An issue of zine about Climate, Equality, Feminism and Belonging.
To browse through casually or to get totally absorbed in.
Including:
Three special letters from Rajae El Mouhandiz, Nagaré Willemsen and Harriet Bergman to artists and to ArtEZ. About today’ challenges: from climate crisis to identity issues. About power, the system, quota, compassion, living together, empowerment and action
Three stories by ArtEZ studium generale programme makers who organised and created numerous reading groups, meetups, symposiums, podcasts and publications on Climate, Equality, Feminism and Belonging. Full of insights, new questions and calls to action.
Stunning posters by Catalogtree, thought-provoking drawings by Lotte van den Hoogen, and more.
The facts & figures. What did ArtEZ studium generale organise and produce over the past two years, who was involved and what was our reach?
This issue of zine has been compiled in response to the question Diversity for What? and to follow up on the projects and publications that ArtEZ studium generale organised in 2018 and 2019 around this question. Aiming to explore, together with the teaching staff and the students, what diversity means to ArtEZ and how strongly people feel about the subject, while at the same time initiating a continued debate. We share insights that have been reached and questions that have come up during this period. But most importantly, we also share new knowledge that emerges in this ongoing process and in these continually changing times. The question Diversity for What? was a reason to delve more specifically into the topics of Climate, Feminism/Equality and Belonging in 2018 and 2019.
ArtEZ studium generale’s work is about curating and organising projects, publications and meetups, where we bring together all kinds of people. Students, alumni, artists, academics and other interested parties. Our aim is to share our thoughts about the important questions of today. Those questions can vary from: how do we give a voice to those who do not naturally step into the limelight to how equal or unequal are the art world and art education in terms of gender, culture, class, religion and background. Or: can art sketch out new scenarios for a future when humans and nature will relate to each other in a less toxic way? By posing these questions we want to inspire large and small debates, share stories and knowledge. We explore what role we ourselves play as a human, as an artist and as an institute and what we can do to change things that we do not like. Of course, we are under no illusion that we can change the world this way, but we can empower each other to face the future.
Over the past two years we have been able to realise our programme in collaboration with a great many people, courses and organisations. We built little communities around different questions and topics and we created joint programmes. We collaborated in large symposiums, with courses, working groups, teaching staff, students and professors. Visiting curators and writers created programmes and publications for us. Various people and organisations shared their expertise with us. And many guests gave outstanding lectures, workshops and trainings.
Students, alumni, staff and others contributed to great conversations and discussions. And a very inspired group of people, from within and from outside ArtEZ worked on this issue of zine. Thank you so much.
For now, I hope you enjoy reading this issue of zine and look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
Joke Alkema
Head of ArtEZ studium generale & APRIA (ArtEZ Platform for Research Interventions of the Arts)
PS
We always like to hear from you. So, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions inspired by this issue of zine or one of our topics, do let us know!
