anyMeta 4.19.48 - Atom module 0.3.2 2013-05-23T20:17:29+02:00 http://www.mediamatic.net/feed/atom/9092/en?q_object%5B0%5D=24093 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/162095 2011-06-01T14:02:40+02:00 A subjective travel guide to The Netherlands

<p>This is the first Arabic travel guide to The Netherlands. It is about Amsterdam-Noord. We made this guide during the summer of 2010 with a group of editors and a team of 22 artists from Egypt, the Middle East and The Netherlands. Why artists? It makes sense: without artists we would never be able to find out the truth. And without art we could never discover the beauty of ourselves and the world around us.</p>

Travel guide

<p>أول دليل سياحي لهولندا باللغة العربية، يُعنى بشمال أمستردام. أُنجز في صيف 2010 مع مجموعة من المحررين و22 فنانًا من مصر والشرق الأوسط وهولندا. لماذا الفنانون بالتحديد؟ هذا أمر منطقي: لأن من دون فنانين لا يمكن أن نتوصل إلى الحقيقة، ولأنه من دون فنانين لا يمكن أن نتعرف على حقيقة جمال الناس والعالم.</p>

Subjectieve reisgids van Nederland

<p>Dit is de eerste Arabische reisgids over Nederland. Hij gaat over Amsterdam-Noord. We hebben hem gemaakt in de zomer van 2010 met een groep redacteuren en een team van 22 kunstenaars uit Egypte, het Midden-Oosten en Nederland. Waarom kunstenaars? Dat is logisch: omdat we zonder kunstenaars nooit achter de waarheid komen. En omdat we zonder kunst de schoonheid van onszelf en de wereld niet echt kennen.</p>

Reisgids - SET 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/14398 2010-06-21T15:36:29+02:00 Multidisciplinary design studio

<p>Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross, founders of Catalogtree (2001), are fascinated by numerical information, files, folders and other data based lists. They are specialized in data visualization, infographics and typography. Their point of departure for visual design: develop a set of 'rules' to which content can shape itself.</p> <p>Catalogtree works independent of media and designs magazines and books as well as websites. Both founders teach interactive design at the academy in Arnhem.</p>

<p><strong>Publications:</strong><br/> (February 2010)</p> <ul> <li>I.D. Magazine, Volume 53, #1, 2006 (New York, USA)</li> <li>idea Magazine, #316, 2006 (Tokyo, J)</li> <li>items, nummer 5/2006 (Amsterdam, NL)</li> <li>Form #210, 10-2006 (Frankfurt, D)</li> <li>Design 360°, Volume 9, 05-2007 (Hong Kong, C)</li> <li>Pen Magazine, #184, 2006 (Tokyo, J)</li> <li>The Layout Look Book, Max Weber (HarperCollins Publishers, New York, USA) 2007</li> <li>Serialize, Gestalten Verlag (Berlin, D) 2006</li> <li>Tactile, Gestalten Verlag (Berlin, D) 2007</li> <li>Super Holland Design (Actar Publishers, Barcelona, S) 2007</li> <li>Area 2 (Phaidon Press, New York, USA) 2007</li> <li>étapes: magazine (Paris, F) 2007</li> <li>Page magazine (Hamburg, D) 2007</li> <li>GOOD Magzine (Los Angeles, USA) 2008</li> <li>SEED Magazine (New York City, USA) 2008</li> <li>Bright Magazine (Amsterdam, NL) 2008</li> <li>Data Flow, Gestalten Verlag (Berlin, D) 2008</li> <li>IDN Magazine (Hong Kong, CN) 2009</li> <li>Form Magazin #226 (Frankfurt, D) 2009</li> <li>Infographics (Utrecht, NL) 2009</li> <li>Extra, Birkhäuser Verlag (Basel, CH) 2009</li> <li>étapes: magazine (Paris,F) 2010</li> </ul> - http://catalogtree.net/ INSTITUTION 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/160384 2010-10-21T14:35:32+02:00 My Burglar and Me

<p>As a Rietveld student Kaweh's apartment was burglarized and his most valuable possessions were stolen. After finding out who did it, Kaweh's anger quickly turned into inspiration. He decided to make a documentary about his burglar.</p>

<p><strong>Could you tell us what happened?</strong></p> <p>Both my backups and original files were on the computers that got stolen, so I lost all my work at once. Back then I lived in an old deserted factory in Noord with six other people. The night of the break-in me and my girlfriend were fast asleep. The next morning we got up only to see that both my laptop and desktop computer were missing. Despite the fact that we immediately started inquiring throughout the neighborhood, the burglar entered our home a second time and stole my neighbor's Iphone. A week later there was a third break-in. This time one of my housemates managed to lock the burglar inside and confront him. I was in London at the time.</p> <p><strong>What happened then?</strong></p> <p>They got him to give back the stuff he took from the house, including both my computers. When I got home from London I was quite anxious to boot them to see if my files were still there. Almost instantly after starting up the computer I got an incoming call through msn messenger. It was from a number I didn't know. I noticed my screen name had changed and I quickly closed my computer. I see my computer as something that mirrors my personality and now my burglar had taken possession of that. I decided to open it again later. I discovered four hours of home footage that my burglar had left me. He was practicing cool looks as if he were posing in front of a mirror, and introduced himself to the camera. Our connection became very intimate. First he was in my room and now I had entered his.</p> <p><strong>And you decided to turn this into an art project?</strong></p> <p>I was always taught that there are a few central questions an artist should ask himself. Who am I, what is the object, and what is our relation? In my previous projects I always started a dialogue with an object and posed it as another. In this case I was handed someone with whom I could start a real dialogue. The first few days I was mad at him, but after studying the images he had shot and uploaded to my computer, I started to get to know him. I felt a connection. My anger quickly turned into interest after I googled him. </p> <p>He was talented and knew what he wanted to achieve. I found out he had won an award writing for theater, and later even found his telephone number. So I decided to call him. Not only to confront him, but also to get to know him and maybe even work together. He declined my offer, telling me he doesn't want to face his victims. At this point I figured the burglar and our relationship would be the focus of my work. During my research it developed into something with the potential of becoming an ongoing project. </p> <p><strong>How does this all relate to Noord?</strong></p> <p>The burglary took place in my house in Noord. I lived there for two years. I think I was asked to exhibit my project because it's as if you open a random door in Noord, and ask "What's happening?" This is a story you could hear in reply. </p> <p><strong>Do you consider yourself a Noordeling</strong></p> <p>No, not at all. Without wanting to be offensive, but for me a Noordeling is someone who goes to the Dirk van den Broek to get his month's supply of Best Beer and/or vieux. </p> <p><strong>But what about the cultural possibilities in Noord?</strong></p> <p>There is still quite a bit of empty space in Noord, which offers young entrepreneurial Amsterdam the chance to develop itself. A lot of old commercial warehouses are now being used as offices and living spaces for people in the creative industry. It's nice how we can learn from each other, and profit from the cultural environment in Noord. I think Noord will develop quite nicely.</p> Caspar Menkman http://www.mediamatic.net/id/156465 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/104235 2010-06-10T17:23:22+02:00 Strategy for site-specific typography

<p>Typogeography connects radical ideas about typography with Jane Jacobs' radical ideas about urbanism.</p>

<p>Jane Jacobs' had a hate-on for self-isolation. In <em>The Death and Life of Great American Cities</em>, she had damning things to say about modernist urban planning — and NYC modernist builder Robert Moses — one of which was: self-isolation is self-defeating. In a modernist city, everyone and everything is to be divided and conquered in a neat and orderly fashion. Poor people over here; rich people over there. Large building blocks over here; giant parks over there. </p> <p>Jacobs' knew safe neighborhoods and prosperous cities were more chaotic and complex in reality. And the trick to designing for cities with this in mind was to engage site-specific projects and mixed-use planning. These principles laid the foundation for many city plans — including most of downtown Toronto, Canada — since they introduced the radical idea that an urban design could not be created in isolation or adjusted independently of its context.</p> <p>It is this approach that Typogeography celebrates with its practical font experiments based on urban cartography. Typogeography is less of a font design; more of a strategy for site-specific typography.</p> <p>Initial Typogeography experiments led to the discovery and design of three display fonts inspired by Toronto's Data Map No. 51G-22: Networks (based on street grids), Landscapes (based on architectural footprints) and <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/115381/en">Properties</a> (based on property lines). The Properties font — nicknamed the Toronto font — is the visual identity for <a href="http://travel.mediamatic.net/">Mediamatic Travel</a>, a DIY travel network for creatives.</p> Project Michèle Champagne http://www.mediamatic.net/id/38069 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/115381 2010-06-10T17:22:50+02:00 Radical font for Mediamatic Travel's visual identity!

