BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:30250@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Remembrance and Resistance: Whose Public Art? DTSTAMP:20261110T175809Z DTSTART:20261208T190000Z DESCRIPTION:Who and what gets to be remembered\, and who gets to decide? Mo numents and public\nart are rarely neutral. They can spark controversy\, q uietly disappear from\npublic view\, or become focal points for broader de bates about identity\, history\,\nand who gets to represent the city. What stories should public art tell\, whose\nhistories and experiences should they represent\, and how can they reflect a city\nshaped by its past\, pre sent\, and possible futures?\n\nThe Amsterdam municipality has recently pr oposed a new policy framework for art\nin public space\, aiming to create more room for representation and multiple\nperspectives. The framework see ks to encourage public art that commemorates and\nimagines the histories a nd experiences of people with a migration background\,\nLGBTQI+ people\, a nd women. It responds in part to Motion 839\, adopted by the\nAmsterdam Ci ty Council in 2020 amid growing public debate about racism\, colonial\nleg acies\, and representation\, fuelled by the Black Lives Matter protests\nf ollowing the murder of George Floyd.\n\nBut what do representation and pol yphony mean in practice? Who determines which\nstories deserve a place in public space\, and how can different communities\nparticipate in shaping t he city’s commemorative landscape? What role should the\nmunicipality play \, and what possibilities exist for civic initiatives and\nartistic interv entions beyond formal policy and institutional frameworks?\n\nTaking the r ecently published book You Are Here — Art in the Public Space of\nAmsterda m as a starting point\, the evening will explore these questions through\n the perspectives of art\, history\, political science\, and public engagem ent.\nThrough a collaboration between Stadscuratorium Amsterdam and journa list Edo\nDijksterhuis\, the book examines the monuments\, statues\, mural s\, and memorials\nthat shape the city around us\, often without us really noticing them.\n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\nAnnemarie de Wildt is an independent rese archer. She will give an introduction\nto Amsterdam’s monument landscape\, the municipality’s new policy framework\, and\nMotion 839\, placing curre nt debates in a broader historical and international\ncontext.\n\nFloris V ermeulen is professor of Political Science and will reflect on civic\nenga gement and representation\, examining civic participation\, local democrac y\,\nand the broader question of whose voices are represented in Amsterdam ’s public\nspace.\n\nLaura van Hasselt is professor of History and will re flect on monuments\,\nmigration\, and historical memory. She will take int o account monuments in\nAmsterdam and Europe\, including the initiative fo r a guest-worker monument in\nAmsterdam-Noord\, and considers how historic al narratives become part of public\nspace.\n\nRaul Balai is a visual arti st and designer. He will challenge historical\nnarratives drawing on his a rtistic practice and multicultural background\, as\nwell as influences fro m graffiti\, hip-hop\, and graphic design\, to explore how\nart can challe nge stereotypes\, historical representations\, and social prejudices\nwith criticality and humor.\n\nIlga Minjon (moderator) is a member of Stadscur atorium Amsterdam\, with expertise\nin the themes addressed during the eve ning. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/remembrance-and-resistance-whose-public -art GEO:52.3685931;4.8896879 LOCATION:SPUI25 - Spui 25-27\, 1012 WX Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:history,politics,talk X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Who and what gets to be remembered, and who gets to decide? Monuments and public art are rarely neutral. They can spa rk controversy, quietly disappear from public view, or become focal points for broader debates about identity, history, and who gets to represent th e city. What stories should public art tell, whose histories and experienc es should they represent, and how can they reflect a city shaped by its pa st, present, and possible futures?

The Amsterdam municipal ity has recently proposed a new policy framework for art in public space, aiming to create more room for representation and multiple perspectives. T he framework seeks to encourage public art that commemorates and imagines the histories and experiences of people with a migration background, LGBTQ I+ people, and women. It responds in part to Motion 839, adopted by the Am sterdam City Council in 2020 amid growing public debate about racism, colo nial legacies, and representation, fuelled by the Black Lives Matter prote sts following the murder of George Floyd.

But what do representati on and polyphony mean in practice? Who determines which stories deserve a place in public space, and how can different communities participate in sh aping the city’s commemorative landscape? What role should the municipalit y play, and what possibilities exist for civic initiatives and artistic in terventions beyond formal policy and institutional frameworks?

Tak ing the recently published book You Are Here — Art in the Public Space of Amsterdam as a starting point, the evening will explore these que stions through the perspectives of art, history, political science, and pu blic engagement. Through a collaboration between Stadscuratorium Amsterdam and journalist Edo Dijksterhuis, the book examines the monuments, statues , murals, and memorials that shape the city around us, often without us re ally noticing them.

Speakers

Annemarie de Wildt is an independent researcher. She will g ive an introduction to Amsterdam’s monument landscape, the municipality’s new policy framework, and Motion 839, placing current debates in a broader historical and international context.

Floris Vermeule n is professor of Political Science and will reflect on civi c engagement and representation, examining civic participation, local demo cracy, and the broader question of whose voices are represented in Amsterd am’s public space.

Laura van Hasselt is professor of History and will reflect on monuments, migration, and histori cal memory. She will take into account monuments in Amsterdam and Europe, including the initiative for a guest-worker monument in Amsterdam-Noord, a nd considers how historical narratives become part of public space.

< p>Raul Balai is a visual artist and designer. He will challenge historical narratives drawing on his artistic practice and multicultural background, as well as influences from graffiti, hip-hop, a nd graphic design, to explore how art can challenge stereotypes, historica l representations, and social prejudices with criticality and humor.

Ilga Minjon (moderator) is a member of Stadsc uratorium Amsterdam, with expertise in the themes addressed during the eve ning.

BEGIN:VALARM ACTION:DISPLAY DESCRIPTION:Remembrance and Resistance: Whose Public Art? TRIGGER:-PT1H END:VALARM END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR