In this multimedia installation, visitors embarked on a journey to an imaginary world, inspired by Boiten’s personal exploration of their gender identity. The video characters encountered along the way represent the freedom that the digital world can offer. Especially for Generation Z (people born roughly between 1997 and 2012), online spaces—such as forums and games—have played an important role in self-discovery.

Boiten found that in digital spaces, it is always possible to switch identities and personas at any moment. The title of the work refers to a vision of the future that is literally and figuratively still “under construction”: a digital world in which everyone has complete freedom to be who they want to be.

The boxes 'man' and 'woman'
With this work, the artist questions the rigid 'man' and 'woman' categories that society often uses to define identity. From personal experience, Boiten knows how liberating it can be to embrace a different gender identity, such as non-binary. At the same time, searching for the “right” label can be confusing, because societal expectations of gender identity do not always reflect one’s true self.

About Noor Boiten

Noor Boiten is a research-based visual artist who explores the impact of digital image culture on gender, authorship, and online image consumption and distribution. As a digital native--growing up with the internet--Boiten is fascinated by the materiality and immateriality of online spaces we interact with daily.

Boiten personally explored questions around their own sexuality and gender, using the internet as a meaningful tool to better understand themselves. The possibilities online are endless and flexible, creating space for those who operate outside society’s binary, constrained frameworks. In their mixed-media installations, Boiten combines sculpture, video, text, 3D animation, and photography. These reconstructions investigate the materiality of invisible digital spaces and offer an alternative perspective on the influence of digital culture on identity formation.

Boiten earned a Bachelor in Photography, Film, and Design from Sint Joost Academy in Breda in 2023. In 2024, they were part of the Fotodok Lighthouse talent group. Their work has been regularly exhibited, including at the Limburg Biennale in Marres (2024), group exhibitions at WORM Rotterdam (2024), the Steenbergen Stipendium exhibition at the Nederlands Fotomuseum (2023), and BredaPhoto (2022).

This exhibition is made possible with support from Stichting Gooi & Vecht Inclusief, the Municipality of Hilversum, and the Mondriaan Fonds.