PIEK!
PIEK! is an Amsterdam-based contemporary art sole proprietorship of Selby Gildemacher, active since 1996, that creates multi-disciplinary works spanning ceramics, radio, video, installations, iPhone apps, and public commissions. It sells site-specific art and installations to Dutch and international museums, municipalities, festivals, and cultural NGOs on a project and commission basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PIEK! does
PIEK! is a contemporary art collective founded in February 1996 in Amsterdam by Selby Gildemacher and operated as a sole proprietorship. Its practice spans ceramics, radio production, video, performances, installations, iPhone applications, and pop music, with a stated focus on humoristic and ironic commentary on contemporary society. Notable technical and conceptual works include the Selfie Extender (a robotic arm enabling remote-location selfies, demonstrated over 10,000 km between Groningen and Cape Town), PUSHa/b (interactive hacked traffic-light installation), Shooting Range (interactive ceramic destruction gallery), Slide 21 (ceramic recreation of Colin Powell's UN presentation), Palm in Noord (living palm-tree sculpture featured on AVRO-TROS PrimeTime), Paradise (18-meter faux palm cell phone tower commissioned by Rijksgebouwendienst), and the TomTells iPhone application.
PIEK!'s core product is not a software platform or licensed technology but a portfolio of more than 60 catalogued artistic works distributed through institutional channels including museums (Groninger Museum, Centraal Museum Utrecht, MOTI Museum Breda, Stedelijk), major festivals (Lowlands, Kunstvlaai), and municipal/public commissions. Distribution increasingly extends to digital channels via Spotify and Apple Podcasts (Radio Noord Amsterdam) and Vimeo.
The revenue model is multi-stream and project-based: institutional commissions from museums and municipalities (professional services), competition prize money (e.g., 2006 Zuur Zoet Bitter first prize), limited-edition art sales (Damien Dies miniature at €600 in an edition of 10), and public-sector grant advising roles (Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Stadscuratorium Amsterdam, Arti et Amicitae). Customer segments span cultural institutions, government/municipal cultural departments, arts festivals, and community NGOs. Go-to-market is event-driven and reputation-led rather than conventional sales, with the founder's adjunct roles (university tutor, committee member, external advisor) reinforcing inbound commission flow.
PIEK! firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PIEK!
- Legal name
- PIEK!
- Website
- https://piek.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PIEK! is an Amsterdam-based contemporary art sole proprietorship of Selby Gildemacher, active since 1996, that creates multi-disciplinary works spanning ceramics, radio, video, installations, iPhone apps, and public commissions. It sells site-specific art and installations to Dutch and international museums, municipalities, festivals, and cultural NGOs on a project and commission basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PIEK! industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Services
- SIC
- Pottery & Related Products (3260)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where PIEK! is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PIEK! business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Institutional Art Commissions: Receives commissions from museums, cultural institutions, and municipalities for site-specific artworks and installations.
- Art Competition Awards: Participates in and wins art competitions with prize money, such as the Flag – Zuur Zoet Bitter first prize.
- Limited Edition Art Sales: Sells limited edition artworks such as Damien Dies miniature (€600 per piece, edition of 10) and Succes Formula passport photos (1 guilder each).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Damien Dies miniature figurine |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Succes Formula passport photos |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
PIEK! product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PIEK! is a contemporary art practice operated by Selby Gildemacher in Amsterdam, producing commissioned artworks, site-specific installations, performances, radio programming, ceramics, video, and iPhone applications. The practice sells both large-scale commissioned public art projects to cultural institutions and governments and limited edition art pieces to collectors, engaging audiences through humoristic and ironic commentary on contemporary society.
Product overview
PIEK! is a contemporary art practice operated by Selby Gildemacher from Amsterdam, active since February 1996. The collective's work explores contemporary society through humoristic and ironic lenses, employing diverse artistic mediums including ceramics, radio, video, performances, installations, iPhone applications, and pop music. The portfolio includes interactive installations like Selfie Extender (using robot arm technology), community radio (Radio Noord Amsterdam), public art installations (Palm in Noord, Paradise), and exhibition curation (PretPark). While not a traditional technology product company, PIEK! integrates technology into artistic practice through interactive installations and digital projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hackers & Designers: An extensive network of designers, artists, software developers, researchers, scientists, and theoreticians founded in 2013 by Selby Gildemacher, Anja Groten, and James Bryan Graves. Activities consist of hands-on short workshops dealing with topics such as web technologies, Peer 2 Peer networks, cryptocurrencies, typography, conditional design, printmaking, and simple hardware constructions.
