Maarten Raskin is a Brussels-based artist and the founder of Swallowing Helmets and Smugglers Bureau, platforms that challenge the boundaries of sound, art, and immersive experience, embracing decay, transformation, and the power of the in-between. At the core of Raskin’s practice lies a commitment to honesty and a desire to reveal the intricate, often messy processes behind creativity. His work is driven by a relentless pursuit of the extreme and the bewildering—those moments that disrupt, unsettle, and push both himself and the audience into unfamiliar territory.

Raskin rejects the idea that one must focus on a single craft to achieve mastery. Instead, he embraces the continuous self-evolution that comes with being a mixed-media artist, allowing his creative impulse to flow across multiple disciplines—whether it be sound, visual art, or writing. Articulation in various forms is essential to his expression. Institutional learning provided Raskin with a solid foundation, but also imposed limitations he has since worked to unlearn, breaking free from conventional standards to find his own voice. He believes that the creative process is inherently transformative, mutating through different mediums, each holding equal value and informing the other.

Collaboration is at the heart of Raskin’s practice. For him, connecting with others—whether musicians, writers, or people from entirely different fields—is not just a way of working, but a way of growing. He thrives on the exchange of ideas, learning from those who approach things differently, and adapting to new ways of thinking. He finds freedom in relinquishing control, especially in musical collaborations, where allowing the process to lead is more important than dictating its outcome. This openness to unpredictability fuels his creative drive, fostering innovation and growth.

Raskin’s work is not about creating something "nice" or sentimental—life is far from that. His art confronts the raw and often uncomfortable truths of existence, capturing the complexities of the human experience. Through his work, he seeks to explore the coexistence of joy and despair, where music and art serve as vital conduits for connection and healing. Raskin has spoken openly about his struggles with depression and anxiety, and how music, in particular, offers solace and a way to connect with others who may feel similarly.

When he creates, Raskin often likens the process to feeling his way through the fog—uncertain but compelled by a drive to explore and uncover. It’s a process of discovery, of scraping away at layers until the hidden form begins to reveal itself.

Smugglers Bureau is an intimate and secretive residency program, providing a space for artists to immerse themselves in a process-driven, hands-on environment. The residency prioritizes the act of creation over polished results, offering a 2-4 week retreat where the focus is on experimentation and artistic exploration. Artists are given access to a woodworking atelier, audio equipment, and a library, fostering an environment where creation can unfold organically, without the pressure of external expectations. The residency culminates in a small, private presentation where the artist chooses up to seven people for an intimate showcase of their new ideas and work. This secretive format reinforces the value of process and the importance of privacy in fostering creativity, giving artists a chance to engage deeply with their practice.

On the other hand, Swallowing Helmets serves as the public face of Raskin’s artistic ethos, a multifaceted platform that bridges sound, art, and experience. Acting as a music label, exhibition space, and curatorial program, it fosters collaboration between visual artists, musicians, and performers from diverse fields. Swallowing Helmets thrives on the bold, the experimental, and the genre-defying, embracing cross-disciplinary projects that push boundaries and challenge conventional definitions of art. The platform is dedicated to radical honesty and transformation, creating public-facing opportunities for artists to engage in collaborative experiments and share their work with a wider audience.

In both these spaces, Raskin celebrates the unknown, the imperfect, and the unexpected. It is in these moments of uncertainty, decay, and transformation that he finds the most potential for growth—both for himself and for the artists and audiences he engages with. His work is an invitation to embrace the unpredictable and to find beauty in the continuous process of becoming.