Eindhoven25/11> 7/122013

USE

A new temporary museum for the Arte Útil movement settle in the Van Abbemuseum during 4 months. It introduces a new form to the old square building: a perfect circular wooden wall that goes through the white-cube exhibition rooms. The wooden circle generates an inside and outside in the existing spaces in order to move the otherwise unshakable brick walls of the van Abbemuseum. Its centre forms the archive of the Arte Útil movement. The presented case studies can be taken as examples to discover tactics, strategies and uses, activating the different spaces along the wooden wall. During the time of the exhibition it is meant to be used as the display for all activities within the Museum of Arte Util.

Yet the ring is not only an architectural proposition, but also an opportunity to collaboratively design the Museum of Arte Útil. During two weeks an international team of architects, de-signers, artists, graphic designers and a sociologist worked together with students from the local Design Academy and the team of the Van Abbemuseum. constructLab is the idea behind this collaborative experience: the conception and construction is brought together, letting most of the design solutions occur while trying out, reacting spontaneously on upcoming needs, and building them.Thereby the constructLab proposes a first tryout for the activa-tion of the Museum of Arte Útil or one of the many answers to the central question of what happens with an Arte Útil project when it is taken out of it’s social or cultural context and repre-sented in the museum?Or, what may happen with the museum itself?

ThoUghTS on collaboraTion

These two weeks gave me the opportunity to reflect upon the need to rethink the method of working for a social goal. ConstructLab represents a social method of working from the planning to the execution, from the participants to the public. It is an expression of the need to expand the social interest into the whole process.

The collective work is a force to create, stimulate and produce activities around the same goal being close to personal skills, interests and thoughts. It reflects upon the need to create space for individuals actions expressed working in a group with the shape of a laboratory. Individuals from heterogeneous backgrounds and experience are asked to collaborate in the same space to reach a common goal.

The organization group set the plan and the goal, the common direction of the laboratory, creating space to involve participants. The experts turn the plan into a process, leaving the freedom to act thinking, drawing, making, opening, evolving.

The working schedule includes time for confrontation and dialogue around common practical issues. This moments consolidate the perception of being part of a group, while creating the group itself.

The division of spaces and tasks is based on trust and skills. The trust permits to give freedom of actions and to make the working atmosphere familiar. The skills are shared, the work is not just applying but confronting knowledge. The dialogue allows to keep on building trust and reproduce knowledge.

The wood gives an identity to the process, its technical characteristics give freedom to experiment and at the same time a unifying trait to the laboratory. It is a visual translation of a way of producing spaces.

The group is an open family in transition, roles are divided, knowledge is in evolution, the process is open. It demands time and passion, it answers with a social experience for who is inside and who is outside. It is an evolution in public.

MARTINA MUZIdesigner academy

A museum becomes a social power plant when users, curators, artists and employees of a museum come together to form an agency that is both multi-purpose and serves different values: pollination of a culture of commons, struggle against oppression or private interest, and the use of a social decision process.Arte utile projects are the resources for the social power plant, which processes and reactivates them to make proposals for uses in local situa-tions.

