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.

In the course of 2021, designers Sue Doeksen, who has had a studio in the NDSM Loods since 2012, and graphic designer Jord Noorbeek, commissioned by the NDSM-werf Foundation, set to work to renew the shipyard's hostess. The reason to change from being a shipyard icon right now is to show that the shipyard is far from standing still and to pay tribute to all future eyes who will see the arch for the first time.

The container arch welcomes every visitor to the NDSM shipyard; from festival-goer to visitor to walker. Unfortunately, the usually so bustling and lively area remained a lot quieter than other years last year. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to the future as bright as the container bow, and we thought it would be a good time to look back at all the different appearances the bow has taken so far.

2018

The bow was born in 2018, when the festival DGTL wanted to add something new to the festival site for that year's edition. In collaboration with artists from the shipyard, the arch was initially created with a black appearance with white lettering on the head that spelled DGTL. Anyone who has had the pleasure of ever visiting DGTL knows that this event is about discovery, inspiration and surprises. The festival is characterized by its industrial atmosphere and free-spirited character. A stage for both established artist and beginning DJ. It is precisely for these reasons that the bow was and is a special part of the festival.

Surely it means something that he is still there and that a different picture is given to it every time.

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After this successful year of the festival, the bow was left behind at the shipyard as a relic for practical reasons: a reminder of yet another successful edition of DGTL. But instead of falling into ruin, the arch turned out to be a key figure in the shipyard and began her own life.

After DGTL 2018, almost every festival or event at the shipyard has adopted the bow as part of the site and added its own flavor. Sometimes an entrance for visitors, sometimes a detour in the walking route on the site or a triumphal arch that offered some shade at the shipyard on the hot days. But above all, a place where many dances have been daring over the years. Legend has it, that if you put your ear close enough to the bow, you can hear the people partying! Partly because of this, but also because of the changeable weather in North Amsterdam, the bow was often the result of a restoration round where the current colors were slightly enhanced again. This is also the case in 2019 when the Drumcode festival organized their event at the Docklands (the square between the two warehouses) and provided a great opportunity to refresh the paint layer again.

The licks of paint that the bow has now received can no longer be counted on one hand. This is because graffiti can also be sprayed on the container, something the bottom set of containers is often the canvas for. In addition to the fact that the container arch has often been repainted, she has also often had temporary faces. By means of canvases, light projections or other innovative ideas, event organizers at the NDSM shipyard gave the container arch their own twist.

“It certainly means something that he is still there and that a different picture is given to it every time,” says Petra Heck, curator at the NDSM-werf Foundation. “It's such a remarkable sight on the shipyard, it's pretty special that he keeps changing with the times”. A great example of the icon in full glory was, among many others, the Elrow festival. With the theme “Together we make magic happen”, Elrow is a festival of color, creativity and, above all, a lot of craziness. In 2018, the festival took place at the NDSM shipyard and used the container arch as an eye-catcher on the site. By using emoji-like icons, another layer of paint and huge inflatable animals, the organization gave its own interpretation to the arc.

2021

Now the bow is black, blue and white. Inspired by Eberhard van der Laan's last words to the people of Amsterdam — who enjoys their own portrait at the Docklands right behind the arch — the words “Be kind” originate in geometric shapes on the arch. The text is disguised in both form and color and is part of a larger graphic work, so the message is not easy to decipher at first glance. The back looks like an abstract halo. The sides show the versatility of the NDSM shipyard: an owl that represents wisdom and magic and a court jester that symbolises fun and fun. This new identity of the arch gives a somewhat quieter impression compared to the fierce, screaming graffiti artworks on the rest of the Docklands. But maybe this is exactly what makes the design so appropriate. The shipyard is a home for experimentation and contrast that the iconic container arch does not escape either.

“It's also about the recurring question: when does something belong to the public space?” says Petra Heck. “The underlying idea of this new design was also to add to the bow's familiar role. So far, it has been a festival beacon for many people; with this new jacket, he might become a bit more part of the public space. He welcomes everyone who visits the shipyard, not just those who come with a ticket to an event.”

