The unexpected encounter

Manifesto Workshops Library
Library



Resources

Divided into books, articles and essays, video and movies.
Art

Artists and makers are engaged in the encounter within and outside the museum walls in their own ways.
Books

Encounters
Joe Keohane 
The power of strangers
HarperCollins, 2022   

Kate Murphy
You're Not Listening 
What You're Missing and Why It Matters
Celadon Books, 2021

Kio Stark 
When strangers meet
Simon & Schuster, 2016     

Ruth Soenen 
Het kleine ontmoeten (Dutch)
Garant Uitgevers, 2013

Peter Venmans 
Gastvrijheid (Dutch)
Atlas Contact, 2022

Elke Wiss
Socrates op sneakers
Filosofische gids voor het stellen van goede vragen  (Dutch)
Ambo Anthos, 2020

Theodore Zeldin
Conversation: How Talk Can Change Our Lives
HiddenSpring, 2000

Joke van der Zwaard 
Scènes in de Copy Corner van vluchtige ontmoetingen naar publieke vertrouwdheid (Dutch)
SUN Trancity, 2010

Identity / Prejudices

Abdelkader Benali
De vreemdeling
Racisme uitgelegd aan onszelf (Dutch)
Prometheus, 2020

Sinan Çankaya
Mijn ontelbare identiteiten (Dutch)
De Bezige Bij, 2020    


Dilara Bilgiç 
De Gelabelde (Dutch)
Uitgeverij Pluim, 2022

Mark Elchardus & Jessy Siongers Vreemden 
Naar een cultuursociologische benadering van etnocentrisme (Dutch)
Lannoo Campus, 2009

Michele Lamont
Seeing Others How to Redefine Worth in a Divided World
Allen Lane, 2023

Jessica Nordell
End of Bias: A Beginning 
Metropolitan Books, 2022

Claudia Rankine
Citizen An American Lyric
Penguin Books Ltd, 2015

Kae Tempest 
On connection 
Faber & Faber, 2022

Education and other

A. Van der Harts, Bert van den Berg, 
C. Fortuin-Van der Spek
Verhalen verbinden -
ruimte voor vertellen op school (Dutch)
CPS Uitgeverij, 2007

Aminata Cairo
Holding Space
A Storytelling Approach to Trampling Diversity and Inclusion
2021

Lieven de Cauter
De capsulaire beschaving
over de stad in het tijdperk van de angst (Dutch)
Nai010 Uitgevers, 2009 

Nina Simon
The participatory museum
MuseumZo, 2010

Will Storr
The science of storytelling
William Collins, 2019

Max Velthuijs
Frog & The Stranger
Andersen Press Ltd, 2015
Articles and essays

18-04-2024 - De Standaard
Arjen van Veelen - Onbekend is soms ook terecht onbemind, niks mis met milde misantropie (Dutch)

25-12-2024 - Volkskrant
Pas op voor de Pickwickvraag, praat wél over het weer en klaag maar lekker: 12 suggesties voor succesvolle smalltalk (Dutch) 

11-12-2023 - Volkskrant
Zo voer je een gesprek dat dieper gaat dan wat oppervlakkig gebabbel (Dutch)

7-08-23 - NRC
Eet met onbekenden, dan beleef je wat (Dutch) 

12-05-23 - Volkskrant
Positieve, betekenisvolle relaties zijn cruciaal voor een goed leven (Dutch)

6-05-23 - Volkskrant
Ons vermogen gesprekken te onthouden blijkt ontluisterend slecht (Dutch)

Identity / Prejudices


11-03-23 - Volkskrant
Weg met alle labels? Liever niet, schrijft Valentijn Hoogenkamp: ‘Anderen vinden zoals jij, daar helpen labels enorm bij’ (Dutch)

17 - 01 - 19 - Volkskrant
Baarden in de Schilderswijk: hipsters of moslims? (Dutch)

Education

20-02-2022 - LKCA
Gabriela Acosta Camacho en Ellen Oosterwijk
Oproep: bied in alle lessen ruimte aan het persoonlijk narratief van de leerlingen (Dutch) 

9-11-2016 Hanneke van den Berg
Het belang van je naam: 'Juf, weet je nog hoe ik heet?' (Dutch)

Video / Film
Encounters


Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1974

A woman meets Ali, a guest worker, when she enters a bar. Despite their significant age difference, a romance blossoms. The film explores the consequences of their relationship, focusing on the racist reactions and social exclusion they face.

