
Daniel Maalman is a Dutch artist, composer and electronic musician who creates site-specific installations that function as experimental setups, to research the workings of sound in physical spaces, and to investigate the spatial circumstances that affect our experience of a space. By reshaping the conditions that define our surroundings, Maalman aims to change the context of these conditions and transform a regular space into an immersive experience. Daniel creates spatial compositions utilising uncommon methods and unconventionally designed instruments that use material surfaces, building materials and physical objects as a sound source. Alongside these setups in physical spaces the artist experiments with methods to save the temporary spatial compositions, into three-dimensional virtual spaces, so that the experience can be virtually repeated, revisited and researched.
Some of his installations that also have sound as an important component, but in a completely different way, are interactive and require the participation of the viewer. Often human communication is a re-occuring theme in these works. The audience participates by speaking into or communicating through the installations. Most of these installations have an emphasis on the side effects of technology and social media. Examples of installations like this are Shoutkast, Pick-up Line and Small Talk. Small Talk won the Blink Youngblood Award in 2010.
As a musician Daniel Maalman focuses on writing, performing and composing electronic music in which he blends and unifies several styles into a genre defying mix. He performs live with his electronic music project under the moniker of Polymer. He also performs these live sets in combination with a handmade collage-like visual performance, co-operating with visual artists Jan Barceló and Marta Lofi.
Since 2007, Daniel Maalman has had his installations shown regularly in art exhibitions and festivals around Europe, such as Contour Mechelen 2007 (BE), Gogbot Festival 2010, Enschede (NL), Mindmap 2012, Venray (NL), Art in Red Light/This Art Fair 2013,Amsterdam (NL), RE:Rotterdam 2012&2013 (NL), Twente Biënnale 2013, Enschede (NL), Oddstream Festival 2014, Nijmegen (NL), TecArt 2014, Rotterdam (NL), In/Visible Cities 2015, Gorizia (IT), Into The Great Wide Open Festival 2015 (NL), Grasnapolsky Festival 2016&2017, Radio Kootwijk (NL) Etopia, Center for Art & Technology 2016, Zaragoza (ES), TENT / WORM (Slash Gallery) Rotterdam 2017 (NL).
Daniel graduated in 2010 from the Media Art Department and the Department of Mixed Media on the AKI Academy of Fine Arts in Enschede in The Netherlands. He lives and works in The Netherlands.