Individual Project

A project by PhDArts student Jonas Staal

Just a few weeks after the elections on 12 September we will voice our questions about what has happened to our vote since that day. What remains of the campaign promises and positions adopted by political parties after the many negotiations to form a government? Are we, as citizens, really represented in this process? Or is it time to reclaim our vote? In the current media landscape can politics do any more than move between pragmatism, marketing politics and populism – you ask, we respond – or is it time for a radical turn? And last but not least: what is the role of the arts in this? Like politics, the cultural field is also blamed for losing social support. How can the arts be an engine for ideology and change?

Frascati and de Appel arts centre are inviting artists, theatre companies, politicians, designers and media pundits to respond to these questions while the government is being formed. Stem terug! Vote Back! consists of performances, debates, documentaries, pamphlets, presentations, lectures, master classes and an exhibition.

With contributions and work by: Otto Berchem, Lotte van den Berg, Maren Bjørseth, Dood Paard, Sam Durant, Tim Etchells, Bojan Fajfric, Melih Gençboyaci, laas van Gorkum & Iratxe Jaio, Marjolijn van Heemstra, Sadettin Kirmiziy üz, Platform BK, Roxy Movies (Frank Herrebout en Leo van Maaren), Jonas Staal, Tijdelijke Samenscholing, Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Yuri Veerman, Dries Verhoeven, Annelys de Vet & het Sandberg Instituut, De Warme Winkel, Wunderbaum, XML Architecten, The Yes Men, Artur Zmijewski

“Vote Back!” presents the second part of “Art, Property of Politics IV: Freethinkers’ Space Continued", a project by Jonas Staal based on a concept by Jesse Klaver (Green Party) and Rogier Verkroost (Democrats 66 Eindhoven). This new part has been created in collaboration with PvdA (Labor) politician Carolien Gehrels, the Executive Councilor of Arts and Culture of the Amsterdam city council. On Saturday the 6th of October (3pm-5pm) Gehrels and Staal will take part in a debate with SP (Socialist Party) politician and writer Tiers Bakker and philosopher Ernst van den Hemel on the propositions made in her Freethinkers' Space.

More information:
"Freethinkers’ Space Continued" debate (in Dutch)
"Vote Back!" exhibition (in English)
"Freethinkers' Space Continued" project in the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven (in English)