sonsbeek 20-24 (Arnhem) ~ sadly our inspiring and productive partnership ended prematurely in September 2022 (instead of "2024" as was widely announced and excitedly embraced by many, including DAI ). We not only stand in solidarity, we share the anger towards board and management of the Sonsbeek Foundation as expressed in the collective resignation statement by the curatorial team sonsbeek20-24 ~ Partner 2019 - 2022
DAI's research interests around and in close friendship and collaboration with Sonsbeek artistic teams ruangrupa (2016) and sonsbeek20-24, gave meaning, purpose and edge to our connectivity with the city of Arnhem (the seat of our "parent" university ArtEZ and thus our adminstrative home), its geo-cultural position in the Netherlands and its historical and contemporary entanglement with wider worlds. Sonsbeek20-24 has prematurely ended (read the public resignation statement here & read more here) and DAI stands in full solidarity with Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Aude Mgba, Zippora Elders, Amal Alhaag and Krista Jantowski and program leader Raj Sandhu.
It is out of the question that there can be any continuation of DAI's relationship with the Sonsbeek project under its current management and governance structure, where there is a flagrant lack of commitment to the duty of care for curators and artists ~ which should be non-negotiable for any publicly funded biennial foundation entrusted with selecting, inviting, hosting and facilitating an artistic director + curatorial team, committed to bring their alluring intellectual and artistic vision to Arnhem, allowing the city and the foundation to extract tons of value from their huge inter/national reputation.
The alliance between DAI and sonsbeek20-24
The alliance between DAI and the current edition of sonsbeek radiates outwards in multiple efforts, culminating into a joint program, a hybrid between the so called sonsbeek councils and DAI’s Roaming Assembly (a recurring symposium exploring specific themes and topics of contemporary relevance to the thinking of art in the world today). Iterations revolve around, touch upon and articulate in different ways the connections between the educational efforts of DAI and the line of questioning around 'labour and its sonicities' that is central to sonsbeek20-24. By sharing this public program and this time within the format of the DAI week, both with the public as well as the DAI community, the collaboration is part of an extended conversation that unfolds over the upcoming years as well as a rich history between DAI and sonsbeek.
2021-2022 ~ COOP study group ~ A Blues For Essential Workers
2021 ~ August 28 & 29: Roaming Assembly#29 presents Sonsbeek Council#3 ~ SEXWORK IS HONEST WORK