5 Dutch IX makers selected for SXSW Austin 2026 and why they are going to the US
Nils Adriaans
The Netherlands has once again been selected with multiple IX works for SXSW Austin, underscoring its strong international position in immersive art and storytelling. We asked the creators about their submitted and sometimes challenging work, as well as their views on the current political situation in the USA. Additionally, designer and thinker Jeroen van Erp, a SXSW attendee since 1995, reflects on the importance of being present on-site, and CIIIC director Heleen Rouw shares her thoughts from the CIIIC program. Together, they portray a sector that leads artistically but also significantly engages with the current political and social reality.
Daniël Ernst, director of The Great Orator:
What is the work about?
‘The Great Orator was a famous TV medium who died at the height of her fame and now lives on as AI within a shared consciousness of herself and her followers. She guides visitors through shifting memories in a non-linear world shaped by a live news feed.
Daniël Ernst, director of The Great Orator:
The Great Orator is a functioning LLM, with its followers forming the dataset. Like TV mediums or populist politicians, it fabricates 'false' memories based on your choices in the world and the daily news. Everything seems authentic, but is entirely fabricated. The visitor is left on an infinite parking lot, with the task of staying there; without you, she has nothing to preach about, just as populists are nothing without their followers.
The work explores how reality becomes malleable when feelings become more important than truth.
Why does this story necessarily need to be told in an immersive way?
‘Since 2012, I have been researching VR and the space between real and unreal. In my work, you are always yourself; you don't play a role or character. The Great Orator is aware of you as a visitor from another world. She is a medium between your world and hers. You visit her world; you don't watch or play it – she plays with you.
VR makes it possible to experience concepts such as infinity or the spiritual presence [of another]. Just as you can't make someone experience walking through a wall in any other medium. Through VR, you get the feeling as if you are sharing your thoughts with The Great Orator.’
This project is fundamentally set up according to a principle that closely resembles how CIIIC is organized for the creative sector: as a collaboration between different disciplines. In the initial phase, I collaborated with Leiden University and game studio Codeglue, where academic research, technology, and artistic practice were intertwined from the start. This cross-pollination is essential for how this work came into being.
The work examines how reality becomes malleable when feeling becomes more important than truth.
What do you want to achieve with the work?
‘Practically speaking, in my work, I look for functional use of each medium: it must do something that can only be done with that medium. In this case, we are collaborating with poet Thomas Möhlmann to use AI to generate infinite stories that adapt to the news.
I also want to showcase other forms of VR. I am a proponent of non-linear work, open worlds, and simulated worlds. In terms of distribution, the VR industry can still learn from the game industry, but this often seems to be forgotten. I hope that The Great Orator inspires people to create more of these kinds of 'open story worlds' works.
In terms of experience, I hope that people become aware of how pliable reality is and how 'appealing' populist figures can be.’
How do you view the political situation in the US? Are you going to SXSW, why or why not?
‘The political situation in the US is concerning. The thought experiment of The Great Orator, what would happen if a TV medium can grow and is not brought down by a scandal, seems to be becoming reality. But it should not surprise anyone. It is a continuation of the trend to bend reality to your wishes, which AI fits into all too well. And it is dangerous to think that we are so different from the US. People always like to think that they are smarter and have more control over reality than others. But our last cabinet was not great either. Democracy is something you have to keep fighting for.
I am curious how the work will be received in the US. They have a very different relationship to figures like The Great Orator as opposed to us with types like Jomanda. Mega-churches, for example, are much more normal there. But we will go to the US as long as it is safe enough for my team and me. In times like these, art is precisely what can inspire or confront you with ideas outside your frame of reference. Especially in a regime that does not want this, it is important!’
View information about the work @ SXSW here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/films/2242158
Richard Valk of VR production company Valk Productions and co-producer of A Long Goodbye (which was also selected for Venice Immersive 2025, ed.):
What is the work about?
‘A Long Goodbye is an interactive, animated, immersive experience that invites the audience to step into the shoes of our protagonist, Ida. Ida is a 72-year-old pianist suffering from dementia. It is a poetic story about rediscovered memories, fading reality, and the long, tender farewell between Ida and her husband Daniel, with whom she has shared a lifetime.’
Why must this story absolutely be told in an immersive way?
‘VR provides the perfect opportunity – it might even be the only medium, more so than film – to truly step into someone's mind, in this case, a person suffering from dementia. It's as if you are no longer watching a character but temporarily become that character yourself.
VR breaks the safe distance that film inevitably maintains. Instead of empathy from a distance, it forces you into presence: disorientation becomes spatial, confusion becomes physical, and time can no longer be neatly edited in sequence but unravels around you. Where film can show how memories fade, VR can let you experience how it feels when the world itself is no longer reliable.’
In my opinion, it makes more sense to occupy that space and make your voice heard from there, rather than to remain silent.
Working...