<p>Properties font is the visual identity of Mediamatic Travel. A radical font for a radical project!</p>

<p>Properties is all about:<br/> ... property lines in Toronto Data Map No 51G-22<br/> ... <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/104235/en">Typogeography experiments</a><br/> ... Site-specific typography<br/> ... Contextual design<br/> ... <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/104793/en">Jane Jacobs'</a> radical urbanism<br/> ... <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/106087/en">The Death and Life of Great American Cities</a></p> Project Michèle Champagne http://www.mediamatic.net/id/38069 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/124978 2013-02-04T12:27:45+01:00 Recommendations for new Mediamatic colleagues

<p>Dear colleagues,</p> <p>We all have profiles on the mediamatic.net website.<br/> your professional contacts look at that page first when they are in contact with you.</p> <p>Therefore it is essential that your profile gives a professional and personal impression that helps people to take you seriously.</p> <p>This is a checklist</p>

<p>such a profile typically contains:</p> <p>Your full name as you use it at mediamatic<br/> (optional: some nice motto in the subtitle)</p> <p>min. 1 picture where your face is clearly visible</p> <p>general intro about what you do at mediamatic (and elsewhere)<br/> (interns, please do not introduce yourself as intern but talk about what you do:-)</p> <p>some recent project(s) that you're involved in</p> <p>some history about yourself (previous jobs, study, previous projects)</p> <p>Other relevant professional affiliations.</p> <p>Make the office phone number and your Mediamatic email and website readable for all.</p> <p>Put your own cell phone number on your profile and make it visible.</p> <p>(optional: talk about non-pro personal stuff)</p> <p>(optional: put links to your blog, facebook profile, flicker photos, lastFM whatever)</p> <p>(optional: publish some more cool image)</p> <p>-----------------<br/> FAQ<br/> -----------------<br/> q: I can't write nicely (about myself) — a: Ask a colleague to help.<br/> q: I don't have a nice picture of my face — a: Ask a colleague to take one.<br/> q: I don't have a nice face — a: We would have never hired you if you did not.<br/> q: These rules violate my freedom of expression — a: It's part of your right to work. You can express all kinds of attitude on Facebook or wherever. That's ok for Mediamatic.<br/> q: These rules violate my right to privacy. — a: Your work at mediamatic is a publicly visible role in society. You do not have to talk about anything private. Just your public presence at Mediamatic.<br/> q: Is this obligatory? — a: Yes, it's part of your work and we rely on it as an organisation.<br/> q: I don't have time for this. — a: I takes one hour and has top priority because it facilitates all other things you do at Mediamatic.</p> Willem Velthoven http://www.mediamatic.net/id/874 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/152202 2013-02-13T12:56:50+01:00 MFT resulted in Noord, an exhibition and travel guide

<p>Noord is the result of a project initiated by Nat Muller and Mediamatic: Mapping for Tourists. 22 artists were invited to map Amsterdam-Noord, pars pro toto for The Netherlands. The artists lived and worked in Noord during the summer of 2010. Find out more about the history of the project on this page. Find interviews with the artists <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/search/154329/nl">on the blog</a>, or <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/155110/nl">read the artists' project proposals.</a> To find out more about the outcome of their work - the travel guide and exhibition - , visit the <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/noord">Noord web space.</a></p>

<p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156528/en/arabic-street-sign-in-noord"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/125/156528-222-400.jpg" height="400" width="222" alt="Arabic street sign in Noord" title="Arabic street sign in Noord" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Arabic street sign in Noord - Mediamatic.net" href="/156528/en/arabic-street-sign-in-noord">Arabic street sign in Noord</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Image for the <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/152202/en">Noord</a> project. We're making the first Arabic travel guide to The Netherlands.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Bint el Dunya</h3> <p>Amsterdam-Noord serves as a pars pro toto for The Netherlands. Apart from the pivots of Dutch culture - Hema, Bakker Bart, roundabout art and cargo bikes - it houses provincial polders, conventional townhouses, and the well-known Dutch multiculturalism. But is Noord just like any other place? Not really. It is conflicting and heterogeneous, but at the same time has a strong sense of solidarity and camaraderie. It is one of the most undiscovered, and therefore exciting locations of The Netherlands.</p> <p>Being the testing ground of a large city has its pros and cons. Since the nineties, artists and cultural entrepreneurs have been working on turning Noord into a vibrant cultural area, attracting nomadic artists and media companies alike. But Noord also has the highest unemployment rate, and the highest percentage right wing voters. Noord harbors top politicians, working class single moms, and the largest Egyptian community in The Netherlands. Whether it's a town of its own, or a peripheral city borough, Noord is unmistakably a conflicted area. </p> <p>In collaboration with independent curator Nat Muller, Mediamatic figured it was about time Noord was thoroughly explored. Despite being part of a large city, Noord is more representative of The Netherlands than it is of Amsterdam. Therefore it has had to work hard to prove itself, fighting failed gentrification and urban renewal projects. Turning to Cairo, capital of tourism, Mediamatic invited young Arabic artists to shed their light on Amsterdam-Noord. Nicknamed <em>Umm el Dunya</em>, Cairo is considered the 'mother of the world'. Not unlike Noord, she too is undergoing a metamorphosis, and is trying to shake off her wearisome reputation. Noord is her adopted daughter: <em>Bint el Dunya.</em></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/153476/en/laat-mij-leven-illustration-by-ganzeer"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/064/153476-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer" title="Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer - Mediamatic.net" href="/153476/en/laat-mij-leven-illustration-by-ganzeer">Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">"My first Noord-inspired sketch (digitally-altered), which most likely will have nothing whatsoever to do with the actual project I'm gonna do here, because I think I want to do something that involves the ferries." Ganzeer says on his <a href="http://ganzeer.blogspot.com/2010/06/laat-mij-leven5.html">blog</a>.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Mapping for Tourists</h3> <p>A conglomerate like Noord deserves a motley crew of researchers. Joining the artists from Cairo is a group of graphic designers from Cairo's northern neighbor Beirut, known for producing some of the best designers in the field. Dutch artists with a flair for mapping, knowledge of socio-geography, or a love for Noord, have joined the Arabic artists in their quest to research the visible and invisible aspects of the city borough. Ranging from synchronized swimmers to giant frogs and snail farms, over the summer the artists have mapped the unique location, and have produced fresh new work.</p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/159481/en">Visit the Noord pages here, to see the results of their work, as well as find information about the travel guide and upcoming events.</a></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/160111/en/haring-naatje-fish-stall"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/412/160111-400-225.jpg" height="225" width="400" alt="Haring Naatje fish stall" title="Haring Naatje fish stall" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Haring Naatje fish stall - Mediamatic.net" href="/160111/en/haring-naatje-fish-stall">Haring Naatje fish stall</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">A fish stall in Amsterdam-Noord.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Noord</h3> <p>Noord has been a friend to many, and a challenge to most. Exploring the 'daughter of the world', the artists soon realized Noord was not an easy place to come to grips with. Free in their choice of medium, the artists' work will result in an interdisciplinary exhibition, and in the first Arabic travel guide to The Netherlands. Mediamatic, as well as local and international artists, will initiate events, inviting people to join into the discovery of Noord. </p> <h4>Exhibition</h4> <p>The exhibition opened on September 10, and will run until November 9. Location is Mediamatic Bank. Participating artists from abroad are <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152445/nl">Ganzeer</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/149285/nl">Malak Helmy</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/140569/nl">Mahmoud Hamdy</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/74974/nl">Ayman Ramadan</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/155025/en">Kareem Lotfy</a>, and <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152742/nl">Ahmed Kamel</a>. The local artists include <a href="http://www.picnicnetwork.org/person/46787">Sarah van Sonsbeeck</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/11315/en">tunctunctunc</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/131605/en">Foundland</a> (<a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/19648/en">Ghalia Elsrakbi</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/131603/en">Lauren Alexander</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/137997/en">Dirk Vis</a>), <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/67687/en">Golfstromen</a> (<a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/67727/en">Joop de Boer</a> en <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/38457/en">Jeroen Beekmans</a>), <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/131901/en">Melle Smets</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/2732/nl">Jan Rothuizen</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/49577/en">Wietske Maas</a>, and <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/8507/en">Malkit Shoshan.</a> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/155110/en">Visit this page for more information about the participants.</a></p> <h4>Travel guide</h4> <p>The travel guide combines the results of the artists' research with practical information about the peripheral borough. The tourist design team consists of <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/18098/nl">Khajag Apelian aka KJ</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/150951/nl">Lara Balaa</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/67267/nl">Lynn Amhaz,</a> and <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/151858/en">Engy Aly.</a> The travel guide was printed tabloid format, and was distributed along with Het Parool on September 10. With a circulation of 80.000, Het Parool is Amsterdam's number one newspaper. The travel guide is also available at Mediamatic Bank, Vijzelstraat 68 Amsterdam.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155917/en/design-team-presenting-mood-boards-and"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/566/155917-400-295.jpg" height="295" width="400" alt="Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches" title="Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches - Mediamatic.net" href="/155917/en/design-team-presenting-mood-boards-and">Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Photo by KhaJag Apelian.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156626/en/a-dam-noord"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/149/156626-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="A'dam-Noord!" title="A&#039;dam-Noord!" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - A'dam-Noord! - Mediamatic.net" href="/156626/en/a-dam-noord">A'dam-Noord!</a></p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Exhibition team</h3> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/874/nl">Willem Velthoven</a> (director) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/8179/nl">Jans Possel</a> (director)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/95111/nl">Femke Vos</a> (project manager)<br/> Amber Verstegen (project assistent) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/75128/nl">Ista Boszhard</a> (research team)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152924/nl">Julia Luczywo</a> (research team)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/147217/nl">Tommy Vermeire</a> (research team) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/153237/nl">Alberto Marchioretto</a> (reporter)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/147745/nl">Justin Linds</a> (reporter) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/129500/nl">Bas van den Broeke</a> (communications) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/149558/nl">Dido Reijntjes</a> (communications) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/129965/nl">Evelyn Austin</a> (web-editor) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/135350/en">Ingunn Jonsdottir</a> (exhibition)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/150078/nl">Lars Wannop</a> (graphic design)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/24375/en">Martine Posthuma de Boer</a> (funding) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/4851/en">Nat Muller</a> (research Cairo, preparatory phase, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/152173/en">Map Fest</a>)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/155087/en">Anne Margriet van Dam</a> (travel guide editor)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/154159/en">Eva Spijker</a> (research team)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/155698/en">Sebastiaan Klaasen</a> (research team)<br/> </p> <h3>More information</h3> <p>The opening of the exhibition and the launch of the travel guide were on September 10. The exhibition runs until November 9, at Mediamatic Bank, Vijzelstraat 68, Amsterdam. Weekdays open from 13:00 - 19:00, and on the weekends from 13:00 - 18:00 hrs. Entrance fee is € 3,- </p> <h3>Support</h3> <p>Noord is made possible by: <br/> Mondriaan Foundation, Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (FondsBKVB), DOEN Foundation, VSBfonds, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Noord, Ymere and Netherlands Embassy in Cairo.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155069/nl/noord-was-made-possible-by"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/501/155069-400-46.jpg" height="46" width="400" alt="Noord was made possible by:" title="Noord was made possible by:" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Noord was made possible by: - Mediamatic.net" href="/155069/nl/noord-was-made-possible-by">Noord was made possible by:</a></p></div></div></div></p> MFT resulteerde in Noord, een tentoonstelling en reisgids

