Queer Amsterdam: “We are trying to ensure that all voices in the community have a place”. This also includes space in the urban public space of Amsterdam, and beyond. In that context, we look back on (and look ahead to) what queer artists and works of art have left their mark on the public space of the NDSM wharf so far. But we also recognize that the queer community, in their entirety, is still heavily under-represented in the arts sector and in public spaces in general.

Zanele Muholi (they/service)

The South African Photographer Zanele Muholi is an engaged photographer who — through an activist lens — explores and documents South Africa's LGBTQI black identity. For more than twenty years, Muholi has been capturing black queer, transgender and intersex people through his lens. This has resulted in powerful contrasting black and white portraits that reclaim the meaning of “blackness” and undermine the clichéd, stereotypical images of black people. yesteryear in 2022, three of these images were shown on the NDSM billboards spread across the shipyard.

Goldendean (Dean Hutton) (she/them)

With work “Big Fat Trans Light Merqueer” made the South African Goldendean part of the (Come To) Light exhibition in 2021. This work is a hybrid between man and sea monster that seems to have crawled out of the IJ water, inspired by folk tales about sea-lake people. Goldendean shares moments of gentle courage to affirm the right of all bodies to exist, be celebrated, and protected. A tenderqueer invests in an audience to respond in a friendly way, to let our bodies be safe together, and to give queer space.

Yamuna Forzani (she/her)

Artist, designer, and queer activist Yamuna Forzani is currently on view at NDSM with her work 'Dazzle Trip': three visuals on the NDSM billboards, 'A big heart inflatable' inflatable, video installation in a shipping container and a special Dazzle Pont wrapped in a Dazzle wrap. This series of images and artworks celebrate gender diversity in public space and provides a glimpse into Forzani's universe. Inspired by challenging prints and graffiti influences, Forzani creates contemporary collages and graphic patterns with tags. If you zoom in on the patterns, you will see references to pop culture (symbols and emojis), but also an activist attitude, such as statements such as “trans rights are human rights”. In addition to being an active member and organizer in the ballroom community, Forzani is a winner of the Dutch Design Awards in 2022 and her work can also be seen in Rademakers Gallery.

Let Me Be Myself (2016)

The 240 m2 mural of Anne Frank's face in combination with a variety of colors and geometric shapes has become one of NDSM's eye-cathers.
This work, created by street artist Kobra commissioned by Stichting NDSM-werf and the STRAAT Museum, stands for the message of resistance, hope, freedom for all and against oppression of anyone. The portrait reminds passers-by of the importance of fully respecting everyone's identity.

The Narcosexuals

Production will arrive on September 16 and 17, 2023 The Narcosexuals by theater maker and artist Dries Verhoeven to NDSM. With this loop performance, Verhoeven explores the world of chem-sex: sexual drug use, a phenomenon that is gaining popularity especially among gay men. Scrolling through their phones, the players look for sex, top-shelf sex, sex beyond the imaginable. This production has been nominated for the VSCD Mime/Performance Award season 2022/2023.

In this article, you can read which makers have already made a work in the past on the theme of (Un) monumenting. This program line was started in 2021 by the NDSM-werf Foundation and has had many interpretations since then. In chronological order, do you remember?

Breathing the city: Frerara

In 2021, the Frerara collective — Frederick Calmes, Raquel van Haver and Raul Balai — was invited to make the Drawing Task 2020, which they realised for Amsterdam City Archives, visible at the NDSM shipyard. In (Un) monumenting #1, Frerara presented images from Breathing the City, which focuses on underexposed Amsterdammers and their stories.

The three artists bring together themes such as the archive, transition, art and culture and the city's signature in their work. To do this, they are researching the residents of the city of Amsterdam and specifically into continuing the tradition of keeping the city alive as a ritual. For example, the drawings show a different face of Amsterdam and create a temporary 'monument' for a number of understudied townspeople.

This work questioned the role of monuments in contemporary society: who are monuments really for, and can they actually form a stage for underexposed people, subjects, or images?

For (Un) monumenting #2, Sijben Rosa created a temporary and performative monument; terms that conceal a strong contradiction. The central question was: is it still up to date to make a monument to eternity?

Not Forever was an ode to what NDSM was, is, and the future interpretation that is under pressure from temporality, a changing city and climate change. The object, which is reminiscent of a large boulder, was built from the remains of the demolished building of Sexyland Society.

