Arno Coenen, Jean-Michel van Braak en Marinus de Ruiter

Arno Coenen (the Netherlands, 1972) is a multimedia artist who lives and works

in Klaaswaal. He trained at the Minerva Academy in Groningen and teaches at the

Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. As a curator, he also puts together group exhibitions under the title Metal Heart. Coenen creates video art, mosaics, billboards and sculptures, in which he digitally modifies existing images and picture elements.

These images comprise pixels, which often become the key building blocks of his

works of art. He has a fascination for street culture, folk art, computer games and subcultures, such as hooliganism, heavy metal and kickboxing. In the Dutch Old School Kickboxing Icons project Coenen is collaborating with photographer

Jean-Michel van Braak (the Netherlands, 1977) and art historian

Marinus de Ruiter (the Netherlands, 1975). Van Braak studied at AKV|St.Joost in Breda. De Ruiter studied at Utrecht University and works for museums, cultural venues and institutions. He has published articles, interviews and reviews. Together, they portray the kick boxers who laid the foundations for the Netherlands’ current success in the leading international martial arts contest K-1. Coenen adds graphic elements to Van Braak’s photo portraits that bring out the boisterous visual culture of

kickboxing. These portraits will ultimately be compiled into a publication with nterviews by De Ruiter.