How to with John Wilson
S1 E1 - How to Make Small Talk, 2020

John Wilson reflects on the art of small talk.

Night On Earth
Jim Jarmusch, 1991

Five encounters in taxis in different cities around the world: Moments when two strangers spend time together.

The Balcony Movie 
Pawel Lozinski, 2021

The sidewalk in front of his apartment is the stage on which director Pawel Lozinski points his camera. Passers-by stop for a chat, tell their life stories and collectively sketch a picture of contemporary Poland.

The Gleaners and I
Agnès Varda, 2020

In her documentaries, filmmaker Agnès Varda approaches people in a loving and open manner. She does not judge the people she meets in her documentaries. Her film ‘The Gleaners and I' is about picking up what others do not find valuable.

Identity / Prejudices

The danger of a single story - Chimamanda Adichie, 2009
‘Single stories’ about other people or countries cause prejudices and misconceptions.

Ongemak in het stellen van vragen,
Zoë Papaikonomou, 2020 (Dutch)
 
When people come together, it can lead to awkward situations. In this fragment, journalist Zoë Papaikonomou calls for people not to be so spasmodic about discomfort. Well-intentioned questions, such as the ones Zoë is asked about her last name, can be awkward depending on the context. Naming this discomfort and making it a topic of discussion could ease our encounters.

Anna Lembke - The Power of Radical Honesty, 2023In this video, Anna Lembke discusses how honesty and lies influence the narrative we have about ourselves, and thus the way we connect with others.

Education and other

De Sekszusjes
De eerste keer, 2022 (Dutch)

In the fragment of 27:20 of 35:08, Krista and Marcelle tell the class about their first time having sex. Using their own personal stories, they talk to students. There is resistance among teachers to sharing intimate stories with students - it could undermine the role of the teacher. The fragment shows the value of stories in education.

Zomergasten
Marleen Stikker over David Bohm, 2018 (Dutch)

David Bohm was an American physicist who developed a theory about dialogue. He also put this theory into practice by developing a specific form of conversation: the Bohmian Dialogue. The basic principle is that a constructive (group) conversation has the goal of reaching a shared understanding, and not to fall into a battle to hear your own thoughts confirmed. Stikker shows this fragment because Bohm makes you think differently about thinking.

Zapp
De Mensenbieb, 2023 (Dutch)

The Mensenbieb is a magical library, where you can't borrow books, but real people and their life stories. Librarian Quinty Misiedjan helps children who have a specific question, are struggling with something, or are just very curious about something or someone.

Miranda July & Richie Jay Benedicto
Services, 2020

After artist Miranda July received an unsolicited phone call from Filipino telemarketer Richie Jay Benedicto, she began a dialogue together, exchanging ideas and performance-based images. July asked Benedicto to respond to prompts, such as reenacting a dream. July was impressed by Benedicto's openness and honesty; she paid her correspondent for her services and provided her with directions.
Source: Miranda July


Maaike Gottschal 
The Great Picnic in the South 
2023

During ‘The Great Picnic in the South’, people picnicked on a giant blanket made by textile artist Maaike Gottschal from over 1,700 tea towels from Rotterdam kitchens. In an accessible way, the picnic blanket brings residents of Rotterdam together to let them ‘taste’ each other’s cultures and cuisines.
Source: De Grote Picknick op Zuid


Faith Ringgold
American People Series # 8: The In Crowd, 1964 

‘American People Series #8: The In Crowd’ shows the hands of white figures pushing black figures down. A white man holds his hand over a black man’s mouth. The work depicts attempts to create inclusion: a seat at the table, but not the equal space for everyone to have their voices heard. Source: Faith Ringgold


