Wrong Time, Wrong Place

Rotterdam possesses a network of artist residencies, unique in the Netherlands, which operate on an artist-to-artist principle. B.a.d, Kaus Australis, Het Wilde Weten, Duende, Kunst & Complex and others are studio complexes where local artists work and also act as hosts for foreign colleagues who want to spend some time working in Rotterdam. Venues like Duende and Kunst & Complex initiated a lively climate of exchange since the 1980s. B.a.d, Het Wilde Weten and Kaus Australis offer international guests not only a studio but also a stage on which to showcase their work. Between 2005-2007 This Neck of The Woods was temporarily turned into Canadian territory and hosted many international guests. Rotterdam can boast a rich tradition of guest locations initiated by artists, connecting the city with a vibrant international art community.

For an artist, a period of residence is usually a way of gaining experience, making contacts and finding inspiration. The artist heads into the city, looks, thinks and discovers. The experiences gained surface later elsewhere in the art. Wrong Time, Wrong Place turned this principle around and shows the work of artists in precisely the place where it was conceived, exploring the relation of the artist in residence to the kaleidoscopic reality of Rotterdam. Questions posed were: Why does Rotterdam appeal so much to foreign artists? What are they looking for here that they cannot find elsewhere? And what is the effect of this constant flow of visitors on the artist community in Rotterdam?

Residency in the exhibition
The architect-designer duo Ooze (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg) designed a graphic grid that formed the underlying framework for the exhibition. The contributing residents comprise a broad group of twenty-one artists of different nationalities, working in as many media. Artists were even invited to spend a residency period in the exhibition: Yvette Poorter declared her installation Knock on Woods Canadian territory, with an open call for artists to become temporary residents.

Thanks to: B.a.d, Het Wilde Weten, Kunst & Complex, Kaus Australis, Duende, Knock on Woods, European Cultural Foundation and the Canadian Council for the Arts.