Hangout #5: Festival MagiaHangout #5: Festival Magia

Join Festival Magia on 24 August for a delicious barbecue in The New Garden. While enjoying the garden barbecue, you can discover the stories of The New Garden's visitors together with Festival Magia, the host of this edition of Just Hanging Out. Just Hanging Out investigates public space in Rotterdam, and in particular the space of 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.

Arp Frique presents Festival Magia is back on 23 and 24 August for it's third edition, and it's going deeper. Two days and nights in Rotterdam's art district around the infamous Witte de Withstraat. In the most vibrant part of Rotterdam, both indoor and outdoor, Festival Magia is expanding it's storytelling mission with more than just special music, adding art, talks and live radio by Operator, screenings, a vinyl market and a night program.

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