Where the NDSM shipyard would normally buzz around this time with the cautious first musical sounds of the festival season or the first outdoor stalls of the IJ-Hallen, it still remains to be seen when and what will be possible on a large scale at the shipyard. With a bit of luck, the shipyard icon can welcome the required number of people again this year. For example, DGTL 2021 has been moved from Easter weekend to September in the hope of organizing a full batch again after the summer. Until then, the container arch is still the shipyard's steadfast icon, welcoming everyone who comes to take a look and reminds us to be kind to each other, especially at this time.

Curious about another glimpse into the process of editing the bow? During the podcast NDSM X, Ewa Scheifes (programmer of the NDSM-werf Foundation) and Petra Heck spoke to creators Sue and Jord about how to redesign such a familiar object on the shipyard. You can find the link to this episode here:

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Elsemarijn Bruys (1989, NL) is a visual artist with a strong curiosity about sensory perception. In her hybrid practice, she alternates between sculptures and architectural interventions, but the spatial experience is always her starting point. She works primarily with inflatables and kinetic mirrors.

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My background in fashion has influenced my material and sculptural work to a great extent.

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Elsemarijn, how would you describe yourself as an artist? What does your practice look like?

Messy 🙂

Haha check. For the exhibition (Un) monumenting, you are creating a new work, called Volume 20.0. How do you see this work in the context of the (Un) monumenting theme?

I am interested in how space and material influence each other and the effect this has on the existing architecture. With Volume 2.0 I'm creating a cube of air that seems to be bursting at the seams and fighting for space. Trapped between the pillars and the ceiling of the industrial warehouse, the semi-transparent inflatable simultaneously seems to let the environment through while blocking the view. The work is part of my research into how space can be deformed by a temporary intervention that affects human movement. In addition, refers Volume 2.0 about who and what can take up space when there is only limited space and themes such as changeability and temporality, which often form the basis of my practice. This is in line with the theme of (Un) monumenting: who can take up space in public space? Who should feel represented?

To continue “fighting for space”, the architecture and the material you choose work together. Volume 2.0 can be seen in the NDSM Loods, how does it relate to this location specifically?

The work is firmly embedded in the structure of the NDSM Loods. As a result, there is an emphasis on the gigantic scale in which you are when you enter the NDSM Loods. At the same time, the object is also of a large scale, and clasped into the pillars of the Underscate, the space takes on a different character. When you come Volume 2.0 when you walk around, you see the edges of the pillow pressing against the pillars of the NDSM Loods, almost as if it were about to splash. It gives an ominous, but also a soft feeling. The semi-transparent material also contributes to this.

I ask a lot of questions when it comes to “taking up” public space.

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You just said that temporality and changeability are recurring themes in your work. Words that also apply to NDSM; a place full of projects that exist in temporality, a place of movement. Can you explain what interests you about these themes?

The inflatables that I make only exist by virtue of the given air: a “material” that always surrounds us without us seeing it. By filling a bag with that material, the object suddenly takes up space. In that sense, my work is temporary; it exists by the grace of air.

With the exhibition (Un) monumenting, we also want to open up the conversation about monuments in general. What are your own ideas about what monuments should be and for whom, or if they should be there at all?

I ask a lot of questions when it comes to “taking up” public space. I like to go to places where supposedly everyone goes, such as a station. What everyone uses for a purpose without interfering too much with differences in cult and culture. They are, as it were, anonymous spaces. I hope those places are not about claiming space, because I think that's a complicated topic. Whose street is it and which monument can rightfully stand there? Who does it stand for? I myself see many sculptures in public spaces as images of time and I am very happy that there are more and more different monuments for many more different people/groups/cultures.

Check out the work Volume 2.0 by Elsemarijn Bruys during the exhibition (Un) monumenting: The Future Should Always Be Better, on view until February 18, Tue to Sun from 11:00 — 18:00 at the outdoor area of the NDSM shipyard and in the NDSM Loods.

Krijn de Koning (Amsterdam 1963) studied art at the Rietveld Academy (NL), De Ateliers (NL) and the 'Institut Des Hautes Etudes En Art Plastique' (FR). Since the 1990s, he has been creating site-specific sculptures and installations for exhibitions, museums, galleries and public places.

In your work, you discuss the experience of spaces and how, by making various interventions, you can change them for the visitor. How did you work for (Un) Monumenting? What (new) experience of the North Strip in the NDSM Loods did you have in mind?