Products and services
- Palm in Noord A living palm tree sculpture installation in Amsterdam-Noord, planted in the presence of the local population and featured on the AVRO-TROS PrimeTime television show. The work is a living plant sculpture that constantly changes shape and is intended to invite audiences to experience nature within an urban context.
- Radio Noord Amsterdam A community radio broadcast initiative from De Modestraat in Amsterdam-Noord, featuring radio variety shows created by and for the neighborhood. Available via radionoord.amsterdam, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
- Shooting Range An interactive ceramic shooting gallery installation where visitors can shoot targets and keep any ceramic pieces they hit. The work explores the tension between the carefulness associated with ceramics and the destructive act of shooting.
- Slide 21 A ceramic recreation of Colin Powell's infamous slide 21 presentation to the UN about alleged Iraqi WMDs, created at the European Ceramic Work Center (EKWC) in 's-Hertogenbosch to explore how fabricated images can have consequential impacts.
- Selfie Extender An interactive robotic arm installation that physically separates the act of taking a selfie from location by allowing users to press a button at one site while a robot arm captures the image at a distant location. Demonstrated between Groningen and Cape Town at a distance of 10,000 km.
- PretPark An art exhibition curated as an amusement park exploring spectacle and entertainment value in the cultural sector, created with Anja Groten and Ruben Pater for Mediamatic's festival about 'Lightness' in summer 2014.
- #ImmortalNexusRexInstagram A crucifix sculpture adapted to selfie culture, exhibited at MOTI Museum Breda at Planet Hype in 2015. The work reflects on the representation of self and Instagram as a contemporary mirror, inviting visitors to take selfies with the cross and share on Instagram.
- TomTells An iPhone application developed by PIEK! exploring mobile technology as an artistic medium, available via the PIEK! portfolio site.
- Paradise An 18-meter imitation palm tree cell phone tower installed in the garden of Penitentiary Institute Noordsingel in Rotterdam, commissioned by the Rijksgebouwendienst (Dutch government buildings agency).
Companies that use PIEK!
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PIEK! technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
PIEK! partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hackers & DesignerscoreCo-founded by Selby Gildemacher together with Anja Groten and James Bryan Graves in 2013. An extensive network of designers, artists, software developers, researchers, scientists, and theoreticians. Activities include hands-on short workshops on topics such as web technologies, Peer 2 Peer networks, cryptocurrencies, typography, conditional design, printmaking, and simple hardware constructions.
- Stadscuratorium AmsterdamminorSelby Gildemacher is a member of Stadscuratorium Amsterdam, which advocates for the importance and preservation of Amsterdam's art in public space and encourages new art projects. The committee provides advice to the college, mayor, and executive board.
- Amsterdam University of the ArtsminorSelby Gildemacher serves as a tutor in New Media Arts at the Amsterdam University of the Arts.
- Kunst & Cultuur DrentheminorSelby Gildemacher serves as an external advisor for visual arts and design in public space, coordinating art public space projects for the municipality of Assen with a specialty in art and contemporary technology in public space.
- Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK)minorSelby Gildemacher serves as a project adviser for innovation at Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, reviewing project subsidy applications for innovation.
- Arti et AmicitaeminorSelby Gildemacher is a member of the Programming Committee of Arti et Amicitae. The PC works to keep Arti recognizable and relevant in the art world, currently representing elements such as intergenerational, cross-over, laboratory function, and international exchange.
- Radio Noord Amsterdam (De Modestraat)minorCollaboration with De Modestraat community center for Radio Noord Amsterdam broadcasts. The radio station features contributions from new Dutch citizens, residents of Philarood care home, and the Sweet 70 community.
- AVRO-TROSminorDutch broadcaster for PrimeTime television program featuring Selby Gildemacher's Palm in Noord living sculpture on the AVRO-TROS show.
