversary celebration!

The end-result:

As Iwein dove deeper into this world of art and design, one project led to another and he got more and more involved with the creative endeavors of friends. Just like he did with Birdcage Radio. “I let myself be blown by the winds of opportunity for a long time before I started to want to narrow it down a bit - which is still hard and I still mostly live off chance projects it feels like.”

When asked about what keeps him going, Iwein shares that it’s the internal spark in others and their unwavering drive in wanting to genuinely put something into this world that lights his own fire.

“I love collaborating with other creatives that have an idea of where they want to go but might want help and wisdom on how to get there. I think this stage décor that I made for, and with, my friends from the band  'Someone', is still one of my most favorite recent projects. Because it combined woodwork with lights and projection, music, technology, recycled materials and premium materials, the community in the workshop I built it at [laughs]. All the things. I got so much trust to make it how I saw it and I absolutely love these people!” 

More recently, Iwein’s growing climate awareness and well, just growing up in general, has steered him into taking a firmer stand for the things that he feels are of value in the world. “I joined the creatives for climate movement because of it, bringing my personal morals more to the foreground also in my business attitude. Becoming more vocal of what ideas and organizations I am willing to give my labor, and heartfelt drive that I put into working. Just entertaining or purely striving for my personal creative goals doesn't feel responsible anymore. Not when I see there are so many foundational things I took for granted that seem to need defending right now like our nature, empathy, democracy, community spirit. That doesn't have to mean we can't have fun and make beautiful things also.

Work is not just for money, for me it also feels like a vote for what you want to support in this world. Some aspects of 'what people want' and the 'customer is king' just don't match with trying to make the world a better place for all in my view”.  

You can find out more about Iwein and his work at iweinreimerink.nl