# From Vacuum-Packed Bodies to Seagull Hotels: Inside Lawrence Malstaf's Studio

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Podcast: [The Installation Art Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-installation-art-podcast-6681769)
Published: 2025-03-19T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://orchid-bat-732353.hostingersite.com/blog/lawrence-malstaf-029
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/op3.dev/e/podcasts.captivate.fm/media/0c60ac06-f684-41bc-b66a-a233325aa82e/Inside-Lawrence-Malstaf-s-Studio-converted.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3766

## Resource

Leave a tip: https://donate.stripe.com/4gw4km4VpeUwdkkbIL Try Descript: https://get.descript.com/s8kjemvu79fz In this episode, we sit down with Belgian artist Lawrence Malstaf, whose innovative work exists at the fascinating intersection of visual art, performance, and theatrical experience. Based in Tromsø, Norway, Malstaf has earned international acclaim for his immersive installations that transform viewers into active participants. Episode Highlights: • Lawrence shares his journey from studying industrial design (rather than fine art at his parents' suggestion) to discovering how this technical background gave him invaluable skills in working with contemporary materials. • We discuss Malstaf’s famous vacuum piece "Shrink" (1995), where participants are sealed between plastic sheets while air is slowly removed, creating both a striking visual image and physical experience that differs dramatically for viewers versus participants. • His recent focus on sustainable art practices and an innovative project creating "hotels" for endangered kittiwake seagulls in Tromsø, transforming an urban nuisance into an interspecies art project. 02:44 Quick Questions 05:27 Childhood and Early Influences 07:51 Industrial Design and Artistic Beginnings 09:46 Theater and Installation Art 16:41 Creating Opportunities and Multidisciplinary Spaces 21:50 Sustainable Art and Seagull Project 25:16 Audience Interaction and Physical Experience 29:19 Behind The Scenes Challenges 32:48 Artistic Evolution and Viral Fame 38:22 Sustainable Art Practices 41:48 Income From Art 44:27 Proudest Moments and Career Reflections 47:42 Advice for Emerging Artists 49:44 Internship Opportunity 51:48 Dream Projects 58:46 Where to Find More Information Lawrence Malstaf (b. 1972, Bruges, Belgium) is based in Troms…

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