Nieuwe Instituut and Archis Foundation join forces to produce Volume magazine
Nieuwe Instituut and the Archis Foundation announce a long-term partnership that will see Volume magazine, the bi-annual international journal of architecture and design culture, become a collaboration between the two organisations. Starting with the print and digital editions of Volume #63: The Not-so-Easy Guide to Interior Design and Volume #64: World Review in December 2023, the publication will act as a cross-pollinator between its in-depth editorial content and the research and programmes of the Nieuwe Instituut, while maintaining its editorial independence under its current editor-in-chief, Stephan Petermann.
13 November 2023
Volume is an independent magazine that sets the agenda for architecture and design. Moving beyond the definition of architecture as ‘making buildings’, it strives for global perspectives on designing environments, advocates broader attitudes to social structures and reclaims the cultural and political significance of architecture. Created as a global platform of ideas to give a voice to architecture in any way, anywhere and anytime, it represents the expansion of architectural territories and the new mandate for design.
The collaboration between the Archis Foundation, the publisher of Volume, and the Nieuwe Instituut, reflects a broader conviction that the complex issues facing society today can only be addressed through joint efforts. Substantial impact on society can be achieved by international cross-fertilisation between fields and sectors, linking expertise and tackling complex issues together.
Although this is a new collaboration, the two organisations have a shared history. The Netherlands has a tradition of strong, coherent policies on architecture, urbanism and planning, with incentive schemes that created a multi-layered network of institutions, institutes and design practices. In this context, the former magazine Archis (the predecessor of Volume and the journal for architecture, the city and visual culture dating back to 1929) functioned as an independent department of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), which in turn was the predecessor of the Nieuwe Instituut. Now, almost 20 years later, the two organisations are reunited through this partnership.
Each partner will use its own tools, from presenting and collecting to editing and publishing, to share knowledge and stimulate discussion. Together, they will organise a series of lectures and debates in various venues in Amsterdam and other cities, and work together on research projects.
“ Nieuwe Instituut and Volume both aim to look at the world through the critical lens of design and related disciplines in order to challenge conventional understandings. Together, we can expand our thinking, perspectives and reach even further, which is why we are so excited about this collaboration. ”
Aric Chen, General and Artistic Director, Nieuwe Instituut
“ The opportunity to collaborate with the Nieuwe Instituut on a structural basis gives Volume the ideal combination of being locally embedded while maintaining a global perspective. The curiosity of both our teams is releasing new energy and curiosity, which we hope will soon become even more visible and shared. ”
Lilet Breddels, Director, Archis Foundation
Launch
The official announcement will be celebrated at the Nieuwe Instituut at the opening of the exhibitions Designing the Netherlands: 100 Years of Past & Present Futures and 100 Years of the Maison d’Artiste Myth on 8 December.
Note for editors
For questions and requests, please contact Robin van Essel, Press Officer, via r.vanessel@nieuweinstituut.nl or +31 (0)6 3803 9218
About Nieuwe Instituut
Nieuwe Instituut is the Netherlands’ national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture. Based in Rotterdam, the institute’s mission is to embrace the power and potential of new thinking, exploring past, present and future ideas in order to imagine, test and enact a better tomorrow. Encouraging visitors of all ages to question, rethink and contribute, the institute’s exhibitions, public programmes, research, and wide-reaching national and international initiatives provide a testing ground for collaboration with leading designers, thinkers and diverse audiences, critically addressing the urgent questions of our times. In addition to housing the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning, the institute manages the 1933 Sonneveld House, a leading example of Dutch Functionalist architecture, as part of its campus in Rotterdam’s Museumpark.
About Archis Foundation
Archis is an international experimental think-and-do tank on the design of the city and beyond. Archis specialises in long-term research projects with a broad variety of possible outcomes (exhibition, book, magazine, debate and website). Projects are always collaborations with an interdisciplinary global network of individuals, institutions, universities and corporations. One of its projects since 2010 is Architecture of Peace, on the role of architecture in (post)conflict situations. Archis is publisher of Volume magazine and books on architecture and design.
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