The Performance
In progress 2025
As an artist, I organize art projects with others around social issues. This method is highly dependent on local participants. People like you and me who find it important to look for new future perspectives. In special forms of collaboration, experiments are organized that create new meaning.
In 2024, I spoke with many Krimpen residents about the realization of a lively village center. You can read more about this research here: 'cardio_vision'. It soon became clear that the municipality makes plans for the future but does not own the center space. The main real estate owner, a local baker's son, does not care much as long as the shop rent is paid. At the moment 23% of the shopping space is empty. The municipality is held in a stranglehold, but in turn can also do more about this situation.
Residents shrug their shoulders. They feel that they cannot change much about it. The cultural and social organizations are busy with their own objectives. Everyone in the village center points at each other. No one moves. I developed 'The Performance' specifically for this complex playing field.
With this plan, I went to the cultural partners. A project group was set up at the municipality. Local companies and residents were approached. People that I speak are nice and cautiously enthusiastic. But no one steps forward to help shape 'The Performance'. Many e-mails remain unanswered. If this continues, we cannot create new meaning and nothing will change.
'The Performance' wants to contribute to the imagination of a vibrant village centre. It makes the Town Hall Square a "stage". The people who use the square become the "actors" in this spectacle. This setting enables us to dance away the parked cars and wake up the property owners with drums. Together we can rethink the village square of the future: the Lotte Stam-Beese square?
Where other villages are built around a church or characteristic square, the new centre of Krimpen is situated around a large car park. With names such as Town Hall Square 2 and 4, it lacks any imagination. It feels as if the built "body" of Krimpen behind the dike, which once started as a ribbon village on the dike, lacks an appealing "face". While a human "Heart of Krimpen" cannot do without a face and vice versa. With you I want to search for this missing "face".
Krimpen residents would like a lively centre with terraces, a diverse range of shops and cultural organisations. However, having something in common with someone goes further than having a drink together on a terrace or doing some shopping at the DIRK. It requires an inviting outdoor space where a lot can happen. A "cultural construction site" where active "residential builders" can meet, to use the words of urban planner Lotte Stam-Beese (Reisicht, Silesia, 28 January 1903 - Krimpen aan den IJssel, 16 November 1988).
Krimpen aan den IJssel is home to 30,000 people, but is the village also being "built by residents"? Entrepreneurs, organisations, people like you and me are willing to trade, but not (yet) willing to act when it comes to the commonality of this unique village. In neighbouring villages, these people do step forward to organise a party together. There really is much more possible than you think. We can open the terrace of the future tomorrow. We can bring ourselves a garden chair and meet each other on the village square on a sunny day. Who will step forward?
Kind regards, Edwin Stolk.
Your (company) name here? Do not hesitate to contact me when you are interested to collaborate!
'The Performance' was mentioned in the following media: more info soon.
'The Performance' follows the concept behind: #theorganisation
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