It's not so much my goal to change a space and make it experience differently for others, it's more of a means and an attempt to 'really' look at a space again, or if you like. Sometimes you have to ruin or even ridicule something for that. For me, art is largely about “watching”. A priori, this is not directly a mental or formal thing. That is why aspects such as' feeling ', intuition and a certain directness are important to me. Rational thinking is certainly interesting, but in my opinion, that comes after it.

For the exhibition (Un) Monumenting, I initially mainly looked at space. It is already monumental in itself and that is mainly due to its enormous volume. But what you actually see is the limit of the volume, which is enormously unsettling, a total cacophony of current and historical details with all kinds of different meanings.

The 'Un-Monumenting' consists in the fact that I attack the objects.

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The sparse details and objects that are still part of the original space are somewhat dwarfed in the current situation. My idea and feeling was that it would be interesting to highlight some of the warehouse's original objects. This ultimately happens in two works, one for a large lifting beam that hangs high in the ridge, and one for an old magnetic crane, which also hangs in the air. Both objects are 'framed' by me in a temporary architectural setting.

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How do you think the work In Here/up there, two works for (Un) Monumenting relates to the subject of “monuments”?

You can say that the NDSM warehouse is an (architectural) monument and that the few sparse original objects that are now functionless are a kind of reminder of that warehouse's' grand 'past and are therefore also a kind of monuments to it. You increase the attention for a monument by placing a large pedestal underneath it. On the one hand, that's what's in my two works happens, and what you might associate with the idea of 'Monumenting'. The objects and what they stood for are “lifted”. The 'Un-Monumenting' consists in the fact that I attack the objects. For me, this is mainly about trying to rid them of their conditioning and meaning again.

Do you think monuments are still relevant in contemporary society? And if so, what should monuments look like, and who should they be for?

One of the classic ideas for a monument is to link a person to a major historical act and then create an image of it, but monuments are also created as a result of grand, impressive events. Logically, such an image is always exaggerated, serves a social, political or other interest and rigidly appeals to an often not entirely realistic reality.

What you actually and especially see in the NDSM Loods is precisely the limitation of the volume

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It's hard to get away from that in more modern versions. Regardless of whether you agree with the reason for a monument or not, I usually find it quite grotesque and kitch, and not immediately very pleasant and human. When it comes to very serious matters, I'm more in favour of very dry and modest monuments, but that conflicts a bit with his own idea.

(Un) monumenting: The Future Should Always Be Better can be seen on the outside of the NDSM shipyard and inside the NDSM Loods until February 18. For more information, click the button below.

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.

In this article, we will discuss the monumental site of NDSM, in particular the “monumental heritage” that can be found at the shipyard in the form of buildings and objects from the past. Exactly what monumental heritage means is open to debate. However, the government uses one definition by The National Office for Cultural Heritage (RCE): “Monuments are historic buildings, archaeological sites or green structures created by humans, such as parks”. These are protected by the national government, province or municipality because of their cultural-historical value, according to the RCE.

At the NDSM shipyard, you will come across a number of these national monuments, which can be found in the register for national monuments. If you enter the zip code of the NDSM shipyard in this search engine, you will immediately get a number of hits: de Smederij, NDSM Scheepsbouwloods, Lasloods, and the slopes.

Smithy

The Smithy, recognisable for its typical “gabled roofs”, is a collection of buildings and a square in the heart of the NDSM shipyard. This 1909 building was first located on the old NSM on Oostenburg and was used for sheet metal processing. It has been at its current location since 1927 and consists of steel-framed facades with different sized sections that alternate with brick masonry, and door and windows with square windows. After moving from the NSM shipyard to the Noorder IJ polder in the north, the warehouse was demolished and rebuilt in two parts at the new site location. From that moment on, sheet metal processing at the shipyard would take place in the large Scheepbouwloods (NDSM Loods), allowing the Forge to be used for other purposes. The first and largest part after the relocation became the Timmerwinkel, for mechanical woodworking, furniture making, veneering and polishing. The other and smaller part was set up as a Forge. This is where the smaller ironwork was done, for components that could not be purchased from the shelf at the time, such as ship fittings and tools. In the lower and separate building with the gabled roofs, the Central Workshop, electrical and air tools were lent and maintained. This workshop was also known as the “air warehouse”.

