Care-Taker

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Care-Taker
Duration: 04.2007 – 2008 Location: Indische Buurt, Amterdam Participants: people who asked the Care-Taker to help them Number of events: 3 Additional presentations: 66 East – Centre for Urban Culture (11.2006–12.2006) The ‘Care-Taker’ project charts the history of collectivism by describing special moments and places in the Indische Buurt, at the same time serving as the starting point for a new chapter that could be appended to the history of collective housing development. Now, more than a century after the creation of the Indische Buurt, a great deal has changed. Not only has the role of the housing corporation changed in recent decades, but the notion of collectivism has also shifted radically over the past century. The question is whether it is possible, on the basis of this history, to rethink the role of the housing corporation, thus re-introducing the notion of public stakeholdership on the scale of a residential block. In order to write this new chapter, a warden has moved into a dwelling in the Indische Buurt for a period of three months. The residential warden as ‘Care-Taker’ is the embodiment of this new corporation, someone who not only bears responsibility for the community of a residential block but also facilitates a further emancipation of this small community from within. The warden is there for the benefit of the residents, but simultaneously acts as the block’s eyes and ears. The warden gains insight into the wishes, dreams and aspirations of the residents. He tries to help residents realize their simpler demands and wishes, and at the same time gauge the nature of the greater, underlying aspirations. The warden endeavours to translate these into a tangible communal programme, a programme that give the residents a real stake in the further development of their living environment. The warden takes this task of carer very seriously. During his time living in the block he reflects on his own role. In order to sustain this reflection process, the ‘Care-Taker’ received some ‘baggage’ before he takes up residence in the Indische Buurt. This baggage consists of a number of portraits of pivotal figures in the history of collective housing development in the Indische Buurt. From the brief descriptions of important moments and places in the neighbourhood’s history, a number of profiles emerge that are essential to his properly fulfilling the task of ‘Care-Taker’: he is architect, steward, educator and activist combined. 2007, Amsterdam, Indische Buurt

www.care-taker.nl

projects
De Strip/ Freehouse/ From the Sidelines/ Room with a view (Dissonance)/ Room with a view (Positioning)/ Room with a view (Real Stories from Life)/ Outside Livingroom/ I + the Other. Art and the Human Condition/ Until we meet again/ A House for the Community/ NEsTWORK/ State of Mind/ Break. Dance./ The Secret City/ The world is bigger than Schijndel/ Hotel New York P.S.1/ Valley Vibes. The Vibe-Detector/ Water walker/ Welcome Package Welcome Stranger/ A Christmas Pudding for Henry/ Under the Spell of the Ring/ Subway to the Outside/ Wish for a Coffee/ Acte de Présence - Sans Valeur/ Draw a line/ Raising a Ruckus/ Casco-Mobile/ Z.T. (Duurzame Versterkingskunst)/ A Paper House/ Face Your World/ Beyond ethics & aesthetics/ Room with a view/ Room with a view (Private)/ Room with a view (Annex)/ Room with a view (Longing)/ Room with a view (The Neighbour)/ The Office/ Casco, Coffee and Communication/ In the Field of Players/ The Dinner/ The Blue House/ Face Your World, StedelijkLab Slotervaart/ Dwaallicht (Will o the whisp)/ Works, Typologies and Capacities/ Some 7/ Ariadne/ Narratives of Desire/ An Sich/ Brain Storm/ Amnesia of a Landscape/ Care-Taker/ Fields of (inter)action/ Shelter-07/ Face Your World, Museumpark/ You and the City. Diaries of a Future Avant-garde/ Shanghai Dreaming, Holding an Urban Gold Card/ It runs in the Neighbourhood/ Talking Trash/ Buiten Post/ The Resistance of Small Happiness/ Public Faculty No. 1/

essays
Networks, faces, membranes/ Creative Urge, annex a Zeal for Improvement/ A House for the Community/ Principles of Hope/ Germinal/ Freehouse/ Conquest/ The Miracle of Gorinchem/ In The Field of Players/ The Artist as Versatile Infiltrator of Public Space/ Noem mij maar gewoon een portretschilder/

general
Jeanneworks/ Contact/ CV Jeanne van Heeswijk/

news
Exhibition 'Reality 10'55 Odense'/ 'Some 7' at exhibition in RAM/ New website Jeanne van Heeswijk online/ Lecture at the NAi, Rotterdam/ Design Staalmanpark receives green light/ Kunst RAI 2006: 'Games People Play, Chapter 1'/ Exhibtion: 'Play! The Art of the Game' / 'Narratives of Desire. Realities Odense' in Arnhem/ 'Cascomobile' at the Busan Biennale/ Project presentation 'Care-taker'/ Visiting Scholar at Hunter College NY/ KONTROL #1 is online now/ Lecture at the MCA in Sydney/ 'FYW' nominated for Citizen Participation Prize/ Exhibition 'Room with a View' at Axel Lapp Projects/ Lecture at Architectural Association in London/ Evasions of Power, Sesion 4: 'Interventions'/ Symposium DEAF07: 'Interact or Die!'/ 5 projects at the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam/ 'Socially Yours', Seminar Hong Kong/ Kunsthal: Presentation 'FYW Museum Park'/ Presentation 'Systems' and 'Works, 1993-2007'/ 'Ariadne' moves to Sint-Oedenrode/ 'Memory Knight' at Art Rotterdam 2008/ International presentation ´Systems´/ 'The Urban Game Show' at the NAI/ Premiere 'It runs in the Neighbourhood'/ 'Narratives of Desire' at Axel Lapp Projects/ Breakfast lecture at the Design Publico Week / Fields of (inter)action at Venice Biennale/ New work coming up at 2008 Shanghai Biennale/ The Market of Tomorrow/ Women beyond the Verge/ Public Faculty no.1/ RAM opens 2010 with Citizens' Tales/ Nominated for Award for Participatory Art/ Talking Trash 13 April - 29 May/ Publications Jeanne van Heeswijk for sale/