- MediamaticminorCollaboration with Mediamatic for PretPark exhibition—a 10-week festival about 'Lightness' where PIEK! curated the grand finale in summer 2014.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PIEK! competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Otolith Group: London-based collective (Anjalika Sagar, Kodwo Eshun) working across film, installation, sound, and publishing on socio-political themes. Comparable to PIEK! in collective-led practice with contemporary-societal themes, multi-medium approach, and international museum exhibition track record.
- United Visual Artists (UVA): London-based art practice and collective producing large-scale audiovisual and kinetic installations. Comparable in creating site-specific, technology-augmented works exhibited at major cultural institutions and commissioned for public space, with similar revenue model built on commissions and limited editions.
- Jan Fabre / Troubleyn: Belgian/Dutch contemporary artist-led practice with a long-running multi-decade track record of ceramics, installations, performance, and museum exhibitions. Comparable solo-operator-led art practice with European institutional reach, similar to PIEK!'s duration and disciplinary range.
- Random International: London-based collective (Florian Ortkrass, Hannes Koch, Stuart Wood) producing immersive and interactive installations such as Rain Room. Direct peer in the interactive, technology-enabled contemporary installation space with major international museum exhibitions.
- Studio Drift: Amsterdam-based contemporary art collective (founded 2007) creating large-scale installations that fuse technology, nature, and craftsmanship. Closest geographic and thematic peer to PIEK!, working across installations, kinetic sculpture, and digital media for major museums and public spaces.
- Slavs and Tatars: Amsterdam/Berlin-based internationally active art collective that uses lectures, installations, and printed matter to engage with contemporary society through humor and irony. Comparable to PIEK! in its multi-disciplinary practice, public programming, and Europe-based collective model led by a core founding identity.
- Assume Vivid Initiative (AVI): Artist collective founded by Cortney Klavohn and Jacob Steibel, working across installations, video, performance, and digital media with a humorous and ironic engagement with contemporary culture. Direct peer to PIEK! in multi-disciplinary, materially diverse contemporary art practice with institutional exhibition history.
Broad incumbents
- teamLab: Japanese interdisciplinary art collective founded 2001 producing large-scale digital and immersive installations. A larger incumbent in the same practice area as PIEK!'s Selfie Extender and other interactive pieces, with a global commercial presence and museum exhibitions.
Emerging players
- Werker Collective: Rotterdam-based artist collective producing public-space interventions, sculptures, and community-based projects with an ironic commentary on contemporary society. Comparable to PIEK! in Netherlands-based collective practice focused on public art and community engagement.
Regional players
- Mediamatic: Amsterdam-based cultural organization and platform exhibiting contemporary art installations and hosting festivals (e.g., PretPark with PIEK!). Comparable as a Dutch institutional collaborator and commissioner that supports interdisciplinary contemporary art, but operates as a venue/platform rather than a practice.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PIEK! social profiles
Digital presencePIEK! financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PIEK! leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PIEK! funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PIEK! M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PIEK!
What does PIEK! do?
PIEK! is a contemporary art practice operated by Selby Gildemacher in Amsterdam, producing commissioned artworks, site-specific installations, performances, radio programming, ceramics, video, and iPhone applications. The practice sells both large-scale commissioned public art projects to cultural institutions and governments and limited edition art pieces to collectors, engaging audiences through humoristic and ironic commentary on contemporary society.
Is PIEK! a public or private company?
PIEK! is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PIEK! founded?
PIEK! was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PIEK! based?
PIEK! is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does PIEK! make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Institutional Art Commissions are the primary driver. The others are art Competition Awards and limited Edition Art Sales.
Who are PIEK!'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Otolith Group, United Visual Artists (UVA), Jan Fabre / Troubleyn, Random International, Studio Drift, Slavs and Tatars and Assume Vivid Initiative (AVI). teamLab is listed as a broad incumbent. Werker Collective is listed as an emerging player. Mediamatic is listed as a regional player.
Does PIEK! have an API?
No public API is recorded for PIEK!.
What industry is PIEK! in?
PIEK!'s product category is Contemporary Art Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAD, Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media). Its SIC code is 3260.