Tag: Event

Despite Scarcity

Plants often live quite unnoticed around us, especially in the winter months. How can we open up more to plants? In this winter foraging workshop, cook and nature guide Rens Spanjaard will take us into the lives of plants through a number of observation exercises to make contact with plants and their environments—seeing, smelling, tasting, and experiencing the plants ourselves. Everyone will discover different qualities of plants in this process, making the collective walk a rich and instructive way to share knowledge. We’ll be discovering, tasting, and smelling the plants to engage with the hidden lives of plants around us, especially in urban environments and cities. Both edible and medicinal plants will be explored, in an effort to think together about how to sustain ourselves, and our communities, in the face of scarcity. 

This walk is part of the community programme for Taking Root Among the Stars, where we want to make visible the possibilities of making connections with speculative literature beyond imagination and theory. By gathering to learn new skills and be in community with one another, we reinforce that the speculative is grounded in gaining tools for the future.

The walk will begin at the pond in Westerpark, near the big oak tree, where we will start our experience with a warm acorn drink together. Find the starting location here.

Capacity: 10 people maximum
Tickets: €17,50
Student price: €15,00

Buy your ticket on the Eventbrite-page of the event.

* You don’t need to bring anything with you for the workshop. Just be sure to check the weather beforehand and dress appropriately for the weather conditions and the two-hour walk through the park. 

** We offer community tickets for visitors who do not have the financial means to visit W139’s exhibitions or context programming. If you want to join the foraging walk but do not have the means, please contact us at info@w139.nl.

Rens Spanjaard is a cook and a nature guide. Rens studies herbal medicine and was the initiator of the food forest in Almere and Amsterdam.

Love, Rob

Join us in commemorating and celebrating the work of Rob Schröder, visionary documentary filmmaker and graphic designer, co-initiator of the activist design collective Wild Plakken, co-founder the Sandberg Instituut, and tutor at Sandberg Design, Shadow Channel and Resolution. 

Rob supported and inspired many students bringing together the worlds of filmmaking and design. As former students of Rob we invite you to an informal evening of coming together, watching and discussing two of Rob’s films and remembering Rob, as the caring and supportive tutor he has been. 

15.30 Doors open 
15.45 Azawad, The Art of Creating a State, Gabrielle Provaas & Rob Schröder, 2015  
17.00 Ouwe Hoeren / Meet the Fokkens, Gabrielle Provaas & Rob Schröder, 2011
18.00 Informal after talk with drinks 
18.30 Closing 

The event will be for free. Donations are welcome. All proceeds will go to Syrian Eyes عيون سورية who support Syrian and Palestinian communities with food, essential products and temporary housing in BEIRUT, TRIPOLI and BEKAA. You can donate here.

Rsvp: design@sandberg.nl 

Organised by the Sandberg Instituut in collaboration with W139 and alumni Emirhan Akin, Anja Groten and Juliette Lizotte. 

Azawad, The Art of Creating a State, Gabrielle Provaas & Rob Schröder, 2015  

Azawad: The Art of Creating a State offers a unique insight into the everyday struggle of the Kel Tamasheq (Tuareg), Arab, Fula, and Songhai peoples that have joined the liberation movement. Together with artist Jonas Staal and researcher Younes Bouadi, the directors interviewed the movement’s provisional government, commanders, strategists, historians, and artists, who explain their endeavors in the “art of creating a state”—a state that, up until today, has not been recognized by any other state in the world.

Ouwe Hoeren / Meet the Fokkens, Gabrielle Provaas & Rob Schröder, 2011

“In the old days, the local copper would tap on the window if a girl was showing too much ankle, now the girls deal coke from their cubicles.” Louise and Martine Fokkens are identical twins. For over 40 years they were working as prostitutes. They freed themselves from the control of their pimps, ran their own brothel, and set up the first informal trade union for prostitutes. They are familiar faces in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, but soon they will bid their farewells. 

Meet the Fokkens is a portrait of these remarkable women, as well as a history of the Red Light District over the past fifty years.

FLUSH #3: Regresar al Mundo

It is almost one year since the ongoing genocide in Palestine; it has been 75 years since it all started. In spite of it all, we want to gather; in spite of it all, we want to be together; in spite of it all, we invite you to be here with us.

