Botu: Back and Forth
Take a guided tour back and forth through the streets of BoTu. BoTu: Back & Forth sees MAMA depart from its home on Witte de Withstraat and nestles in the historic Zakkendragershuisje, which serves as a base for an ‘exhibition route’ in Rotterdam’s Bospolder-Tussendijken district.
Five artists visited the BoTu neighbourhood in July to create new works based on their excursion. They respond to the environment, revealing the gaze of an outsider who visits and leaves again. Rich in contrast, BoTu is culturally diverse and shaped by an abundance of residents’ initiatives and numerous shops next to each other. These energetic surroundings inform this project
The route unfolds along specific locations in the district using an audio tour by Michiel Cox. Places including ‘de Tovertunnel’ and an abandoned
playground are highlighted in the context of recent developments. Dries Depoorter portrays these changes using old Google Street View images. A characterful corner building in BoTu inspired Douwe Dijkstra’s new video collage of passers-by, residents, and objects, and it provides as the video’s projection backdrop. Max Colson delves into the history of Le Medi, a small residential complex inspired by
Mediterranean architecture, which he unravels in an animation film and 3D print. In the future premises of
Galerie Sissingh – a former car garage – Swiss artist Bastien Gachet puts the viewer’s gaze on edge by casting doubt on self-explanatory spaces and
objects.
Publication
Accompanying the route is a publication in which five young Rotterdam writers present new texts based on events in the BoTu district, including poetry, short stories, and comic strips. It also contains a transcript of Michiel Cox’s audio tour, taking the reader on a journey through BoTu, with supplementary
photographs by Tomas Mutsaers.
Authors: Edna Azulay, Umeu Bartelds, Tommy
Ventevogel with Elzeline Kooy, Simon Weeda, and Gino van Weenen.
Rookies MA
BoTu: Back & Forth is a product of the Rookies MA (’2016). Rookies MA is a talent development
programme by MAMA in which burgeoning
professionals develop a project from start to finish, supported by coaches and master classes.
Route and practical information
Start point: The Zakkendragershuisje, Voorstraat 13
Opening times: Wed–Sun, 1-6 pm.
Locations: Studio Delfshaven, the soon-to-open
Gallery Sissingh, Makerspace BouwKeet, Proefpark de Punt.
Visitors register at the Zakkendragershuisje, where they can speak to a host from MAMA and
collect a free publication accompanying the route. The audio tour is given via QR codes posted along the route. A limited number of tours on MP3 players can be borrowed at the Zakkendragershuisje.
With thanks to: de Makerspace BouwKeet, het
Proefpark de punt, het Zakkendragershuisje, Schiezicht, Studio Delfshaven, and Inloopwinkel
Alliantie Schiedamseweg.
BoTu: Back & Forth is made possible by: the City Council of Rotterdam, Stichting Bevordering van
Volkskracht, and Prins Bernhard Fonds Zuid-Holland.
Curated by Tomas Mutsaers, Sjors van Rijnsbergen, Eva Nobbe, Giulia Di Pietro and Charlotte Tasma met bijdrage van Michiel Cox & Tomas Mutsaers, Dries Depoorter, Max Colson, Douwe Dijkstra and Bastien Gachet.
About HOME
HOME is the leitmotiv by which we encourage conversation about conceptions regarding belonging, representation and identification. HOME is a fundament, the place you return to and anchorpoint for the journey onward. HOME (offline as well as online) is the start of feeling connect to others. Under the name HOME we also present exhibitions in the showroom of MAMA. In collaboration with young makers we express interpretations about HOME | IN REAL LIFE | NETWORKS.
