The Amsterdam Museum invites makers and artists to submit proposals on the theme War & Conflict. Selected works will be presented in the second edition of the exhibition Refresh Amsterdam, from May through October 2023 at the Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel.
The second edition of Refresh Amsterdam addresses the impact of war and conflict around the world on the contemporary city, and in particular on its inhabitants and social structures, and is spurred by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the wider discussion around related themes. Amsterdam has long viewed itself as a city of freedom and a place of refuge. But what does war do to a city and to our social intercourse? Why do certain wars and conflicts generate greater solidarity than others? Even in Amsterdam, war and conflict are often in close proximity, although this is not always apparent to everyone. War and conflict serve to shape the city as well as the social fabric of Amsterdam; this includes people who have found a new home here, the xenophobia that often accompanies migration and international conflict, who is able to reside in which neighborhood, or those who are simply unable to find shelter. How do people who have arrived as refugees see the city? Conflicts have long fueled an influx of refugees here, from the fall of Antwerp in 1584 to the war in Syria that began in 2011.
Open call
The Amsterdam Museum invites creative makers of every discipline, from theater and performance to music, poetry, design, and visual art, to reflect on the impact of war and conflict on the city of Amsterdam. The selected proposals will be presented in exhibitions or as part of the public programming at the Amsterdam Museum or one of its partners. When Refresh Amsterdam concludes, some of the works will be purchased and added to the Amsterdam Museum’s collection. Please visit www.amsterdammuseum.nl/refresh for additional information or to submit a proposal.
Refresh Amsterdam
Occurring every two years, Refresh Amsterdam is an initiative of the Amsterdam Museum in which contemporary makers with an artistic practice present their vision on urban themes in relation to the city of Amsterdam. This second edition is organized in cooperation with the art collective We Sell Reality. Additional partners include AGA LAB, de Appel, CBK Zuidoost, Framer Framed, Het HEM, De Kleine Komedie, Melkweg Expo, OSCAM, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Rijksakademie, ROZENSTRAAT – a rose is a rose is a rose, The Black Archives, Tolhuistuin, and W139. Refresh Amsterdam #2 will take place from May through October 2023.
First edition
For the first edition of Refresh Amsterdam, which took place at the Amsterdam Museum from 11th December 2020 (the day before the second pandemic lockdown) until 25th July 2021, following an open call, work by 25 artists and collectives from various disciplines was shown. Each gave their own perspective on the city and the metropolitan issues of today. On view was work by Bas Kosters, Brian Elstak, Nicoline van Harskamp, Tirzo Martha, KIP Republic, Elisa van Joolen, and many others. Following the exhibition, three artworks were purchased by the Amsterdam Museum: the textile piece Gordijnwand (Curtain Wall, 2019) by The Shadows Assembly; Before I was born (2020), a series of pencil drawings by Tja Ling Hu; and Zonder title (Untitled, 2020), a modern group portrait by Raquel van Haver. The exhibition received a large amount of publicity and, despite the pandemic, was seen by more than 13,600 people. 16th June 2022