For this occasion, FLUSH will be taken over by the Colombian artist AUSENCIA, who will present his project Regresar al mundo. In this project, he touches upon the question of displacement through the story of a group of birds forced to move. AUSENCIA will show both text and textile works. During the days of the show, we will sell prints of AUSENCIA made in collaboration with Not Shit Print, raising money for different initiatives that support people in Palestine.

Alejandro Moreno Marin (@ausencia.nada) has published books, made clothes, designed objects and painted streets. What interests him most is discovering the narrative possibilities of the image and the exploration of media and materials. Currently, he creates works from textile materials and uses techniques such as embroidery, weaving and patchwork. His work is nourished by his sensitive experience, by seeking the extraordinary in everyday life, by religious iconography, material culture and popular graphic production.

FLUSH: a sudden rush of intense emotion is a flourishing collaboration between Espacio Estamos Bien and W139, located in the toilets of W139. FLUSH operates as a flexible form of organizing and creating, enabling various types of collaboration. FLUSH aims to foster inter-local relationships, viewing Amsterdam as a hub for facilitating diverse interactions and building connections that bridge distances. Joyful, friendly and decentralized connections extend beyond the Amsterdam art scene.

“¡Aves rebeldes! Hermanas, compañeras,
Cantamos por la huelga 
Que sea ahora mismo o no será nunca más
Todas juntas, aves de ciudad
palomas, torcazas, pericos
A desplegar alas y cantos”

“Rebel birds! Sisters, comrades,
We sing for the strike 
Let it be right now or it will never be again
All together, city birds
Pigeons, wood pigeons, parakeets
To spread wings and songs”

Culturele Wallen Route

Do you want to experience the cultural gems of De Wallen in a day? On Saturday 7 September cultural institutions in the historic city centre will open their doors for free to everyone in Amsterdam. From 11:00 till 16:00 hrs, you are welcome at the participating organisations for a tour, performance, exhibition, workshop, concert, or lecture. Join the Culturele Wallen Route and (re)discover the creative heart of the city!

On presentation of the programme booklet of the Cultural Wallen Route, entry to W139 is free of charge. The programme booklets are available at the starting point of the Cultural Wallen Route, Waag Futurelab, the entrance of the Oude Kerk, and other locations.

From Waag Futurelab as starting point, the route will lead you to the other partners of Culturele Wallen: Huis De Pinto, Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder, Oude Kerk, Frascati, Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, Museum Rembrandthuis, and W139, where you can visit the exhibition Remarkable Meetings with Disgusting Men.

About Culturele Wallen

The Culturele Wallen Route on Saturday 7 September marks the launch of Culturele Wallen, a new collective that unites the cultural gems of Amsterdam’s historic city heart. Through enhanced visibility, collaborative energy, and inventive partnerships, the neighbourhood regains its creative identity and artistic soul. Once again, locals are drawn to this vibrant and creative part of the city. 

You can find more information on the website of Culturele Wallen.

Storytelling Evening

Get ready for a special double bill performance night of theatrical storytelling with Sipan Sezgin Tekin and Basak Layic at W139, in collaboration with TuzBiber.

Theatre maker and actor Sipan Sezgin Tekin will take us through an immersive theatrical experience that will blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. Presented in the format of a language class, the performance YEK/E will provide reflections on political and existential realities by exploring themes such as multilingualism, identity politics, and the embodiment of language.

Basak Layic’s Divine Madness will invite viewers to reflect on the transformative and connecting nature of storytelling as a way of bridging cultural gaps. By infusing comedic situations into serious narratives, we will explore the complex yet universal human condition through the depths of madness and the divine feminine.

Sîpan Sezgin Tekin, born in Amed, Kurdistan in 1996 and now based in Turkey and The Netherlands, is a performer, theater maker, and actor. As an artist and nomad, Tekin’s exploration of meaning is expressed through a fusion of performance, choreography, sound, and documentary, drawing from an oral tradition of narrative and storytelling. His work provides dynamic reflections on political and existential realities, weaving together mythological and real stories to craft experimental narrative performances, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality. Tekin examines the political dynamics of language as a power dynamic and delves into identity politics, exploring themes of multilingualism and the embodiment of language in performance for enhanced accessibility and narrative diversity. His artistic inquiry focuses on the embodied communicative and sensory potential of language, aiming to create immersive theatrical and performative experiences.

