VOOR\HEEN

The two-month residency period of the prolific artists Timo Demollin and Rutger de Vries has come to an end. Their research into the history of former type foundry Tetterode, where Subbacultcha and The Art Department are located, culminates in various interventions throughout the building and a radical installation in our project space.

Our residents delved into the past of the several buildings within the complex, looking for parallels between past and present. Their first intervention was installed on the first day of their residency, setting the tone for their research. The installation VOOR\HEEN on the rooftop canopy is still visible and is one of the permanent marks the duo has left, working their way into the history of the building.

The artists took their cues from how the occupants, from factory workers to squatters and residents, have adapted the building’s constructions over time. A good example of refurbishing and preservation is how the interior of the former Typographical Library, now home to the lovely Dijktheater, was moved in it’s entirety, including the wall paneling and coffered ceiling, to the current reception of a university building at the Spui in Amsterdam. (poster design)

What the project has clearly shown is that the Tetterode complex is always in transition, adapted over time for various occasions and purposes. In our basement project space, Demollin and de Vries continue in the tradition of reconstruction and transformation and have modified the space, divided it and laid bare its historical foundations.