<p>Noord komt voort uit een idee van Nat Muller en Mediamatic: Mapping For Tourists. 22 kunstenaars werden gevraagd Amsterdam-Noord in kaart te brengen. De kunstenaars woonden en werkten gedurende de zomer van 2010 in Noord, pars pro toto voor Nederland. Vind meer over de geschiedenis van het project op deze pagina. Lees interviews met de kunstenaars op het <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/search/154329/nl">blog,</a> of bekijk de <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/155110/nl">projectvoorstellen.</a> Voor de resultaten van hun werk - een expositie en reisgids - ga je naar de <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/noord">Noord webruimte.</a></p>

<p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156528/en/arabic-street-sign-in-noord"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/125/156528-222-400.jpg" height="400" width="222" alt="Arabic street sign in Noord" title="Arabic street sign in Noord" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Arabic street sign in Noord - Mediamatic.net" href="/156528/en/arabic-street-sign-in-noord">Arabic street sign in Noord</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Image for the <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/152202/en">Noord</a> project. We're making the first Arabic travel guide to The Netherlands.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Bint el Dunya</h3> <p>Het is aan Amsterdam-Noord onmogelijk af te leiden of het een klein dorp is, of onderdeel van een grote stad. Naast de hoogtepunten uit de Nederlandse cultuur - Hema, Bakker Bart, rotondekunst en bakfietsen - huist Noord provinciaal polderlandschap, alledaagse rijtjeshuizen, en het oer-Hollandse multiculturalisme. Maar is Amsterdam-Noord daardoor ook doorsnee? Zeker niet.</p> <p>De testlocatie zijn van een grote stad, heeft z’n voor- en nadelen. Sinds de jaren negentig hebben kunstenaars en cultureel ondernemers zich erop toegelegd van Noord een vitaal cultureel gebied te maken, waar plaats is voor zowel nomadische kunstenaars als internationale mediaconcerns. Maar Noord telt ook het hoogste aantal werklozen, en de meeste PVV-stemmers. Noord huist toppolitici, alleenstaande moeders, en de grootste Egyptische gemeenschap in Nederland. Zij het een dorp op zich, of een periferisch stadsdeel: Noord is onmiskenbaar conflicterend.</p> <p>Mediamatic en curator Nat Muller vonden het tijd dat Noord onder de loep werd genomen. Het stadsdeel heeft meer gemeen met Nederland in zijn geheel dan met Amsterdam, waar zij onderdeel van is. Noord heeft hard moeten werken om zichzelf te bewijzen, en heeft hard gevochten tegen mislukte gentrification en stedelijke vernieuwingsprojecten. Mediamatic keerde zich tot Cairo, hoofdstad van het toerisme, en vroeg jonge Arabische kunstenaars hun licht te laten schijnen op Noord. Cairo wordt gezien als de moeder van de wereld, en heeft dan ook de bijnaam 'Umm el Dunya'. Net als Noord ondergaat zij een metamorfose, en probeert zij haar statische, stoffige reputatie af te werpen. Noord is haar geadopteerde dochter: Bint el Dunya.</p> <h3>Mapping for Tourists</h3> <p>Een agglomeraat als Noord verdient een bonte mengeling onderzoekers. Mediamatic heeft een handvol jonge kunstenaars uit Caïro uitgenodigd, de stad met de meeste reisbureaus ter wereld. Het iets noordelijker gelegen Beirut leverde de beste Arabische ontwerpers, en uit Nederland komt een groep kunstenaars die zich bezighoudt met sociogeografie. De participanten verblijven deze zomer in Noord, en zullen daar werken aan het in kaart brengen van de zichtbare en onzichtbare aspecten van het stadsdeel. Van synchroonzwemmers tot reuzekikkers en slakkenboerderijen: in de zomer van 2010 hebben de kunstenaars een unieke locatie op de kaart gezet, en veel nieuw werk gemaakt.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156626/en/a-dam-noord"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/149/156626-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="A'dam-Noord!" title="A&#039;dam-Noord!" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - A'dam-Noord! - Mediamatic.net" href="/156626/en/a-dam-noord">A'dam-Noord!</a></p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Noord</h3> <p>Noord is een vriend geweest voor onze kunstenaars, maar ook een uitdaging. Terwijl zij de 'dochter van de wereld' onderzochten, realiseerden de kunstenaars zich dat het stadsdeel zich niet zo makkelijk liet vangen. Vrij in hun keus van medium heeft het werk van de kunstenaars geresulteerd in een multidisciplinaire expositie, en in de eerste Arabische reisgids van Nederland. Mediamatic zal evenementen organiseren, en nodigt je graag uit om deel te nemen aan de ontdekking van Noord. </p> <h4>Tentoonstelling</h4> <p>De tentoonstelling opende op 10 september, en zal tot 9 november te bezichtigen zijn bij Mediamatic Bank in Amsterdam. De internationale kunstenaars zijn: <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152445/nl">Ganzeer</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/149285/nl">Malak Helmy</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/140569/nl">Mahmoud Hamdy</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/74974/nl">Ayman Ramadan</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/155025/en">Kareem Lotfy</a>, en <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152742/nl">Ahmed Kamel</a>. De lokale kunstenaars zijn <a href="http://www.picnicnetwork.org/person/46787">Sarah van Sonsbeeck</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/11315/en">tunctunctunc</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/131605/en">Foundland</a> (<a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/19648/en">Ghalia Elsrakbi</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/131603/en">Lauren Alexander</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/137997/en">Dirk Vis</a>), <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/67687/en">Golfstromen</a> (<a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/67727/en">Joop de Boer</a> en <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/38457/en">Jeroen Beekmans</a>), <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/131901/en">Melle Smets</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/2732/nl">Jan Rothuizen</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/49577/en">Wietske Maas</a> en <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/8507/en">Malkit Shoshan.</a> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/155110/en">Bezoek deze pagina voor meer informatie over de kunstenaars.</a></p> <h4>Reisgids</h4> <p>De reisgids combineert de resultaten van het werk van de kunstenaars, met praktische informatie over het stadsdeel. Het design team bestaat uit <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/18098/nl">Khajag Apelian aka KJ</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/150951/nl">Lara Balaa</a>, <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/67267/nl">Lynn Amhaz,</a> en <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/151858/en">Engy Aly.</a> De reisgids is op tabloid formaat gedrukt, en werd meegestuurd met Het Parool van 10 september. Met een oplage van 80.000 is Het Parool Amsterdams favoriete krant. De reisgids is ook af te halen in de Mediamatic Bank, Vijzelstraat 68 Amsterdam.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/160111/en/haring-naatje-fish-stall"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/412/160111-400-225.jpg" height="225" width="400" alt="Haring Naatje fish stall" title="Haring Naatje fish stall" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Haring Naatje fish stall - Mediamatic.net" href="/160111/en/haring-naatje-fish-stall">Haring Naatje fish stall</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">A fish stall in Amsterdam-Noord.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155917/en/design-team-presenting-mood-boards-and"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/566/155917-400-295.jpg" height="295" width="400" alt="Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches" title="Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches - Mediamatic.net" href="/155917/en/design-team-presenting-mood-boards-and">Design team presenting mood boards and preliminary layout sketches</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Photo by KhaJag Apelian.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Tentoonstellingsteam</h3> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/874/nl">Willem Velthoven</a> (directeur) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/8179/nl">Jans Possel</a> (directeur)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/95111/nl">Femke Vos</a> (project manager)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/134548/nl">Amber Verstegen</a> (project assistent) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/75128/nl">Ista Boszhard</a> (research team)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152924/nl">Julia Luczywo</a> (research team)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/147217/nl">Tommy Vermeire</a> (research team) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/153237/nl">Alberto Marchioretto</a> (reporter)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/147745/nl">Justin Linds</a> (reporter)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/135350/nl">Ingunn Jonsdottir</a> (exhibition)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/129500/nl">Bas van den Broeke</a> (communicatie) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/149558/nl">Dido Reijntjes</a> (communicatie) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/129965/nl">Evelyn Austin</a> (web-editor) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/150078/nl">Lars Wannop</a> (grafisch ontwerp)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/24375/en">Martine Posthuma de Boer</a> (fondsenwerving) <br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/4851/en">Nat Muller</a> (onderzoek Cairo, voorbereidende fase)<br/> <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/155087/en?lang=nl">Anne Margriet van Dam</a> (redacteur reisgids)</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/153476/en/laat-mij-leven-illustration-by-ganzeer"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/064/153476-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer" title="Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer - Mediamatic.net" href="/153476/en/laat-mij-leven-illustration-by-ganzeer">Laat mij leven, illustration by Ganzeer</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">"My first Noord-inspired sketch (digitally-altered), which most likely will have nothing whatsoever to do with the actual project I'm gonna do here, because I think I want to do something that involves the ferries." Ganzeer says on his <a href="http://ganzeer.blogspot.com/2010/06/laat-mij-leven5.html">blog</a>.</p></div></div></div><br/> </p> <h3>Meer informatie</h3> <p>De reisgids werd op 10 september gepresenteerd, samen met een expositie van het werk van de kunstenaars. De opening begon om 20:00 uur. Gratis entree. De expositie loopt tot 9 november 2010. Locatie is de Mediamatic Bank, Vijzelstraat 68 te Amsterdam. Doordeweeks geopend van 13:00 - 19:00, en in het weekend van 13:00 - 18:00 uur. Toegangsprijs is € 3,-.</p> <h3>Mede mogelijk gemaakt door</h3> <p>Mondriaan Stichting, Fonds BKVB, Stichting DOEN, VSBfonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Noord, Ymere en de Nederlandse Ambassade in Cairo. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155069/nl/noord-was-made-possible-by"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/501/155069-400-46.jpg" height="46" width="400" alt="Noord was made possible by:" title="Noord was made possible by:" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Noord was made possible by: - Mediamatic.net" href="/155069/nl/noord-was-made-possible-by">Noord was made possible by:</a></p></div></div></div></p> - 4.89206981658936 52.3630981445312 8 d d ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/154539 2011-07-05T10:18:02+02:00 July 6, 2010. Mapping for Change at Mediamatic Bank