Başak Layic wears multiple hats as a theatermaker, storyteller, artistic director, and community builder. Born and raised in Istanbul, her endeavors continually captivate and unite audiences, highlighting the transformative influence of storytelling in bridging cultural gaps and fostering a profound understanding of humanity. After moving to the Netherlands in 2019, Başak became a household storyteller at Mezrab and later wrote her first play: The Millennial Immigrant, for the Amsterdam Fringe Festival, directed by Mara van Nes. This marked the beginning of a series of creative collaborations between the duo. Since then Basak has had the privilege of taking the stage in various Amsterdam venues as a storyteller. By infusing comedic moments into serious narratives, she strives to address the universal human condition and unite diverse audiences.

Reserve your spot via the Eventbrite page here.
Tickets: € 7,50

Student tickets: € 5

Images by Elodie Vreeburg

FLUSH #2: Empezar por algo

During the first live activation of FLUSH, Espacio Estamos Bien invited Kiss my knoblauch to use the toilet as the stage for the first toilet-concert at W139. Expect rapid words over DIY beats and synth tunes with trumpet doodles; an alarm to shake us out of our paradigm and a lullaby to soothe us into a new one. Keep your eyes wet and your fists big. Slugs, cockroaches, kliko’s, fritessaus and toxic armpits brought to you by Fishra and B.Ruiz in a stew of gothic utopias and stinky critique.

FLUSH will also launch their amazing merch, made in collaboration with Miguel Cruz and Artes Oscuras, and available in the W139 shop. They will also sell their very special vermouth, made together with Merceria Clara.

FLUSH is a new relationship flourishing between EEB and W139. FLUSH is located in the bathroom space of W139. This space and its programme generates inter-local relationships, understanding Amsterdam as a base and a place where different interactions can be facilitated, to create links that allow us to shorten distances. Connections that are joyful and decentralized, looking beyond the Amsterdam art scene.

19:00 — Toilet doors open
20:30 — Start concert by Kiss my knoblauch
22:00 — The last flush

FLUSH #1: Pega!

FLUSH: a sudden rush of intense emotion is a flourishing relationship between Espacio Estamos Bien and W139, growing from the toilets at W139. We envision this relationship as the mutualistic workings of microbiota, a symbiotic process allowing for different interactions to develop. The microbiome organisms (EEB and its co-operators) form communities within the host organism (W139), which provides space for the microbiota to inhabit and contribute in a big way despite its small format. 

Located in the toilets of W139, FLUSH works as a flexible form of organizing and making, allowing for other types of collaboration. FLUSH aims to generate inter-local relationships, understanding Amsterdam as a base where different interactions can be facilitated, creating links that allow us to shorten distances. Connections that are joyful, friendly and decentralized, looking beyond the Amsterdam art scene.

Pega!, the inaugural exhibition of FLUSH, opens May 30th at 19:00. It’s the largest show ever hosted in a toilet, serving as a platform for experimental publication, which Pega! achieves using stickers. Created in collaboration with the anarchist and independent print shop Not Shit Print in Amsterdam, Pega! invites artists, activists, designers, and creatives worldwide to contribute their designs for the stickers that will be all over the bathroom. 

We look forward to welcoming you in the toilets. Let’s flush together!

Visual identity by Miguel Cruz. Photography by Justine Ellul.

Visit Marnix’s Mind

Do you wonder what happens behind the scenes of producing a group exhibition? How did the artist’s ideas emerge from thought to canvas to beyond?

Visit Each Other’s Mind invites visitors to meet the artists of Outside the Soup. During these encounters, you will discover the work and inner thoughts of these makers, and the behind-the-scenes process of Outside the Soup. Sometimes in the form of a guided tour, other times with a short reading or artist discussion. In each of the six Visit Each Other’s Mind events, different works will be highlighted by various artists. 

