Artist duo and researchers Karen Lancel and Hermen Maat (Lancel/Maat, www.lancelmaat) are considered pioneers exploring tension between experience of embodied presence, empathy, privacy
and trust in posthuman bio(techno)logical entanglement with (non-) human others. These experiences are embedded in public dialogue platforms, for shared sense-making, reflection, witnessing and
narrative. In their visually seductive Meeting Places in public space, functioning as 'Artistic Social Labs’ they invite participants as 'co-researchers’. During carefully hosted Meeting Rituals, the public meets through socially challenging, imaginative technologies in poetic orchestrations, reflecting on perception of embodiment and identity.

With 'Shared Senses’ as frame for their research, Lancel/Maat aim to
rethink and inspire a sustainable eco-culture for empathy. Their performance-installations are internationally presented in China, Europe, USA (Venice Biennial 2015, National Museum China, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Frascati Theater). Awards include: ArtScience Prize 2019 Tsinghua University Beijing; NFF Golden Calf Interactive Nomination 2019. Lancel/Maat studied at Rietveld Academy and MFA Sandberg Institute Amsterdam, Technical University
Delft, DasArts Amsterdam. They teach at Hanze University for Applied Science Minerva Groningen. Their work is supported by Mondrian Fund with a Stipendium for Established Artist, Creative Industries
Fund and here mentioned partners.