15-5519 is the new site-specific public intervention by artist Ayse Erkmen that playfully engages with the tactile characteristics of Witte de With’s architecture. Erkmen will add a temporary “coat” to Witte de With’s building by partially covering its façade with a monochrome composition reminiscent of a nylon winter jacket. The work’s title, 15-5519, is the color code representing Pantone Color Institute’s proposed color of 2010. The source of the stitched pattern composition is Theo van Doesberg’s painting Contra-Composition XVI (1925). Instead of the primary and non-colors propagated by the Dutch De Stijl movement, Erkmen’s work adopts a contemporary tint of turquoise. Through her translation, Van Doesburg’s iconic work is given an alternative sculptural form. 15-5519 animates the architecture and offers an uncommon physical experience for passersby and for the institution.
Between You and I is a joint project by SKOR and Witte de With taking place between the Fall of 2009 and January2011. For this project, four international artists are commissioned to intervene on Witte de With’s facade in order to create a critical interface dealing directly with Rotterdam’s urban fabric. Between You and I strives to open a space to reflect about morality today, inviting an active response by the public concerning the presence of contemporary art in public spaces.