De Smederij was restored to its previous glory by G&S& (former BMB development) in collaboration with the preservation of monuments in 2014. The buildings are now an inspiring meeting place and business spaces where, among others, the Greenpeace Foundation, Paramount Benelux, Emolife Campaigning, and the Double Tree by Hilton are located. On the Forge Square works of art are often shown in public spaces, such as the Camping Nature City high-rise from Willem de Haan, Dazzle Trip from Yamuna Forzani, Monument by Manaf Halbouni, and much more.

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Shipbuilding shed

An icon of NDSM: the Shipbuilding Shed, also known as the NDSM Warehouse named, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020. Anyone who has ever been to the NDSM Loods is familiar with the enormous size of this building, which is defined by brick facades with a steel frame structure, tall blue doors and windows with narrow, tall windows. During the shipbuilding era, several parts of the production process were invested in this building, but mainly large steel plates were processed and then (from 1952) brought to the Lasloods for assembly. The full name of the shipyard is written on the facade of the Shipyard: Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij, whose letters NDSM are marked extra white.

After the shipbuilding period, the NDSM Loods became abandoned and fell into disrepair. From the '90s, artists moved to NDSM: several buildings on the shipyard were squatted, including the NDSM Loods, after which breeding grounds and studio spaces were created that were the basis for the cultural identity that NDSM now bears. The breeding ground that was created at that time was later managed by Kinetic North Foundation further developed and is now known as De Kunststad. With 80 studios, the City of Art covers roughly one third of the immense surface area of the NDSM Loods. The other parts of the warehouse are rented out for filming, photo shoots, dance, music and theater performances, exhibitions, auctions, corporate and dance parties, markets, conferences and much more.

Lasloods

It's not hard to guess what happened in the Lasloods in the times of shipbuilding: welding took place. The huge steel plates that were shaped and cut to the correct size in the NDSM Warehouse were then brought to the Lasloods to be assembled. This was done via a steam locomotive called Jumbo on railway tracks that can be found all over the site. Fun fact: the rails, like the buildings mentioned in this article, are classified as cultural heritage and should therefore not be changed or removed from the site (they have been closed to prevent accidents).

After the times of shipbuilding, the Lasloods was also deserted for a while, after which it had several destinations, including a place for the winter in later years. IJ-halls. From these halls came the request for more artistic content for the large warehouse during the market. This manifested itself until the final idea of a Street Art Museum was approved. Meanwhile, it sits STRAAT Museum at NDSM for 4 years and is an integral part of the street art that has been found all over the shipyard for years.

The Slopes

In the shipbuilding period just after the Second World War, there were 8 ramps across the entire NDSM shipyard. Among other things, immense mammoth tankers were made here, or they were used to store materials. When the ships were ready, they were launched on the slope and, after baptism, slipped into the water from the slope. The ramp door that had to be opened before is still in the water on NDSM near the Feralda Crane (Crane 13). The latter is an original crane that served in the times of shipbuilding on NDSM and has now been fully restored and is used as a hotel.

Most of the ramps were demolished after the closure of NDSM as a shipyard, except for two: the present small X and major Y slopes. The Y-slope and the spaces below offer space for countless artists and small companies. The office of Stichting NDSM-werf is also located under the Y slope. The X slope is currently being renovated, but workshops are also normally located in this smaller slope.

The buildings mentioned above are therefore classified as national monuments. But what does that actually mean? Is a historical context necessary to eventually achieve a monumental status, or is a monument more than that? And what should contemporary monuments look like? These are the questions we will put to the test in the coming weeks in the context of the exhibition (Un) monumenting: The Future Should Always Be Better. Follow us on our social media channels and don't miss a thing!

Would you like to know more about the NDSM shipyard's shipbuilding past? Then check out the website of NDSM Revives Foundation.

On November 4, during Museum Night Amsterdam, Acket will use the philosophical concept of borders as the starting point for a work of light and sound at NDSM. The work can only be seen this evening. Time for a catch up with this versatile artist.

In your installations, all kinds of disciplines come together to create an experience together. As an artist, this now gives you a recognizable style that continues to develop. How would you describe your own practice, the point where you are as an artist right now?

My practice has always had sound as a starting point. In the beginning, this was always' musical 'sound; in recent years, this has changed more and more in the sound of the installations: sound that is characterized by the rules, parameters and boundaries of the artwork itself. In my work at NDSM, for example, I will use my echo system, a system that I developed with a classmate at art school and then developed into a complex instrument with percussion in The Hague, among others, into a complex instrument that develops an endlessly drastic effect of duplicates in light and sound from a single sound source.

