Utrecht University / MA Arts & Society
by Claire van der Mee
Zie ook de aflevering van 17 jan 2022 in de Volkskrantreeks Betere Buurt van Karima Aissaoui. Klik hier
Hand in Hand to the Periphery we go
An ethnographic account of artists and community participation in Amsterdam Nieuw-West
In an attempt to counter the homogenizing effects of gentrification, the city of Amsterdam has introduced a policy that reserves spaces for artists; a group in society that struggles financially and thus to remain and socially participate in the city. These community-artist buildings or 'broedplaatsen' give artists the opportunity to have a studio in Amsterdam at a lower rental price, but granting artists such a space does come with certain conditions. Through application procedures the artists are selected to participate in a project and expected to contribute to the vivacity of an area. Artists, in this sense, have become signifiers of urban regeneration, but what are the effects of these policies on artists and how do they maneuver within the limited frameworks of this urban planning scheme?