Studio practice and materials used by Hoorn & Reniers
Hoorn & Reniers operate with a kind of disciplined curiosity that shows in both the finished work and the traces left in their studio. Their process is conversational: materials talk back, and the pair responds. The studio is as much a laboratory as it is a painting or fabrication space, where sketches, models and loose experiments exist alongside bigger, more resolved pieces.
If you want to see project images, statements and technical notes in one place, go to the artists’ site; the documentation helps you follow how an idea moves from drawing to object. In the studio, those stages are rarely linear. A pastel sketch might become a three-dimensional mock-up, which then informs a painting or a sculptural intervention. They let accidents accumulate, keeping fragments of tests pinned on boards so patterns can be noticed later.
Daily routines and collaborative habits
The pair have a rhythm that mixes focused making with scheduled reflection. Mornings are for tasks that require concentration – precision cutting, delicate joining, or detailed brushwork. Afternoons often welcome visitors, fabricators or colleagues who bring different skill sets. This cadence keeps the practice open to external input while sustaining hands-on work.
Collaboration is not only between the two principals but often extends to craftspeople, printers and small batch manufacturers. Drawing sessions are commonly shared. One will push a gesture while the other scrutinizes how that mark translates into structure. Decisions about scale, finish and method come from test pieces: a small resin pour, a sewn mock-up or a digitally milled sample. These tests are treated as prototypes in which both succeed and fail have equal value.
Materials and how choices are made
Material choice in their work is pragmatic and poetic at once. Hoorn & Reniers pick materials for their physical properties – weight, texture, tensile strength – but also for narrative capacity. A rusty metal sheet evokes industrial histories; hand-made paper suggests a domestic lineage. They frequently combine the two kinds of logic.
Traditional and found materials
Wood, brass and glass show up alongside reclaimed objects. Timber is favored for its versatility: it can be carved, laminated, or bent, and it reads warm against cold metals. Brass and stainless steel are used where longevity and a certain reflective quality are needed. Found materials like old signage, discarded furniture parts or architectural fragments are cleaned, stabilized and sometimes deconstructed to perform in new configurations.
Modern composites and industrial processes
Resins, epoxies and high-build primers enable floating surfaces, encapsulation and clean joins that would be difficult with traditional media alone. Concrete and ferrocement are used for heavier, site-specific pieces. For precision work, CNC routing and laser cutting are integrated alongside handwork. The artists do not fetishize technology; instead they use it to realize details that would otherwise be impossible at particular scales.
Surface treatments and color
Surface is central. Pigments are mixed by hand to achieve specific tones; glazes and thin washes are layered to keep surfaces alive rather than perfectly uniform. Where appropriate, they use industrial powder coating or patinas to ensure durability. A lot of finishing is iterative: sand, seal, recoat, then live with it for a few days before deciding if it needs another pass. This slow evaluation prevents overworking and produces subtle depth.
Tools, safety and studio organization
Tools range from simple hand tools to heavy machinery. Planers, band saws and welding equipment sit beside palette knives and fine brushes. Safety protocols are embedded in the practice: respirators for spray work, dedicated ventilation for resin casting, and careful storage for solvents and acids. Materials are labeled with dates and mixtures, which helps when a finish needs to be replicated months later or when a client requests conservation notes.
Sourcing, sustainability and economy
Sourcing decisions are increasingly conscious. They prioritize local suppliers and rescued materials when these choices align with the concept and technical needs of a piece. Where synthetic materials are necessary, they attempt to minimize waste through efficient nesting for CNC work and by reusing offcuts for smaller studies. The studio also maintains a dialogue with conservators to consider how materials age, and whether a piece will need future intervention.
Documentation and translation for exhibition
Preparing work for exhibition involves a separate set of materials: hanging systems, foam-core mounts, archival tapes and museum-grade fastenings. Documentation is thorough; every piece has an internal log that records mixtures, batch numbers, drying times and photographic stages. These records are invaluable when works travel, are conserved or are reinstalled in different climates.
Why materials matter to the practice
For Hoorn & Reniers, materials are not neutral. They are carriers of meaning and engines of discovery. By testing combinations, respecting traditional techniques and selectively employing modern methods, they create work that is materially thoughtful and resilient. The studio is a place where material histories meet contemporary questions, and where technique serves concept rather than the other way around.