<p>Map Fest kicked off with an evening on <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/edit/152173/nl">Mapping for Change</a>. Speakers were Malkit Shoshan, Annelys de Vet, Christian Nold and Wietske Maas. The host of the evening was independent curator Nat Muller. Daniel de Zeeuw was present, and scribbled down some thoughts.</p>

<h3>Mapping for Change</h3> <p>The subject of the first evening of Map Fest was baptized “Mapping for Change”. 'The word 'change' doesn't just mean the replacing of one thing with another, but is also always loaded with political connotations, not only after Obama's PR staff made it its campaign slogan. Both meanings of the term 'change' (the aesthetic and the political) were in the center of the <em>Mapping for Change</em> lectures. </p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/8507/nl">Malkit Shoshan</a></h3> <p>Israelian architect Malkit Shoshan, director of FAST, the <a href="http://www.seamlessterritory.org/FAST.html">“Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory”</a>, talked about the “Atlas of the conflict Israel-Palestine”. This 'atlas' maps the spatial movements in Israel/Palestine throughout the 20th century. These objective spatial movements are signifiers of political movements. But whereas the political decision making process is rather intelligible, covered by mass media, that what precedes it isn't so clearly 'represented'. The Atlas is a way of focusing on the latter: its real decisiveness in distributing social (in)equality. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154568/nl/malkit-shoshan-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/995/154568-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Malkit Shoshan presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Malkit Shoshan presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Malkit Shoshan presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154568/nl/malkit-shoshan-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Malkit Shoshan presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Malkit Shoshan is an Israeli architect and the director of the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory. Mapping for Change took place on July 6th 2010, at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154582/nl/audience-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/190/154582-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Audience at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Audience at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Audience at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154582/nl/audience-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Audience at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Picture taken on the first night of Map Fest. Mapping for Change took place on July 6th 2010, at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div> </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154573/nl/annelys-de-vet-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/112/154573-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Annelys de Vet presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Annelys de Vet presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Annelys de Vet presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154573/nl/annelys-de-vet-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Annelys de Vet presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Annelys de Vet maps countries, regions and political entities in collaboration with local residents. Mapping for Change took place on July 6th 2010, at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/52472/nl">Annelys de Vet</a></h3> <p>Annelys de Vet has published several subjective atlases, both of the EU and The Netherlands, as well as of Palestine and Serbia, and is currently working on atlases of other countries. Her strategy: a bottom-up approach. Just like Malkit, she aims at constructing alternatives to the dominant ways of representing nations. Maps are made by an act of selection and exclusion. They play a role in the functioning of national symbolism, and create a certain and specific 'feeling of common ground'. Annelys wanted to create an atlas which would show exactly this process, in the hope of overcoming the self-mystifying aspect of map-making. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154577/nl/christian-nold-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/924/154577-267-400.jpg" height="400" width="267" alt="Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154577/nl/christian-nold-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Christian Nold is a London based artist, designer and educator. Picture taken at Mapping for change. July 6, 2010.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154576/nl/christian-nold-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/831/154576-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154576/nl/christian-nold-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Christian Nold presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Christian told us about his latest project, Bijlmer Euro, a local currency designed for Amsterdam Zuid Oost. Mapping for Change took place on July 6th 2010.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/11569/nl">Christian Nold</a></h3> <p>Christian Nold is interested in how all kinds of global flows, such as money, influence and shape local communities. New means such as mapping can reveal their influence, and allow for an appropriation thereof by communities. He operates in the space between maps and mapping, two distinct although interrelated operations. Mapping is something intrinsically part of every community. A map is perhaps no more than a temporarily fixed or stabilized result of this process, but partly inadequate precisely because of this aspect.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.bijlmereuro.net">Bijlmer Euro</a> is a project which deals with the issues mentioned above. It combines Euro banknotes, and the already present RFID tags in disposable public transport cards. Everyone can make a Bijlmer Euro, by extracting the tag and sticking it to a banknote. The tracking system now tracks money flows, rather than people. But the cognitive value of knowing where your money goes (often the sole focus of data-visualization) seems to be less important than the practical and real-life consequences in the Bijlmer community, the transformation of social relations that it evokes. As Christian said: 'New tools, new relations.' </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154584/nl/wietske-maas-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/484/154584-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Wietske Maas presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Wietske Maas presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Wietske Maas presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154584/nl/wietske-maas-presents-at-map-fest-2010-july-6">Wietske Maas presents at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Wietske Maas' work focuses on the city as a natural, autonomous source of food. Picture taken during Mapping for Change, on July 6 at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/49577/nl">Wietske Maas</a></h3> <p>Whereas Christian Nold works with the movements of the 'noosphere', Wietske Maas focuses on the underlying bio- and ecological processes that inhabit the urban landscape (see <a href="http://www.urbanibalism.org">Urbanibalism</a>). The question they both seem to raise is: How can we meaningfully capture, represent, make effective, and appropriate these ephemeral and phantom-like flows that are both abstract and most concrete? Wietske is currently working as artist in residence for <a href="http://www.cascoprojects.org">Casco,</a> within the ongoing project “The Grand Domestic Revolution”. She researches the plant life of Utrecht, and traces the things that keep on living despite urban planning. The unexpected anomalies of city life.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154585/nl/nat-muller-introducing-wietske-maas-at-map-fest"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/519/154585-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Nat Muller introducing Wietske Maas at Map Fest 2010, July 6" title="Nat Muller introducing Wietske Maas at Map Fest 2010, July 6" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Nat Muller introducing Wietske Maas at Map Fest 2010, July 6 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154585/nl/nat-muller-introducing-wietske-maas-at-map-fest">Nat Muller introducing Wietske Maas at Map Fest 2010, July 6</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Independent curator Nat Muller was the moderator at Mapping for Change, during Map Fest 2010. Mapping for Change took place on July 6 at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>Concluding Map Fest evening 1</h3> <p>The different projects presented today are all dealing with complex systems and processes unintelligible to the bare senses. Systems that are distributed spatially as well as temporally in a highly mediated and fragmented fashion. The impossibility of making those systems or processes intelligible on a human scale, makes mapping necessary. For only if we can see what is going on, or know that what we see is partly determined by how it is presented, can we start to ask questions. And more important: give radically different answers. Our world is very much constituted by these sorts of complex processes. If 'politics' means: making things visible in ways different from the established status quo, so that the latter can be renegotiated, mapping is relevant (leaving the problem of real effectiveness aside). It is this implicit line of thinking which I most recognized among the artists who presented their work tonight.</p> <h3>More information</h3> <p>Map Fest 2010 took place on July 6, 8 and 9 at Mediamatic Bank. <br/> Read about Map Fest evening 2 (Mapping for Clarity) <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/155059/en">here.</a> <br/> Read about Map Fest evening 3 / Ignite Amsterdam #1 <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/154838/nl">here.</a></p> Daniel de Zeeuw http://www.mediamatic.net/id/124965 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155059 2010-07-14T10:57:46+02:00 July 8, 2010. Mapping for Clarity at Mediamatic Bank

<p>The second evening of Map Fest was Mapping for Clarity. Speakers were Richard Rogers, Catalogtree and De Geuzen. The host of the evening was urban sociologist and researcher Merijn Oudenampsen. Daniel de Zeeuw was present, and scribbled down some thoughts.</p>

