Jalan + TokoJalan + Toko

'Jalan' was shot in Jogjakarta and is part of a series of four films about the microeconomy and resourcefulness in urban public space. Street vendors improvise, claim sidewalks and recycle materials to generate an income. In 2014 Tomesen took her shop-on-wheels named 'Toko', filled with typical Indonesian plastic household products, like a Javan merchant, to the suburban areas of Amsterdam-North.

The rhythm of 'Jalan' - the Indonesian word 'jalan' has many meanings: street, work, walk, method, means, behaviour - follows the rhythm of a fictional day, without explanation nor dialogue. Unintentional compositions, colours, forms and repetitive qualities are reminiscent of installations or performance art. The repetition found in situations and activities that occur every day, regardless of the weather, are like a scripted reality; as if time stands still and repeats itself endlessly in different variations.

In 2014 Tomesen took her shop-on-wheels named 'Toko', filled with typical Indonesian plastic household products, like a Javan merchant, to the suburban areas of Amsterdam-North. Selling products was for Tomesen a way to meet locals and discuss topics like plastic soup, and thus create more awareness of the environment. With 'Toko' Tomesen speaks out against big retail units and shopping malls that lack the unique atmosphere of small shops.

Su Tomesen is a visual artist. She graduated in fine art at the Sandberg Institute (NL) and is based in Amsterdam and Jogjakarta. Her work consists of videos, photographs and installations informed by her travels and her background as a historian and television director. Her art works evolve from researching local circumstances and observing situations. Working abroad is a means for her to constantly question her (European) position, ideas and being. "Sometimes I feel like an ambassador, I show works from Johannesburg in Yerevan or I present a video I produced in Cuba in Jogjakarta".

Weekly changing presentations in the foyer of Het Nieuwe Instituut. A controversial new design, sensational research, work by an emerging talent or a new acquisition for the State Archive for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning are given a place in the spotlight.