Unraveling Rotterdam

The Periphery Complex comprises a program of informal meetings, lectures, debates and workshops over the course of 2006 and 2007, in which participants will investigate opportunities for innovative strategies within contemporary art practice. The starting point is the current playingfield for art in the Netherlands, placing the accent on the local situation in the initial sessions, entitled Unraveling Rotterdam.

Unraveling Rotterdam is a series of discussions with leading figures in the Rotterdam art world, to be held between Tuesday 27 June and Saturday 1 July 2006. During these daily 'talkshows' (starting at 6:30 p.m. and finishing approx. at 8 p.m., in good time for participants to watch the World Cup games! With the exception of Saturday July 1, starting at 2 p.m.) members of Witte de With's staff will explore selected themes with one or two guests and with the public, perhaps formulating certain answers. The themes from these discussions will provide the basis for a textbook. The sequel to The Periphery Complex is planned for February 2007.

Tuesday 27-06
Session 1 (6:30 – 7:15 p.m.)
Nicolaus Schafhausen (Witte de With) in conversation with Wim Pijbes (director Kunsthal Rotterdam) and Gitta Luiten (director Mondriaan Foundation), moderated by Roemer van Toorn (head of History & Theory program at the Berlage Institute). About money: the (im)possibibilities of private and public funding.(English spoken)

Session 2 (7:15 – 8:00 p.m.)
Nicolaus Schafhausen with Siebe Thissen (Art in the Public Space, CBK) and Mariette Dölle, the new program director of TENT. Topics: the ideal situation and infrastructure for presenting art. (English spoken)

Wednesday 28-06
Session 1 (6:30 – 7:15 p.m.)
Ariadne Urlus (Witte de With) in conversation with Rein Wolfs (head of presentations Boijmans van Beuningen) and Shervin Nekuee (sociologist and publicist, former member of RKS and RRKC) about the new audience for art institutes. The conversation starts from the new “Stimuleringsprijs Culturele Diversiteit” of the Mondriaan Foundation.

Session 2 (7:15 – 8:00 p.m.)
Belinda Hak (Witte de With) will talk with Dirk Monsma (director SKVR) and Fianne Konings (Konings Kunst and art educator of the CBK) about goals and strategies in art education.

Thursday 29-06
Session 1 (6:30 – 7:15 p.m.)
Zoe Gray (Witte de With) will interview the people behind Fucking Good Art, Rob Hamelijnck and Nienke Terpsma, and Tubelight, Terry van Druten and Raymond Frenken, about art criticism and writing in Rotterdam. (English spoken)

Session 2 (7:15 – 8:00 p.m.)
Solange de Boer (Witte de With) in conversation with Nina Post of Episode Publishers and Marcel Witvoet of NAI Booksellers about the publishing and distributing of art and architecture books.

Friday 30-06
Session 1 (6:30 – 7:15 p.m.)
Renske Janssen (Witte de With) will talk with Ina Klaassen, Head Policy & Research Dienst Kunst en Cultuur and Jan Zoet (director Rotterdamse Schouwburg) about art policies in Rotterdam. What will change?

Session 2 (7:15 – 8:00 p.m.)
Renske Janssen (Witte de With) in conversation with Erik van Lieshout and Johanna de Schipper, student from Ateliers, about art production and the production of art. How do generations of artists differ from one another?

Saturday 01-07
Session 1: (2:00 – 2.45 p.m.)
Florian Waldvogel (Witte de With and curator of Manifesta 6) will discuss the topic of art schools with Anke Bangma (Piet Zwart Institute) and Ine Poppe (Willem de Kooning Academy). How is the next generation of artists educated? (English spoken)

Session 2 (2:45 – 3.30 p.m.)
Sophie von Olfers (Witte de With) is going to lead a discussion about the Rotterdam off scene (art and music) with Susanne Kriemann (Wilde Weten), Peter Taylor (Helbaard/Little Memo), Peter Fengler (De Player) and Hajo Doorn (Worm). What is their opinion about art and innovation? (English spoken).
Drinks and surprise performance.