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Studio Engine oFF
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2026 | Kerklaan_6.mp4
“Soli Oculus Futurus Gloria - Glory only to the eye of the future”
Aren't you afraid of what will happen when no one is watching anymore?
Following the UTP cables back to their origin, we stand before the Grote Kerk (Great Church) in Veenhuizen, the creaking doors of a seemingly deserted sanctuary slamming open. Not the Word, but Technology has taken over here. We see the threat on the CCTV camera in the cell, a dark alley, and the New Priest's back room. Places where we wish cameras were present, in situations that feel safe by virtue of observation.
Through VR you enter a live performance where surveillance and control slowly close in around you. Veenhuizen is familiar with these gazes from the past – but who's watching now? What do you say when you meet the person sitting there? What do you say to the viewer, the security guard, the God; the all-seeing eye?
A new ritual unfolds in the Grote Kerk in Veenhuizen. Withdrawn from worship since 2011, it has now – 15 years later – reopened for a new era, a new faith. Organ sounds carry you through digital confessions, toward a future where nothing remains unseen.
Performance list:
• Première: 8 & 9 may - De Grote Kerk, Kerklaan 6, Veenhuizen
• 23 & 24 may - De Grote Kerk, Kerklaan 6, Veenhuizen
• 21 & 21 june - De Grote Kerk, Kerklaan 6, Veenhuizen
• 4 & 5 july - De Grote Kerk, Kerklaan 6, Veenhuizen
Creators:
Aleksej Ovsiannikov
Bram van der Snel (Holy Dirt)
Ies Kaczmarek (Holy Dirt)
Jan Groenland (Holy Dirt)
Koenraad Spijker (Studio Engine Off )
Quintijn Relouw (Studio Engine Off)
Companies: Studio Engine Off / Holy Dirt
Clients and sponsors: Erfgoed Spektakel, Gemeente Veenhuizen, BOEI, Vriendenloterij
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2025 | Through the Eye of the Mill
"Through grand and absurd imagery and an immersive soundscape, audiences experience the Braakmolen like never before. The public is submerged in a universe where the mill, the landscape, and the human are being merge into one. Using VR and headphones, they literally step into the milling process: they float through the roof of the mill, feel the power of the wind along the sails, and enter surreal dreamscapes where mechanics and nature become one." – Noordhollands Dagblad
The centuries-old technology of the mill is presented to the audience in a unique way through VR headsets and drones, by the theater makers of Studio Engine Off and Holy Dirt. The performance is the result of a collaboration between the heritage initiative Erfgoedspektakel by BOEi and Stichting De Hollandsche Molen.
Performance List:
• Première: 3 & 4 mei – Etersheimer Braakmolen, Oosthuizen
• 14 & 15 juni – De Kilsdonkse Molen, Heeswijk Dinther
• 12 & 13 juli – Krijtmolen d’Admiraal, Amsterdam
• 26 & 27 juli – De Wachter, Zuidlaren
• 2 & 3 augustus – Entreprise, Kolham
• 13 & 14 september - Weesp
• 20 & 21 september – De Jonge Dirk, Westzaan
• 26 & 27 september – Museummolen Overwaard, Kinderdijk
Credits:
Through the Eye of the Mill is a collaborative production by
Studio Engine Off, Holy Dirt, and theater maker Aleksej Ovsiannikov.
Aleksej Ovsiannikov – Actor / Creator
Bram van der Snel (Holy Dirt) – Technical Director / Drone Pilot / Creator
Ies Kaczmarek (Holy Dirt) – Camera / Actor / Creator
Jan Groenland (Holy Dirt) – Camera / Editor / Actor / Creator
Koenraad Spijker (Studio Engine Off) – Composer / Musician
Quintijn Relouw (Studio Engine Off) – Producer / Creator
Companies: Studio Engine Off / Holy Dirt
Commissioned by: Erfgoed Spektakel, Stichting De Hollandsche Molen
Special thanks to: Ellen Klaus, Frans Kroon, Kevin, Beeldscherp, Luuk van Term, Michiel Rohlof, De Etersheimer Braakmolen, Samantha and Roel.
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2023 | Engine Off
"With their continuous, virtuosically spoken lyrics, the three overwhelm the audience, and in Engine Off we are gradually drawn into the complex inner world of modern man."
Theaterkrant - June 2023
Take a musical journey through the Harculo power station with Engine Off.
Together with a concert pianist, a flutist, a mime artist and three actors, you will go on a musical discovery tour through the Harculo power station.
Discover the beautiful landscape and the refined architecture of the plant through your ears.
With compositions by Ligeti and Debussy, interspersed with Beckett-esque texts and diverse performers, the power plant takes on a new life. The power plant is working overtime, yearning for silence, for peace. For that one moment when the engine can finally turn off. Let yourself be carried away by this new musical experience.
Engine Off is made possible in part by the Heritage Parade, with support from the Friends Lottery.
Credits:
Quintijn Relouw – Direction, Text, Production
Koenraad Spijker – Pianist
Mark Alban Lotz – Flutist
Aleksey Ovsiannikov – Performer
Carlo Paardenkooper – Performer
Megan De Kruijf – Performer
Judith Engelen – Performer
