Image maker and visual artist Paul Raats opens Xperience Center at Strijp-T

of 30 apr 2020

Image maker and visual artist Paul Raats opens Xperience Center at Strijp-T
Photographer Paul Raats started in 2009 as a self-employed photographer after a career in international business. During business trips he discovered his love, especially photography, and decided to start working from home as a photographer. From the beginning Paul chose innovative photography techniques; he was one of the first in Europe to have a drone to capture aerial images. With this drone he was able to distinguish himself from other photographers, which resulted in an increasing stream of clients. Creating unique images became the common thread of his creative work.

Step to Strijp-S
The unique style of Paul led him onto the path of sports photography. Paul regularly collaborated with Jeroen Veldkamp, of Veldkamp Productions, who informed him about the new SX initiative at Strijp-S. Paul decided to join the vibrant sports, marketing and media center at Strijp-S. The move from his home office to SX brought Paul much inspiration and collaborations with new companies, also outside SX. "For Sint Trudo I took aerial photos from a helicopter of the Flying Dutch festival, at Strijp-S. Those are unique images that are still being used," Paul says.

Artistic images
In 2016 Paul took the initiative to artistically document the Dutch Olympic athletes preparing for Tokyo. Paul traveled several times to Tokyo to take photos of the venues under construction, test events, and to get to know the culture a bit better. For shoots of the Dutch athletes Paul works closely with Sportcentrum Papendal. The images show the athletes preparing for the Olympic Games in a very special way. These incredibly cool images are still regularly exhibited and published, with an ongoing exhibition at Papendal. Partly because of this, the need arose for a permanent exhibition space, where it turned out there was limited room in SX.

Experience center at Strijp-T
"It had long been my dream to open a kind of experience center. A place where I can permanently exhibit photographs and where there is cross-pollination between partners I work closely with," Paul says. But also to offer new visual services, image and experience, again with new innovations. Paul entered into talks with Geva Bouwbedrijf and the development team of Strijp-T and got the chance to realize his dream in the garden room of building TQ. The space, an old Philips bunker, is located in the garden of building TQ and will become the workplace of Paul Raats. "This is the ultimate space to combine my work as an image maker and visual artist with exhibition space, and even a photo studio. People are welcome to come here to hold meetings, to view the photos and to discuss their wishes," Paul says.

Demand for end products
Besides commissioned work and his own work, he increasingly focuses on creating finished products; unique images printed on special materials. "Companies have a need for special prints for the walls of their offices. I also make something innovative in this; I use special materials such as a print on glass, with a beautiful even LED lighting behind it. Or very high-quality aluminum. Or leather — a print doesn't always have to be square or rectangular," says the visual artist.

"My office at SX was crammed full of prints and that really couldn't go on. At Strijp-T I get the space to show more of my work and to realize my dream. A great next step". There are now also plans to do something with video floors and LED mirrors, very nice for advertising displays for businesses.

Continue collaborating with all people on Strijp-S.
Paul will of course continue to collaborate with all the people he got to know at Strijp-S and in SX. "For me there is little difference between Strijp-S and Strijp-T. Only that T is a next step in my entrepreneurship." At his new location he will put even more emphasis on creating unique creative work and on displaying visual end products. Paul's products can be viewed in the gallery and are also sold there.

Paul invites the readers of this article to visit his new location after the opening, and would be happy to get in touch.

source.