BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:22397@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:What appears foul becomes fertile DTSTAMP:20260911T194621Z DTSTART:20260618T110000Z DTEND:20260831T190000Z DESCRIPTION:Artist Michael Pinsky [https://www.michaelpinsky.com/] presents Your Shit Smells\nLike Roses. The sculpture stages a deliberate contradic tion: human waste\, so\noften treated as abject\, is in fact a valuable an d regenerative resource. It\ncritiques contemporary sewage systems in whic h all domestic effluents are\nindiscriminately combined\, producing a chem ically complex and often toxic\nslurry. By contrast\, the work proposes th e separation of “black water” (toilet\nwaste) from “grey water” (from sink s\, washing machines\, and dishwashers)\,\nallowing each stream to be proc essed according to its intrinsic qualities.\n\nThe installation presents t hree distinct water systems\, black\, grey\, and clear\,\nchanneled throug h the sculptural structure to irrigate rose plants embedded\nwithin toilet forms. The roses become living indicators of each condition: black\nwater produces vigorous and abundant growth\, grey water inhibits life\, and cl ear\nwater sustains a modest vitality. A further inversion unfolds through scent.\nGrey water\, perfumed by cleaning products\, emits an immediately appealing\nfragrance\, while black water initially repels. Yet over time\ , it is the rose\nnourished by human waste that develops the most complex and desirable natural\nscent. What appears foul becomes fertile\; what app ears clean reveals itself as\ntoxic. Through this sensory and material rev ersal\, Your Shit Smells Like Roses\nreframes waste as a question of conte xt rather than inherent value. It suggests\nthat what we discard is not wi thout worth\, but simply misplaced. Our waste is\nsimply the right thing i n the wrong place.\n\nOpening date: 18 June\n\nAbout the venue: The instal lation is presented inside the ‘Water Bar’\, a glass\nbuilding situated ne xt to WETSUS.\n\n\nACCESSIBILITY\n\nThe space is located on top of a very small hill\, so unfortunately it is not\neasily accessible for wheelchair users. Otherwise\, the location is easy to\nreach\, and there is space nea rby to park bikes and cars.\n\n\nABOUT THE ARTIST\n\nMichael Pinsky is a U K-based artist whose international projects challenge the\nstatus quo on c limate change\, urban design and societal wellbeing. He explores\nissues w hich shape and influence the use of our public realm to create ambitious\n and provocative installations in galleries and public spaces.\n\n\nABOUT T HE PROJECT\n\nThe artwork Your Shit Smells Like Roses is developed in coll aboration with\nWetsus [https://www.wetsus.nl/] (European Centre of Excell ence for Sustainable\nWater Technology)\, the Municipality of Leeuwarden\, WaterCampus Leeuwarden\n[https://www.watercampus.nl/nl/]\, and with Waag Futurelab acting as mentor\nthroughout the artistic process.\n\nThe projec t supports the creation of new connections between artistic practice\,\nsc ientific research\, and societal engagement. It is part of S+T+ARTS AQUA\n MOTION\, a two-year initiative that brings together artists\, scientists\, \npolicymakers\, and communities to address urgent water challenges throug h\ninterdisciplinary collaboration and artistic experimentation. The initi ative\nsupports 25 artist residencies alongside the development of Water I nnovation\nLabs in Portugal\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and Italy. These labs act as hubs\nfor co-developing innovative\, art-driven responses to regional water issues.\nThrough hands-on engagement\, speculative design\, and grounded artistic practice\,\nS+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION rethinks how water is valued and managed\, fostering more\ninclusive\, sustainable\, and res ilient futures.\n\nWithin this framework\, the challenge Contamination Par adox: Reframing\ncontamination as knowledge\, limit and resource invites a rtists to engage with\nsource-separating sanitation technologies and to re consider contamination not\nonly as a threat\, but as a resource\, a signa l\, and a site of inquiry. Residues\,\nbacteria\, chemicals\, and micro-po llutants are approached not simply as waste\,\nbut as evidence\, as matter for investigation\, and as potential habitats for\nother forms of life. T hrough this lens\, contamination becomes a way to\nunderstand systemic imb alance and a medium for response\, speculation\, and\nco-creation.\nIntere sted? More information about S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION.\n[https://starts.eu/wha t-we-do/residences/startsaquamotion/] URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/what-appears-foul-becomes-fertile GEO:52.3727735;4.9003436 LOCATION:Waag - Nieuwmarkt 4\, 1012 CR Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,community,nieuwmarkt/lastage,plants,sculpture X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Artist Michael Pinsky presents Your Shit Smells Like Roses. The sculpture stages a deliberate contradiction: human waste, so often treated as abject, is in fact a valuable and regenerative resour ce. It critiques contemporary sewage systems in which all domestic effluen ts are indiscriminately combined, producing a chemically complex and often toxic slurry. By contrast, the work proposes the separation of “black wat er” (toilet waste) from “grey water” (from sinks, washing machines, and di shwashers), allowing each stream to be processed according to its intrinsi c qualities.