<p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154860/nl/richard-rogers-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/876/154860-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154860/nl/richard-rogers-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Richard Rogers at Mapping for clarity, July 8. Part of Map Fest 2010, which took place at Mediamatic Bank on July 6, 8 and 9.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/845/en">Richard Rogers</a></h3> <p>Richard Rogers is head of the Media and Culture department at University of Amsterdam, and founder of <a href="http://www.govcom.org">Govcom.org</a>. He describes himself as a 'web epistemologist'. He tries to develop methods other than those of traditional sociology or epistemology. Methods that actually structurally fit the way the internet is organized and organizes itself, to tell about society via what happens on the internet instead of vice versa. One of the basic questions is thus which method is most adequate to get a grip on what is still the relatively new phenomenon called 'the web'. For this purpose he and his students created the Issue Crawler. Since the internet is organized mainly by links (Google, for example, indexes sites by the amount of in- and outlinks), the IC 'crawls' or 'harvests' a given set of URL's which the user enters, for example a Google search on “iran + “nuclear bomb””, and subsequently creates a map (either a geomap or a linkmap) showing interconnections among the URL's. </p> <p>It was interesting to see that it sometimes actually functions as a new form of 'ideology critique', in the sense of being able to argument via a higher level perspective that an individuals' intentions or self-representations are inconsistent, hypocritical etc. One very good example of this is the <a href="http://files.issuecrawler.net/flash/issuecelebrities.html">“Issues Celebrities” project.</a> They started with a little cynicism and suspicion towards the newly emerging industry of celebrities involved in social issues, and tried to show both the most popular issues, as well as track their commitment over time. The case of Linda McCartney for instance. All in all this field of research is still in its early childhood stage. Although these network technologies and the organization of the web itself are transformed at such a rapid pace, obviously much can be expected in the future. It will be a full-time job keeping up with the Apples and the Microsofts, and all the nerds of this world. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154657/nl/richard-rogers-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/640/154657-267-400.jpg" height="400" width="267" alt="Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154657/nl/richard-rogers-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">Richard Rogers at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Richard Rogers is Professor of New Media &amp; Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam. He is also Director of the Govcom.org Foundation. He was one of the many speakers at Map Fest 2010. Map Fest 2010 took place on July 6, 8 and 9 at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154660/nl/asking-questions-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/154/154660-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Asking questions at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Asking questions at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Asking questions at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154660/nl/asking-questions-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">Asking questions at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Mapping for Clarity is about making sense of data. It was the second night of Map Fest 2010 at the Mediamatic Bank. Map Fest took place on July 6, 8 and 9.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154663/nl/joris-maltha-and-daniel-gross-catalogtree-at"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/175/154663-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross (Catalogtree) at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross (Catalogtree) at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross (Catalogtree) at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154663/nl/joris-maltha-and-daniel-gross-catalogtree-at">Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross (Catalogtree) at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Joris Maltha and Daniel Gross are Catalogtree, a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in data visualization. They presented at Mapping for Clarity on July 8, 2010. This night was part of Map Fest 2010, which took place on July 6, 8 and 9.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/14398/en">Catalogtree</a> <br/> Catalogtree is a design collective based in Rotterdam. They work mainly with large and complex data sets. Maps thus seem to be the most obvious medium. They design tools for self-organization, showing or creating a positive feedback loop between a social act and its collective representation. They visualize data sets so as to show the emerging patterns that always seem to exist within them. 19th century sociologist Durkheim distinguishes two social processes. The first is the stable social institutions in which general rules have been fixed, such as marriage. The second is the temporary and spontaneous collective, a social situation that becomes meaningfully organized and acts autonomously. The elements/individuals are not aware, or intentionally act towards their telos, such as a football crowd. An example Catalogtree presented consisted of an arc-shaped waiting line in front of a church in Dresden. Arc-shaped because everyone person wanted to see the end of the line. Only more abstract meta-perspectives such as maps can reveal such logics.</p> <p>A lot of their projects also use geocoding. Using geo-tagged data available in government databases, specific processes are tracked and trends and patterns disclosed. In a project for the New York Times, Catalogtree used the CIA corruption index to map parking violations made by diplomats in the city of New York. They visualized the city with these violations as its only parameter. This resulted in some interesting findings, such as a drop in parking violations around September 11th 2001, when a lot of cops were on the street. Also, when diplomat immunity was abandoned by a new law, there was a sudden disappearance of violations. Catalogtree is currently working together with <a href="http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/">Tegenlicht</a> on a documentary called “Inside the Black Box”, partly inspired by systems and web theorist Matthew Goldstein. Using financial data-visualizations, they disclose the workings of the global banking system, money flows, and the effects of high frequency trading by super-computers, who nowadays make up the larger part of the trading on the stock markets. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154664/nl/catalogtree-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/470/154664-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Catalogtree at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Catalogtree at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Catalogtree at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154664/nl/catalogtree-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">Catalogtree at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Catalogtree talking about their projects at Mapping for Clarity, during Map Fest 2010. Map Fest took place on July 6, 8 and 9 at Mediamatic Bank.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154653/nl/merijn-oudenampsen-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/460/154653-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Merijn Oudenampsen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="Merijn Oudenampsen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Merijn Oudenampsen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154653/nl/merijn-oudenampsen-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">Merijn Oudenampsen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Urban sociologist and researcher Merijn Oudenampsen moderated the second night of Map Fest, Mapping for Clarity. Map Fest 2010 took place on July 6, 8 and 9.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152801/en">De Geuzen</a></h3> <p>De Geuzen presented a number of their projects which involve some kind of mapping. In the project they did in Fort Abcoude, they integrated mapping into a game which focuses on the origin of, and dialectic between, the concept of inhabitant and outsider, and between otherness and identity. According to Renee Turner, maps always function according to a logic of a simple divide: who's in and who's out. They therefore invite or instruct the participants to disrupt the map, to 'unmap'. To disrupt the invisible but palpable authorship that co-constitutes the aforementioned 'simple divide'. They play with the classical function of the map, namely to present a birds eye overview of a given scene. They urge cartographers to pay tribute to the original purpose of maps. Decipher the world and be curious about the complex details of a situation. Hail the power of the fragment, and of relations, because this crosses and displaced the simple divide of the classical map. De Geuzen see the cartographer as a follower, instead of a master.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154662/nl/audience-at-mapping-for-clarity"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/356/154662-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="Audience at Mapping for Clarity" title="Audience at Mapping for Clarity" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Audience at Mapping for Clarity - Mediamatic.net" href="/154662/nl/audience-at-mapping-for-clarity">Audience at Mapping for Clarity</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Map Fest takes place at Mediamatic on July 6, 8 and 9. Map Fest brings together kindred spirits to explore, create, define and oppose maps. The second evening of Map Fest was dedicated to Mapping for Clarity.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/154852/en/de-geuzen-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/609/154852-400-267.jpg" height="267" width="400" alt="De Geuzen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" title="De Geuzen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - De Geuzen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8 - Mediamatic.net" href="/154852/en/de-geuzen-at-mapping-for-clarity-july-8">De Geuzen at Mapping for Clarity, July 8</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">De Geuzen is Riek Sijbring, Femke Snelting and Renee Turner. De Geuzen is a foundation for multi-visual research, together since 1996. On the second evening of Map Fest 2010, Mapping for Clarity, they presented a few of their projects, and told us about their experience with decoupling mapping and mastery. Map Fest 2010 took place at Mediamatic Bank on July 6, 8 and 9.</p></div></div></div></p> <h3>More information</h3> <p>Map Fest 2010 took place on July 6, 8 and 9 at Mediamatic Bank. <br/> Read about Map Fest evening 1 (Mapping for Change) <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/154539/nl">here.</a> <br/> Read about Map Fest evening 3 / Ignite Amsterdam #1 <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/154838/nl">here.</a></p> Daniel de Zeeuw http://www.mediamatic.net/id/124965 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155451 2010-08-18T12:50:49+02:00 Noord design update 1: preparations.

<p>Travel guides according to Wikipedia, and our first impressions of existing travel guides. An ongoing research.</p>

