Recent times are characterized by an ever faster-growing number of entangled structures and systems. Connections and relationships are becoming more complex, which makes them even more difficult to understand. While confusion is created, at the same time our environment gives us the feeling that everything is already decided, and that there is little space for playfulness, discovery, or experimentation. Physical interaction is no longer self-evident. The OCTA-collective reflects on these contemporary feelings with an installation of a maze. By using materials and objects found in the urban context and on construction sites, the collective refers to the continuously transformative character of the structures of our social life.

OCTA III brings together eight makers from Utrecht and Amsterdam, including three alumni HKU Product Design and one from HKU Fine Art and Design in Education. The participants break through the boundaries of their individual practice by adopting a collective attitude and creating joint work for exhibitions in both cities of origin. They reflected on and responded to each other’s work and the architecture of AG.

For OCTA III the participating artists broke through the boundaries of their individual practice by adopting a collective attitude. The works in the exhibition were created especially for the occasion and were created in varying degrees of collaboration, often by two or more artists. Because of this, we chose not to link the exhibited works to specific names.