The Future Should Always Be Better

Amid the increasing impact of a struggling environment or a global pandemic, the installation's statement is an invitation to consider the future of humanity — not only with melancholy, but also with hope. The work was installed on the Y-ramp, where ships built on NDSM were launched. It's a place where memories, reality, and dreams come together. Lockhart's statement is gaining strength because of the different interpretations that the text evokes. What does “should” mean here? How are our conditions “getting better” and how can that term be defined?

The presentation of the neon-lit sentence at NDSM refers to NDSM itself and its circumstances. In addition, the message also extends further into Amsterdam, by touching on the stories of the city's residents and collective social and political stories.

About Sharon Lockhart
Sharon Lockhart (born 1964) is an American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. She creates various types of art, such as installations, photos, films, paintings and sculptures. In her work, she combines these forms and often collaborates with people and communities, where stories play an important role.

About the NDSM-werf Foundation
The NDSM-werf Foundation programs and manages NDSM's monumental outdoor space as a cultural shipyard that focuses on the public character, creative experiment and polyphony. The foundation develops and presents location-specific installations and artworks by and with artists, designers and architects.