# Under the Pavement: Tanja Smeets on Materials, Collaboration & Growth

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-installation-art-podcast-6681769/under-the-pavement-tanja-smeets-on-materials-collaboration-growth
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-installation-art-podcast-6681769/under-the-pavement-tanja-smeets-on-materials-collaboration-growth.md
Podcast: [The Installation Art Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-installation-art-podcast-6681769)
Published: 2026-04-07T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://orchid-bat-732353.hostingersite.com/blog/tanja-smeets-040
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/op3.dev/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5a54ca7b-3e28-4dfb-a5b2-a6a26f11cd22.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-installation-art-podcast-6681769/episodes/under-the-pavement-tanja-smeets-on-materials-collaboration-growth
Duration seconds: 5333

## Resource

I made a 3-minute listener survey to help shape the podcast's future. What's working? What's not? Who should I interview next? Your feedback genuinely matters. Fill out here: https://forms.gle/qqHJrMXpsC9UYu2m7 Get 15% off your .art domain name: https://get.art/?refdotart=art5044n9z17m promo code: ART5044N9Z17M A conversation with Dutch artist Tanja Smeets, whose site-specific installations employ diverse and industrial materials (concrete spacers, leaf catchers, textiles, ceramics and 3D-printed steel) to create large scale works that appear to grow organically from architecture and cityscapes. Guided by her catchphrase “Under the pavement the roots are whirling,” Tanja's practice reveals what it takes to work at the intersection of art, craft, technology and collaboration. Key insights from this episode: • Why art school felt like failure • Finding and transforming unusual materials • Residencies at TextielLab and European Ceramic Work Center: pushing porcelain through frying sieves, learning embroidery and more • The volcano eruption: teaching an assistant to knot lentils into lycra via Zoom when flights were grounded • Miami airport interrogation: five suitcases, a letter and threatening border patrol agents with a lecture on art Tanja Smeets is a Dutch artist based in Utrecht. Her work has been exhibited internationally including Manifesta and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. See her work in person at Westerpark, Amsterdam (permanent public sculpture) and Centraal Museum, Utrecht (permanent installation in historic staircase). 03:24 Favorite Quote – Under the Pavement the Roots Are Whirling 09:35 The Iceland Trip That Changed Everything 15:49 From Painting to Installation – When Everything Clicked 20:10 A Government Building Commission – Dripping Through Multiple Fl…

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## Transcript

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