Het Nieuwe Instituut Online/Offline #11
Following the tragic death of George Floyd, action has been taken in various ways, in different guises and in countless places, against racism and police brutality. Floyd's death should not be interpreted as an isolated or quintessentially American incident. Just as the recent outbreak of Covid-19 does not stand alone, but should be seen as a result of the systematic destruction of various ecosystems, once again current events dramatically demonstrate the structural nature of racial violence.
15 June 2020
Het Nieuwe Instituut wants to ally itself with everyone who is committed to racial justice. The institute is aware that it too has forms of exclusion which are reflected in its organisation and the partnerships and collaborations it engages in, among other things.
Het Nieuwe Instituut is translating the fight against inequality into concrete, practical steps. It has decided, for example, to make multivocality - diversity of perspective - the leading principle that guides the activities of the institute at all levels, from programming to the processes of recruitment and commissioning. The National Collection will be enriched with stories that are as yet under-represented. The existing National Collection, after all, focuses too one-sidedly on white male authors. Next week, on the basis of an international Open Call, designers and researchers will be invited to develop ideas for new forms of cultural institutes. In addition, all staff members are taking part in training in having conversations that can touch us and in which we can feel uncomfortable at the same time.These are steps in a long process: a process that the institute has explicitly undertaken.
The Hoodie and G/D THYSELF projects give visibility to narratives of inequality and discrimination. The makers draw attention to prejudice, racism and aggressive police action and are committed to raising a generation of Free Black Children. Lived experience is an essential link in the development of the content of these projects, the cooperation with partners and the connection to the public. Institutes that broach the topic of inequality can do so only by the grace of balanced representation - not just on a project basis, but structurally. We are grateful to the designers, thinkers and makers who collaborate with us in the context of these projects and others. We would also like to thank our staff members who are committed to a more diverse and inclusive institute. Het Nieuwe Instituut is in the middle of a learning and change process that would not be possible without them.
Nederland wordt beter is a Dutch anti-racism organisation with information in English
Earlier this year, staff members attended the boot camp of OF/BY/FOR ALL This initiative also provides a framework for action
'As If', an essay by Ramon Amaro on racial bias in technology
Revisit this discussion 'Inclusive Cities: Shared cutural heritage in segregated cities'.
The Funambulist, a magazine about the politics of space and bodies: No 29 States of Emergency.
The Funambulist Podcast Design & Racism with Mabel O. Wilson: 'Can the master's tools dismantle the master's house?
The Moon Center is an initiative by Tabita Rezaire for experiencing and sharing the wisdom of the moon through art, science and spirit.
'Once more with feeling&' #NewPowerGeneration by Erinma Ochu.
Where are the Black Designers is an initiative that gives a platform to creatives of colour.
Force Times Distance: On Labour and its Sonic Ecologies, Sonsbeek 20-24
Miguel Peres dos Santos: "By using an ever-growing archive of found documents to create autonomous artworks, his work references post-colonial theory as well as the avant-garde or the post-modern and the left-wing democratic movement as a form of resistance against the logic of the capitalist market system"
The Architectural League of New York published a Statement and Resources on Race and Architecture
This message is the result of several conversations that have taken place within and outside the organisation in recent weeks. The institute intends to continue these dialogues and is open to all suggestions, questions and criticisms from readers of this letter. Would you like to contribute to the ongoing process towards a more multivocal Het Nieuwe Instituut? Then you can contact us by mailing Niek van der Meer, via n.vandermeer@hetnieuweinstituut.nl.