Retrieved title: Casco Art Institute, 50 item(s)
Please note that our office is closed from 23 December to 5 January for the holiday break. We reopen on 6 January, 2024. During this period, responses may be delayed. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to connecting with you in the new year.
Wishing you health, and in solidarity,
Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons
On 15 December, De Nieuwe Meent invites you to celebrate a significant milestone: the completion of the highest point in the construction of their new building. This commons-oriented housing project is made possible through the generous support of its community and contributors. The festive gathering reflects on the progress made over the past five years while looking ahead to the future.
Platform BK is seeking a (co-)director—either an individual or a duo—to lead the substantive and daily management of the organization for a period of 2–3 years, starting February 2025 (32 hours per week or 16 hours each for a duo). Platform BK is committed to promoting solidarity within and with the arts. Working collaboratively—often with partners like us at Casco Art Institute—the organization addresses pressing issues in the arts field and brings them to the attention of art institutions, policymakers, and media.
Opening on 13 December at 17:00 at AG in Utrecht, In the Works: Manuals and Mess presents works by students of the Master of Fine Art Program at HKU University of the Arts. The exhibition offers a glimpse into their ongoing research and the connections formed throughout their two-year journey, leading up to the graduation show. It features MAFA students Fleur Carlier, Hannah Fleishman, Aisha Halima Hachem, Sohrab Kashani, Changli Luo, Mirella Moschella, Chen Ran, Zoë Sluijs, Mark Torochkin, Isabel Veganzones Belmonte, Janneke Venema, Wang Xue Sophia, and Xiang Dong Li, with guidance and coordination by Nuraini Juliastuti and Falke Pisano. To learn more about the full program that runs until 22 December, please visit the AG website.
On 28 November, FLUSH #4: La Toilette explores the theme of personal care, often featured throughout art history, featuring artist Cosima zu Knyphausen. A joint effort by Espacio Estamos Bien and W139, FLUSH takes place in the toilets of W139’s space. Their collaboration is aimed at cultivating inter-local relationships and joyful, decentralized connections that extend beyond Amsterdam’s art scene.
Opening on 6 December at de Appel: My Garden’s Boundaries Are the Horizon by the collective To See the Inability to See. This exhibition expands on their publication, which features fictional letters and stories about Persian gardens, particularly the hashti (octagonal vestibule). The show includes works by Arefeh Riahi, Martín La Roche Contreras, Maartje Fliervoet, Kader Attia, Kasra Jalilipour, and Seba Calfuqueo, alongside historical objects.
The public program features screenings by Derek Jarman, Kasra Jalilipour, Parviz Kimiavi, and Marcela Moraga, as well as readings by dash (-) collective, Constanza Mendoza, Giles Bailey, Lara Khaldi, and Francisca Khamis Giacoman, in collaboration with Filmtheater Kriterion. Visit de Appel’s website for more details.
On 28 November, the Pathways to Sustainability Conference, organized by Utrecht University, takes place under the theme HOME. Bringing together voices and stakeholders from social and environmental disciplines, the conference explores how a just and sustainable future can only be achieved through a shared sense of home for all, guided by the question, “What defines HOME?”
In het boek Nocturnalities, Bargaining Beyond Rest van Andrea Knezović en Agata Bar, dat binnenkort verschijnt via Onomatopee, is een bijdrage van Casco opgenomen die bestaat uit correspondentie met Casco-teamlid Aline Hernández en het fragment Time Diary uit onze publicatie Unlearning Exercises. Tegelijkertijd lanceren Andrea en Agata hun nieuwe online, open-source REST Archive, dat uitnodigt om na te denken over de relatie tussen tijd, arbeid en zorg binnen collectieve processen. Bekijk hun twee open calls voor het REST Archive, waarin ze op zoek zijn naar creatieve bijdragen en doorlopende inzendingen van online multimediamateriaal over slaap, rust en de politiek van het rusten.
Kate Rich is joining ACElab as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow from 2024 to 2027. Her research focuses on the often overlooked role of administrative work as a space for critical and collective artistic practice, as highlighted during our Hidden Arts exhibition and her involvement with the lumbung kios network. During the fellowship, she will investigate the tensions between the EU’s policy ambitions for a greener, more equitable economy and the practical challenges faced by small grassroots cultural organizations striving toward these goals, particularly the regulatory barriers they encounter. The fellowship includes collaborations with Trajna, Casco Art Institute, The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest, and FoAM.
