Gijs Coenen

Gijs Coenen is a Brussels-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice navigates the intersections of sculpture, design, and play. Rooted in a fascination with the imaginative potential of play, his interactive sculptures invite movement, intuition, and participation; transforming spectators into players. Coenen approaches this “non-serious” activity with remarkable seriousness, designing objects that balance functionality and abstraction, while resisting the rigid expectations of conventional design. His works, like Spinning Module and Werfberg, operate as both art and playground, blurring the boundaries between object and experience.

After graduating from the MAD Faculty, where he now teaches, Coenen deepened his sculptural approach through an apprenticeship with Belgian artist Renato Nicolodi. His studio practice combines traditional craftsmanship with advanced digital techniques, reflecting a deep curiosity for the tools and technologies that shape contemporary making. Whether using a chisel or a CNC machine, Coenen designs with the guiding question: “If Michelangelo had a CNC machine, what would David have looked like?” This blend of historical awareness and future-facing exploration is central to his work.

At the heart of Coenen’s practice is a serious engagement with the non-serious. Inspired by the generative nature of play, he uses it not only as a theme but as a method, a way of rethinking how we interact with objects, each other, and space itself. His works, including kinetic sculptures, painting and functional designs, do not merely represent but invite action.