<h3><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_guide">Wikipedia tells us that:</a></h3> <p>A guide book is a book for tourists or travelers that provides details about a geographic location, tourist destination, or itinerary. It is the written equivalent of a tour guide. Many travel guides now take the form of travel websites rather than printed books.<br/> It usually includes details such as phone numbers, addresses, prices and reviews of hotels and other lodgings, restaurants, and activities. Maps of varying detail are often included. Sometimes historical and cultural information is also provided. Different guide books may focus on different aspects of travel, from adventure travel to relaxation, or be aimed at travelers with larger or smaller travel budgets, or focus on the particular interests and concerns of certain groups such as sexual orientation or dietary restrictions.<br/> Guide books are generally intended to be used in conjunction with actual travel.</p> <p>The idea of a guide book dates back to the medieval Arab world, with the establishment of treasure hunting as a major industry from around the 9th century. Many guide books for travelers in search of ancient Near Eastern artifacts, monuments and treasures were written by experienced Arabic treasure hunters and alchemists which became best sellers in the medieval Arab world. This was particularly the case in Arab Egypt, where ancient Egyptian antiquities were highly valued by early Egyptologists. </p> <h3>A travel guide needs:</h3> <p>• To be in a small format that is easy to carry around.<br/> • To have good/clear illustrated information about cultural sites and attractions.<br/> • To be not too heavy.<br/> • To have valuable insights into most aspects of a country, its people, culture, history and attractions.</p> <h3>Studying the guides.</h3> <p><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>_</p> <h4><strong>Wallpaper City Guide - Amsterdam</strong></h4> <p><em>Contents</em></p> <ul> <li>Wallpaper City Guide starts with ‘The City At a Glance’, basically highlighting certain locations and sights.</li> <li>Contains blank and girded pages at the end of the book for notes and scribbles. Which is a practical solution to having to carry a guide book and a note pad.</li> <li>The average temperature and rainfall are useless as you can check that more precisely and up-to-date online.</li> <li>Wallpaper City Guide contains a directory of museums and restaurants with the addresses and phone numbers.</li> <li>Very good photography, but all pictures lack the human figures.</li> </ul> <p><em>Design &amp; Layout</em></p> <ul> <li>Art director: <a href="http://www.loranstosskopf.com/">http://www.loranstosskopf.com/</a></li> <li>Chief Designer: <a href="http://benblossom.com/">http://benblossom.com/</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li>Wallpaper City Guide uses two main fonts, a sans serif font for the titles and the body text in all pages and a serif font for the introductory body text for each section.</li> <li>The text layout is a one [full page] column for the main introductory text and a two column grid for the descriptive text.</li> <li>Simple covers in bright, attractive colors.</li> </ul> <p><em>Format</em></p> <ul> <li>The best format of the 4 guides we have in terms of practicality in carrying around.</li> </ul> <p><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>_</p> <h4><strong>DK Eyewitness Travel - The Netherlands</strong></h4> <p>For starters I’d like to say it’s ugly, too big, too thick and the cover is too rigid!!</p> <p><em>Contents</em></p> <ul> <li>Divided into areas with color codes.</li> <li>The ‘How to use the guide’ was obviously added when they realized it was really hard for anyone to find his/her way though the clutter!</li> </ul> <p><em>Design &amp; Layout</em></p> <ul> <li>Built on two and three column grids with inconsistent text alignment.</li> <li>An overwhelming, confusing amount of pictures and different styled illustrations.</li> </ul> <p><em>Format</em></p> <ul> <li>Too big, too thick and too heavy.</li> </ul> <p><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>_</p> <h4><strong>Le Cool</strong></h4> <ul> <li>Design: <a href="http://lava.nl/">http://lava.nl/</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Contents</em></p> <ul> <li>Le Cool basically contains bits and pieces about anything and everything in Amsterdam. Shops, activities, museums, recommendations to kinds of foods and restaurants that are worth checking out.</li> <li>Also mentions the important festivals and when they take place.</li> <li>Has interviews with some people, shop owners for example which makes the experience of going though the book while or in preparation for going through the city ‘real’.</li> </ul> <p><em>Design &amp; Layout</em></p> <ul> <li>The usage of creative, unconventional pictures and design elements make it interesting and fun to own.</li> <li>Built on variable grids. Visually bound by the style of the design elements and the pictures.</li> <li>Le Cool has a sans serif basic typeface for the body text and a variable typefaces for the headlines of the sections.</li> </ul> <p><em>Format</em></p> <ul> <li>It has a very good format thought I think it’s a bit too thick to carry around.</li> </ul> <p><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>_</p> <h4><strong>Lonely Planet Amsterdam</strong></h4> <p><em>Contents</em></p> <ul> <li>Lonely Planet has a more detailed insight into the country with the people’s habits and expected reactions.</li> <li>Some people find the lonely planet’s approach feeling like spoon fed information, not leaving much for them to explore and discover on their own.</li> <li>It mentions helpful facts about ways to get around, transportation costs and appropriate tipping in hotels and cafes.</li> <li>The descriptive paragraphs are short and to the point in terms of information.</li> </ul> <p><em>Design &amp; Layout</em></p> <ul> <li>The first couple of pages are too busy with pictures.</li> <li>The inside layout is modest, and the two color scheme is simple enough for the reader.</li> <li>Each Bold cyan title is followed by a smaller font sized paragraph of info, i.e: telephone, website, opening hours and ticket prices. Followed by the descriptive body text in Regular.</li> <li>Lonely Planet is dissected by areas, and the pages have the area name in fine spaced vertical font format.</li> <li>The two color maps are easier to use that the fully colored ones.</li> <li>The 3 blank pages for notes near the end of the book may be helpful.</li> </ul> <p><em>Format</em></p> <ul> <li>The Lonely planet is of a medium format that’s not optimum for putting in a small bag or a pocket but shouldn’t be too irritating to walk around with.</li> </ul> <p><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u><u></u>_</p> <p><a href="http://www.iamsterdam.com/ebooks/ATCB_exploreAmsterdam/magazine.html#/spreadview/0/">I Amsterdam magazine.</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/03/the-50-greatest-travel-books-of-all-time/">Greatest travel books of all time.</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.transitionsabroad.com/navpages/resources/besttravelplanningguides.shtml">Best travel planning guides.</a></p> Lynn Amhaz http://www.mediamatic.net/id/67267 Lara Balaa http://www.mediamatic.net/id/150951 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/18098 Engy Aly http://www.mediamatic.net/id/151858 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155112 2010-08-18T12:11:45+02:00 "There are much, much more Arabs and Muslims than I have ever seen in my life outside of an Arabic country."

<p>July 2010. Engy has been living and working in Amsterdam-Noord for a few weeks. She was kind enough to share her first impressions, and tell us a little bit about her background.</p>

<p><strong>Where are you from?</strong><br/> Cairo, born and bred. </p> <p><strong>Do you like living there?</strong><br/> Not anymore. I experienced too many things, and then all the good things got taken away. It's not easy. The things that should go a certain way don't go a certain way. And I go out and try and make them go a certain way. I'm a little... idealistic. I always try to get things done properly, which never happens. I always get stressed out. But now I've found out that certain things can only get done if you're protected.</p> <p><strong>Protected?</strong><br/> You have to either have a lot of money or a lot of connections. It's just run run run with nothing properly done.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155117/en/female-owl-by-engy-aly"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/440/155117-400-252.jpg" height="252" width="400" alt="Female Owl by Engy Aly" title="Female Owl by Engy Aly" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Female Owl by Engy Aly - Mediamatic.net" href="/155117/en/female-owl-by-engy-aly">Female Owl by Engy Aly</a></p></div></div></div></p> <p><strong>Is Amsterdam what you expected?</strong><br/> No, it's very different. I thought it would be less green, for one. But the big surprise is the amount of Arabs and Muslims. There are much, much more than I have ever seen in my life outside of an Arabic country. They're not Egyptian, though. In the north they are mostly Turkish and something I don't understand. I think they're either Iraqi or some dialect of Palestinian. I don't know what language they speak. </p> <p><strong>What do you think of the project?</strong><br/> I really like it, I think it's super cool. Especially because I've never done anything with mapping. It will be really interesting to do something totally new. </p> <p><strong>What is your role?</strong><br/> The graphic design team is collecting the content for the tourist guide slash artist book. We're collecting stuff from the process meetings, the information you need in a travel guide, as well as the mappings we think should be there. Plus we collect the artists' work. There will be other stuff, but I don't think we know yet what. <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/18098/en">KJ</a> is the big boss. </p> <p><strong>What have been some past projects of yours you're especially proud of?</strong><br/> Last summer I did a project called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Boredom_Project">Breaking Boredom</a> with five other artists and a curator. The project was built on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse">exquisite corpse concept</a> of the Surrealists back in 1930 something. <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/140569/en">Mahmoud</a> participated as well. You would do a 50 cm by 35 cm illustration, whatever you had in mind. Then you would send it to Foula, the curator, who would cut 5 cm horizontally off the bottom. That piece would be sent to someone new, and that person would add 35 cm to it. They could only see the bottom 5 cm and have no idea of what's going on... It was really nice. I think they're <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjMjoIVPD_4">online</a>. There were 12 posters in the end. We all partook in it eight times.</p> <p><strong>What did you study?</strong><br/> I study applied arts and graphic design. There are 3 major universities. Mine was private, somewhere out of the city in the middle of the desert. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155956/en/breaking-boredom"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/586/155956-163-400.jpg" height="400" width="163" alt="Breaking Boredom" title="Breaking Boredom" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Breaking Boredom - Mediamatic.net" href="/155956/en/breaking-boredom">Breaking Boredom</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Breaking Boredom is an exhibition curated by Ahmed Foula showing the collaborative artistry of: Engy Aly, George Azmy, Hani Mahfouz, Ibrahim Eslam, Mahmoud Hamdy and Mofa. Cairo: The Townhouse Gallery. Picture found on <a href="http://ganzeer.blogspot.com/2008/06/breaking-boredom.html">Ganzeer.com</a></p></div></div></div></p> <p>If you want to know more about <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/151858/en">Engy</a> and her recent projects, check <a href="http://www.dripbook.com/EngyAly/splash/">her Dripbook profile</a>.</p> Alberto Marchioretto http://www.mediamatic.net/id/153237 Justin Linds http://www.mediamatic.net/id/147745 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155110 2010-10-21T14:20:32+02:00 Participating artists and the design team

<p>Mapping for Tourists resulted in Noord. These pages are snapshots of the artists' progress, as documented in July of 2010. <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/noord">Visit the Noord web space for the final results.</a></p>

- SET 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155140 2010-07-19T11:59:42+02:00 Interested in participating or keeping an eye on the process &amp; results?

<p>Photo Contest 'Beautiful Amsterdam Noord':<br/> Join the Photo Contest and win a voucher for photographic equipment worth € 450, -.</p>

<p>The Rabobank Buikslotermeerplein is looking for the beauty of Amsterdam-Noord. <br/> Amateur photographers have until August 31, 2010 to send their best pictures from Noord in JPG / JPEG format up to 1 MB to: <br/> secretariaatnoord@amsterdam.rabobank.nl</p> Engy Aly http://www.mediamatic.net/id/151858 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155500 2010-08-18T12:12:33+02:00 "Everything that is forbidden back home, is allowed here."

