
Stichting Freehouse is an independent cultural organization, founded in
1999 by visual artist Jeanne van Heeswijk, that wants to stimulate cultural
production and involvement in the development of public space. By actively
promoting the collaboration between designers/artists and local
entrepreneurs and inhabitants, the qualities present in Rotterdam's
Afrikaanderwijk and Afrikaandermarkt are mapped. This exchange leads to a
form of urban development that enforces the area's district economy, makes
tangible the creative process and enhances the living environment.
Freehouse works on a widely applicable model that enhances the power and
publicity of the public domain through cultural entrepreneurship and policy
change. The project questions the official and strictly regulated vision on
public space and the marketplace.
In this exhibition, Freehouse presents the Kenniscentrum De Markt
van Morgen and Eerste verkenning wijk als coöperatief
warenhuis.
De Markt van Morgen is an inquiry of the future possibilities
of the Afrikaandermarkt. Since 2009, new products, services and market
stalls have been developed by market vendors, local entrepreneurs,
designers and artists. In the Kenniscentrum De Markt van
Morgen, the results of the research are presented through products,
photographs, film and interviews.
Eerste verkenning wijk als coöperatief warenhuis focuses on
radicalizing local production and creating an encompassing link between the
district's different enterprises. They can be seen as independent
stores-in-store, whereby the district itself is the warehouse in which
those stores are established, allowing them to provide a wide range of
products and services. At the same time, a platform is presented to
redefine the term 'warehouse' and the associated term 'shopping mall'. They
try to investigate the possibility of developing a warehouse that consists
of local 'brands', as opposed to shopping malls with the well-known,
standard shops.