On Saturday, 5 October, 15:00–19:00, the group project Our Mountains are Our People: Instructions for Placemaking kicks off at de Appel. With the title being inspired by Amílcar Cabral’s words on popular involvement in liberation movements, this project underscores the solidarity, resilience, and active participation of people as vital to decolonization. Collectives from Palestine have provided prompts and instructions drawn from their experiences with the land, which artists in Jakarta will interpret and realize over the coming month during the Jakarta Biennial 2024. This collaborative, process-oriented project encourages engagement through various working sessions and will feature presentations, performances, and more.
On Saturday, 5 October, 13:30–17:00, the event But what about us fishers? by Balikbayan takes place at Moira, here in Utrecht. Featuring a photo exhibition by Mia Tengco, it focuses on Philippine fishers displaced by Manila Bay’s reclamation projects. The works emphasize their deep connection to the environment, highlighting the socio-economic, cultural, and environmental losses that accompany these developments. With Dutch dredging companies involved, the issue also raises questions of local responsibility. Organized by Balikbayan, the event reflects the group’s mission to critically explore Filipino history, heritage, and the interconnectedness of issues in the Philippines and the Netherlands. RSVP via the form.
We are pleased to announce the beginning of the Lumbung Practice master’s program and to welcome all the collectives participating in it. The master’s program is a collaboration between the Sandberg Instituut, De Appel (Curatorial Programme), and Gudskul (Collective Study Program). It builds on the knowledge and experimentation gained from lumbung-documenta fifteen and looks toward the future of the lumbung experiment. Most of the tutors are part of the lumbung ecosystem, including Casco Art Institute as a member of Arts Collaboratory network. For more information about the program and its contributors, please visit the Sandberg website.
On 29 September, 10:00–18:00, at Framer Framed, the finissage of Really? Art and Knowledge in Time of Crisis will take place. This full-day symposium focuses on how the arts address the erosion of trust in knowledge and the rise of disinformation through various investigative and critical practices. During the program, Shatha Safi and Hiba Omari from RIWAQ will share about their work documenting and restoring Palestinian architectural heritage and collective memory. Additionally, she will join a conversation with others participating in the exhibition.
Opening on 24 September, the Arus Balik – Shifting Currents programme, presented by Nieuwe Instituut, Museum Het Schip, and Gudskul, connects architecture and design networks across regions and their diasporas, exploring these fields as reflections of colonial histories and avenues for shared futures. Celebrating its first day in Gudskul spirit, the GUD Instituut Living Room creates a ‘ruang tamu’ to showcase stories from the Indonesian diaspora on hospitality and collective comfort with a public program and gathering space. The programme runs until 2 February 2025.
Until 29 September, our friends from The Outsiders will travel through Friesland with their project TERPost in a fire truck, researching the local landscape and agricultural practices. Building on their earlier artistic research in the province this summer as part of their collaboration with VHDG, they will engage with farmers, organize events, and give workshops.
Following the state’s budget announcement this week, we amplify the call from the Dutch art sector and all those affected by the government’s proposed VAT increase. We urge continued efforts to spread the campaign message, organize collectively, and maintain solidarity with those most heavily impacted. The tax increase from 9% to 21% will create additional barriers to accessing art, sports, and culture throughout the Netherlands.
On 7 September, during the final weekend of the solo exhibition The Place Where I was Condemned to Live at de Appel, artist Basma al-Sharif, together with Alina Lupu, Isshaq Albarbary, and Amal Alhaag, will reflect on her work in relation to issues raised in the exhibition: the destruction of material and immaterial heritage in Palestine (particularly in Gaza, as addressed in her film Ouroboros), the censorship of the Palestinian narrative, and a critical view on art in times of genocide. The evening will conclude with a screening of Ouroboros at Filmtheater Kriterion, introduced by Basma.
Opening this Friday, 6 September, at de Fabriek Eindhoven, States of Motion is a group exhibition that explores the tension between stillness and movement. The collection includes installations, textiles, sculptures, paintings, objects, and performances by Barbara Vignaux, Giulia Braglia, Anas Chao, Olga Korosteleva, Toni Wagner, Auke de Lange, Rosa Raaphorst, Jules Sgro, Maria Palomá, Ishani Chatterjee, Myrna de Bruijn, Lesley Lev Lock, and Gabriele Nasole. The exhibition runs daily until 15 September, 10:00–17:00.
