Matthijs De Block

Matthijs de Block (1992, Belgium) is a bio-artist, looking for ways in which art can show the ambiguity of scientific research and societal shifts in contemporary life. Always starting from intuition – whether a word, a technology, or a mindset – De Block researches impending patterns to speak about global questions.

De Block already worked among others, at different projects for z33 House of Contemporary Art, Stad Antwerpen en Waag Society. During a residency at FORMAT in z33 House of Contemporary art, in a project called ‘Microcloud’ he worked together with biologist Niek D’hondt to question the role of micro-biodiversity in the city and its relation to human health. Within the framework of WAAG Society Amsterdam De Block experimented with different biohacking techniques and followed a workshop around the CRISPR-CAS9 technology that was featured on VPRO Tegenlicht. Next to biotechnology he made two works about artificial intelligence. When asked to create a work in honor of 100 years Olympics in Antwerp, he created a public installation that artificially selected pedestrian behaviour in a park. De Block also collaborated with Dries Depoorter in the project ‘Face Detected’, where a facial detection technology directed a sculptor in creating a portrait.