W139
Awarded by Amsterdam Fund for the Arts - Work of the year'24
17 November - 17 December 2023
People’s Forum, a solo exhibition, exploring the conditions for art as livelihood and as a vehicle for change. Sedoc starts from her own vulnerable experience as an artist to address new forms of collectivity. Amplifying past and current voices of diasporic and transnational communities, the exhibition reports on resistance and civil disobedience, and suggests tools for emancipation. The punk, reggae, and hip-hop aesthetics in her visual imagery contrast the visual language of mainstream media.
In People’s Forum, repurposing this visual research material echoes the spirit of the 80s and proposes alternative realities of the present. This not only forms the basis for addressing many urgent topics in the exhibition and in society today but also speaks about global power structures in relation to people’s social, cultural, and economic positions.
The exhibition of 35 small screenprinted collages functioned more as a backdrop for the public program. A two-weekender Art Market freely accessible, full of unexpected treasures, self-published magazines, vinyl records, clothing, art works, craft products, and wholesome homemade food and drinks by local artists, designers, and makers. A free weekly how-to workshop programme on fridays exploring alternative modes of economic self-sufficiency within the arts field and beyond, in collaboration with various thinkers, creators and experts.
Closing with a screening of the iconic The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, from Hong Kong—famously sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan. This masterpiece from director Lau Kar-leung, produced by the Shaw Brothers shows an acute focus on the disciplines of combat, it’s the ultimate martial arts film, as Gordon Liu’s apprentice eschews the path of vengeance for one of grace and spiritual self-determination.
W139 is an artist-run exhibition space for artists. Founded in 1979 at Warmoesstraat 139, Amsterdam. The former theater was squatted as a movement against the closed world of commercial art and museums.
Curated by Claudio Ritfeld
Thanks to W139 Team: Fai Aldhukair, Tomas Adolfs, Nadia Benchagra, Dana Claasen, Levi van Gelder, Dil Ghale, Sam Geer van der Klugt, Margarita Osipian, Claudio Ritfeld, Suze van der Tang, Fadwa Naamna, Iris Kensmil, Annette Wolfsberger,
W139 volunteers & hosts
Support Team: Andre Avelas, Michiel Terpell
Photography by Elodie Vreeburg (public) & Pieter Kers (press)
Platform BK Team: Harriet Rose Morley & Jeannette Slütter
Workshop leaders: Astrid Elburg, Sem Bakker and Stefanie Hakkesteegt, Jeannette Slütter and Zoë Dankert, Matthijs Booi
Graphic design & spatial design: Triple Optics, Erik de Hart
This exhibition was generously supported by: Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Cultuurfonds, Pictoright Fonds, Oedipus Brewing, Mubi Nederland