Rotterdam has the most successful port in Europe but also ten of the twenty most disadvantaged districts in the Netherlands. What is, in economic terms, the relationship between the city and the port? How does the (unequal) social, political, and economic landscape of the city of Rotterdam influence the everyday life of its inhabitants and how is this reflected in the policies of the local government?
Economist Hein Klemann talks about the macro-economy of the port, its history, and its current relationship to the city of Rotterdam. Philosopher Sonja Lavaert reflects on a meta-level on the connection between the macro and micro economy of Rotterdam and the ideological dimension therein, and urban sociologist Gwen van Eijk will talk about the effects of urban policies (social, housing, safety) on the (privileged) rich and (underprivileged) poor groups of Rotterdam inhabitants. This will be followed by a discussion on the relationship between the wealth production that the presence of Europe’s largest industrial area brings and the uncertain socio-economic conditions of its residents. Chris van der Meulen leads the conversation between the speakers, the audience, and the artists.
Three-part symposium as exhibition element
A three-part symposium has been organised as part of the solo exhibition Asymmetry by Libia Castro and Ólafur Ólafsson at TENT. The symposia take place in the exhibition space, decorated with bright red RightT/WrOnG Furniture and set against a background of neon words alternately flashing ’ThE riGHt tO RighT’, ’ThE riGHt tO WrOnG’ and ’ThE riGHt tO RighT/WrOnG’. The first evening symposium took place on February 9 with legal philosopher Nina Power who spoke about unequal legal relationships, the right to demonstrate, and increased public order through the disappearance of public space. During the second symposium on March 13, Pascal Gielen talked about the artist practice in the context of post-Fordism and neoliberalism, and AnnaTilroe’s discussion with the artists touched upon membership of a nation or society, and social and community inequality in relation to their work.
Language: English, Admission: € 3
About the speakers:
Hein Klemann
Hein Klemann is Professor of Social and Economic History at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2011 he co-organized the third Transnational Rhine Conference: The Rhine Economy on a New Basis. The Switch from Coal to Oil and the Implications for the Transnational Region, 1945-1973. In 2009 he received a scholarship from the Dutch Institute for Scientific Research for his research Outport and Hinterland, Rotterdam Business and the Ruhr Industry. Klemann has also published on the Dutch economy during the German occupation and German–Dutch economic relations. He is a board member of the N.W. Posthumus Institute and the Transnational Rhine Network.
Sonja Lavaert
Sonja Lavaert (1958) is a philosopher and Italianist and teaches at the Department of Applied Linguistics at the Erasmus University College, Free University Brussels. She graduated in 2011 as Doctor in Philosophy and Ethics. Lavaert publishes on topics such as Machiavelli, Spinoza, political philosophy, language, and art. She is author of the book ‘The Perspective of the Multitude, Agamben, Machiavelli, Negri, Spinoza, Virno ‘.
Gwen van Eijk
Gwen van Eijk is a criminologist and urban sociologist and lecturer in Criminology at the University of Leiden. Van Eijk studied Criminology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, specializing in Metropolitan Urban Issues and Policy. In 2010 she graduated cum laude at TU Delft with the thesis Unequal Networks. Spatial segregation, relationships and inequality in the city (2010). Her thesis investigates the relationship between the social compositions in three Rotterdam neighbourhoods, and bridging contacts between social classes and ethnic groups. From 2010-2011 she was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford.
The same evening at 18.30 h, Witte de With presents Curating/ Space in an Indonesian Context. During this presentation, Indonesian curator Agung Hujatnikajennong will discuss the history of exhibition making in Indonesia. Read more..