Manon van Hoeckel 
Wassalon Boijmans, 2017

Your dirty laundry is your free entrance ticket to the Boijmans van Beuningen museum. From 14 October 2017 to 14 January 2018, there was a large launderette in the middle of the room where visitors could do their laundry. The launderette offers space for the unexpected conversation. While the machine is running, you and someone else follow the Washing Program: a set of stimulating questions to discuss in the rest of the exhibition.
Source: Manon van Hoeckel


Adelheid Roosen
Geyersvlijt, 1 deur verder, 2023

In Geyersvlijt, 1 Deur Verder the boundaries between play, theatre and reality are blurred. Five residents adopt five actors: they live together day and night and a scene is created from the reflection of each other's lives. A three-hour theatrical journey by foot and by 'doni' bus takes you past the houses and through the streets of Geyersvlijt. Taste the life stories, flavours and ethnicities that can be discovered just one door further. Source: Female Economy


Radio Bart
Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen

At the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, a group of blind or partially sighted hosts will engage in conversation with visitors about the artworks. The host is primarily curious: they ask for a description of the work, what visitors see and notice, and whether the artist wants to tell them something. They ask questions such as: “Does this work evoke memories for you?” or “If you could step into the work yourself, where would you like to stand, or who would you like to be?” By engaging in conversation with someone who cannot see the work, the visitor will see it differently.
Source: KMSKA


Rirkrit Tiravanija
Untitled 1990 (pad thai)

Rirkrit stages intimate social encounters. Looking at art is generally passive, but he gets the viewers to actively engage. He sees art as something an artist creates together with their audience. “It is not what you see that is important, but what takes place between people.”
Source: MoMa

Liza Wolters
Jopie, 2024

Artist Liza Wolters has now created more than a hundred portraits of her 92-year-old downstairs neighbor and friend Jopie, who always waves warmly as she passes by. In the photos, subtle changes in Jopie’s living room can be spotted: a fresh bouquet of flowers, a piece of clothing draped over a chair, and a glass of juice or a cup of coffee on the table. Yet, there is one constant in every photo: the warm smile and the outstretched hand with which Jopie greets Liza. Source: NRC


Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti
The Living Room

The Living Room in the Van Abbemuseum is a meeting place where the hosts welcome museum visitors as equals. This project was developed in 2018 by Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti. Building on her experiences in Palestinian refugee camps and with Syrian refugees in Sweden, artist Sandi Hilal advocates for the displaced to assume the role of host rather than guest. Source: Van Abbe Museum


Pierre Sernet
Guerilla Tea, 2002

In the “Guerrilla Tea” series, Pierre Sernet presents photographs in which randomly selected guests, from different cultural worlds and backgrounds, are invited to share a bowl of tea. Source: Pierre Sernet


Florian Braakman
Broer, 2017 - nu

‘Brother’ is an ongoing photo series capturing portraits of local men who have addressed Florian as ‘broer’. The project began in Rotterdam Delfshaven, where Florian lives, but has expanded to other neighborhoods and cities. An informal and friendly term of endearment, ‘broer’ evokes a brotherhood between strangers that transcends backgrounds and family ties. Source: Florian Braakman


Marcha van den Hurk – Flying Condor Crossing Borders (Dialogue drawing), 2018 

In a ‘Dialogue drawing’, Rotterdammers who would otherwise not know each other process their chance encounters into spontaneous works of art. A dialogue drawing starts with a canvas on a table. During a conversation about a selected theme, the participants respond with their associations and experiences in words and images. The result shows the questions, wisdom, pain and hope of the people on the edge of Rotterdam. Usually invisibly, they make their voices heard via the canvas. Sources: Collectie Boijmans & website Marcha van den Hurk