The cool thing about this very temporary work is that it will be located in a place that is very dear to me, the Docklands and the NDSM Loods at NDSM. A few years ago, I made SKYLINE I in the North Strip, in collaboration with 4DSOUND and Bob Roijen, among others. This work was also located in a transition area, above an entrance where 20,000 people had to go through every day anyway.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I love philosophy, science and human issues about their own consciousness. I think that experiential or phenomenal art is the ultimate way to trigger people's thoughts. Time, and our experience of it, fascinate me enormously. How a person, with all her memories and expectations, always constructs their own 'now', completely different from that of the person next to her, them or him, just because you have a different background and a different expectation for tomorrow, fascinates me immensely.

Time, and our experience of it, fascinate me enormously. How a person, with all her memories and expectations, always constructs their own “now”.

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In the experiences I make, I often notice that the conversations between visitors or participants afterwards are very interesting. The shared experience of a new ritual — for example in an ultrasound piece in collaboration with Slagwerk Den Haag — can remove social boundaries. Although everyone has seen, experienced, and constructed a completely different experience, everyone who shared the experience can still talk to each other and sometimes even come closer to each other.

Impression of Boris Acket's work on NDSM, credits anna bogmolova, blitzkickers

My practice — just like it always was — is actually still very diverse. From theater scenography to a full exhibition, and from a show for a pop idol to a temporary sound light tunnel like this one at NDSM. For me, the constant lies more in themes and thoughts than in media and project form, and I love that.

Your work has been shown in clubs such as De School and festivals such as DGTL and Down The Rabbit Hole, as well as in public spaces such as the upcoming Museumn8. What fascinates you about working in the public domain?

When it comes to this specific work, I am reminded of the theme of PASSAGE — a work I made at the shipyard last year in collaboration with Bob Roijen. I then found a book by Thomas Nail about borders:

“Fundamentally, boundaries are inflection points where flows change direction. Any social construct — fence, wall, passport, browsing history — that changes people's movements is part of the social kinetics of borders.

It follows from this definition that borders are not about stopping things from moving, they are about movement itself.” — freely after Thomas Nail

I think this is the ultimate definition of public space. Public space is full of man-made borders, temporary villages that call themselves festivals, barricades that function as a doorway again a day later. NDSM is one such area, and I think it's very important that we cherish and preserve these kinds of areas. That is why I am so close to that with the theme of the work on 4 November.

In the experiences I make, I often notice that the conversations between visitors or participants afterwards are very interesting. The shared experience of a new ritual can remove social boundaries

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The sounds that run through the echo system all come from the environment itself — I go out in the week of the museum night with a field recorder. This way, the work becomes a kind of feedback loop that suddenly makes the tranquil place a little more important. Acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton — someone I worked with a few years ago — aptly said that everything you put a microphone on becomes more important. You could say that in this journey, you spend a moment listening and watching a self-manifesting piece of living NDSM, in light and sound.

As with all my works, the exact meaning may not be very interesting, but the conversations and interpretations of people who have walked the procession: ultimately, it's about them.

For a number of years, the NDSM-werf Foundation and the NDSM Warehouse along with Amsta Karaad for deploying people with a distance from the labor market at the NDSM shipyard. Together with the managers of the NDSM shipyard and Loods, they keep the site clean, safe and intact. We had a conversation with Marc, he tells us all about his work with the guys from Karaad at NDSM.

Marc, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Marc, I've been working here at NDSM for two years with adults with a mild mental disability, but also people with mental illnesses such as Korsakov. Two years ago, we started in the NDSM Loods where we had a small orange gypsy wagon from which we worked. We then started there with three boys who did jobs in the warehouse and that slowly grew larger. Since this year, we moved to the outdoor yard and moved into a new office this summer. Now we do jobs all over the site to keep the NDSM shipyard clean, safe and intact.

What kind of activities are these both?

We work a lot with Alex Both, the manager of the outdoor area. He then gives our boys small jobs spread across the site. In the meantime, we have found a good pattern here. Indeed, some of our participants are autistic, so they like it when they know what is on the program. For example, every Monday and Thursday, we have a fixed round for the trash cans in the NDSM Loods. All the waste is collected by our boys and brought to the press container.

