Near the village where I grew up, an old legend still lingers: the tale of the Witte Wieven (White Ladies in Dutch), ghostly women who appear as white mists over heathlands and marshes. Sometimes they take the shape of women in flowing white dresses. They’re said to be spirits of wise women or witches, luring wanderers into the mist, never to return.

As a child, I was once taken on a nighttime walk to search for them. The darkness and the wind in the trees amplified the eerie stories we were told. My imagination overtook me completely.  I froze in fear, too terrified to take another step.

That sensitivity now shapes my work. I build my instruments and create immersive installations using light, sound and movement to evoke otherworldly experiences.

During my short stay in Taiwan I’ve been exploring local ghost stories. In Spirits of the Air, Dutch and Taiwanese myths intertwine. Rather than retelling these tales, I focus on their atmosphere and the mystery they carry. Sound, scented mist, subtle light, and handmade wind instruments invite you into a space between worlds. Somewhere between the known and the unknown.

Mariska de Groot

Mariska de Groot (1982, NL) is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of light, sound, and space. She creates immersive installations in which self-built instruments generate dynamic, multisensory environments. Drawing inspiration from seemingly simple historical inventions, her work reimagines these ideas through experimental approaches, exploring technology, perception, and spatial experience.
That sensitivity now shapes her work. She builds her instruments and create immersive installations using light, sound and movement to evoke otherworldly experiences.