Het Muziek and Johannes Offerhaus (curated by Studio Boris Acket)

In ‘Shelter’, three of the most influential composers of our time, Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe, explore the vulnerability we all share: the longing for a place where we can breathe, hide, disappear, or start anew. No two homes are the same, but the need for it is universal.

Since their collaboration in Bang on a Can, the three composers have developed a musical language that is pulsating, raw, and movingly honest. In ‘Shelter’, that language covers the full spectrum of feeling: from whispering small and intimate to music that resonates in your chest with rocking intensity.

For the staging, visual artist Johannes Offerhaus (curated by Studio Boris Acket) creates a kinetic installation that literally moves with the ensemble. Offerhaus has a wide range of collaborations within the performing arts to his name. He designed sets and costumes for productions such as Papillon (Philharmonie Luxembourg). His textile installation for ‘Shelter’ (growing, shrinking, breathing) is like a body that encloses us and then releases us. A temporary refuge that protects as often as it questions. His work amplifies the sensory experience in which space, skin, and music become one; where shelter is something that arises, disappears, and must be sought again. 

curated by Boris Acket 
Boris Acket (1988) is a contemporary artist, composer, and director working across music, installation, performance, and film. His interdisciplinary projects explore nature, technology, and sensory experience. He has collaborated with Joep Beving, Colin Benders, and 4DSOUND, and presented work at STRP, ADE, and Holland Festival. 

Het Muziek
Het Muziek is the leading ensemble for new music in the Netherlands. Known for innovative programming, they present contemporary music in many forms—from chamber concerts to large-scale music theatre—and collaborate closely with composers, creators, and audiences. 

Johannes Offerhaus
ZELT is a design studio founded by Johannes Offerhaus (1993, Nederland). The studio conceptualizes, designs and builds constructs kinetic textile spaces and structures that unfold into pavilions, tents and architectural form.
Their creations encompass intimate spaces within everyday life as well as scenography for performances and film. ZELT has also collaborated extensively in the performing arts, designing sets and costumes for productions such as Papillon (Philharmonie Luxembourg) and dance film La Nostra Terra. Offerhaus began his career in fashion, focusing on kinetic couture pieces before transitioning into larger kinetic installations. His autonomous work earned him the Frans Molenaar Couture Award and a Dutch Design Award.

This concert is made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of de Doelen.