Around the outdoor area, we do our rounds on go-karts and cargo bikes. The boys drive them around the site with trailers to clean up waste. You may have encountered them as a visitor! We also do some light green maintenance on the site. Then the boys set out with a brush cutter to update the grass and forest edges on the site. You notice that some boys have started to feel very responsible for their work here on the field.

I mainly see boys riding around in go-karts, can girls also come to work at NDSM?

Of course, girls are also very welcome. But in general, they don't like working here. It's physically quite tough, you have to lift and lug a lot outside. The girls in the residential groups often find that less attractive.

Can you also tell me more about Amsta Karaad in general?

Amsta is a large organization that provides care here in Amsterdam. For example, they also offer care for the elderly. Amsta Karaad is actually a small part of Amsta that works with people with a (mild) mental disability. Amsta Karaad has several residential groups in Amsterdam where people live and are offered daily activities and workplaces. The NDSM shipyard is an example of such a workplace. So all the boys who work on our site live assisted somewhere in Amsterdam. The participants also receive compensation for the work they do here.

I really like that you really built a relationship with those guys.

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I notice that it is really nice for them here. The boys often have setbacks and generally not an easy life. When they're working here and they get a compliment from a passer-by or employee, for example: “Good job!” then you can really see them perk up. That gives me a positive feeling, even with myself. Of course, this terrain is also very tough and challenging, which also has a good influence on whether the boys are having a good time. The freedom they get here has a good influence on them, and that is reflected in the work they do.

So what is your role within this structure and can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I guide the boys here on the days they work here, which is every day from 09:00 to 15:00. Of course, I'm not doing that alone, I'm working with a fantastic team of multiple supervisors. When the day is over, we report back to the residential groups about how the day went here and how the boys did it individually.

I was originally a graphic designer, but after 13 years, I was tired of sitting behind a screen every day. I wanted to do something different and that's when I finally ended up at Amsta. They then offered me a course that I could follow to do this work and I have been doing this ever since, with great pleasure! I really like that you really built a relationship with these guys, when they come to work here almost every day for a year and a half, you really get to know them a little bit and that's really nice.

I think I speak for the entire NDSM shipyard when I say that we are very happy that you are there to keep the shipyard clean, safe, and whole. Do you have any afterburners?

We also really like it at NDSM! Here's an appeal: if you use the WMO or the WLZ, you could work with us. People are always allowed to join, the more hands the better. If interested, please contact the Client Service Office: csb@amsta.nl

A pop-up exhibition, spatial installation or a performance; the interpretation is open. The idea is to open up and make working in public spaces, outside a white cube setting, more accessible. This year is Anne-Jet de Nas invited as Young Curator. On Thursday, September 28, 2023, she will program a performance with Henk Schut's work IN TUNE, a bronze tuning fork in the water of the Y-slope at NDSM that addresses the balance between people and the environment. Time to get to know this young Amsterdam curator better and hear all about the program she wants to show at NDSM.

Anne-Jet, can you tell us about yourself and your background?

I've been fascinated by art, fashion and design all my life. As a creator and as an observer. That's why I graduated from ArtEZ (a Dutch University of the Arts, ed.) and took a Master's degree in Art History. To learn how to use my creativity more broadly and commercially, I worked as a creative at an advertising agency. With these experiences, I learned to speak the language of the artist, art and the wider public. And I call myself a creative translator. Someone who connects and builds bridges. Someone who listens, watches, thinks and translates. Someone who brings ideas to life.

Nowadays, you work, among other things, as an independent curator, for example, you have the exhibition this summer About.Life. co-curated at Sexyland World. Which artists or works inspire you?

Yes, that's right. In collaboration with artist, curator and collector Appie Bood, an (un) retrospective exhibition has been made of his art and collections. The most important point of this was that we completely let go of time and chronology in order to arrive at new insights and installations. Along with Sexyland World we turned these ideas into a physical exhibition.

Apart from the fact that working with Appie Bood (and his wife Agata Zwierzyñska, also a good artist!) inspiring me, I also recently developed a fascination for the American painter and musician Issy Wood. Her work evokes a melancholic, powerful feeling in me. She paints everyday objects in a tangible yet anonymous way. Because she often paints with oil paint on velvet fabric, her work becomes almost fetishistic. I find it fascinating how she attracts but also repels with her work.