<p>July 2010. Ayman, one of the Noord participants, chats with us about the power of rain, and explains what it is he likes about Amsterdam-Noord so much.</p>

<p><strong>What were you doing before this interview?</strong><br/> I was taking notes about my walk in Amsterdam-Noord.</p> <p><strong>Do you like Noord so far?</strong><br/> I do. It' s so quiet, not like the crazy center. You can easily find some time and space for yourself here. I feel really comfortable just walking around, because there are so many different nationalities. And it’s not like in the center: it is cosmopolitan in a more real way. In Noord you can feel that people are really close. The atmosphere is not unlike the atmosphere in small villages. There are so many gardens, you are surrounded by nature. I really enjoy going to a park and just sitting there, especially after it has rained. Everything looks so clean. You get this feeling of things around you being clean, tidy, regenerated.</p> <p><strong>This is the first time you’ve been to Amsterdam. What are the main differences with Cairo?</strong><br/> It is basically the opposite of Cairo. Everything that is forbidden back home, is allowed here.</p> <p><strong>I remember you told me you did not go to art school.</strong><br/> Yes, that’s true. I learned on the street, by working with, and helping other artists. It really taught me the meaning and the importance of art. I kind of wish I had studied, because it would’ve improved my English. But it’s not that big a deal. People like what I’m doing, and that’s the most important thing.</p> <p><strong>You’ve been accepted into the Rijksakademie, here in Amsterdam. Where will you be living?</strong><br/> Actually, I was thinking about moving to Noord. As I told you, it’s very quiet. I don’t like having too many people around me, I prefer a relaxed environment. I really prefer working on my own.</p> Alberto Marchioretto http://www.mediamatic.net/id/153237 ARTICLE 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155469 2010-08-09T15:40:39+02:00 "I think the center has become more settled, and Noord is changing faster than ever before."

<p>August 2010. Ahmed tells us about the tranquility of Noord, and why it is special to him.</p>

<p><strong> What is the most striking difference between Cairo, where you're from, and Amsterdam-Noord?</strong></p> <p>Calmness... Noord is different from Amsterdam's center because it's meditative. When such a big place is so calm, it creates a very positive atmosphere. It relaxes me. Amsterdam-Noord perfectly combines tranquility and chaos - the city center, after all, is only a short ferry ride away. </p> <p><strong>Do you think Noord is changing though, with all the development?</strong></p> <p>I think it will change. I've been knocking on the doors of Noord residents for my project, and have run into some young Dutch couples. To me this represents what might be a transformation. The area is becoming more attractive. I think the center has become more settled, and Noord is changing faster than ever before. </p> <p><strong>What would you recommend tourists visiting Noord?</strong></p> <p>Definitely the green: the parks, and especially the countryside further north. It's so relaxing. In my opinion Amsterdam-Noord is not the place for nightlife.</p> <p><strong>Have you made any interesting observations in Noord?</strong></p> <p>One interesting observation has come from the window of my neighbors across the street. They're an Egyptian family, and often watch an Egyptian television series. The values propagated in this show are completely different from the values present in The Netherlands or Europe. I wonder what kind of impact this will have on the kids, and how it might contribute to the forming of their identity. Will it be a brilliant mixture, or just cause confusion? </p> <p><strong>Do you think Noord is a unique place?</strong></p> <p>There are many places that have similar features to Noord, but unique to me is that I'm experiencing it right here, right now. I am working on a <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/156296/en">family portrait project,</a> which allows me to meet and talk with people in Noord, and visit their homes.</p> Justin Linds http://www.mediamatic.net/id/147745 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/156074 2010-09-07T14:19:56+02:00 July 27, Noord hq.

<p>Egyptian artists, Lebanese designers, and local experts and editors talk about their work. The perfect way to stay updated on the making of the first Arabic travel guide to The Netherlands.</p>

<p>Amsterdam Noord is becoming more and more visible to the artists. A quick update as to what they're working on. </p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/74974/nl">Ayman Ramadan</a> has started working on an installation. In the area around his 'studio', right next door to <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/79117/en">Tolhuistuin</a>, he has been collecting objects from the street. He is intrigued by the stories behind objects that people discard carelessly. </p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/140569/nl">Mahmoud Hamdy</a> is becoming increasingly interested not in Noord, but in the city center. The more he analyzes and explores Noord, the more he realizes that central to the material and immaterial shaping of this neighborhood, are the conceptions and opinions people from the city center have about Noord. Their visions and plans for the future are what's creating and transforming the area. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156005/en/fitness-for-the-elderly"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/983/156005-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="Fitness for the Elderly" title="Fitness for the Elderly" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Fitness for the Elderly - Mediamatic.net" href="/156005/en/fitness-for-the-elderly">Fitness for the Elderly</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Fred Woudenberg presents one of the citizen's initiatives for creating a better quality of life in Amsterdam Noord. This photo was taken on July 27, 2010 at Mediamatic.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/149285/nl">Malak Helmy</a> finds herself fascinated by the gestures and movements of people in development areas. She is convinced that the way people use and move their bodies, far from being universal, is determined to a large extent by the material and ideological infrastructures that govern a city. What are the idiosyncratic gestures and movements of Noord?</p> <p>For <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/131605/en">Foundland</a> (Ghalia Elsrakbi, Lauren Alexander, Dirk Vis), Noord sparks memories of old Hollywood. A city in which several spaces are juxtaposed in one single place. Noord can be read within this framework, and seen as a pars pro toto for The Netherlands. They were also pleasantly surprised by the many references to folk stories and fairy tales they found in Noord. In the next weeks, they will be researching if perhaps there is more behind the objects. Do the city and its inhabitants crave fantasy and fairy tales, despite (or perhaps because of) their urban surroundings? </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/135668/en/screenshot-animatie-foundland"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/645/135668-280-400.png" height="400" width="280" alt="Screenshot animatie Foundland" title="Screenshot animatie Foundland" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Screenshot animatie Foundland - Mediamatic.net" href="/135668/en/screenshot-animatie-foundland">Screenshot animatie Foundland</a></p></div></div></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/152742/en">Ahmed Kamel</a> will be documenting the insides of religious buildings throughout Noord, as a way of introducing the different religions to each other. He is also interested in continuing his project of making family portraits, which he started back in Cairo.</p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/90673/en">Osama Dawod</a> is looking for a room to rent. Not because Mediamatic didn't provide him with a nice place to stay, but because he is interested in the process of finding a room. When photographing Noord during the World Cup final, he met some Dutch soccer fans that he has asked for help. The local immigrants, however, have proven to be a lot more helpful. Photography is Osama's chosen medium. </p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/156184/nl/sketch-manual"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/201/156184-369-400.jpg" height="400" width="369" alt="sketch; Manual" title="sketch; Manual" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - sketch; Manual - Mediamatic.net" href="/156184/nl/sketch-manual">sketch; Manual</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">This is a rough sketch for the "Landing in Amsterdam-Noord Manual". A refined and user friendly copy will be available soon.</p></div></div></div></p> <p><a href="http://www.picnicnetwork.org/person/46787">Sarah van Sonsbeeck</a> will be looking into buying a piece of land. After lots of disgruntled Noord inhabitants have complained about outsiders buying up land, Sarah would like to buy a piece and distribute it amongst the locals. She will also be working together with Theo Deutinger on a fake campaign for Noord. </p> <p><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/67687/en">Golfstromen</a> (Jeroen Beekman, Joop de Boer) are looking into Noord's subcultures by examining posters, flyers and stickers in the public space. Their research into wrestling fanatics and hiphop crews continues online. </p> <p>A discussion started as to who the audience is of the travel guide. <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/person/874/en">Willem</a> suggested there are a few different layers. First of all, the guide will be very useful for actual Arabic and Dutch tourists. However, the information you'd expect in a travel guide, like where to eat, and how to get around, will be accompanied by artistic content. The two will compete, relate, avoid, ignore or playfully tease each other. The travel guide is re-contextualized, allowing the artist to catch the viewer by surprise. Unprepared, the viewer will see the art in a fresh light, far from the restrictions of the white cube.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/153440/nl/one-cubic-meter-of-broken-silence"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/091/153440-300-400.jpg" height="400" width="300" alt="One cubic meter of broken silence" title="One cubic meter of broken silence" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - One cubic meter of broken silence - Mediamatic.net" href="/153440/nl/one-cubic-meter-of-broken-silence">One cubic meter of broken silence</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">Sarah van Sonsbeeck, 2009</p></div></div></div></p> Alberto Marchioretto http://www.mediamatic.net/id/153237 ARTICLE 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155543 2010-07-26T17:53:17+02:00 A tale from Noord.