On Saturday, 7 September, the 2024/25 kick-off of the cultural season in Utrecht takes place: Uitfeest. As an annual recurring tradition, Mutual Support Platform—a platform organized by students, alumni, and staff of HKU MAFA—showcases their practices during the day through a public program in our office and in the courtyard of Abraham Dolehof, this time as part of our exhibition Hidden Arts: What do we make when no one sees us.
On 24 August at 15:00, 16:30, and 18:00, Fire is Scary will perform during In the Borderlands at MaMA, an exhibition honoring queer, feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa. Fire is Scary features MSP community members Sol Enae Lee, Gordon H. Williams, Agustin Faundez Rojas, and Ariel Sin Yu Lee. For their works, Sol reworked an interview with Anzaldúa into a new text through layered translations between English and Korean, incorporating double meanings, machine errors, and intentional mistranslations.
Our team will be out of office from 29 July–19 August. During this period, Casco’s office gallery and exhibition space will be inhabited by MAFA HKU students and alumni, who will be conducting a self-organized artistic stay.
Our artistic director Aline Hernández will be part of the seminar Relating to the Present, happening next week from 17–20 July. She will discuss alternative economies, Casco Art Institute’s approach to commoning, and the Arts Collaboratory network. The multi-day event is organized by Aperto, a program for contemporary art professionals promoted by Fondazione Arte CRT in Turin, Italy.
Andy Fuller, an ecosystem member from Reading Sideways Press, presents a new podcast exploring the feelings, practices, and methods of running. He interviews experts and everyday runners about their experiences and is eager for feedback and suggestions for potential collaborators from all fields. Contact him at readingsidewayspress@gmail.com.
This week, 1–5 July, the Commons to Coop – Jubilee Summer School 2024 takes place at Kunsthal Gent. During a week of workshops, walks, and public conversations, local histories of cooperative organization and work with Eavatea will be studied–a new tool for artistic research and counter-mapping. Find more information on the website.
In the past days, we commemorated and celebrated Keti Koti – Dia di Abolishon – marking the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Antilles in 1863 (though many enslaved people were forced to continue until 1873). Despite nearly 150 years passing, 1 July is still not recognized as a national day of remembrance and celebration in the Netherlands. We amplify the call from the ongoing voices of the Black communities to establish 1 July as an official labor-free day, just as Liberation Day. Moreover, we urge our networks to sign and read the Zwart Manifest (Black Manifest), which strongly advocates for reparations by the state after 300 years of Dutch colonialism and improvements in contemporary rights related to housing, documentation, police violence, and more.
This Thursday! Travelling Farm Museum of Forgotten Skills is hosting a closing event at their current depot as they prepare to move to a new location. On 27 June, 20:30, everyone is invited to gather one last time at Hof van Bern 33 and join them for a night walk through the agrarian past of Leidsche Rijn—a trusted practice by their friends at Expodium. Participants are encouraged to bring their own drinks to share, while coffee and tea will be provided! Please help spread the word and join this special evening.
From June 14–17 in Požega! This solidarity gathering is convened by ULUS, an organization that advocates for improving the status of artists in Serbian society, their working conditions, and exploring new ways of collaboration. The event will feature participation from our team members Aline Hernández and Marianna Takou, who will share an introduction and a brief history of the Arts Collaboratory network, as well as the role of art institutions in fostering radical imagination. This session will examine economic experimentation, emphasizing funding paradigm shifts and alternative economies of solidarity, supported by self-organizing and self-governance structures. These mechanisms, developed in AC over time and influenced by funding and policy trends in the Netherlands and the broader EU context, can serve as an inspiration for broader art world sustainability through collective tools, shared responsibility, and ethical accountability.
Don’t miss the HKU MAFA Graduation Show, (Dis)comfort Narratives: Moving with the Feeling, opening on 19 June! This show explores the tensions and proximities of eco-socio-cultural pressures and intimate relational dynamics from various perspectives and backgrounds. We are curious to see this culmination as we have been working with the students often in their studies. Graduation works by: Habiba Afifi, Fatemeh Asiri, Naomi de Bruijn, Savvas Gerolemidis, Wenkang “Hohn” Guan, Athina Koutsiou, Nguyễn Ngọc Tú Dung, Cornalijn Overweg – Ramaker, Öykü Özoğul, Natsumi Sakai, Parel Strik, Pan Vanitcharoenthum, and Sean Ali Wang.