The installation presents three distinct water systems, black, grey, and clear, channeled through the sculptural structure to irr igate rose plants embedded within toilet forms. The roses become living in dicators of each condition: black water produces vigorous and abundant gro wth, grey water inhibits life, and clear water sustains a modest vitality. A further inversion unfolds through scent. Grey water, perfumed by cleani ng products, emits an immediately appealing fragrance, while black water i nitially repels. Yet over time, it is the rose nourished by human waste th at develops the most complex and desirable natural scent. What appears fou l becomes fertile; what appears clean reveals itself as toxic. Through thi s sensory and material reversal, Your Shit Smells Like Roses refr ames waste as a question of context rather than inherent value. It suggest s that what we discard is not without worth, but simply misplaced. Our was te is simply the right thing in the wrong place.

Opening dat e: 18 June

About the venue: The installati on is presented inside the ‘Water Bar’, a glass building situated next to WETSUS.

Accessibility

The space is located on top of a very small hill, so unfortunately it is not easily accessible for wheelchair us ers. Otherwise, the location is easy to reach, and there is space nearby t o park bikes and cars.

About the artist

Michael Pinsky is a UK-based artist whose international projects challenge the status quo on c limate change, urban design and societal wellbeing. He explores issues whi ch shape and influence the use of our public realm to create ambitious and provocative installations in galleries and public spaces.

About th e project

The artwork Your Shit Smells Like Roses is devel oped in collaboration with Wetsus (European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technolo gy), the Municipality of Leeuwarden, WaterCampus Leeuwarden, and with Waag Futurelab ac ting as mentor throughout the artistic process.

The project support s the creation of new connections between artistic practice, scientific re search, and societal engagement. It is part of S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION, a two -year initiative that brings together artists, scientists, policymakers, a nd communities to address urgent water challenges through interdisciplinar y collaboration and artistic experimentation. The initiative supports 25 a rtist residencies alongside the development of Water Innovation Labs in Po rtugal, the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy. These labs act as hubs for co -developing innovative, art-driven responses to regional water issues. Thr ough hands-on engagement, speculative design, and grounded artistic practi ce, S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION rethinks how water is valued and managed, fosteri ng more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient futures.

Within this f ramework, the challenge Contamination Paradox: Reframing contamination as knowledge, limit and resource invites artists to engage with sour ce-separating sanitation technologies and to reconsider contamination not only as a threat, but as a resource, a signal, and a site of inquiry. Resi dues, bacteria, chemicals, and micro-pollutants are approached not simply as waste, but as evidence, as matter for investigation, and as potential h abitats for other forms of life. Through this lens, contamination becomes a way to understand systemic imbalance and a medium for response, speculat ion, and co-creation.
Interested? More information about S+T+ ARTS AQUA MOTION.

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