The theme of the fourth OSCAM AIR is ‘good citizenship’. Citizenship has a political-legal, economic, social and vital citizenship dimension. We zoom in on the social dimension, which is about willingness and the ability to be part of a multicultural community and to actively contribute to it. Within this, we mainly focus on community and the role of the neighbourhood in which you surround yourself, both in terms of people and spatial layout. 

In this edition, the artists translate the journey of discovery they have made in their search for identity, community and good citizenship into art. They also show us that art can be interactive. What do you think “good citizenship” means?

Artists

Visit the art of Clan de Banlieue, Safae Gounane and Prince Cartiee and discover what good citizenship means to them, to Marian Duff, curator of OSCAM and to Jeroen Visser, Director of Operations of HvA.

Curator quotes

We asked our curator and director Marian Duff and HvA’s Director Operations Jeroen Visser, about what good citizenship means to them.

Marian Duff:

‘There is no basic answer to the question “what is good citizenship?”. The focus of this theme is on the willingness and ability to be part of a multicultural community and to actively contribute to it. Good citizenship would benefit people and society. Both located in Amsterdam Southeast, makes the HvA and OSCAM neighbours. This collaboration makes us allies. Together we look at how a combination of art and education can play a role within the theme. For me, good citizenship means working together and making a contribution by anticipating signals from the neighbourhood and starting a dialogue about those signals with the help of art. Having conversations about topics that might normally be avoided to encourage development and engagement. In this way, new insights and creations can arise for and by OSCAM, HvA and the neighbourhood. For me, the continuity of this is an important step towards good citizenship.’

Jeroen Visser:

Deep autumn —
my neighbor,
how does he live, I wonder
-Matsui Basho-

‘If there has been one thing made clear to us lately, it is the delicate balance that is needed between keeping a connection, socially, and keeping a distance, physically. For the first time since the emergence of modern technology, such as (steam) trains, the telephone, and later the internet, our world is not getting bigger, but smaller. The theme ‘good citizenship’ and ‘being good neighbors’ were already very closely related, and now more current than ever. In the need for social interaction, differences disappear, and trust in others counts, from an open, connected and interested view. A look that is needed to learn and to grow. In that connection, in that trust, in the desire to learn from each other, OSCAM and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences find each other, as good neighbors.’

Colophon

Curator and concept: Marian Duff
Production: Julie Becker
Artists In Residence: Clan de Banlieue, Safae Gounane & Prince Cartiee
Photography: Elzo Bonam & Kirsten van Santen
Graphic Design: Lamiae El Hajjaji
Supported by: Hogeschool van Amsterdam
Special thanks: Jeroen Visser, Ineke Bussemaker, Saundra Williams, Elliott Gallery, Marjorie Richards, Louisanne van Hooff, Shaquille Shaniqua Joy & Manu Drenthem Soesman