The Inventor’s House – Edwin Dertien

Welcome to the world of inventor Edwin Dertien, also known as co-applicant in the Dramaturgy for Devices project. In The Inventor’s House, you step into an environment full of homemade machines, strange robots and clever inventions. Each object shows how inventing really works: not as magic, but as a process of combining, trying, failing and starting again.

Even inventors rarely get it right the first time. It is precisely through limitations, failed experiments and unexpected materials that new ideas arise. In this exhibition, you will discover why limitations spark creativity and how you can learn to look at everyday objects differently.

The Inventor’s House invites you to look through an inventor’s glasses. Suddenly, ordinary objects turn into tools, building blocks and opportunities. Because parts are everywhere, if you know where to look.

What is there to see and do?

The Upper Room

The Upper Room is a creative space inspired by Edwin Dertien’s workshop. This space contains machines, robots and prototypes and shows how the process of invention works. It emphasises that failure and learning are crucial to innovation.

Lumi – The robot house for the future

Lumi, the robot house for the future, is a climate-adaptive tiny house that also functions as a robot. Inspired by Baba Yaga, Lumi adapts to extreme weather conditions and is self-sufficient in energy. It explores how people interact with technology.

reFURBYshment – The Furby retirement home

reFURBYshment is a home for old Furbies, which have been restored and divided into apartments. The residents participate in activities and an organ donation programme, combining humour, nostalgia, care, technology and ethics in dealing with ageing.

The Inventors’ Table

At the Inventors’ Table, you become an inventor yourself. Pull up a chair, grab some materials and build your own robot. Here you can test your ideas, make mistakes and improve them. Just like inventing works. The Inventors’ Table is for anyone who likes to think with their hands and wants to try things out. Who knows, your idea might be the start of something big.