Designing the Social
3 July 2021 - 6 July 2024
Feminist Design Strategies
For a long time, the (his)story of architecture, urban planning and design seemed to be a matter for white men. Other voices, such as those of women ‘herstories’ remained grossly underexposed. During the second feminist wave (1968-89) countless networks and initiatives had formed in the Netherlands that fought this distorted image.
Four women forming triangles, or the Yoni sign, with their hands against a white wall, counter clockwise from bottom right: Tania Leon, Lida van den Broek, Ananda Spies, Margrethe Rumeser, year: 198?, photo: Gon Buurman. Source: Collection IAV-Atria
![Group portrait Sister Outsider collective, members from left to right: Tania Leon, Gloria
Wekker, Joice Spies, Tieneke Sumter, in front of the [Migrant and Black Women’s Center Flamboyant], Amsterdam, 1986(?), photo: unknown. Source: Coll…](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcmsfiles.nieuweinstituut.nl%2Fzqpqtpnfvufk1yw6rmmwxy3gvvk6rpvp_5e9bcca893.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
_Group portrait Sister Outsider collective, members from left to right: Tania Leon, Gloria Wekker, Joice Spies, Tieneke Sumter, in front of the [Migrant and Black Women’s Center Flamboyant], Amsterdam, 1986(?), photo: unknown. Source: Collection IAV-Atria _
Design course by Anita Koster at De Born, training centre for the empowerment of women in Bennekom, 1980, photo: Catrien Ariëns. Source: Brabants Historical Information Centre
![Making of “Zwart aan Zet” [Black Moves], a publication by the Group Zwarte Vrouwen Nijmegen, at the Villa Lila Nijmegen, 1985, Lily van Engen, Grace Stulting and Mo Salomon, photo: An Stalpers. Source: Fotografica Nijmegen](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcmsfiles.nieuweinstituut.nl%2Fbevc775gu9rgc6bcyw3grmjjmqdjfybg_12cdcc0122.jpeg&w=1920&q=75)
Making of “Zwart aan Zet” [Black Moves], a publication by the Group Zwarte Vrouwen Nijmegen, at the Villa Lila Nijmegen, 1985, Lily van Engen, Grace Stulting and Mo Salomon, photo: An Stalpers. Source: Fotografica Nijmegen
For a long time, the (his)story of architecture, urban planning and design seemed to be a matter for white men. Other voices, such as those of women 'herstories' remained grossly underexposed. During the second feminist wave (1968-89) countless networks and initiatives had formed in the Netherlands that fought this distorted image.
The Vrouwen Bouwen Wonen ('Women Building Housing') network, the Sister Outsider collective, and a publication like Zwart aan Zet ('Black Moves') illustrate the diversity of approaches and powerful design strategies intended to reshape society.
Under the heading of solidarity, the women's movement manifested itself in all kinds of social areas. Yet equality was not guaranteed even within their own circles. Women of colour, or women who did not belong to the majority because of sexual orientation or religious beliefs, had to fight for recognition. The research presented here highlights collectives for whom the struggle against the oppression of women was linked to the resistance against other forms of discrimination. Such an intersectional approach, characteristic of current feminism, was not self-evident for this particular generation.
The period 1968-89 clearly showed how the highly personal and the political are intertwined. And how important networking and self-organisation are to escape patriarchal structures. The feminist design strategies focused on the exchange of knowledge and skills, on protest actions, publication and construction activities. Dutch archives, including the National Collection at Het Nieuwe Instituut, bear witness to both quiet and openly expressed oppositions to the status quo and the way the social system in the Netherlands was designed.
Today, these herstories are as urgent as ever. They give insight into practices based on designing equality, by first acknowledging each other's differences and multivocalities, to fight all forms of oppression.
Building
Pagina van plakboek “Werk_Arbeid Dossier: Feministiese woninganalyse” door Lidewij Tummers, 1986. Bron: Archief Vrouwen ...
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(Re)claiming
Groep bij de Homodemonstratie Roze Zaterdag, 1989, foto: Sjan Bijman. Bron: Collectie IAV-Atria Identifying...
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Networking, Amplifying
Groepsportret collectief Sister Outsider, leden van links naar rechts: Tania Leon, Gloria Wekker, Joice Spies, Tieneke S...
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Listening
Groep vrouwen bij de Vrouwenstaking met het spandoek “Vrouwen staken tegen abortus wet”, 1981, foto: Maya Pejic. Bron: C...
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Posting
“Zwarte vrouwenvriendschappendag”, Vrouwencultuurgroep ROSA, Utrecht, 1986, ontwerp: Mora h. s. Ducastel. Bron: Collecti...
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Mapping
How to map a movement? Was there one feminist movement, or many? Were some in dialogue and others not? Was there really ...
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Wording
Informatieblad van Translation Collective [Vertaalcollectief] De Bron, 198?, geprint door Vrouwendrukkerij Las Muchachas...
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Recap Feminist Assembly Month
In September 2022, Het Nieuwe Instituut organised a series of activities with the aim of bringing together different gen...
➝ Read moreConcept and design: Tabea Nixdorff Research and texts: Tabea Nixdorff, Setareh Noorani
This project was made possible thanks to:
