Buoyants by Ludmila Rodrigues and Mike Rijnierse
Inside the 600-year-old Grote Kerk Veere in Zeeland, Netherlands, artists Ludmila Rodrigues and Mike Rijnierse present Buoyants, a site-specific installation that transforms the church nave into a fluid, underwater-like environment. The work combines a kinetic sculpture in lightweight fabric with a multichannel soundscape, reinterpreting the lost Gothic ceiling while emphasizing the region’s deep connection with water.
Buoyants by Ludmila Rodrigues and Mike Rijnierse for the Grote Kerk Veere, in Zeeland, Netherlands, 2025 | all images by Benjamin van der Spek
a spatial choreography of fabric, sound, and light
The installation by creative Ludmila Rodrigues and artist Mike Rijnierse integrates three key elements: a suspended sculpture made of green voile, a spatial sound environment, and landing platforms where visitors can recline to experience both sound and vibration. The sculpture, positioned seven meters above ground, is animated by a custom mechanical system developed by Rob Bothof. Its slow movements resemble wave patterns and sea life while echoing the verticality and geometry of Gothic vaults.
Sound plays a central role in the project. Composed by Ji-Youn Kang, the two-hour soundscape is designed as a vertical layering of tones, guiding attention upward and into the space. Low frequencies are transmitted into the landing platforms, allowing visitors to feel the vibrations physically.
Buoyants transforms the nave of Grote Kerk Veere into a fluid, underwater-like landscape
Gothic Dutch Church turns into Underwater-Like Space
Buoyants reflects on the cultural and environmental history of Zeeland, a region long shaped by tides, floods, and rising sea levels. The artists approached water as both a material and temporal continuum, connecting the distant past of oceanic origins with the uncertain future shaped by climate change. At the same time, the work re-imagines the architectural grandeur of the church’s medieval ceiling, lost centuries ago, by creating a contemporary spatial choreography of fabric, sound, and light.
a suspended green voile sculpture reinterprets the lost Gothic ceiling
the fabric element hovers seven meters above the nave, animated by custom mechanics
a multichannel soundscape fills the nave with layered, spatial tones
visitors recline on platforms to experience both sound and movement
the work creates a dialogue between architecture, water, and environment
the sculptures’ slow movements resemble waves, sea life, and water currents
the kinetic sculpture shifts slowly, producing ever-changing visual rhythms
the suspended lightweight green voile achieves fluidity and motion
‘furry islands’ within the space enhance visitors’ tactile experience
project info:
name: ‘Buoyants’ art installation at Grote Kerk Veere
designers: Ludmila Rodrigues | @thebodyoftheaudience + Mike Rijnierse | @mikerijnierse
materials: voile, nylon rope, electronics, 8:4:3 multichannel sound installation
soundscape: Ji Youn Kang
motion engineering: Rob Bothof
3D rendering assistance: Sofia Chionidou
sound engineering: Dario Giustarini
seamstress: Tessa Bekker
wood work: Bas de Boer
intern: Norah van Lith
photographer: Benjamin van der Spek
drone footage: Wilbert Calhouw
commissioned by: Grote Kerk Veere in cooperation with CBK Zeeland
supported by: Municipality of Veere, Zeeland’s Province, the Mondriaan Fund, the Familiefonds Hurgronje, Hoogwerkt, AutoHopper, Quartair, and the Embassy of Brazil
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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