During this workshop in collaboration with Lenn Cox, we will start with an airy breakfast. We will playfully zoom in on issues in the neighborhood with different residents and communities from Spangen. We will also zoom out to place this in a broader framework, from hyper-local to global. We will do this by activating the Grassroots cardsystem, looking at the different dynamics and value systems it embraces. Where can we learn from each other? What perspective do you add?

You can purchase your ticket HERE.

The Grassroots cardsystem was created during the fieldwork started by De Onkruidenier and community caretaker Lenn Cox in September 2021 from the need to map the artistic field research of social capital, found grasses, ecological values, bird perspectives, historical contexts and relationships between them, and as an attempt to oversee the various local and global actors in the Grassroots ecosystem.

The cards facilitate zooming out and in on the Grassroots ecosystem and take on different roles. Sometimes a card has the role of conversational partner, for instance in exchange with Spangenarians (Spangenaren), or in conversation with A Tub about the next step in the project. These Grassroot cards therefore constantly change roles; from reflector, inspirator, and activator, to cross-pollinator, context-giver, focus-bringer, and questioner.

In addition, this evolving value system acts as a tool for current and future community-based projects at A Tale of A Tub. What position do you take as A Tale of A Tub - space for contemporary art and culture - when working with themes around intersectional ecological thinking. What meaningful connections can be made with the neighborhood and its locally rooted communities?

How exactly does this card system work; a non-linear form was deliberately chosen. This allows a different narrative to be created each time with the individual cards. After all, stories keep the ecosystem alive. Therefore, the intention is that it is a thriving system to which everyone can contribute.

Lenn Cox explores self-organised social-ecological communities and collectives by participating in them herself. Emerging from her need for more collectivity in her work and life, and the question of how to develop solidarity alternatives as a counterweight to the dominant neoliberal capitalist systems that are part of our daily lives and nestle into our bodies and clothes.

How do we concretely shape the need for more interpersonal skills based on care and cooperation, rather than exhaustion and competition? Lenn observes from her 'Collective Wandering' field research - on which she has been working since 2019 - that we can learn a lot from and with communities and collectives developing and sustaining alternative welfare and mutual care and support systems.

Within the various interactions and collaborations, Lenn uses her clothes as a logbook. To carry the exchanges, and stories she collects with her as a conversation piece. She also develops index cards as a conversation tool in exchanges with experts, artists, makers, cultural workers and educators. Lenn constructs this set of cards ongoing and parallel to everything she undertakes, they inform and give context to her practice and share observations, inspiring fragments and experiential actions collected during her ongoing relational field research.

PART OF THE EXHIBITION

10.09.2022—06.11.2022
Seeds for (x)change
DE ONKRUIDENIER

Seeds for (x)change is supported by the Municipality of Rotterdam, the VriendenLoterij Fund, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and the Mondriaan Fund.