Camiel Corneille
Camiel Corneille is a Dutch artist and circus maker. He studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts before moving to Rotterdam to attend the Codarts Circus Arts program. Camiel stands out in the circus field with his multidisciplinary approach and diverse works that explore our humanity. Starting in 2025, he will be one of the new resident artists at Korzo.
As a child, Camiel was already fascinated by the superhuman and pushing the limits of the human body. During his studies at the Utrecht School of the Arts (graduated in 2011) and Codarts Circus Arts in Rotterdam (graduated in 2015), he explored this fascination with extreme physicality and stretching his (own) physical boundaries. As a circus artist, he specialized in aerial acrobatics, and with his background in visual and fine arts, this resulted in work that is visual, raw, human, exploratory, and conceptual.
During this period, his initial interest in the "superhuman" shifted to an exploration of what makes us human. What defines our humanity? This question has become the central theme in his current work and projects. Camiel investigates the human condition in relation to our creations (machines and technology) and our environment (intimacy), hoping to find an answer to his question. He invites his audience to engage with the imagery in a completely different way and to join him in his quest. Circus, to Camiel, is the ultimate tool for this exploration, as he sees its potential to make the impossible seem possible.
His solo debut Lapse was showcased in 2016 during Korzo's Voorjaarsontwaken program. This was followed by Press and Exo, part of The Repro Project, which involved large kinetic visual installations exploring the relationship between humans and machines. In Press, Camiel built a large cube with a rotating wall, incorporating the human body as the main component. Exo revolved around a moving, inverted prism that challenged the audience to adopt a different perspective. As a contrast, he later created Manchines, which explored our growing digital communication and the lack of intimate physical contact. Manchines is Camiel’s first work where he does not perform himself, instead directing and choreographing his performers.
In addition to his own productions, Camiel has collaborated with companies such as Company Satchok (Sisyphus, 2017) and Grensgeval (Plock!, 2017, and Murmur, 2020).