generatingincubating

catalysing

TRANSMUTINGPOLLINATING

disrupting

t h e m u s e u m o f a r t e u t i l e a s a s o c i a l p o w e r p l a n t

re-empoyment

of the museum

fun�ions

exhibition

breaking the

spe�atorship/

authorship

sy�em

realization of

arte utile

proje�s in the

Eindhoven

situation

realization of

social power

plants in other

cultural

museums

transformation of the

van abbe museum as a

permanent Museum of

Arte utile

breaking the

white

cube consensus

re-employs arte

utile proje�s

as prototypes

or models for

local

situations

discussion

/DEBATE

BETWEEN

PRODUCERS,

USERS,

IN�ITUTIONS

create a spatial

context to

emulate and

empower

social

dynamics

A social power plant transforms society via different operational modes:• a process of incubation produces the basis for social transforma-tion by repurposing use. In the Museum of Arte Útil, this process takes form through the game, which re-employs Arte Úti projects as prototypes or models for local situations.• a process of generation is a factory for social self-organization. It operates through a boiler (discussion, debate) and by using social batteries (common resources). In the Museum of Arte Útil, this pro-cess takes form, before the exhibition, through the multiple discus-sions and social decision processes between curators, artists and employees.• a process of disruption stops or hijacks contested social uses, so-cial functions or existing organization. It operates through surprises or breakers. In the Museum of Arte Útil, this process takes form with the contradiction between the institutional constraints (making an exhibition in a classical way, refusing some projects that challenge the legitimity of the museum, reproducing the usual ways the mu-seum produces a scenography) and the desire of the artists to im-plement new operations in the museum (employing illegal refugees for the montage of the exhibition to give them a legal status).• a process of catalyzation is produced through the aggregation of the three precedent operations. This process takes the form of the exhibition itself.• a process of pollination operates by emulating or amplifying an in-cubating, generating or disrupting process. The pollination process is a tool for the other process to be empowered. It takes form when an Arte Útil project is realized in the context of Eindhoven.• a process of transmutation includes models, prototypes or simula-tions which, through concepts, images, construction… make propo-sal for new uses or social practices. In the Museum of Arte Útil, this process takes form if the Van Abbemuseum becomes permanently a Museum of Arte Útil.

democratizationof knowledge

discussion,debate

social crisiseconomic crisis

crisis of legitimity

civil war

lightheat

money

socialsimulator

biologicalmodelizationmusicalmodelizationchemicalmodelizationele�ricalmodelization

cosmological�ruggle

language�ruggle

class�ruggle

sexualreprodu�ion

form oflife

symbolizationprocessor

educationalgenerator

knowledgegenerator

socialboiler

safetyvalve

�eamregulator

socialturbines

needsconveyor

desymbolizationgenerator

socialreprodu�ion

socialdecomposition

process socialRecomposition

process

coolingtower

socio-breaker

socialmirror

resymbolizationgenerator

lan

guag

e

socialgenerator

socialSWITCHBOARD

socialBATTERY

labourconveyor

combu�ion

modelization

desireconveyor

socialcommutator

democratizationof knowledge

discussion,debate

social crisiseconomic crisis

crisis of legitimity

civil war

lightheat

money

socialsimulator

biologicalmodelizationmusicalmodelizationchemicalmodelizationele�ricalmodelization

cosmological�ruggle

language�ruggle

class�ruggle

sexualreprodu�ion

form oflife

symbolizationprocessor

educationalgenerator

knowledgegenerator

socialboiler

safetyvalve

�eamregulator

socialturbines

needsconveyor

desymbolizationgenerator

socialreprodu�ion

socialdecomposition

process socialRecomposition

process

coolingtower

socio-breaker

socialmirror

resymbolizationgenerator

lan

guag

e

socialgenerator

socialSWITCHBOARD

socialBATTERY

labourconveyor

combu�ion

modelization

desireconveyor

socialcommutator

niekVoluntary worker in the museumsince three years

– What is useful in life ?Self-reflection, being aware of yourself and your different sides and coping with them.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? Marlene Dumas, painter she is very famous in Holland. She uses a technique called wet’n’wet. She paints the feeling and expression of the inner side of people.

– How do you think art could be useful ? Art influences people, but I don’t know if it works when the artist decide to influence audience. I don’t know if there has been negative influence on viewers, I mean, sometimes the visitors of the museum get really angry with some artists on show…

DiederikTechnical employee in the museumsince 2004

– What is useful in life ?Family and friends.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? I am listening a lot to Muse.

– How do you think art could be useful ? Art is useful when it brings inspiration for several things, in life, in music, for yourself. I don’t see art as something you should own, but as something that can make you happy for a moment.

helma Cleaning service, works in Vanabbesince 11 years.

– What is useful in life ?Health.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? I don’t do anything because I’m getting divorced. I like any kind of music, jazz, pop. My favorite artist is Peter Gabriel, also Maryah Carey and others…

– How do you think art could be useful ? I don’t like it, I am just here for cleaning. sometimes it’s beautiful and sometimes is not, but i just pass around it. I don’t understand it. we don’t work with art so nobody explains us about it. you know, not everybody from my company can work here, look what a woman did some time ago (show picture from her phone of work of art swept away)…

ShafiqProject leader Afghanistan Projecton mondays, security guard tuesdayto sunday, living in the Netherlandssince 1998.

– What is useful in life ?To believe in something.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? Marc Chagall.