The monument becomes visible only when it is removed — Sasha Pevak

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The work spent a month and a half wandering around the shipyard, each time with a new destination and “guardian” who had to ensure that the object was visible for a short period of time and that nothing happened. After the journey, the object was demolished and the parts were recycled, in line with the title of this work. Not forever raised questions about what makes monuments monumental: is it the image or, on the contrary, the experiences and context with the object that make the soul? “Just like if you were to completely dissect a person, you won't find one piece that contains the soul or identity, it's in your whole being.” — According to Sijben Rosa.

Monument: Manaf Halbouni

Monument was created in 2017 by the Syrian-German artist Manaf Halbouni. The work originally referred to the war in Syria, where a widespread media image showed civilians in Aleppo hiding behind three sniper buses.

The work referred to war situations and experiences in Syria, but also in the rest of the world, and what that means for societies in times of peace. “I wanted to show how war and peace can change very quickly,” says Halbouni. “And there is always war, but there is also reconstruction.”

This work was about the role of peace or war memorials in public space: a place where you can reach many people at the same time, but also a place where people don't explicitly ask to see art (after all, that's what a lot of people go to a museum for). The work called many comments received from spectators at the NDSM shipyard, but also in other places such as Dresden where the work was located. These reactions, both positive and negative, raise questions: are monuments allowed to take up space in public places, and if so, how and for whom?

Landed Rock: Clinton Kabena

It looks like this car crashed with a bang. The first participating work by (Un) monumenting: The Future Should Always Be Better, will be the installation from October 5, 2023 Landed Rock on display by designer and visual artist Clinton Kabena. In addition to the car that appears to have crashed face down into the ground, Kabena also fills the NDSM Billboards with three visuals.

This work challenges the viewer to think about the fantastic nature of borders, constructed as they are from the collective imagination of societies. The confrontation of the grandeur of these monumental structures with the fragile threads of unity that they are trying to preserve.

Can you introduce yourself to the DGTL audience and provide insight into your artistic journey and the themes you explore in your work?

My name is Sioe Jeng Tsao, also known as SEEYOUSIOE, and I'm a queer artist and activist of Chinese origin, born in Amsterdam.

Your work explores various social themes such as LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health, feminism, sustainability, racial justice, and gender equality. Can you explain why these topics are important to you and how you believe art can contribute to these discussions?

These social themes are deeply important to me because they reflect my own experiences and the challenges I've encountered. By creating art around these topics, I can share my perspectives and contribute to greater awareness.

How does art serve as a catalyst for encouraging contemplation and discussion about important social issues?

Art has a unique power to spark conversations, challenge perceptions, and inspire action. By addressing these issues through my artwork, I strive for empathy, understanding and positive change in society. I believe that art serves as a catalyst for important discussions and can ultimately lead to a more inclusive and just world.

Your creation for the container arch, entitled EMPOWER, encourages reflection, encouragement, and the celebration of love. What inspired you to address these specific themes in your artwork?

The inspiration behind my artwork 'EMPOWER' comes from seeing Amsterdam's changing landscape, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community. From once being a haven, I've seen a shift where many within our community are marginalized and unheard. “EMPOWER” serves as a response to this transformation and strives for reflection, encouragement and the celebration of love. It symbolises a call to action for unity and solidarity within the LGBTQIA+ community, emphasizing that we are stronger together. The container arch acts as a gateway to a space of strength, acceptance, and support, where individuals from diverse backgrounds can find comfort and empowerment.

How do you believe that festivals play a role in promoting dialogue and awareness about these critical social issues?

Festivals serve as powerful platforms for promoting dialogue and raising awareness about critical social issues. They can bring diverse audiences together and provide immersive experiences through art, music, and performance, encouraging the reflection and dialogue we need. By collaborating with local activists, artists, and organizations, festivals can increase their impact by connecting participants with more resources for further engagement. I believe that festivals, like art, can serve as catalysts for starting conversations and promoting positive social change.

And what does it mean for you to show this piece in the context of NDSM's public space, outside the specific festival audience?

Exhibiting this artwork in a public space increases its impact beyond the festival audience, making it a symbol of empowerment and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond. It will be a statement of inclusion and acceptance, inviting individuals from diverse backgrounds to connect with the message of solidarity and love. “EMPOWER” increases its ability to initiate conversations, challenge perceptions, and inspire positive social change on a wider scale.

Can you provide insights into your creative process? How do you generate ideas and how does the environment or placement of your art influence your work?

