Nicoline van Harskamp
Yours in Solidarity / “Reading Anarchism”
The STATEMENT Series
10 March–19 May 2013
“Reading Anarchism”
13, 20 & 27 March / 3, 10, 17 & 24 April / 1 May 19.30–21.30h
Friday 17 May 12–18h
New Art Space Amsterdam (NASA)
Arie Biemondstraat 105 -113
NL – 1054 PD Amsterdam
Hours: daily 12–22h
T 00 31 (0)20 427 5951
info [at] nasaonline.net
www.nasaonline.net
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From 10 March to 19 May New Art Space Amsterdam (NASA) presents Yours in Solidarity, a statement exhibition by Nicoline van Harskamp. The exhibition is accompanied by “Reading Anarchism,” a series of events with the artist that examine the anarchist theoretical tradition.
The extensive art project Yours in Solidarity, which began in 2010, investigates the contemporary history of anarchism and is presented for the first time at New Art Space Amsterdam (NASA) in its entirety. Nicoline van Harskamp creates a complex and resounding portrait of anarchism’s supporters through analyses of the correspondence archive of the late Dutch anarchist Karl Max Kreuger, now housed in the International Institute for Social History (IISG) in Amsterdam. From 1988 until 1999, Kreuger corresponded by post with approximately 400 fellow anarchists worldwide. Through the study of respective political observations and handwriting analysis of some 60 letter writers, Nicoline van Harskamp re-activated the proponents’ life stories since the last date of writing. Using actors of the relevant age and nationality, in a fully staged meeting of international correspondents, the artist suggests what would happen if they were to meet today. The resulting work includes a comprehensive archive of Nicoline van Harskamp’s notes, audio and video documentation of the working sessions with actors, and a video installation.
“Reading Anarchism”
Throughout the course of the exhibition an intensive programme of talks under the name “Reading Anarchism” is organised to take place on Wednesday evenings. Guests with an affinity for the subject are invited to prepare a presentation on a book or article from the online archive www.theanarchistlibrary.org. In the closing week of the exhibition a full public reading day will be held with invited speakers. Participants include Geert Lovink, Charles Esche, Elena Bajo and Jan Ritsema.
“Reading Anarchism” encourages audience members to read the same texts and inspire further reading. The names of the guests and their chosen book titles will be announced online and in the exhibition space. All titles will be available at NASA and online.
Parts of the project Yours in Solidarity were previously presented at D+T Project Gallery in Brussels, Hillary Crisp Gallery in London, MUAC in Mexico City, the Frankfurter Kunstverein, Manifesta 9 in Genk, Shanghai Biennial 2012/13, Rotor in Graz, Galerija Miroslav Kraljevic in Zagreb and Extra City in Antwerp. Nicoline van Harskamp lives and works in Amsterdam, where she is a lecturer at the Sandberg Institute.
STATEMENT
STATEMENT is a dynamic series of commissions enabling artists to experiment and expand their practice. Over the course of three years, 12 of today’s most outstanding artists are invited to conceive a total programme for NASA, imagining an inspired and engaging ensemble of events, film, music, exhibition and talks. The artists are invited by artistic director Thomas Peutz and work collaboratively with the NASA curatorial team to develop and present a programme that offers an expansive overview of their practice. STATEMENT joins challenging ideas and concepts in new artworks in a multitude of artistic strategies, positioning the artist at the center of the institution. Previous Statement exhibitions were made by groups and artists such as Chto Delat?, Etcetera, Nathaniel Mellors and Gabriel Lester.
Yours in Solidarity is made possible with the support of the Netherlands Film Fund and the Mondriaan Fund.
NASA is supported by Municipality Amsterdam, Mondriaan Fund, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Performing Arts Fund NL & Youth in Action Programme.