Framer Framed

2 May 2025
16:00 - 20:00

Work Session on Art and Activism: Where Are We Heading?

Onze verontschuldigingen, dit bericht is alleen beschikbaar in English. Voor het gemak van de kijker, is de inhoud hieronder weergegeven in de alternatieve taal. Je kunt klikken op de link om naar de actieve taal over te schakelen.

On 2 May, Framer Framed hosts a public brainstorming and day of action for renewed solidarity, initiated by the different activist collectives and individuals that have been meeting in Framer Framed, to think about what would be needed to build new solidarities and rekindle those already existing. These meetings, as well as this final culmination of their discussions, are set against the backdrop of the exhibition Past Disquiet. They take inspiration from the exhibitions’ examples of radical solidarity and struggles for liberation throughout the world.

1 May – a historical day to commemorate the socialist, communist and anarchist labour movement – is always followed by 2 May – a day to put words into action. On this day, the collective action group focusses on building a broad anti-militarist campaign against rising military spending in the Netherlands. Those materially supporting the genocide in Palestine, the plundering of raw materials in the Global South and the funneling of public funds to purchase military equipment, like to sell their policies with promises of ‘security’ and ‘safety’.

However, these policies ensure the opposite. Security and safety are not achieved through militarization, supporting genocide in Gaza or proxy wars in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Security should ensure that no one faces a lack of basic needs or discrimination based on their ideologies and identities. The work session, which consists of three working groups, provides an opportunity to reclaim the terms of ‘security’ and ‘safety’. The session includes a vegan dinner, prepared by Mohammad AlNoor.

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Past Disquiet

Drawing on over a decade of research by curators Kristine Khouri and Rasha Salti, Past Disquiet uncovers a largely forgotten history of politically engaged artists and initiatives and their role in anti-imperialist solidarity movements from the 1960s to the 1980s. It traces its research to four forgotten ‘museums in solidarity’: the International Art Exhibition for Palestine (Lebanon, 1978), the Museum of Latin American Art in Solidarity with Nicaragua, the International Museum of the Resistance Salvador Allende, and Art Contre/Against Apartheid. These initiatives were intended as acts of solidarity, supporting the liberation struggles of the Palestinian people, the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, rejecting the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, and opposing the apartheid regime in South Africa. Despite their significant scale and impact, the presented collections have largely faded from historical memory.

Past Disquiet also casts a special focus on the history of artistic solidarity within the Netherlands, and particularly in Amsterdam where many solidarity organisations were based. It explores how international movements from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, such as the anti-apartheid, anti-Vietnam War, and Chilean resistance efforts, were met with local activism. The exhibition celebrates the creativity and enduring influence of these movements.

Admission is free.

Do you also think art should be free and accessible? Please consider supporting us with a donation when registering or by becoming a Framer Framed Friend.

This event may be photographed and filmed. Kindly let us know in advance if you prefer not to have your picture taken.

Framer Framed is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; Municipality of Amsterdam; and VriendenLoterij Fonds.