Kees van Leeuwen

My work is also influenced by the sociological narratives that are projected into a physical site, thereby informing how its inhabitants will reflect on the site and its contents.

Parallel to my art, I am the Netherland’s leading Cold War nuclear bunker specialist. This interest stems from my experience of nuclear bunkers as possessing a distinctly subdued sensorial impact – they are tranquil spaces. These bunkers are ‘cavities’ hidden beneath bustling, oftentimes overwhelming metropoles.

However, though such bunkers were essentially constructed as sites of protection, these very concealed monuments radiate a paradoxical atmosphere. 

In more recent years, I also spent extensive periods travelling through Japan, researching the country’s traditions and philosophies of space, architecture and conservation. The notion of ‘Ma’ – architectural illusions, space that appears empty or without obvious function – is my main focus.