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Martin Sjardijn

Martin Sjardijn studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

After graduating, he began his professional career collaborating with the French Group Ludic.
This group designed futuristic playgrounds commissioned by De Bijenkorf department store,
which were realized at four locations in the Netherlands and France.

His experience designing play spaces in public space led to the founding of the Werkgroep Speelbouw
(Playbuilding Workshop), together with Nout Visser. With this group, he realized several experimental playgrounds
in The Hague and organized art projects in public space. These projects explored the interaction between art, play,
and the urban environment, and contributed to innovative ways of experiencing public space.

In 1975, Sjardijn decided to fully dedicate himself to autonomous painting. This led to the founding of the successful
Hague Center for Contemporary Art (HCAK), the first artists' initiative in the Netherlands. The HCAK played an important
role in the development of the contemporary art scene and provided a platform for experimental and innovative art forms.

From 1984, Sjardijn's interest shifted to sculptures in zero gravity. He designed the concept "A Line in Outer Space Visible from Earth with the Naked Eye,"
which formed the basis for the project "A Mirror in Outer Space." This project, in collaboration with Wim Bijleveld, was realized at Omniversum The Hague.

Around 1990, Sjardijn, with support from Erik Jansen of Delft University of Technology, began researching the possibilities of sculpture in
zero gravity through interactive virtual reality. With funding from the Mondriaan Foundation, he was able to develop virtual reality equipment.
This led to the creation of the first Virtual Museum for the Groninger Museum, an educational project in collaboration with students from
the Haags Montessori Lyceum (The Hague Montessori Lyceum).

Despite his innovative projects in sculpture and virtual reality, painting remained a constant factor in his work. Inspired by the work of Francis Bacon,
the dramatic human image is central to his paintings. At the invitation of Peter Kattenberg, Sjardijn worked and exhibited in New York. He later
worked on a virtual reality project in Hungary.

In 2010, Sjardijn met the writer and poet Anne Borsboom. This meeting led to a love relationship and a fruitful artistic collaboration, including the project
"The Art of Nietzsche," for which he was invited by Anne Woodward. Anne Borsboom also assisted him with his virtual reality research at TU Delft
and inspired him to write and create poetry.

Since 2014, Sjardijn has lived and worked alternately in France and Scheveningen (a district of The Hague). His focus is on paintings and drawings
in which the human figure is central. Through Anne's influence, he has also turned to literature and poetry. In addition to his ongoing research into
virtual reality, he is working on a book and writing poems, in which artificial intelligence (AI) plays an important role.

In his visual art, he experiments with AI and seeks a spontaneous working method, often inspired by models, nude studies, and direct actions.
Besides Francis Bacon, he has recently found inspiration in the work of Tracey Emin.

Sjardijn’s work remains a constant search for new forms and expressions, with the human existential condition always at its core. His artistic practice,
characterized by experiment and reflection, remains innovative and relevant in the contemporary art world.