Lacuna is a true story that takes you from Paramaribo to Amsterdam and to a psychiatric institution, the Apeldoornsche Bosch. Through a weave of conversations with Sonja, 'enchanting' 3D modeling, animation, and personal images, Lacuna explores who we are in relation to who we once were.
Why must this story necessarily be told in an immersive way?
‘The title refers to the void of lost memories and a world that wants to emerge. The visitor moves within this void during the VR experience to truly feel it. From that void, images and sounds arise, reimaginings of small fragments. It has been a journey to find the language for the void, as well as for the fragments of memories that emerge.
A virtual reality environment offers the technical and narrative possibility to create the experience of being present somewhere; looking into someone else's mind becomes a physical experience. Your own presence is acknowledged in a similar way, through the ability to subtly open the dark matter with your gaze.'
What do you want to achieve with the work?
‘Through the fragmented memories of the protagonist, Lacuna shows how the personal impact of persecution continues to affect generations. It is also a reflection on the present. Lacuna allows the visitor to feel how exclusion and persecution never come out of nowhere but are a gradual process.'
How do you view the political situation in the US? Are you going to SXSW, why/why not?
Lacuna seeks connection by encouraging the visitor to question their own memories and history to look at the present and the future through that lens. It is of great importance to continue the conversation through these kinds of stories about how we want to live together. We look forward to engaging in this dialogue with a wide variety of visitors at SXSW.’
View information about the work @ SXSW here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/films/2242001
The Israeli-Austrian choreographer Amit Palgi, together with 3D artist Matunda Groenendijk, is the director of Cycle (which had a work in progress presentation during the CIIIC/CreativeNL event at Dutch Design Week last fall to introduce visitors to IX):
What is the work about?
‘Cycle is a philosophical VR experience of fifteen minutes that reveals the hidden patterns of life through dance, animation, poetry, and music.
What if you could look at your own life from a distance? We all have patterns that we repeat to maintain a grip on life. No matter where you come from or how you were raised: everyone sleeps, eats, works, loves, and sometimes hates. There is so much in life that connects us all, why not celebrate that?
In Cycle, we explore the different cycles around us and within ourselves. We experience the cycles of nature and the cosmos, alongside our personal life cycle of birth and death, as well as the daily repetitions we experience in our lives.’
Why must this story necessarily be told in an immersive way?
Our goal with Cycle is not to share a classic narrative, but to reveal a hidden truth about our life. We feel like sharing this in a ‘normative’ form/media has the danger of falling flat, feeling too abstract, or making people close themselves off from feeling too much. You can turn away from a screen, but not from a (digital) world around you. In order to let people connect to themselves, and look at the confronting truth of us being alive, actively aging, and just being a small vulnerable cell inside the vast body of life – we had to let them sense it.
We therefore invite our audience to immerse themselves in a VR world they can explore. Cycle is a very physical experience, even in VR. The interactive choreography and animations are intense and sometimes even physically affect the immersers. By utilizing the technical possibilities of immersive media and choreography, we believe we can offer an embodied experience in which the abstract subject we address ultimately becomes intimate.’
What do you want to achieve with the work?
‘We wanted to create a poetic, immersive dance experience that plays with the feelings of wonder and fear that the duality of life can evoke; because life can be both unbearable and beautiful at the same time. We find it very important to let people feel the nuances in today's polarized world. We hope to remind people that within this duality, we have a choice in how we view life and how we connect with others. How do you shape your cycle?’
‘We wanted to create a poetic, immersive dance experience that plays with the feelings of wonder and fear, which can evoke the duality of life’
How do you view the political situation in the US? Are you going to SXSW, why or why not?
‘This is a sensitive topic that we needed to discuss together. We find it important to convey the message of Cycle in a country that, according to Americans, is more divided than ever since the Civil War. We want to emphasize that connection between people is necessary and that, essentially, we are not so different from each other. What better way to do that than through art?
Although we are concerned about and against many of the political measures of the US government, we do not believe that turning down an invitation from an entire country is a good way to protest against it. We want to bring our sensitive art to the US and actually get the chance to meet people and connect with them, because they are not their government.’
View information about the work @ SXSW here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/films/2242201
Iris van der Meule, director Lesbian Simulator (produced by Studio Biarritz, just like Lacuna):
What is the work about?
‘Lesbian Simulator’ is an interactive virtual reality artwork and game that poetically takes you into the life and experiences of a lesbian. It is an artistic ode to orientation, love, and sexuality with a serious undertone, depicting contemporary discrimination against lesbians.’
Why must this story absolutely be told in an immersive way?
‘From a young age, I was inspired by animated films and video games. In animation, I saw stories and worlds where things were possible that couldn't happen in real life, like in one of my favorite films, Alice in Wonderland. In video games, I could step into these worlds and explore, like in the well-known video game series ‘The Legend of Zelda’. I became fascinated by the fact that I could imagine and create worlds where anything would be possible and where you could experience everything.