– Have you seen the painting that we have here in the museum ? It’s called Homage à Apollinaire, it’s a portrait of Adam and Eve. To me Chagall was a genius, he painted Adam and Eve as if they had been cut with knives. There is a date in the painting 9 – 11. In my imagination he knew that after hundred years someone would have killed the sons of Adam and Eve…

– How do you think art could be useful ? Everybody know it, art can make a big positive change in the society.

SimonStudent

– What is useful in life ?My bike, mobility.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? Roman Siegner, he is a swiss artist. He took a chair and put rockets on the four legs, fire them up and let it fly. He also sat on a wheelchair with two rockets in the end, light them up and start to roll in a circle…

– How do you think art could be useful ? It really depends on how you define «useful», it is a difficult discussion. To me art can be useful if it makes me go forward, understand. But it is an individual perspective. In general, I am against the idea that art must be just «useful». Because we are in a difficult time, this doesn’t mean that painters should stop painting and help us with our lives!

bennoDesigner

– What is useful in life ?Be able to be free and follow your path.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? Tom Waits.

– How do you think art could be useful ? Art is useful when it is able to making change in people’s mind.

bramWorks since four yearsin the Museum’s Restaurant

– What is useful in life ?Friendship.

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? To be honest I don’t watch art a lot. I listen to the radio. My favorite artist is Michael Jackson, he’s someone who will stay forever, because he was everybody’s friend.

– How do you think art could be useful ? to see the world differently: most people have a normal life, but with art you can see and think about something different, sometimes you just need to read the title or a little text and you understand something new.

JokeVoluntary worker in the museumsince seven years

– What is useful in life ?To have an open spirit for learning and confrontation to think yourself otherwise

– What is you favorite artist at the moment ? I own a Leo Gestel, it’s hanging on my wall. My parents bought many paintings and let us children choose on. I chose it. In the collection my favorite painting is from Jo Baer.

– How do you think art could be useful ? Art gives new insights in the community, it stimulates thinking about everything that surrounds me. Thanks to art I could meet a lot of different people.

inTErnaTional WorK

l’inTErnaTionalE DU TraVail

inTErnaTionalE DEr arbEiT

l’inTErnaZionalE DEl laVoro

inTErnacional DEl TrabaJo

inTErnaTionalE arbEiDS

WErKTUig (nl)ToolS (En) oUTilS (Fr)WErKZEUg (DE)aTTrEZZi (iT)ÚTilS (ES)

SCHUURBANDSLIJPEN (NL) BELTSANDER (EN)PONCEUSE À BANDE (FR) BANDSCHLEIFER (DE) LEVIGATRICE A NASTRO (IT) LIJADORA DE BANDA (ES)

LIJMTANG (NL) CLAMP (EN) SERRE-JOINT (FR)ZWINGE (DE) MORSETTO (IT) SARGENTO (ES)

MEETLINT (NL) MEASURING TAPE (EN) MÈTRE (FR) MASSSTAB (DE) METRO (IT) CINTA MÉTRICA (ES)

MASKER (NL) PROTECTIVE MASK (EN) MASQUE (FR) SCHUTZMASKE (DE) MASCHERINA (IT)MÁSCARA (ES)

WATERPAS (NL) LEVEL (EN) NIVEAU (FR) WASSERWAAGE (DE) LIVELLA (IT) NIVEL (ES)

INVALCIRKELZAAG (NL) ROUTER (EN) DÉFONCEUSE (FR) OBERFRÄSE (DE) ELETTROFRESATRICE (IT) REBAJADORA (ES)

BEITEL (NL) CHISEL (EN) CISEAU À BOIS (FR) BEITEL (DE) SCALPELLO (IT) FORMÓN (ES)

PLAKBAND (NL) TAPE (EN) SCOTCH (FR) KLEBEBAND SCOTCH (DE) CINTA (IT) ADESIVA (ES)

VERSTEKZAAG (NL) CHOPSAW (EN) SCIE PIVOTANTE (FR) KAPPSÄGE (DE) TRONCATRICE (IT) SIERRA INGLETADORA (ES)

BOORMACHINE (NL) DRILL (EN) PERCEUSE (FR) BOHRMASCHINE (DE) TRAPANO (IT) TALADRADORA (ES)

DECOUPEERZAAG (NL) JIGSAW (EN) SCIE SAUTEUSE (FR) STICHSÄGE (DE) SEGHETTO ALTERNATIVO (IT) SIERRA DE VAIVÉN (ES)

