Every Act of Struggle: Intrusion and Assembly
14:00–20:00
de Appel, Tolstraat 160, Amsterdam
Image: Bardhi Haliti & Zuzana Zuzana Kostelanská. Archief Anti-Apartheidsbeweging Nederland (Amsterdam), International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam
Save the dates:
Thursday 24 April 2025: Opening and Public Programme
Friday 25 April 2025: Public Programme
Friday 23 + Saturday 24 May 2025: Closing Public Programme
With artists:
Noor Abed, Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Chad Cordeiro, Iswanto Hartono, Pieter Paul Pothoven,
curated by School of Intrusions, de Appel and the contributing artists.
Over the past two years, a complex discourse has emerged concerning the ways in which cultural institutions in the Netherlands navigate questions of historical violence and systemic injustice in the context of their colonial history. Artists have employed various strategies to urge these institutions to address these issues, often merging activism with their artistic practice. While some actions have brought these matters to public attention, much of the discourse continues to unfold in private, with many institutions adopting cautious or noncommittal stances. This current dynamic recalls earlier moments in history, namely the debates sparked by the cultural boycott and anti-apartheid (SA) movement of the 1960s throughout the 1980s in the Netherlands, when cultural institutions faced similar pressures to critically reflect on their roles. Adopting a methodology proposed by School of Intrusions, the artists in this exhibition have been meeting in different archives and locations in Amsterdam, going through research material and discussing various cases of institutional reactions and actions led by artist movements and anti-apartheid campaigns. For the duration of the presentation at de Appel, former pertinent artworks by the artists will be exhibited, and the exhibition space of de Appel will be converted into a hospitable assembly space by architect and artist Iswanto Hartono to continue activations by sharing open research and study sessions with audiences. The research will continue past the exhibition culminating in another public moment in 2026.
Closing Symposium
The public programme on 23 and 24 May will include talks by the contributing artists about their ongoing research on the anti-apartheid movement in The Netherlands and specifically artists and art institution’s involvement. Other speakers will also be contributing on cultural boycotts and its history in relation to South Africa. More information on the programme will be published on de Appel’s website.