Hangout #4: Charlie Koolhaas
As part of Just Hanging Out, a series of daytime barbecues curated by AFARAI in De Nieuwe Tuin. Rotterdam based artist Charlie Koolhaas will transform the wild garden into a colourful event space, using her eclectic collection of fabrics.
22 August 2019 13:00 - 18:00
The barbecue, by starts at 13.00 with music, cocktails and soulful food by Ingrid until 18:00. Between 15:00 and 16:00, Charlie Koolhaas will chair an open mic style discussion on the theme of 'private obsessions' with the guests at the barbecue. As part of the series of Locker Room Talks, organised by Charlie Koolhaas and Afaina de Jong, all guests at Just Hanging Out #4 will have five minutes to present and discuss a bit of media that caught their attention recently.
Be it a funny cat video or a mind corrupting porn clip, we want you, the guests, to tell us about the crazy shit you've been looking at lately. So come ready to talk about that life-altering YouTube clip you watched last week, a news story that you've been obsessively following, a conspiracy theory that you heard and kind of believe, the horoscope that came eerily true, or even just a Netflix documentary that blew your mind in recently. You tell us what's been on your mind, and why - which clip, album, account, film or story. So that by sharing our obsessions we create a medley of samples scraped from the mediasphere; a mix of fake news, technological invention, celebrity gossip, scientific discovery, new age mysticism; the vital bits of information that are traversing the algorithms of now/current events.
The New Garden
Since 2015, The New Garden, designed and maintained by artist Frank Bruggeman and ecological gardener Hans Engelbrecht, has been a widely used public space around Het Nieuwe Instituut. At Het Nieuwe Instituut's request, architects Afaina de Jong and Zaira Pourier (AFARAI) have researched the garden's multifaceted use, with the aim of making visible and supporting its value. They spent a few weeks hanging out, talking to visitors and regulars, and discovering the specific qualities of the place.
Just Hanging Out investigates public space in Rotterdam, and specifically in The New Garden. In the programme, hanging out in public space is framed by a spatial and cultural perspective. Instead of counteracting the use of public space by means of control or anti-design, Just Hanging Out takes it as a starting point to think about ownership, the value of 'free' public places, and how the presence of 'others' has an impact on the experience of and access to public space.
Charlie Koolhaas
Dutch artist and writer Charlie Koolhaas grew up in London, but these days she works from her studio in Rotterdam. After studying sociology, she started her career as an editor, writer and photographer for various magazines. In 2007, Koolhaas co-curated the Shenzhen Biennale, an event focusing on urbanism and architecture in China. Her photography has been shown at a variety of exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the Shenzhen Biennale and Dubai Next at the Vitra Design Museum.
Hangouts
In the summer of 2019, six hosts will play a central role in the programme of The New Garden. The hangouts are organized around a daytime barbecue and will attract new visitors from the hosts' own networks as well as appealing to current garden regulars.
Just Hanging Out #1
Maher al Sabbagh
Thursday 11 July
Just Hanging Out #2
Manuela Goncalves Tavares
Friday 9 August
Just Hanging Out #3
Hunna Blockparty Talents
Saturday 17 August
Just Hanging Out #4
Charlie Koolhaas
Thursday 22 August
Just Hanging Out #5
Festival Magia
Saturday 24 August
Just Hanging Out #6
Malique Mohamud & Concrete Blossom
Sunday 25 August