Subjective mapping of Amsterdam
October 2021 – March 2023
As an architecture centre, Arcam is concerned with the built environment. They invited Subjective Editions to jointly develop the Subjective Atlas of Amsterdam. The intention of our alternative mapping is not to provide a single answer or solution; this atlas deliberately presents a multiplicity of perspectives, through which the residents themselves have a voice—especially those voices that are often quietened.
Kick-of workshop at Arcam, October 2019. We collaborated with seven partner organisations, who invited people from their own networks to contribute to the Atlas. The coordinators of these seven partner organisations assembled in a master workshop, supervised by Annelys de Vet (Subjective Editions’ designer and editor-in-chief), developing the very first contributions, discussing the concept and methodology, and establishing the practicalities.(Photography: Sanne Couprie)
It is essential to form a picture of Amsterdam and its inhabitants that is as rich and diverse as possible, keeping a wide range of needs, requirements, and complexities in mind. To this end, the conventional methods and information channels currently at hand are systematically lacking. This atlas is made possible with the commitment of seven diverse partners, each engaged with the city in a different way; either as members of a particular residential community, a social or cultural movement, an activist group, artists’ collective, student group, a queer archive, or as inclusive urbanists. They organised workshops hosted at familiar locations, where they invited people to map the city in their own unique way. Each participant did so as a subjective individual with personal feelings and experiences, rather than as a representative of a larger group or exemplary category.
Between November 2021 and August 2022, each partner organised a working session at their own location, inviting participants from their network. Radio Voorwaarts, Vrankrijk, 8 December, 2021. We Sell Reality, FramerFramed, 17 December, 2021. Disarming Design, Sandberg Instituut, Fabulous Future, 10 February, 2022. IHLIA, OBA (Amsterdam Public Library), 5 April, 2022. Kids Zuidoost, Arcam, 26 April, 2022. Bijlmer Believers 3.0, Zuidoost, April-May 2022. Verdedig Noord, Buurthuis de Rietwijker, 12 May, 2022. Startblok Elzenhagen, Startblok Elzenhagen, 10 July, 2022
Additionally, visitors to Arcam were invited to draw their own subjective map or flag and to hang them between other visual contributions on display. Page after page, inhabitants from all corners of Amsterdam have translated their observations and experiences into maps, drawings, photos, and graphics with generosity, imagination, and vision. As facilitators of the process, we allowed ourselves to be guided by the wishes, workflow, and rhythm of the participants—and the languages they spoke.
Open Atelier, Arcam, 22 March–30 November, 2022. Incoming contributions were being exhibited at the Open Atelier, an interactive exhibition at Arcam. Visitors were invited to draw their own subjective map and to hang them between the other visual contributions on display. The exhibition had a grand opening in April, featuring presentations of several creators.
This Subjective Atlas of Amsterdam is founded on the belief that designers, builders, developers, and policymakers have a responsibility to address and engage with social inequality. This is not something that happens naturally. This atlas shows that different knowledges emerge with different methods. It offers designers and policymakers a sample of starting points for making the city a better place for everyone, offering a method with which to search for nuanced realities in the future. The layered collection of experiences forms a plea for the presence of more voices; for polyphony in the spatial process.
Watch the openings lecture on alternative mapping and the debate organised by Arcam, as well as the book-launch with the contributors giving insight in their perspective.
Project pesentation, Pakhuis de Zwijger, 22 October 2021
Book launch, Pakhuis de Zwijger, 21 March 2023
Project set-up
Architectuur Centrum
Amsterdam
Director: Indira van ’t Klooster
Project coordinator: Anne Vera Veen
Subjective Editions
Editor-in-chief: Annelys de Vet
Publisher: Kurt Vanbelleghem
Support
Financially supported by: AFK,
Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie,
and supported by housing corporation Ymere
Graphic designer
Wouter Stroet supports all workshops and ensures coherent visual output in dialogue with the authors.
Partners
Seven representatives of organisations, each initiating a workshop and inviting visual authors: Verdedig Noord, We Sell Reality, Team Zuidoost, IHLIA, Startblok Elzenhagen, Radio Voorwaarts, Sandberg Instituut (Disarming Design)
Workshop Coordinators
Robbie Doorman (Radio Voorwaarts), Elke Uitentuis (We Sell Reality), Dewi Vrenegoor (IHLIA), Julina Vanille Bezold, Anna Garcia Gomez, Saja Amro (Sandberg Instituut), Juha van ’t Zelfde (Verdedig Noord), Wouter Pocornie (Team Zuidoost), Adinda van Kranendonk (Startblok Elzenhagen)
Introductions
Najah Aouaki, Indira van ’t Klooster, Anne Vera Veen, Annelys de Vet
Contributors
Deniz Aktaş, David Albilal, Lama Aloul, Qusai Alsaify, Saja Amro, Najah Aouaki, Maarten van Asbeck, Roumaisae Azoufri, Bador, Julina Bezold, Zjef van Bezouw, Ravi Blits, Eva Bollen, Isa van Bossé, Sam Broekman, Eeke Brussee, Nell Bucher, Anastasia Campbell, Piotr Chmielewski, Rasha Dakkak, Joséphine Dupuy d’Angeac, Moussa Dembele, Rosemarie van Dijk, Maria Dijkgraaf, Tatyana Dmitrieva, Robbie Doorman, Janfrans van der Eerden, Eid, Idris Elhassan, Farah Fayyad, Maxime Garcia Diaz, Layla Gijsen, Eric Groot Kormelink, Natascha Hagenbeek, Hamo, Ayman Hassan, Hayat, Nickisch Holger, Lucas Huikeshoven, Toon Jansen, Vincent van der Kaap, Chris Keulemans, Indira van ’t Klooster, Kees de Klein, Sadali Koralege, Siwar Kraitem, Adinda van Kranendonk, Darko Lagunas, Tara Lane, Tina Lenz, Sytse de Maat, Mahmoud, Matilda Médard, Yannesh Meijman, Stefan Meyer, Ott Metusala, Mohamed, Lou de Monchy, Geert Mol, Mathilde muPe, Nasra, Naira Nigrelli, Geke Oosterhof, Wouter Pocornie, Liesbeth van der Pol, Paandyar Pourseyf, Mars Remijn, Laura van Roemburg, Alexandra Rouppe van der Voort, Sarah Saleh, Sami, Nadia Sbai, Sieto van der Scheer, Rob Schröder, Hans Smit, Shadi Srewel, Gijs Stork, Robin Stark, Marco Stroet, Wouter Stroet, Peik Suyling, Jara van Teeffelen, Teferi, Roman Tkachenko, Anna Torres, Finn van Tol, Bence Török, Hans de Tweede, Elke, Yuri Veerman, Anne Vera Veen, Lisa Veenstra, vreer verkerke, Samira Vogel, Dewi Vrenegoor, Rufus de Vries, Raffaela Wang, Mateo Vega, Hannah Veldhoen, Annelys de Vet, Minhong Yu, Iriée Zamblé, Victor van Zanten, Juha van ’t Zelfde, Hans de Zwart and Bijlmer Believers 3.0 (Bijlm3r), Failed Architecture, Hotel Mokum, Verdedig Noord, We Sell Reality
Check out!
Acknowledgements
The Subjective atlas of Amsterdam is initated by Arcam (Anne Vera Veen) and will be designed by Wouter Stroet.
It is financially supported by the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.