SCHROEF (NL) SCREW (EN) VIS (FR) SCHRAUBE (DE) VITE (IT) TORNILLO (ES)

LADDER (NL) LADDER (EN) ÉCHELLE (FR)LEITER (DE) SCALA (IT) ESCALADERA DE MANO (ES)

STOFZUIGER (NL) DUST EXTRACTOR (EN) ASPIRATEUR (FR) STAUBSAUGER (DE) ASPIRATORE (IT) ASPIRADOR (ES)

ZAAGBOK (NL) SAWHORSE (EN) TRÉTEAU (FR) BOCK (DE) CAVALLETTO (IT) BURRO (ES)

TROLLEY (NL) TROLLEY (EN) DIABLE (FR) SACKKARRE (DE) CARRELLO (IT) CARRETILLA (ES)

HAMER (NL) HAMMER (EN) MARTEAU (FR) HAMMER (DE) MARTELLO (IT) MARTILLO (ES)

TANG (NL) PLIERS (EN) PINCE (FR) ZANGE (DE) PINZA (IT) ALICATE (ES)

KOEVOET (NL) CROWBAR (EN) PIED-DE-BICHE (FR) KUHFUSS (DE) PIEDE DI PORCO (IT) PIE DE CABRA (ES)

BLIK (NL) DUSTPAN (EN) PELLE (FR) SCHAUFEL (DE) PALETTA (IT) RECOGEDOR (ES)

BEZEM (NL) BROOM (EN) BALAI (FR) BESEN (DE) SCOPA (IT) ESCOBA (ES)

VERLENGSNOER (NL) EXTENSION CABLE (EN) RALONGE ELECTRIQUE (FR) VERLÄNGERUNGSKABEL (DE) PROLUNGA (IT) ALARGADOR (ES)

DECOUPEERZAAG (NL) JIGSAW (EN) SCIE SAUTEUSE (FR) STICHSÄGE (DE) SEGHETTO ALTERNATIVO (IT) SIERRA DE VAIVÉN (ES)

LADDER (NL) LADDER (EN) ÉCHELLE (FR)LEITER (DE) SCALA (IT) ESCALADERA DE MANO (ES)

SCHROEVEDRAAIER (NL)SCREWDRIVER (EN) TOURNEVIS (FR)SCHRAUBENDREHER (DE) CACCIAVITE (IT) DESTORNILLADOR (ES)

CIRKELZAAG (NL) DIVING SAW (EN) SCIE PLONGEANTE (FR) TAUCHSÄGE (DE) SEGA AD AFFONDAMENTO (IT) SIERRA DE INCISIÓN (ES)LINIAAL (NL)

RULER (EN) RÈGLE (FR) LINEAL (DE) GUIDA (IT) REGLA (ES)

WINKELHAAK (NL) TRY SQUARE (EN) ÉQUERRE (FR) WINKEL (DE) SQUADRA (IT) ESCUADRA (ES)

ACCUSCHROEVENDRAAIER (NL) POWERDRILL (EN) VISSEUSE (FR) AKKUSCHRAUBER (DE) AVVITATORE (IT) TALADRO (ES)

BIT (NL) BIT (EN) EMBOUT (FR) BIT (DE) INSERTO (IT) PUNTA (ES)

CIRKELZAAG (NL) DIVING SAW (EN) SCIE PLONGEANTE (FR) TAUCHSÄGE (DE) SEGA AD AFFONDAMENTO (IT) SIERRA DE INCISIÓN (ES)

WINKELHAAK (NL) TRY SQUARE (EN) ÉQUERRE (FR) WINKEL (DE) SQUADRA (IT) ESCUADRA (ES)

BUILD YOUR ATOM STOOLJohanna Dehio

Alex RoemerBureau d’étude (Léonore Bonaccini, Xavier Fourt)Collective Works (Karin Mientjes, Peter Zuiderwijk)Gabriela BakaGonzague LacombeGovert FlintJohanna DehioJulien CourtialLicia SoldaviniManu MacaigneMaria HofmannMartina MuziPatrick HubmannSamuel BocheSilvia Dini ModiglianiSimon BeckmannZeno Franchini

in collaboration with Tania Bruguera,VanAbbe curatorial and technical team.

constructlab