Artist statement 

We live in a world that relies on repetition and routine. A world where vastness is rare, and a life between houses and streets has led to shortsightedness. We hardly pause to consider where we are. By exploiting nature, both operationally and linguistically, we have deprived the Earth of its sense of wonder. I see art as a fundamental way of renewing that sense of wonder because it both records and produces experiences. With my work, I aim to encourage people to look, listen, or act differently in a place, so that for a moment, we are part of the world rather than just on it. I do this through sculptures and installations that offer us a new perspective on where we are.

As a visual artist, I work site-specifically. My studio functions as a space for ideas and sketches. I build and sculpt outdoors, where the wind carries the dust away. As an outsider, I am able to see things that may have become invisible to the residents or users of a place. My research is thus fueled by interactions with new environments and encounters with people. I am curious about other disciplines, such as biology, anthropology, and history. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, I adopt new ways of viewing a familiar subject.

I am drawn to spaces that often go unnoticed, from rooftops to forgotten greenery. In my work, I combine opposites—such as near and far, horizontal and vertical, indoors and outdoors—to shift our perspective on our natural surroundings. In this way, I hope to broaden our view and reignite wonder for the unknown and the overlooked.

Biography

Anoek Mensink (based in Utrecht) is a visual artist who graduated in 2023 from the St. Joost School of Art & Design in 's-Hertogenbosch, specializing in Autonomous Visual Arts. Her graduation project, Vleugelnoot, earned her the Van Gogh AiR Award and a nomination for the 2023 Lucas Prize. In her practice she works with installation, sound, film, photography, and sculpture. Her work originates from site-specific research into landscape and space, exploring perception through various perspectives and sensory experiences.

In recent years, she has developed several site-specific projects, including a self-initiated study on light and the camera obscura aboard the Atlas in the Lofoten islands, and a micro-sound investigation at Witte Rook (49 m²) in Breda. Furthermore, in collaboration with a geohydrologist, she conducted research into unexplored waters at KOP (Breda) and has participated in residencies at locations such as the Van Gogh Huis, De Nijverheid, and a marble residency in Greece. In 2025, she published her first book, A Symphony in Blue and Yellow, in a limited edition.

In her recent work, she explores more-than-human perspectives, guided by the characteristics of a place; such as its light, sound, and natural processes.