I am very curious about the future of NDSM, and about the future of sanctuaries like this in the city

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You will soon be curating an intervention at NDSM with Henk Schut's work IN TUNE. How do you know NDSM as a terrain, what is your association with the place?

Hmm, a tough question! My association with NDSM varies. For me, the NDSM symbolises creativity, freedom and autonomy on the one hand. The history of NDSM as a sanctuary shows that you can make big changes with art and literally take up space to give art a voice. But on the other hand, for me, this place also stands for urban LED culture regeneration, or gentrification through art. In a way, art and artists at the NDSM are also an instrument for (cultural) policy and gentrification in this urban district.

Fortunately, the NDSM-werf Foundation is carefully considering the impact that gentrification has on the original function of this site. It is important that a place like NDSM continues to strive to be a place to thrive as a person and an artist, and not to become a particular urban experience. I am very curious about the future of NDSM, and about the future of free spaces in the city. Where there used to be room to claim a free spot, this is more difficult today. I therefore hope that the city takes care of this place.

Your intervention focuses on the work of Henk Schut, an installation of a tuning fork in the dock near the Y slope. What was your first impression of the work when you saw and heard it for the first time?

Yes, the big iron tuning fork in the dock. I really like the installation to blend in with the environment, as if it has always been there. Coincidentally, the sound of IN TUNE sounded right away the first time I was there. A low frequency spread across the Y slope, which also subsided. To be honest, I felt a bit awkward for a moment. What exactly should I feel? I became aware of myself for a moment. Henk's work is about finding a new balance between people and the environment. And it took a while for the sound to work on me, but I later realized that experiencing this conscious awkward feeling might be the goal.

The city seems to be overcrowded in many ways, and IN TUNE calls on us to think about this.

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Can you take us into your creative process; how did you end up with an idea?

After my first impression, I started to delve into Henk Schut's work. What does he want to achieve with the work? I particularly noticed two aspects here; firstly, the appeal to people's ability to hear and listen through sound. Secondly, with this installation, he asks questions about the value of emptiness, both in the city, at the NDSM shipyard, and in ourselves. This value of emptiness also inherently reveals the problems of our city. The city seems to be overcrowded in many ways, and IN TUNE calls on us to think about this. These insights were the starting point of my own creative process.

Because the city, the immediate surroundings and the people in the city are at the center of Henk's work and are connected by a sound, I thought it would be nice to follow this up by having a voice respond to this sound. A voice that can expand and question the underlying ideas of the work.

It's the first time you're curating a performance in the public space, what makes that context different from what you're used to?

I've only just started my own business and this is indeed the first time I'm curating a performance in the public space. What makes this different, for example, from the exhibition at Sexyland World that ran over several weeks, is that I now have to think about how to create a powerful story and a lasting impression within a much shorter period of time.

What are you looking forward to the most?

I think I would formulate it as 'the moment of the transfer'; the moment N TUNE creates a new work of art, Ray's spoken word performance. I'm looking forward to seeing Ray's words and how they resonate with me and the audience in their own way. Just like Henk's sound does it in its own way.

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.

Daniele, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I was born in 1985 in San Francisco, California. I moved to New York City to study at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and graduated in 2007. Since then, I've stayed in New York, and I currently live between Manhattan and the rural north of the state. Here I have a studio where I sculpt, draw and write. My work usually deals with the politics inherent to public art itself, within that framework I address topics such as gender inequality, the difference between public and private space, and the definition of ownership.

Can you explain the idea behind the work 'It Takes Two'?

'It Takes Two' is a piece that uses the material language of advertising to address issues of cooperation, miscommunication, the politics of urban development, and the use of public space. As undermines many of my works, 'It Takes Two” familiar images to humorously encourage people to think about complex issues — in this case the relationship between art and gentrification. As the hammer and nail try ceaselessly to carry out their goal (the hammer that hits the nail on the head), their unfortunate movements and repeated failures comically signal to passers-by that on the empty lot they occupy, construction activities are “really coming soon”. Unlike an ad for a car shop or a car wash, these anthropomorphic figures announce the futility of their own message: that change is imminent and there is nothing you can do about it.

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'It Takes Two' is now available on NDSM. We found it interesting to exhibit your work in the context of the former shipyard, but also with current housing developments on NDSM-West and the relationship between those two identities with the many artists who now have their studios and maker spaces in this area. But It Takes Two has also been shown at other locations, can you delve deeper into these locations and what they mean in the context of this work?

