'I am part of the networks and the networks are part of me...I link, therefore I am.'
William J. Mitchell, ME++: The Cyborg Self and the Networked City.

Karen Lancel and Hermen Maat design objects, projections and digital networks to create ‘meeting places’ in city public spaces. These ‘meeting places’ are designed as seductive, visual performances and installations. Each ‘meeting place’ or social sculpture functions as an artistic ‘social lab’ in which the artists invite their audience as co-researchers. The audience is invited to experiment and play with social technologies; and to reflect on their perception of the city, and their experience of body, presence, identity and community.
Through their artworks Lancel and Maat research contemporary social systems in a mediated society; in smart cities and augmented / immersive spaces. For every ‘meeting place’ they deconstruct existing communication technologies and strategies; and design a new innovative, integrated montage and process of embodied and virtual interaction. The 'meeting places' are shown internationally in dynamic urban public spaces such as museums, city squares, theatre halls, trains stations;  among others in the cities of Seoul, New York, Melbourne, Shanghai, Istanbul, Paris, London, Amsterdam. Through audience interaction Lancel and Maat show social portraits of urban mediated life.

Shows (selection)
Ars Electronica Linz, Austria  //  ZKM Karlsruhe, Germany //
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, NL // Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam, NL //
Transmediale Berlin, Germany // Eyebeam, New York, USA //  
Artfair Artforum Berlin, Germany // Urban Screens 08, Melbourne, AUS //
ISEA 04 Helsinki, Finland // Biennale Villette Numerique, Paris, France //
Art Center Nabi, Seoul, South-Korea // Smart Project Space Amsterdam, NL  //
Chinese European Art Center-CEAC, Xiamen //  De Appel Amsterdam, NL //
DCC Shanghai - World Expo 2010, China //  Technical University of Delft  //
V2_LAB for Unstable Media  Rotterdam, NL // Urban Screens 05 Amsterdam, NL //
Dutch Institute for Media Art Amsterdam (NIMK), NL //
ISEA Istanbul 2011 Turkey //  Banff New media Institute Canada  //
Second New Media Art Exhibition at Millennium Art Museum Beijing, China //
Shanghai International Science and Art Expo, China  //
The Second Art @ Science International Exhibition/Symposium, Tsing Hua University Beijing, China //
The Third Art @ Science International Exhibition/Symposium, TASIE Tsing Hua University Beijing, China //

Lancel is currently artistic PhD candidate at Technical University of Delft: ‘Participatory Systems Initiative’ (by prof dr Frances Brazier, dr Caroline Nevejan). She previously headed the interactive media art department (IME) at MFA Frank Mohr Institute Groningen (core lecturer) 2005-2008; and 2008-2011 member of the Amsterdam School of the Arts (AHK) research group ‘ARTI’ Artistic research, Theory & Interpretation (by Professors Marijke Hoogenboom and Henk Borgdorff).
Maat teaches media art at the Minerva Art Academy Groningen, and is part of the Minerva Academy research group ‘Image in Context’ (by dr. Anke Coumans).

Karen Lancel en Hermen Maat ontwerpen ‘ontmoetingsplekken’ voor de publieke ruimte. Deze ‘ontmoetingsplekken’ zijn performances en installaties, die zij ontwerpen als verleidelijke, visuele omgevingen. Elke 'ontmoetingsplek' of sociaal sculptuur functioneert als een 'artistiek sociaal lab’ waarin het publiek deelneemt als ‘co-researcher’. Hier nodigen de kunstenaars het publiek uit om te experimenteren en spelen met sociale technologieën; om zo te reflecteren op hun eigen perceptie van en de stedelijke omgeving, lichaam, identiteit, presence, community.
Lancel en Maat onderzoeken sociale systemen in een gemediatiseerde samenleving; in smart cities en augmented / immersive spaces. Voor elke ‘ontmoetingsplek’ deconstrueren zij bestaande communicatie technologieën en strategieën; en ontwerpen een nieuwe, innovative montage en proces van fysieke en virtuele interactie. De ‘ontmoetingsplekken’ tonen sociale portretten van leven in een gemediatiseerde, stedelijke omgeving. De ‘ontmoetingsplekken’ vinden internationaal plaats in dynamische urbane ruimtes zoals museums, pleinen, theater halls, treins stations; van onder andere  Seoul, New York, Melbourne, London, Istanbul, Parijs, Amsterdam, Shanghai.