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

April 30, 2020

Image maker and visual artist Paul Raats opens Xperience Center at Strijp-T.
Photographer Paul Raats started as an independent photographer in 2009 after a career in the international business world. During business trips, he discovered his love for photography and decided to start working as a photographer from home. From the beginning, Paul chose innovative photography techniques; he was one of the first in Europe to have a drone for capturing aerial images. This drone allowed him to stand out from other photographers, resulting in an increasing flow of clients. Creating unique images became the common thread of his creative work.

Step towards Strijp-S
Paul's unique style led him to the path of sports photography. Paul regularly collaborated with Jeroen Veldkamp, from Veldkamp Productions, who informed him about the new initiative SX 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 a lot of inspiration and collaborations with new companies, both within and outside SX. "For Sint Trudo, I took aerial photos from a helicopter of the Flying Dutch festival at Strijp-S. These are unique images that are still being used today," Paul explains.

Artistic images
In 2016, Paul took the initiative to artistically capture the Dutch Olympic athletes in preparation for Tokyo on camera. Paul traveled to Tokyo several times to take photos of the venues under construction, test events, and to get to know the culture better. For the recordings of the Dutch athletes, Paul closely collaborates with the Sports Center 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. As a result, there was a need for a permanent exhibition space, which turned out to be limited in SX.

Experience center at Strijp-T
"It has been my dream for a long time to open a kind of experience center. A place where I can exhibit photos permanently and where there is cross-pollination between partners with whom I collaborate intensively," says Paul. "But also to offer new visual services, image and experience, again with new innovations." Paul got in touch with Geva Construction Company and the development team of Strijp-T and got the opportunity 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 be Paul Raats' workplace. "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 for meetings, to view the photos, and discuss their wishes," says Paul.

Request for final products
In addition to commissioned work and his own projects, he is increasingly focusing on creating end products; unique images printed on special materials. "Companies are in need of special prints for the walls of their offices. In this area, I also create something innovative; 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 packed with prints and it was really not working anymore. At Strijp-T, I have the space to show more of my work and realize my dream. A great next step." There are also plans to do something with video floors and LED mirrors, very nice for advertising for businesses.

Continue collaborating with all people at Strijp-S.
Paul will of course continue to collaborate with all the people he has met 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." He will emphasize even more on creating unique creative work and showcasing visual end products at his new place. 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 opening and is happy to get in touch.

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