Internet Arm Wrestling Challenge
2004

In the Internet Arm Wrestling Challenge, visitors to science museums are matched up via the Internet. Each participant sits on a stool, grabs a mechanical arm and pushes. Their efforts are measured and sent to an identical exhibit in another museum, where a motor exerts an equal force on a mechanical arm that the opponent is pushing against. Source: The New York Times


Efrat Zehavi
Passportraits, 2007 - nu 

At various locations in the city, Efrat Zehavi invites passers-by to sit with her and have their portraits made in soft, colorful modeling clay. During these sessions, she gets to know her models by talking to them about various topics. They make the portrayed person an active part of the performance and the intimate conversation a public event. Source: Efrat Zehavi


Miranda July
Interfaith Charity Shop, 2020

Artist Miranda July has started an interfaith charity shop with the aim of connecting the charitable activities of different houses of worship. Source: Miranda July

Bill Viola
The Greeting, 1995

The Greeting lasts ten minutes but shows an encounter which actually lasted only forty-five seconds in. Due to the extreme slow motion, the ordinary character of the event suddenly becomes unusual and fraught with meaning. The slow motion causes every gesture and every emotion to be revealed in minute detail: from the gaping mouth of the older woman to the hesitation and 'excluded' position of the onlooking woman. Source: De Pont


Hilde Speet
Attentive hands, 2021

In 2021, Hilde Speet was in various places in Rotterdam and painted nails of passers-by. Fresh out of lockdown, Hilde touched strange hands and provided them with a little shine while listening to the stories of these random passers-by. Source: Hilde Speet


David Bade 
WE OK. 2023 

Around the table, a motley crew talks and discusses the two works of art. The images are discussed in whispers or heatedly with a raised finger. In this way, the work refers to the loaded conversations and tendencies that play around the word ‘Woke’. Bade wants to tilt the negative atmosphere around the discussion towards the hopeful and positive mantra ‘WE OK’. The mixing of backgrounds and histories can actually have a positive effect, just look at the pots of food simmering on the table.
Source: Stedelijk Museum Schiedam


Erwin Wurm
Organisation of love (One Minute Sculptures), 2007

Erwin Wurm instructs anonymous participants to perform temporary performances with everyday objects for sixty seconds: participants balance bottles between their bodies, put a bucket on their head or put their head through a chair. In the museum, these mini-performances create unusual interactions between visitors. Source: Erwin Wurm


Hans Hemmert 
Level, 1997

In 1997, artist Hans Hemmert organized a party where everyone was exactly two meters tall, made possible by shoe extenders made of blue foam. The common height emphasized both the commonality (everyone the same height) and the difference (how much shoe extension is needed to get to two meters). Source: Something Curated


Willem Sluyterman van Loo en anderen.
Hipster / Muslim, 2019

The photo project Hipster/Muslim questions identity through the exchange of clothing and prejudices between hipsters and Muslims. Source: Volkskrant


Emke Idema
Rule, 2013

When do you let a stranger into your home? What do you do when the friends you have staying with start bending your rules to their advantage? And how do you act as a border guard at the immigration service? RULE is a playground of ideas, a mini-society, a playful and theatrical experience in which the ideas of the majority count. Source: Emke Idema


Sachi Myachi  
The hut - a quiet wedge, 2013

Sachi Miyachi builds spaces that invite us to look at the world around us from different perspectives. This installation offers space to experience the place in a quiet way in a soundproof construction at a busy intersection in Amsterdam. Source: Soledad Senll Art Foundation


Marina Abramovic
The Artist Is Present
2010

For three months, performance artist Marina Abramović sat at a wooden table while, one by one, visitors would sit down in the chair opposite her and look into her eyes. Marina connected wordlessly with hundreds of strangers.
Source: Another Mag








Contact

Would you like to make an addition or contribution? Please contact:

Joran Koster: mail / insta  
Ellen Oosterwijk: mail

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Last update

December 2024

Copyright

© 2022-24
Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0
Colophon

Text:
Joran Koster
Ellen Oosterwijk

Translation:
Colleen Higgins

Illustrations:
Hilde Speet

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