By drawing, Marnix van Uum (living and working in The Hague—he/him) tries to understand how the narrative qualities of emotions and memories shape his identity. Some drawings focus on daily experiences whereas others try to relive and reshape certain moments from the past.

In the spirit of the collaborative nature of Outside the Soup, we invite you to become part of the soup. Visit Each Other’s Mind is a space for dialogue between makers and the audience, creating opportunities to weave together new meanings and affective dimensions surrounding the works.

Reserve your spot via the Eventbrite page here.
Ticket: € 5

Sunday 28 April, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Esraa’s Mind

Friday 10 May, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Kenneth’s Mind

Sunday 2 June, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Afra’s and Hend’s Mind

Friday 7 June, 17:00-18:00  — Visit Karin’s Mind 

Saturday 22 June, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Marnix’s Mind 

Friday 5 July, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Dagmar’s Mind 

Visual identity by Sheona Turnbull.

Visit Dagmar’s Mind

Do you wonder what happens behind the scenes of producing a group exhibition? How did the artist’s ideas emerge from thought to canvas to beyond?

Visit Each Other’s Mind invites visitors to meet the artists of Outside the Soup. During these encounters, you will discover the work and inner thoughts of these makers, and the behind-the-scenes process of Outside the Soup. Sometimes in the form of a guided tour, other times with a short reading or artist discussion. In each of the six Visit Each Other’s Mind events, different works will be highlighted by various artists. 

Dagmar Bosma (living and working in Rotterdam—they/he) is an artist, writer, and gleaner currently working around trans*ing movements of ruination. Whenever they have the chance, they like to glean scrap metal at post-industrial sites.

In the spirit of the collaborative nature of Outside the Soup, we invite you to become part of the soup. Visit Each Other’s Mind is a space for dialogue between makers and the audience, creating opportunities to weave together new meanings and affective dimensions surrounding the works.

Reserve your spot via the Eventbrite page here.
Ticket: € 5

Sunday 28 April, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Esraa’s Mind

Friday 10 May, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Kenneth’s Mind

Sunday 2 June, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Afra’s and Hend’s Mind

Friday 7 June, 17:00-18:00  — Visit Karin’s Mind 

Saturday 22 June, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Marnix’s Mind 

Friday 5 July, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Dagmar’s Mind 

Visual identity by Sheona Turnbull.

Visit Karin’s Mind

Do you wonder what happens behind the scenes of producing a group exhibition? How did the artist’s ideas emerge from thought to canvas to beyond?

Visit Each Other’s Mind invites visitors to meet the artists of Outside the Soup. During these encounters, you will discover the work and inner thoughts of these makers, and the behind-the-scenes process of Outside the Soup. Sometimes in the form of a guided tour, other times with a short reading or artist discussion. In each of the six Visit Each Other’s Mind events, different works will be highlighted by various artists. 

The work of Karin Iturralde Nurnberg (living and working in Amsterdam—she/her) sprouts edible out of solid environments, pleading for the possibility to resist the concrete air conditioning in the room of her first therapist, who mocked her because she was eighteen and mentioned she wanted to be free. /oops Her practice comes to soothe her and provides means to read herself, re-dream herself, find a community of worldbuilders to exchange with and create or maintain a space in to accommodate expressions that are otherwise unfitting. She has a multidisciplinary approach where walking, encounter and direct experience are ways to start creative processes.

In the spirit of the collaborative nature of Outside the Soup, we invite you to become part of the soup. Visit Each Other’s Mind is a space for dialogue between makers and the audience, creating opportunities to weave together new meanings and affective dimensions surrounding the works.

Reserve your spot via the Eventbrite page here.
Ticket: € 5

Sunday 28 April, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Esraa’s Mind

Friday 10 May, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Kenneth’s Mind

Sunday 2 June, 15:00-16:00 — Visit Afra’s and Hend’s Mind

Friday 7 June, 17:00-18:00  — Visit Karin’s Mind 

Saturday 22 June, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Marnix’s Mind 

Friday 5 July, 17:00-18:00 — Visit Dagmar’s Mind 

Visual identity by Sheona Turnbull.