Rietveld Academie – Refuge

You find refuge in a camp, bomb shelter, safe space, in a body, state of being, state of mind. Or you refuge in a (self-chosen) family, community, movement, or collectivity.

Some of the participants in this program take the experience of having to move to another country as a starting point, accompanied by feelings of displacement and memories of the past. Some see close friends struggling with these issues. It is not only political circumstances that urge people to move, it can also be the situation in the rural regions of countries like France, where young people have left the villages to move to the cities.

It can be the cultural traditions of making food in eastern countries ‘leaking’ into traditions of the west, being appropriated and transformed, raising awareness of colonialism. Or the focus is much closer, on the body as a place to hide in. In short, the topic of this program inspired students to make work in many different directions according to their own fascination and language.

Volg (Gabriël van de Sluis, 2023) (projection on the building, 20:30-22:30)

Using one of the biggest and most prominent buildings in Amsterdam as a canvas, the visual installation opens up a dialogue between the architecture and its visitors. The eye movement imbues a feeling of being watched at all times. The discomfort of a lack of privacy and a forced interaction challenges the viewer to engage with their surroundings.