Internationalisation(s)

This question is central to the event Internationalisation(s), which zooms in on the consequences of increasing internationalization. We invite various creators and experts from the cultural sector to reflect on three different themes:

• Language: What is the role of different languages within the Dutch cultural sector? What tensions does this bring? Is there room for multilingualism?
• Bureaucracy: To what extent can institutions in the Dutch cultural sector provide sufficient support to artists and cultural workers from outside the Netherlands? How does this tie into economic inequality for those working in arts and culture?
• Knowledge sharing: What forms of knowledge exchange and sharing are created within cultural spaces in the Netherlands by prioritizing voices and stories from outside the Netherlands? How is this able to strenghten cultural life in the Netherlands?

Program

Featuring: Rah Naqvi, Antigoni Seferli, Ola Hassanain, Dilara Kanık

• • 15:00 – 15:30      Walk in
  • 15:30 – 15:50      Introduction by Jasmin Sharif (Boekmanstichting) and Laura Alexander (Prince Claus Fund)
  • 15:50 – 16:00      Performance by Rah Naqvi and Antigoni Seferli
  • 16:00 – 16:15       Language by Ola Hassanain
  • 16:15 – 16:30       Bureaucracy by Maardewân
  • 16:30 – 16:45       Knowledge by Dilara Kanık
  • 16:45 – 17:05       Panel discussion
  • 17:05 – 17:25        Open conversation
  • 17:25 – 18:00       Concluding remarks and drinks

About the participants

Rah Naqvi (he/they) is an Indian artist currently based in Amsterdam. Their work engages in narratives themed around religious and societal polarisation, often using art as a tool to question structural hegemonies. The materiality and techniques in their work are at play to create familiarity with the viewer; with satire, whimsical props, and themes of softness you are made to believe something joyous awaits. Rah uses this familiarity, these grounds for communion to navigate more complex and dynamic subjects of belonging and imposed colonial identities. Intrinsic to their work is their trans-ness, as explored in their performances, Rah seeks for trans-masculine joys in unlikely spaces, dwelling in the overlaps of trans marginal solidarity with the working class. The language of queer defiance extends to their practice of singing, alluding to the polyphonic nature of love and revolution while cautioning against the monotony of a choice-less future. Antigoni Seferli was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She started taking cello lessons at the age of 8 and many years later she completed three circles of studies in western classical music at the Athens Conservatoire, the State University for Music and Performing Arts of Stuttgart and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Currently she is active mostly as a chamber music player with her string quartet PuraCorda, a group exploring the work of overlooked, mainly female, composers of the 20th century. Her practice expands to the territories of free improvisation and interdisciplinary practices, using art forms such as poetry and spoken word. Along those lines, she collaborates with the Queer Choir Amsterdam and with artist Rah Naqvi, amongst others.

Ola Hassanain leads a critical spatial practice as an visual Artist with architecture training. Ola premises her work on an idea of “space as political discourse” an expanded notion of space, that tries to develop a spatial literacy which can aid us to imagine different political ecologies. Ola’s development of critical spatial practice is partly informed by her post-academic training; a current teaching role at KABK Royal academy of Art in the Hague, a Rijksakademie residency 2021-2023, a BAK basis voor kunst fellowship 2017-2018, teaching and co-development of the Blackerblackness Master course Sandberg Instituut 2021- 2023, Art in Context at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht at the Fine Art Department, amongst exhibitions, a Solo in Buro Stedelijk 2024, Hartwig Art Foundation commission presenting at Casco Art Institute 2021, Ghana Contemporary Art Foundation 2023, Chicago Architecture Biennial 2019 and Sharjah Architecture Triennale 2019. “We will discuss how artists and other cultural practitioners in the Netherlands navigate the dynamics of language in their working lives. In what kinds of circumstances do they find themselves expected to speak Dutch, and what kinds of costs are attached to speaking or not speaking fluent Dutch? In the Netherlands, English is often seen as the default language of “internationals”, despite not being the first language of many non-Dutch practitioners either. What can be done to ensure a thriving and inclusive multilingual cultural sector?”

Dilara Kanık is an arts and culture advisor who has initiated numerous cross-cultural exchanges and artistic collaborations. During her time at the Prince Claus Fund, she contributed to various initiatives, including managing cultural activities and exhibitions that showcased global artists and fostering connections between artists, cultural institutions, and practitioners. Drawing on her bi-cultural perspective, Dilara brings a deep understanding of diverse narratives to her work. She is currently working as an arts and culture advisor at the municipality of Zaanstad. Committed to social justice and cultural equity, Dilara strives to create a more inclusive cultural landscape, ensuring that the arts are accessible and reflective of the city’s rich diversity. “Why does it even matter that the Dutch cultural sector is an international one? Different forms of knowledge exchange, audience interaction and sharing are created within cultural spaces in the Netherlands by the centering of diverse voices and stories. How does a diverse and inclusive arts ecosystem strengthen cultural life in the Netherlands, and what are institutions doing to facilitate this?”

Registration

Due to limited spots, unfortunately registration is no longer possible. The event will be recorded by audio and published afterwards.

Location accessibility

The meeting takes place at the library of the Boekman Foundation. Unfortunately, it is not wheelchair accessible. The library is located on the 1st floor and accessible via a wide staircase.

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By Wan Chee Michelle Chan

“Seeing Like a Fund” is an event series by the Prince Claus Fund, which brings together cultural changemakers from the Fund’s network to critically examine vital issues shaping how culture is supported globally, sparking new ways of thinking about and doing funding. This collaboration brings together perspectives from the Prince Claus Fund’s and the Boekmanstichting’s network within the Netherlands, to build on the theme of diversity, equity and inclusion within the Dutch cultural sector.