Artists squatting as protest and solution against social cuts !

Open Houses – Open Doors

Who are we ?

We are representing a group of young artists, graduated from the Netherlands' best art academies. We are your kids and your next generation. Young artists who are worried about their future after the massive cuts to support for art in Europe and the Netherlands .

Now that the decisions of the government have been made, and the protests have died out, the art world needs to pick up the pieces and face an enormous challenge. The artistic landscape of the Netherlands will be fundamentally changed: Large institutions will dominate, the midfield and smaller projects – however - will be devastated. Young artists who just graduated will hardly be able to find opportunities for exposition space, studios, housing and financing for their projects.

We don't have any government support left and our work does not generate enough means to rent studios or student's housing.

As a group of young creative people we came up with our own answer and solution for the needs we have. A new way of thinking. an opportunity for new spaces we call "Open Houses – Open Doors"

For that we make use of residential buildings which were left empty, unattended, neglected and not rented out for a long period of time, for no reason other than speculation or because of the economic crisis.

What do we mean by "Open Houses – Open Doors" ?

The idea is to have an open house for young artists to exhibit their work in a local gallery, and to offer an opportunity for artists from everywhere in the world to come and exchange their creativity with local culture and art-society.

There will be a bunk beds in a shared room, with a kitchen and shower in a clean environment.

A place in good relationship with the community, neighbors and the local art galleries.

All we will ask is a minimal contribution, just to cover the utility costs of maintaining the space.

This is our political statement and effort to help the small-scale artistic community to overcome the critical shortage they face after the massive cuts to support for the arts in the Netherlands.

We will keep proposing reform ideas and new creative ways to help the community to overcome the current crisis in the cultural sector and self-sustain it's artists and their cultural input. To preserve what we have for the following generations. We will keep putting pressure on our city councils to also take initiative and help us to achieve our goal: That empty houses can be turned into

"Open Houses – Open Doors" for artists.