Maarten Heijnens (1996) graduated in 2019 from the Performance Department of the Institute of Performative Arts in Maastricht and has since been creating work at the intersection of performing and visual arts. After his studies, he collaborated intensively for three years with Anthony van Gog, with whom he created works including Breaking Piece (2019) and Heartscore (2021). In 2024, he graduated from DAS Theatre (MA), focusing on designing spaces that invite visitors to reflect on our codes of behaviour, our so-called ‘etiquette’ for social interaction.

In his work, he references situations we encounter in dialy life — such as a meeting — and uses the theatrical context to examine them under a magnifying glass. By estranging the familiair or everyday, he seeks to create space for wonder and reflection on social situation we often experience without much thought.

Since 2024, he has been part of Platform Nexus and is an artistic researcher at Studio Dries Verhoeven. As a performer, he has appeared in works by Romeo Castellucci / Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio, Studio Dries Verhoeven, URLAND, The Airport Society (in collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen), Lara van Hoof, and Sabine Pendry.