In my work, I embrace this fascination and combine it with my interest in social themes. Through animation, I can create a visual world that poetically makes the viewer aware of the themes that inspire me as a creator. By using virtual reality, I can literally place him, her, or them in that world.
The interactivity of the medium reminds me of my fascination with video games. It allows me as a creator to craft stories where I can give the viewer a form of direction. I see it as a maze, where I make the corridors, filled with hints of the story – and give the viewer the freedom to explore my work and find their own way. My work is nuanced, every detail feeds the story.’
What do you aim to achieve with the work?
‘The immersiveness of VR lends itself well to creating awareness and enhancing empathy, which is why it is my medium of choice for this project. Through VR, I can share my experiences and perspectives as a lesbian with an audience that might be less familiar with them, to address inequality and discrimination.
Additionally, VR offers the possibility to create and experience worlds that stretch as far as our own creativity; this opens new pathways in how we tell and experience stories. By not being bound to 2D reality, I can develop scenes that creatively evoke feelings and emotions from real life more easily, to create points of recognition for a diverse audience.’
How do you view the political situation in the US? Are you going to SXSW, why or why not?
Team Studio Biarritz: ‘We find it important that a project like Lesbian Simulator is visible at locations like SXSW in Austin, to show how relevant it remains to fight for human rights. The work is a means to address the subject and to be present to represent it. It's nice to be able to do this together as a team, we stand together, not alone. We hope our project helps to make an impact there, especially now.’
Corine Meijers, producer and owner of Studio Biarritz, adds: ‘Additionally, Lesbian Simulator is Iris’s debut, and it is an incredible achievement to be selected for an international festival like SXSW, following the beautiful premiere at IDFA Doclab. I am super proud of Iris. SXSW is an important step for her further career as a creator and will offer numerous opportunities for the further distribution (plus impact!) of Lesbian Simulator, both in the US and internationally.’
View information about the work @ SXSW here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/films/2242087
The winners in the IX competition of SXSW will be announced on Wednesday, March 18.
This is an opportunity to show what we as a creative industry are capable of, with the most important program we have in the Netherlands.
Jeroen van Erp, founder of digital design studio Fabrique, emeritus professor of concept design at TU Delft and SXSW attendee since 1995:
‘Yes, I asked myself whether I should go to Austin. But I actually decided quite quickly to go, and that has to do with the fact that I want to see with my own eyes what exactly is happening, how the Americans stand in it, and what the arguments are. Because experience shows that when you are in America and look through the lens of the Americans, you sometimes get a different picture – I can still remember when Trump was elected the first time, people indicated that it was often really a vote against Hillary Clinton because she provoked a lot of resistance. We didn't have that image here from the media. That's why I now want to experience for myself how things stand there. I feel like a kind of war correspondent light, because it is genuinely a bit exciting, but it is important to also take that inside out perspective with you.
Regarding CIIIC, I think it's very good that the creators are going because I think we as Europe really need to promote our creative industry; our creativity, our different thinking, our cultural heritage. That is sometimes forgotten, especially when it comes to the big political movements – we are fairly invisible as a creative industry at the moment, it was better ten years ago. This is an opportunity to show what we can do, with the most important program we have running in the Netherlands.
The last thing I want to point out is that I don't expect to gain much inspiration there. Where South By once had premieres and new digital services were launched like Twitter, that hasn't actually happened for several years now. So I don't have high expectations of that, but South By remains South By, serendipity is in the air and you always come back with new insights. Even if it's about America.’
Reflection Heleen Rouw: ‘This international recognition is important!’
Heleen Rouw, director of CIIIC: ‘First of all, I find it inspiring once again to read a very clear motivation from each creator above on why they bring their story in an immersive way. That it's a form that needs to be further explored and investigated. And that we should be proud of these works by Dutch creators, each of which is truly so special. The reference to the gaming industry, being able to play a role in the story yourself and being able to give direction. And that it’s not about glasses, but about immersion where various forms are possible to achieve that, spatially, or just as well with your mobile phone.
With the CIIIC program, we want to help many more people participate in these experiences. It's evident, everything is under pressure, including the creative industry, but we sometimes forget what impact is achieved with it, how IX can connect.
As for SXSW, we at CIIIC have decided not to go to Austin ourselves. The mere fact that not everyone is welcome anymore, soon even based on social media posts, but also based on cultural background or religion, is worrying and makes it also exciting to travel. That by no means implies that I don't understand that the selected creators precisely go to share their stories and show how high the quality is that is produced in the Netherlands – this international recognition is important! We will therefore try to share their experiences with as many people as possible from a distance; how they are doing and what opportunities and insights their visit brings.
This extensive article is part of that, but we will certainly also report on their experiences during and after their visit. And fortunately, Jeroen as a correspondent is also a great source for us! As CIIIC, we have a clear role not only within the program but also beyond, in our own country and internationally, to share the strength of the Dutch creative industry and ‘our’ immersive experiences.’