Jorinde Seijdel and Liesbeth Melis (eds.)

In association with the Foundation Art and Public Space (SKOR)

Open 18 gives the starting shot for the ‘2030: War Zone Amsterdam – Imagining the Unimaginable’ international art manifestation

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Amsterdam at war in 2030. This terrifying projection into the future serves to sharpen and expand our thinking about topics such as tolerance, fear, security and control, censorship, public space and urban politics. Neither naming the enemy nor proffering any answers, theorists and artists fire off questions and sketch experimental scenarios, using Amsterdam as a concrete case as well as a strange attractor.

What are the implications of urban warfare in a Western city? Is there a public domain under such circumstances and how does it function? Will people still be producing art, and how will artists reach their public?

2030: War Zone Amsterdam is being produced in association with curator Brigitte van der Sande and accompanies an international art manifestation that she is organizing under the same title, presented in various phases from November 2009 onwards in Amsterdam.

With contributions by Frank Furedi, Kenan Malik, Eyal Weizman, Willem Schinkel, Dirk van Weelden, Matteo Pasquinelli, Tom McCarthy, Gert Jan Kocken, John Armitage & Paul Virilio and Adi Kaplan & Shahar Carmel.