Henriëtte Waal

About the lecture  
In this talk, I’ll explore how I approach the world around me through my design practice, focusing on long-term processes that evolve, mature, and adapt. I'll share key moments from my work with Atelier Luma - the bio design lab at the Luma Foundation in Arles - and dive into my current work for Veenweide Atelier - a multi-year programme that brings together farmers, conservationists, scientists, and designers in a testing ground for new models of living in the peat meadows.  

I’m also thrilled to share my new book, Water Works, with you. Written by myself and Clemens Driessen (eds.), featuring 60 responses to the global challenges of flooding, drought, pollution, extraction, and other issues surrounding freshwater. It’s a deep dive into the “making off” stories from places and makers who are building on the intricate relationships between people and other life forms, materials, and (infra)structures. You can find the book as well as the online PDF at Valiz website: https://valiz.nl/en/publications/water-works

Bio
Henriëtte Waal is an artist and designer known for her interdisciplinary work in artistic research, environmental design, and community engagement. She is the co-founder of Atelier Luma, a bio design lab in the south of France, focused on bioregional practices and material engineering. Henriette has led fieldwork in Mediterranean wetlands, integrating southern European, African, and Near Eastern remote wetland communities. Her work spans co-fabrication systems for beverages, footwear, colours, crafts and spaces, as part of a search of new ecosocial balance. Her projects have been exhibited internationally,

highlighting her dedication to social and environmental resilience. She has guided Social Design master programs at Design Academy Eindhoven since 2013. And since 2023, Henriëtte has applied her methodology as the artistic director of the Veenweide Atelier.