My creative process is deeply rooted in my own reality as a queer woman of color. I draw inspiration from my personal experiences, navigating through different social contexts and identities. In addition, I actively seek diverse perspectives by reading books, attending events, workshops and panels from different backgrounds. This exposure allows me to broaden my understanding and empathize with a range of experiences that people navigate.

What emotions or reactions do you hope to evoke from viewers when they experience EMPOWER?

When experiencing “EMPOWER,” I strive for viewers to not only experience a sense of solidarity and strength within the LGBTQIA+ community, but also pause and recognize that queer love doesn't always come naturally. By framing “EMPOWER” as a verb, I want to emphasize the active process of empowering and celebrating love. I hope the artwork evokes feelings of encouragement, hope, and reflection, inspiring viewers to consider the significance of inclusivity and empathy in advocating for social change.

Can you tell us how the “sense of belonging” theme became a common thread in your projects?

It took me many years to figure out where I belonged, after leaving my very intense, close-knit family home. My grandmother was French, my grandfather and great-grandfather and mother were nomadic and had grown up in a European circus, my father and uncle were classical musicians, and my Scottish mother was a textile artist. We lived in Holloway, London, and I went to the local school. Very early on, I realized that the children at school had a completely different family life than me. I tried so hard to fit in, but I always felt like an outsider. At home, however, I felt loved, belonged and felt very safe. Once I left the house, I had to search for my own sense of “belonging” for a long time. I tried to replicate the sense of family that I had loved so much, but eventually I realized that wasn't what I was looking for. I believed that belonging was one definite thing, probably due to underlying conditioning by education and society, but in reality, belonging is individual and doesn't have to be what you think it should be.

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NDSM is an ever-evolving place with an existing community and new communities that are constantly growing.

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Finally, 20 years after leaving home, I discovered what it meant to me. For me, that was having space and freedom to express myself and be in a relationship where I'm embraced and encouraged to be myself. I need to be loved and have someone to love, but I realized I don't need that by being a mom, which is a big step for a woman to admit that to herself.

Once I understood what feeling at home meant to me, I set out on a mission to discover what it means to others and how understanding the complexities of feeling at home can bring communities together.

What do you think this theme means in a dynamic place like NDSM or Amsterdam-Noord?

NDSM is an ever-evolving place with an existing community and new communities that are constantly growing. By doing the workshops, I gained insight into different perspectives. It was clear that some people saw change as a threat and others saw it as an exciting future. From an outsider perspective, it felt very important that all groups spoke to each other and began to see what the possibilities could be as soon as they began to understand each other.

You did workshops with individuals from Amsterdam (North) as part of the project. How did these workshops influence the development of the artwork?

By listening and understanding different points of view. All the phrases and words used in the installation come from the words people wrote down in the workshops to express how they feel about what's happening, how they'd like to see the future, and what feeling at home means to them. Seeing the energy and creativity in the workshops was incredible. All participants were fully engaged and wanted to share their thoughts and opinions. There was a passion for living in a developing place and they were part of that evolution. Living in a place where they experienced huge changes and learned how to deal with them. Some people weren't too happy and wanted to be heard, while others wanted new things to flourish.

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Belonging can be very fluid and different for everyone, but at the same time a collective experience.

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The workshops brought out a lot of feelings, passion, joy, anger, questions, discussion and emotion. Some stories were about the past and some were enthusiastic about the possibilities. Great personal events were shared and together, an image was formed of a new strong community. The poet Mahat Arab summarized this perfectly in his poem that resulted from these conversations.

“(Leave) Space for Space” aims to create a sense of belonging within the community. How do you see the artwork promoting connections and resonating with the people, both residents and visitors to NDSM?

I hope that the words and phrases that came out of the workshops and now adorn the installation resonate with the community and passers-by. The words are exactly as they were written in the workshop. It's important to me that when I create a collaborative installation, participants can recognize themselves in it and that they feel a sense of ownership and belonging.

Having worked with many communities around the world, I always feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to sit with people and listen to their stories. I'm always impressed and grateful how generous people are with their thoughts and ideas and how much they enjoy sharing and wanting to be heard. I often feel humbled to be just part of the process. Looking for belonging is so important in people's lives. It is not fixed, it is individual. You can find and lose belonging, or choose to look for a different sense of belonging at different points in your life. Feeling at home can be very fluid and different for everyone, but at the same time a collective experience.