On 26 March 2026 we said goodbye to our 2025-2026 generation of XR Talents. Each of them made a presentation about their work during their Playgrounds Next program and we got to listen to feedback and encouragements from their mentors.
In addition, we asked each of the talents to reflect on their trajectories. Below you can read more about how the Next program wrapped up for animation and video artist Okke van Breemen.
During the program, Okke explored the development of a multi-sensory immersive experience that allows audiences to engage with natural processes in ways that transcend ordinary perception. Central to this research was the question: What does it feel like to become part of a landscape—to sense the tremble of footsteps as a path, or to shift between the states of water: solid, liquid, vapor? These transformations are not narrative in the traditional sense, but rather embodied, elemental experiences that aim to evoke empathy and reconnection. You can read more about the project as well as Okke’s initial plans for the program, in this interview we made at the start of his trajectory.
Message from Okke’s mentor: Marcel van Brakel, founder and lead designer at Polymorf
“When I first met Okke he was showing these beautiful serene worlds and amazing aesthetic and photography in film, so I knew straight away he had an artistic eye. I think his focus on the details and on the unvoiced emotions that are part of reality and often not seen, really define and are Okke’s strengths. At the end of our first encounter I remember thinking “this is a very absorptive but silent guy”. He did an awesome job in going on a journey to discover himself and make his personality fit his work. In the same time, he has a very recreative and exploratory view of the world. I am confident he will find his way in an organic manner.”
Feedback from Eva Heijnen, fellow Nextie, about Okke:
“What inspires me about Okke is his quiet sensitivity. He notices things I would never think to look for.
Once, during an experience in the forest, he worked with scent. He had discovered that pine trees smell slightly different every few meters and built an experience around those subtle variations. That level of attention to the world really stayed with me.
I was also deeply impressed when we visited Schemerlicht with the Next XR group and he effortlessly explained how an installation worked using sound in water. His knowledge feels playful and precise at the same time.
Okke may not be the loudest presence in the room, but there is a lot going on beneath the surface. That combination of depth, curiosity and quiet humor is what fascinates me most about him.”
Interview with Okke:
How did the Next trajectory go?
This trajectory helped me better understand my artistic practice. The workshops that we did – the residencies at Ruijmtetijd, the visits to IDFA – helped me gain insights that contributed to ideas and concepts for the installation I’m working on. They also helped me develop my skills of presenting this project to my peers and fellow Nexters.
Playgrounds gave me the time and resources to come to conclusions through true experimentations, instead of having to know exactly what my work was about from the beginning.
What is your favourite thing that happened during the trajectory?
During the workshop of Next Alumnus Paul Staring he asked us to make a small experience of 15 minutes from things we were playing around with in a forest. I discovered that the resins from different pine trees smelled very different from each other, while the trees themselves looked very similar. This was an interesting finding for me also because technology is central in my work, prototyping tends to be very complicated really quick. This also showed me that in 15 minutes even without technology you can have a very valuable rough sketch or concept.
How did you interact with the group of Nexties?
Visiting festivals, being able to talk and reflect on the things we experienced together, gave me new insights. We also had various workshops like the one with Joris Weijdom, another about bodystorming, and there in a playful way we had to make prototypes for certain immersive experiences to make us more aware about how to move through spaces. Through playing we came to very valuable answers.
What would you tell other artists considering to apply for this program?
The mentorship is very valuable. I had a lot of unexpected encounters with people. That helped me become more articulate in describing what I wanted to make, my motivation behind it and how I wanted to make it. Also how I can steer my artistic process better: how do I reach festivals, how do I write for funding etc.
Stay in touch with Okke’s projects by following his website.
Note: The answers of Okke and Marcel have been edited for readability purposes.