Aldje van Meer (1971) holds an MFA in digital media design (Mohr Institute – FMI, Groningen). After she graduated in 1999, she worked as a cross-media artist/designer. Within her art practice she developed several interactive multi-media installations and was exhibiting her work, next to that, she worked on commissioned work for a wide variety of clients. 

In 2001 she started working in higher art education, as a part-time teacher of interactive media at the Willem de Kooning Academy. Since 2007 she embraced art-education as her main practice.   

Aldje van Meer currently works as senior lecturer, at the Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. In this position she is teaching, researching, and exploring technical innovations relevant for artistic professions. She advises, inspires, and implements the use of technology in the curricula of the Willem de Kooning Academy.  

In 2012 Aldje founded the stations; within the station’s technologies are questioned, new technologies are being explored and old technologies are being reinvented. The stations play a fundamental role in supervising, supporting, instructing, advising; students and tutors about making processes and (make) research at the Willem de Kooning Academy. Currently Aldje is coordinating professional development and supervising research through making within the stations.  

 
Current research projects 
Aldje van Meer is currently leading a research group of the stations which is questioning material practice within arts and design. This research is brought together under the title Living Station (https://livingstations.wdka.nl/) and investigates how to make and collaborate with ‘living’ and biological systems. 
Several projects and educational programs are currently being developed. Read further about the Rooftopgarden (https://livingstations.wdka.nl/rooftop-garden/), the Trashbunker (https://livingstations.wdka.nl/1083-2/) and the Living Station Lab https://livingstations.wdka.nl/living-station-lab/. 
 
Other ongoing research projects are: 

ME-YOU-US Building digital 3D competences in fashion education for diversity, inclusion, and a green transition 

The goal of the project is to create a Bachelor-level curriculum for the Fashion and Textile programmes at the partner universities where digital tools and technology, such as 3D design and virtual prototyping, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, are implemented in an artistic fashion education. 

 
ETHO (European Technical Higher Art Education Organisation) is a network of higher art education technical staff. Established in 2016, ETHO aims to advance hands-on learning and innovation in all artistic disciplines through an inclusive community. Through organising conferences, network meetings and lately webinars topics of interest are; Framing Digitalisation and New Technologies for the Arts and the Green Shift.  https://elia-artschools.org/general/custom.asp?page=ETHO 

 
ZOOM-IN; In this research project, a diverse group of graduating students are being interviewed and followed about the way they conduct research. With the project ZOOMIN the scope and meaning of artistic- and design research within graduation is exposed and evaluated. Read further here:  https://www.wdka.nl/stories/zoom-in-fifteen-film-portraits-of-graduates-2020-2021