Miek Zwamborn is a Dutch artist, novelist, bookmaker, and translator. Her work is deeply rooted in the exploration of landscapes. During her field research, she traverses both time and space, delving into historical archives, travelogues, and scientific reports to unearth fragments that inspire her creations. Her body of work includes novels such as Oploper (2000, Meulenhoff), Vallend Hout (2004, Meulenhoff), and De duimsprong (2013, Van Oorschot), as well as the poetry book Het krieken van sepia (2008, Slibreeks), the seaweed anthology Wieren (2018, Van Oorschot) and the collection Onderling (2023, Van Oorschot). In addition to her literary works, Miek Zwamborn is known for her visual art, which has been showcased in solo and group exhibitions in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland.

Website Miek Zwamborn

Rutger Emmelkamp is a Dutch artist, teacher, and program maker. His artistic journey began at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the mid-90s, culminating in a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam in 2001. Rutger has a rich history of solo and group exhibitions, both in the Netherlands and abroad, and he has been instrumental in initiating various group exhibitions. Beyond his studio practice, Rutger dedicated over a decade to teaching across various art disciplines. He served as the head of the Jewellery Department from 2013 until 2017 before committing his full focus to KNOCKvologan in 2017.

The Birth of KNOCKvologan

When we were presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to care of a small house on the southwestern tip of the Ross of Mull, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, we didn't hesitate. We departed Amsterdam, transporting our books, tools, and essentials to Scotland. Although our initial plans were vague, we relied on our optimism, problem-solving skills, and resilience.

In the months leading up to our departure, we meticulously documented our thoughts in a small notebook about how to make the most of this unique opportunity. The notebook became an eclectic collection of ideas, but one thing stood out — our profound gratitude for the chance to live in this remote, breathtaking spot surrounded by wild nature. We were driven to give back to this land and create something that would benefit the area and allow us to share its beauty with others.

One of the fundamental principles we established was to work with nature's elements, not against them. We wanted the land to guide our initiatives, and we embraced the landscape's wisdom. Rather than drafting intricate business plans, our approach was simple: we started, and we mobilized all our skills. From day one, we immersed ourselves in various aspects of the land, both individually and with others.

We explored the boundaries of the estate, mapped its wild and overgrown crevices, spent nights under the open sky, swam along the shores, dived into the depths, harvested and savored seaweed and shore weeds, herded sheep alongside the local farmer, fished and cooked on the rocks, measured the depth of peat fields, studied various lichen species, and observed the birds in the area. Closer to our new home, we constructed a guest house, initiated an organic vegetable garden, planted native broadleaf trees, and established a semi-public library.

Throughout this journey, we began inviting people to join us, to share and refine our vision, and to look at the landscape from diverse perspectives. Over the first two years, we collaborated with a diverse group of individuals, including a biologist, an anthropologist, an ecologist, an experimental computer programmer, a weaver, a chef, a fashion designer and jewelry maker, a painter and animation artist, a baker, a gardener, and a philosopher. Looking back, we've reached a point where we can confidently say: KNOCKvologan is here, and it has begun!

Thank you!

We could never have launched KNOCKvologan without the generous, kind, inventive and unlimited support of our families, Judy & Giles, the Van der Sluis family, Jozee, Linda & John, Jimmy & Christine, Patricia & Paul, Anna & Jim, Rachel & Glen, Cait, Jo and the Jan van Eyck Academie, Creative Scotland, the Mondriaan Fund and the Dutch Foundation for Literature.