Architecture of AppropriationArchitecture of Appropriation

Squatting emerged as a vital social force in the Netherlands' poorly maintained city centres in the 1970s and 1980s, when empty houses, commercial properties and industrial sites were occupied without the owner's permission. Despite the ban on the practice that came in to force in 2010, it still takes place on a limited scale. In these cases, the typically Dutch infrastructure - with squatting consultations as central hubs for the squatters' movement, squatting actions prepared and carried out according to fixed protocols, and contact with the police and authorities conducted according to particular routines - has remained intact. The spatial heritage of the squatters' movement comprises countless monuments and neighbourhoods that have been saved from demolition by their interventions. Spatial ideals, such as the renovation of derelict buildings, re-use of building materials and collective living and working on a building and neighbourhood level, have also had a marked influence on thinking about (temporary developments in) the city.

The notion that squatters are architects is not generally accepted. But viewing the squatters' movement from an architectural perspective helps to clarify the far-reaching consequences of its interventions. Using themes such as disuse, property and collective forms of living, Architecture of Appropriation shows how the infrastructure of the city can be viewed as a constant invitation to transform. Systems can be adapted, networks reconfigured and buildings redefined. A new programme can be written for practically every situation, so that the city can be used to its full potential.

Architecture of Appropriation sheds light on squatting from various perspectives. The squatters' own approach is examined through the protocols they follow in their spatial interventions. Other angles are provided by the archive of architect Hein de Haan, who worked closely with squatters, and the vision of photographer-artist David Carr-Smith on improvised architecture in squatted industrial buildings. Additionally, the history and spatial transformation of five Dutch case studies will be documented throughout the exhibition space: the results of a research project by R&D in partnership with René Boer (Failed Architecture), the architecture faculty of the TU Eindhoven, and the residents of the locations in question. Architecture of Appropriation is designed by ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles], known for the Schieblock and associated projects in Rotterdam. Their spatial installation introduces the architectural practice of appropriation to the Museum for Architecture, Design and Digital Culture.

On Thursday 26 January 2017, three exhibitions - Designing the Surface, Sleep Mode and Architecture of Appropriation - will open at 17.00. For previews and interviews please rsvp here.

For more information or images please contact Yev Kravt via email: y.kravt@hetnieuweinstituut.nl or telephone on +31 (0)6 83 67 97 37