Wendelien van Oldenborgh will be showcasing her film Obsada (2021) at the Akademie van Kunsten Festival, which marks the 10-year anniversary of the Dutch Society of the Arts. The screening is scheduled for Thursday, 13 June, in the auditorium of the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam, starting at 21:30. The artist, who has been a board member for 10 years and has collaborated with us in the past, will be present for a brief discussion about her work following the screening.
On 9 June, 15:00–18:00, gather at The Outsiders for a collective discussion and sharing moment organized by Stichting Das Spectrum. This Nongkrongen session is inspired by the Indonesian “nongkrong,” which implies to informally hang around together in between work. There will be food available, children are welcome, and toys are provided. The session, hosted at The Outsiders’ depot, explores their commoning practice, connecting art, agroecology, and architecture.
Opening on 8 June, Sandberg Instituut presents the work of graduating students (Sandberg Graduation Shows) from its five main departments: Critical Studies, Design, Dirty Art Department, Fine Arts, and Studio for Immediate Spaces, along with two temporary programs: F for Fact and Re Opera. The exhibition runs until Tuesday. You are able to visit from 11:00–22:30 daily (Tuesday, 11:00–17:00).
Opening on 7 June in Amsterdam, 17:00–20:00: Connecting Geographies #5 by Marjolijn Boterenbrood. Having worked with Marjolein, presenting her book Letter to a Silk Road at Casco in 2022, she continues her research-driven art practice on Eurasian and specifically Kyrgyzstani historic mapping traditions. The week-long project takes place at various locations and includes presentations, readings, and more, by amongst others our Arts Collaboratory colleague Malika Umarova. Visit the website for more details.
On 7 June, P1 opens their new location in Rotterdam, along with their first exhibition–A LOUD VOICE NEVER DIES–involving research, an intervention, and an archive. With its title based on participating artist Urok Shirhan’s work, the program at their newly occupied sports school can be seen as an extension of their years-long practice of (re)claiming territory, engaging with questions that reconfigure the private and public.
Final week to submit applications for the Impact Grant 2024 by The Supporting Act Foundation! These unrestricted Impact Grants assist artist-led, underfunded grassroots organizations with community-driven approaches to using the arts for social change, particularly those supporting emerging artists from under-recognized groups. The deadline is May 27, 2024. Please head to their website for more information on specific eligibility criteria, which may depend on factors such as the organization’s location or that of a fiscal sponsor.
Shishani’s “Forget to Remember,” which she performed during our Common Grounds: Song/Value activities alongside NGT translator Nathaly Tweeboom in 2021, is officially released now. The song is a sign of the times—watch the video clip here, featuring human rights activists from around the world. Save the date for her release show at BIMHUIS on September 12, 2024.
Rijksakademie once again opens its doors this spring for the annual Open Studios. The event starts on May 30 and runs until June 2. The residents showcase what has emerged from a period of experimenting, researching, and producing new work. Among the remarkable list of this year’s contributors are Noor Abed and Ada M. Patterson, and our cooperative team- and fellow lumbung ecosystem member Reza Afisina from ruangrupa will open his studio as a guest resident. Visit their website to reserve your spot.
Erik Uitenbogaard, Head of Diverse Economies at Casco, is featured in the Loving Geopolitics podcast, elaborating on the Casco project Leidsche Rijn Luistert, a multi-year endeavor on the role of art and artists in bridging the gap between the city and the countryside. Erik invited two conversation partners to explore this reconnection: Merel Zwarts, artist from the collective the Outsiders and co-initiator of the project Leidsche Rijn Luistert, and Ella Derksen, co-founder of Casco and active in the commons-oriented Gemene Grond project through the municipality of Utrecht. The Loving Geopolitics Magazine is an initiative we connected with via Prof. Giep Hagoort.
On 11 May, Cinetol in Amsterdam organizes an extensive solidarity fundraising program for Palestine with music, poetry, and more. Our colleagues at de Appel join with a dabke workshop and print kiosk.
AFIELD invites artists and cultural workers to apply for its Transitional Justice grant. Four $10,000 grants will support projects bolstering transitional justice mechanisms in contexts of systemic oppression. Artists of any discipline and cultural workers are encouraged to submit applications with existing projects/initiatives or viable ideas.
Currently happening: Printed Matter in New York! Our artistic director Aline Hernández is representing Casco Art Institute, joining our fellow Arts Collaboratory member Cooperativa Cráter Invertido. During this multiple-day fair and gathering of forward-thinking collectives, institutions, and self-publishing initiatives, we bring amongst others our Climate Justice Code book and lumbung kios merch to the table.
