At Merve’s table:

We started from this one bench that two people (one a ceramic artist) wanted to make, and got in touch with the municipality. The idea was to address the lack of open spaces. The response from the municipality was that they wouldn’t take any responsibility if they wanted to do so. To them, this was a very simple way of rejecting an idea. There I asked, what if that bench was made possible in Merwede, would you go? Yeah maybe why not, interesting, but yet it's too far away. What if the bench is a “pop-up” or traveling bench, benches on tour. “Then the question is about where we are going to put them, and who is going to look after them? We don't have enough open space.” This conversation opened the door to the lack of open and green space in the neighbourhood. “They just keep on building around here.” I asked how they spend their weekends and where their families live, they don’t stay in the neighbourhood when families visit.

“We need green gardens as accessible spaces to gather.”

“There was a Buurthuis before but that was back in the 70s. We want our space! Even when the coffee is free here (De Pomp), it defers people.”

We know public art cannot respond to these questions but it can ask these questions. You can do it yourself? We lack the process, we need processes to empower us to do art.

Back to Zoraima’s table:

Another resident comes to the table and tells me how important this coffee table is because after she retired she only had her volunteer job at De Dom so this is an extra social thing for her. Then Ruud joins the conversation, he’s wearing a shirt with a logo that makes me think of the brandweer but I think he’s part of some kind of neighborhood watch but it is immediately clear Ruud is very invested in Dichterswijk and its surroundings as he immediately spits out many creative ideas and tells us what he thinks is important. One of his ideas would be to make a route through the neighborhood with the old steel from the Demka factory, “It’s important to stay in touch with the history of this area”. He also shares the story of an informally placed statue that was removed in Kanaleneiland because “it was illegal,” and that the whole neighbourhood started a protest because they liked it so much and Ruud adds “now you come to ask us what we would like as public art in public space?”

“I think history is important to a neighbourhood, but not to linger in” says Ruud, he sees it as an introduction for newcomers in the area, another woman at the table says she sees it more as a welcome to newcomers. Nienke mentions an initiative of a young guy who makes a podcast about old stories next to new stories.

Then Ruud starts talking about another historical fact, “de bruine vloot”, which we haven’t heard of even though we have walked through the place many many times. He also mentions a project he did at Beton T where he built an artwork with pieces of wood of one of the old masts of the boat. He would really like to show it to us and what follows is a walk with just the three of us through the neighborhood. He seems proud, a bit worried about the rapid transformation but especially very involved in his part of town which is very nice to see.

GEMENE GROND

How Gemene Grond handles your privacy