'It Takes Two' was originally designed specifically to be installed on a vacant lot in Miami, Florida, that was intended to be developed into luxury real estate. While the circumstances of the occasion were unique, the phenomenon of gentrification is universal, contributing to the portable nature of the work. Other locations asked for the work to be shown because the message, while nihilistic, uses humor to appeal to viewers who wouldn't normally think about the politics of empty public space.

The work is an intentional “vulgar extravaganza”

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The work has been shown at Socrates Sculpture Park (a former landfill that has now become a public art site), The Oxbow School (an interdisciplinary high school boarding program in the rapidly gentrifying Napa Valley), Central Park (a man-made piece of nature), Sweet Pass Sculpture Park (an artist-run nonprofit site in a vacant lot in Dallas, Texas), and City Hall in Boynton Beach, Florida (not far from affluent West Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago, areas that are seriously threatened by rising sea levels due to climate change).

You have 'A Vital Mess' created especially for the NDSM context, can you share your ideas behind this work with us?

'“A Vital Knife” is my first text-based work. The title comes from Learning From Last Vegas by Roberts Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, a groundbreaking architectural text that formally explores the postmodern architecture and signage of the Las Vegas comic in the context of the history of architecture in general. Equipment closes'“A Vital Knife” similar to many of my public kinetic and wind-based works because of the convenient ability to reach a monumental physical scale (8 meters high in this case) with hollow volumes such as these. Since my work in the past has undermined the typical associations of the materials I use (plastic-based performance textiles for outdoor use), '“A Vital Knife” also the thing itself: a roadside ad — visual pollution — designed to make people stop and watch. To quote Robert Venturi again: “The play is an intentional 'vulgar extravaganza'”. Instead of criticizing capitalism's visual and material language sideways, this hodgepodge of “sky dancers” loudly proclaim themselves as a monument to the stickiness and tactlessness of contemporary ways of persuasion and seduction. The human-like forms and anthropomorphic movements reflect the viewer; they are a mirror. The culture has been hypnotized by these omnipresent roadside spectacles that look like us, which is why we recognize ourselves in them. We are the ad and the ad is us.

Both works use a medium that is often used for advertising purposes: the “sky dancers”. Why do you specifically use this medium?

What undermines the material and shape of these objects is the text. I specifically chose phrases and words that are vague, philosophical, open and confrontational. The messages on both sides of the sky dancers are contradictory. The entire “system” that dictates the rules of this piece is intended to challenge the principles of advertising but ironically deliver the same in the sense that I propose that the promises of the visual capitalist lexicon are empty. These promise everything and nothing. These types of signs indicate desperate and cheap requests for attention, but what I present are the signs as the destination itself, imploring the viewer to expect one thing from afar, only to see that expectation distorted upon investigation: an 8-meter-long figure adorned with TRUTH, APPEARANCE, SHAPE, CONTENT. I ask the viewer, what is the truth and content of the shape and appearance of our commercial visual landscape?

Then a little bit more about yourself and your approach to work: What do you like/find interesting about making work in public spaces? And how does this relate to other art you make?

Making work in public spaces satisfies my desire to work outside, generate work on a large scale and to make the viewer's creation and reception of work social and egalitarian. Most traditional galleries are inevitably linked to (commercial) market systems and rely on selling works of art to maintain space. I'm drawn to working outside that system, literally and figuratively, in the idealistic hope that art that doesn't depend on ownership will be inherently radical.

I keep notebooks full of fragmented ideas

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What are your general thoughts about NDSM, what do you think about the idea of making art for a place like this?

NDSM is a suitable location for my work because of the diverse functions that the warehouses and outdoor spaces have. It's an excellent place for me to address the complexities of art and commercial endeavors, which sometimes share the same physical space.

And finally: which artist (s) inspires you and for what reason (s)?

I can really fill hours so I'll keep it short: here's a short list of artists I appreciate for their humor, criticism, use of materials, and attitude to the culture of the art world: Lawrence Weiner, Mike Kelley, Rosemary Mayer, Ree Morton, Rosemarie Trockel, Robert Smithson, Paul Thek, Hans Haacke, Fred Wilson, Christo & Jeanne Claude, Isa Genzken.