As there is a whole lot coming up this month of April, we hereunder list a comprehensive overview. We hope to see and connect with you at Casco and beyond!
Friday, 12 April: Collective reading session on Kathrin Böhm’s Art on the Scale of Life book
Saturday, 13 April: The Arts in Solidarity
Sunday, 14 April: Foraging workshop ‘I took a walk and was fed’ (Tonio Flores and Toni Kritzer) – Critical Pathways, Utrecht University
Thursday, 18 April: Community dinner and presentation: A Moving Feast (Tonio Flores) – Critical Pathways, Utrecht University
Friday, 19 April: Doing Gender workshop (Rizvana Bradley, Gender Studies)
Saturday, 20 April: Collective reading session on Kathrin Böhm’s Art on the Scale of Life book
Thursday, 25 April: Casco and Myvillages present: Rural School of Economics – Zburazh art coop
Wednesday, 1 May: Publication launch and festivities – Art on the Scale of Life with Kathrin Böhm and Wapke Feenstra
This Friday, 19 April, we are happy to welcome Dr. Rizvana Bradley back to Casco for a workshop titled The Critique of Form: Anteaesthetics and Black Aesthesis. Rizvana presented at Casco before in the context of the study trajectory Poetics of Living together withour former curator Staci Bu Shea. We would encourage you to research into her work, as for this Friday the workshop is fully booked. Find more information on her presence in Utrecht via NOG. Following this event, the Doing Gender lecture is set at the University on Monday.
Next week, on Thursday, 25 April, an experimental listening and performance night by the aural conduct record label takes place at music venue Garage Noord in Amsterdam. The showcase features artists my name is not mata, k cidder, and Cardboard Lamb and is organized by Casco teammember Luke Cohlen. Expect transgressive yet poetic sounds and the weaving of radio practices into a live setting.
On Saturday, 13 April, 16:00–20:00, the exhibition Edgelanders by artists Ehsan Fardjaniya and Raul Balai will open at de Appel. Throughout the multifaceted art project, they build a self-organized trial against the city of Amsterdam, through which they critically assess its ethical image and juridical obligations, while researching and weaving the voices of its affected and responsible citizens.
Travelling Farm Museum of Forgotten Skills is featured in Urban Food Mapping: Making Visible the Edible City, co-edited by Katrin Böhm! Advocating for creative food mapping solutions against the sustainability issues we collectively face, it highlights the intricate relationship between food systems and urban environments. TFM’s contribution–Reimagining the (agri)cultural city: Commoning and cultivating relationships in Utrecht, Holland by Merel Zwarts, Corelia Baibarac-Duignan, and Asia Komarova–dives into their extensive artistic inquiry into Leidsche Rijn’s agroecological history and forgotten skills.
On Friday, April 19 at Casco, Dr. Rizvana Bradley (University of California, Berkeley) will give a workshop organized with NOG, Terra Critica, and Critical Pathways, titled The Critique of Form: Anteaesthetics and Black Aesthesis. The Monday afterwards, Rizvana will give a Doing Gender lecture. More information here.
This Saturday from 12:00–17:00, Casco will participate as a listening station for 24hrs/Palestine, a plurilingual program uniting voices in solidarity with the Palestinian people. This initiative aims to gather perspectives from around the globe on the necessities and possibilities of anti-colonial solidarity, spanning various time zones and physical spaces. Feel welcome at Casco or visit the initiative’s Instagram for updates!
On April 17, the publication launch of Plot(ting) will take place at Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Stemming from the Art & Spatial Praxis research group, Plot(ting) serves as a platform merging art, research, and spatial dynamics. Inspired by Sylvia Wynter’s pioneering theories on space and narrative, Plot(ting) explores ‘plotting’ as a model for artistic practice and inquires into a diverse range of art practices. The event will feature performances and talks by, among others, Francisca Khamis Giacoman and Patricia de Vries. For more information, please visit their website.
The Closet is a gathering space for youth aged 14 to 18 years old. It aims to foster a sense of belonging through the experimentation of costumes and drag. It starts on 15 April 2024, and lasts for 3 months. Initiated by queer educator Taka Taka, the program features workshops, tool-building, and more. It is open to a maximum of 15 people (in English), and the deadline for registration is 8 April.
Contact and more information: thecloset.amsterdam@gmail.com
Ansuya Blom, a dear board member, is opening her solo exhibition show at Landhuis Oud Amelisweerd organized by Centraal Museum today. The show remains open from 23 March to 30 June 2024. Don’t miss it!