<p>Religion certainly means two different things in Lebanon and The Netherlands. Lynn Amhaz was given a taste of the latter on her first day in Amsterdam.</p>

<p>Graphic designer Lynn Amhaz had been living in Amsterdam Noord for all of two hours when there was a knock on her door. Upon opening the door, Lynn found a man dressed in plain clothes and a suspicious smile. The man was carrying a book with Jesus Christ on the cover, and offered her the book, for a price. Lynn told the religious stranger that she had no interest in owning the book, but the theology salesman insisted on knowing why. Explaining that she is not a Christian, and therefore not interested in buying a book on Jesus Christ, the forthright stranger asked, "what are you?" Lynn told him she is a Muslim, and was subsequently asked a second question: "where are you from?" Under the impression that this was a typical Dutch happening, Lynn answered "Lebanon." Yet somehow still unconvinced, Lynn was given one more opportunity to decide if she wanted to buy the overpriced Jesus manual or not. She shut the door.</p> <p><div style="position: relative;" class="ui_animateFigureCaption"><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/155855/en/jehova-s-witnesses"> <img src="http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/sjnh/image/526/155855-400-300.jpg" height="300" width="400" alt="Jehova's Witnesses" title="Jehova&#039;s Witnesses" playable="1"/> </a><div class="caption clearfix"><div class="caption-wrap"><p class="title"><a title="Click to get a larger image - Jehova's Witnesses - Mediamatic.net" href="/155855/en/jehova-s-witnesses">Jehova's Witnesses</a></p> <span class="caption-sep">-</span> <p class="caption-body">It is a common practice of some religious groups to go door to door preaching their beliefs. This photo is from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Casaemcasa.jpg#filehistory">Wikimedia Commons</a></p></div></div></div><br/> As one of the most secular countries in Western Europe - only 39% of citizens are religiously affiliated - The Netherlands stands in opposition to Lebanon where religion is closely connected with the culture and politics of the country. Though Lynn had a uncharacteristic early and affronting experience with religion in The Netherlands, it wouldn't be surprising if this was not the last she heard on the topic. She promises to keep us informed.</p> Justin Linds http://www.mediamatic.net/id/147745 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155614 2011-03-29T09:48:24+02:00 "All the basic things in life are design."

<p>Born in Dubai, raised in Lebanon, and currently based in The Hague: KJ is leading the Noord design team. He tells us about his love for the performing arts, and the power of design.</p>

<p><strong>Why KJ?</strong> </p> <p>Actually, all my life I was KhaJag. It wasn't until the very first day of university, that my teacher looked at my name and said: “I am never going to be able to pronounce that, so from now on you are going to be KJ.” She was Danish. </p> <p><strong>What are you doing in The Netherlands?</strong></p> <p>I came to Holland two years ago. I became acquainted with Mediamatic, and worked on their <em><a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/20008/en">El Hema</a></em> project. After that, I moved to The Hague to start my MA in type design at the <a href="http://www.mediamatic.net/page/544/en">Royal Academy of Art.</a> I was lucky, because at that time there was a law in The Netherlands that allowed you to stay an extra year after finishing your master. They extend your visa for you, while you look for a job. So I stayed, and started doing freelance graphic design work. </p> <p><strong>What was studying in The Netherlands like? Is it very different compared to Lebanon?</strong></p> <p>The MA at the Royal Academy was great. It was an international program: eleven people, all from different countries. I think this is very important. You learn a lot from different cultures. Although design education in Beirut is quite good as well, the design scene is not very rich. Here in Amsterdam, everything is design. The first time I came to Amsterdam to work on <em>El Hema,</em> I noticed how all the posters, everything around the city, was beautifully designed. I think the main difference is that kids here grow up with a visual background that is nonexistent in Lebanon. </p> <p><strong>And what about the main difference between people in Lebanon and Europe?</strong></p> <p>In Europe people live more individually. Everyone has their own private space, and the possibility of expressing and even creating themselves. In Lebanon, life is much more geared towards the community: everybody knows everything about you. It's hard to express yourself the way you would like to, because you're always being judged. In Holland people don't judge you. They respect the individual.</p> <p><strong>Have you always wanted to be a graphic designer?</strong></p> <p>Actually, when I started university I wasn't quite sure what a graphic designer did. I was definitely more into the performing arts. However, in Lebanon, like everywhere else, the performing arts don't pay the bills. I enjoyed and continued dancing for a long time, but wouldn't call myself a dancer. Eventually I moved into graphic design. I know design isn't the most important thing in life, and when I talk about it I tend to be a bit radical, but I can't help but think that even the most basic stuff in life is design. Perhaps I romanticize graphic design, but I do believe it can improve the quality of people's lives.</p> <p><strong>You told us before you worked on the <em>El Hema</em> project. Can you tell us a bit more about it?</strong></p> <p>Basically, what we were trying to do was approach the possibility of an Arabic Hema. The idea behind the project was to take something very Dutch and try to <em>Arabize</em> it. We sold Arabic versions of typical Hema (i.e. Dutch) products. </p> <p><strong>That sounds really interesting, especially considering the recent immigration issues in The Netherlands.</strong></p> <p>I was very surprised and shocked when I heard the results of the last election. Especially since all the people around me seem very open to different cultures. When I heard about the success of Geert Wilders' party, the first thing I thought was: who voted for him? But of course a lot of the people I meet are from an artistic environment. And it are the people from the small villages that are most likely to appreciate his rhetoric. They are scared. They don't meet immigrants in their everyday life, so everything they know about foreigners, is what the media tells them. And the media can make us very ignorant.</p> <p>I think a big problem with cultural projects can be that they only reach the cultural scene. There's always the risk of preaching to the converted: the tiny, privileged artistic world. <em>Noord</em> tries to break through that pattern. We're publishing a bilingual travel guide, in Dutch and Arabic. Hopefully it will be printed tabloid size, and distributed along with a local newspaper in Amsterdam. I really think this could help us reach people outside of the art scene, and allow our message to seep through to everyday, city life.</p> Alberto Marchioretto http://www.mediamatic.net/id/153237 ARTICLE 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155875 2010-10-21T17:04:04+02:00 Cairo, the tale of love and hate.

<p>Over a big plate of sushi, some green tea and lots of wasabi, we discussed Kareem's experience of Amsterdam, living in Cairo and feeling like a tourist.</p>

<p><strong>This is your second time in Amsterdam. Is there anything that really stands out for you?</strong></p> <p>Amsterdam is quite different. It's a combination of a chaotic country and a very European country. In Germany I always felt like an outsider. Here, I kind of blend in. It has something to do with the fluid system, and all the different cultural layers. I remember coming by train from Germany. I fell asleep, and woke up because we had to get out due to a problem with the brakes. The Dutch travelers on the train were cool with the situation. I think that's because the system here is not as straight or square shaped as in most countries. The city's infrastructure, for instance, is quite fluid: look at the architecture and all the different kinds of houses. </p> <p><strong>Can you tell me something about the differences between Amsterdam and Cairo?</strong></p> <p>The difference is most striking when you're on the ferry to Noord. On the ferry, Amsterdam is put into perspective, and you get an overview of the city. Cairo is simply too big for this to happen: you will never get more than a fragmented picture. Because of the size of the place, people often feel stressed out, and that shows in the way they move and talk to each other. Cairo is visually very intense, and it is quite difficult to get around. In Amsterdam it's the opposite. Everything is so easy going and calm, and people seem a lot friendlier. </p> <p><strong>So what's nice about living in Cairo?</strong></p> <p>People enjoy the intense mental state of the city as well. It’s like going to a rave party. It is hard to explain. Of course, at a certain age everyone wants to move away, and I looked into studying abroad. When that didn’t work out, I found myself putting a stop to everything: I just stayed in the house all day, hiding. When I did eventually come to Europe, I found I hadn't been missing out on a lot: internet and television allowed me to stay up to date with most of what was happening here. European life as depicted by the media really is what life here's like. Cairo doesn’t have a prototype. You have to be there to experience it.</p> <p><strong>Do you feel there's a difference between the city center and Amsterdam-Noord?</strong></p> <p>Definitely. In the center, I am perceived as just one of the many foreigners, which is fine. In Noord, I am perceived as one of the many Arabs living there. I am one of the inhabitants.</p> Dido Anna Reijntjes http://www.mediamatic.net/id/149558 ARTICLE text 1 http://www.mediamatic.net/id/155916 2010-10-21T17:28:41+02:00 June 2010. Mapping for Tourists design update 2

<p>Following an initial research and brainstorm session that attempted to answer the question: “what is a conventional travel guide and how is it formatted?” the design team gave a presentation on June 26, sharing their vision, thoughts and visual experiments regarding the upcoming travel guide. Topics discussed included general mood and visual style, as well as basic layout grids.</p>

<h3>Visual inspiration</h3> <p>Visual inspiration consisted of photos collected from Amsterdam Noord, ranging from rough industrial buildings, social housing and construction sites, to production patterns, stencil typography, sign boards, graffiti, and more polished illustrations that one can find painted over the metal sheets that are meant to protect the empty houses which are waiting to be renovated.</p> <h3>Typography, color palette, icons and infographics</h3> <p>Different types of typefaces, icons and infographics have been collected from different sources, and visual styles have been discussed within the framework of this project. Which Arabic and Latin type combinations are suitable for this project? Are we looking into contemporary letter forms or more industrial forms that can blend with the typography available within the urban setting of Noord? Do we look into simple subtle graphic icons or loud construction site icons? Should our informational maps be delivered through illustration or graphic items?... etc.</p> <h3>Layout grids</h3> <p>Since the first outcome of this project is expected to be in tabloid format, different layout grids have been explored. And questions regarding margins and number of columns have been raised in an attempt to find the background grid that best suits the type of information that our travel guide will deliver.</p> <p>With all of this in mind, the plan is to continue collecting visual inspiration and to continue brainstorming and experimenting until the right visual style is born. This will be progressing in parallel with other lines of work such as editorial work and artistic contributions. We are excited!</p> Lara Balaa http://www.mediamatic.net/id/150951 ARTICLE text 1