REVIEW of the RftP exhibition in Rotterdam by: Anas Chao & Mirano Suzuki

Illustration: Mirano Suzuki

Two curious wanderers walk out of the never ending tunnel under the water, in search for the creative energy in Southern Rotterdam. 
The afternoon’s gloomy sky suddenly opens up as they approach the exhibition by Residency for the People. As newcomers to the country, seeing familiar faces and new communities is a great way to grow a sense of home in a foreign land. 

The modest air of spring this year feels a little different from the past two years. It is a little hesitant but ready to take on an adventure and to express voices that it had left behind. Pandemic has challenged us to reframe the very meaning of connecting with others. When we are in a state of loss and unavoidable transition, our creative tendencies become activated and explore ways to survive with collective effort. We learned how to be kind to neighbors, to create new languages and tools to communicate, and to appreciate the value of finding playfulness in the ordinary. 

The exhibition by RftP is a ground for questioning ways to handle daily frustration, and spread care by collaborative imagination and sharing of knowledge. The moment you step into this exhibition, your mind becomes busy juggling ideas, urging one to talk to others. The talk ping-pongs back and forth, it is unpredictable and exhausting, yet pleasantly so. The game is addictive. You start to wish the rally continues forever in this concentrated dream of thoughts and stimulus.

There are tense and comforting moments woven into the game in order to make it interesting. Where the sprouts of hope and doubt are exchanged, two realities meet and create a rhythm of what is fun and what is urgent. The audience self-interprets the value of the activity and takes on something inspiring for their daily life.



You serve first.

PING: NIEUW CHARLOIS

Simple but almost mundane neighborhood in Rotterdam.

Nonchalant residential area with random shops quietly tucked in.

A white cube, but not too white.

Any work from anyone can be shared with the public.

Is it an institution / an intervention / an awareness?

Artsy neighborhood where many creative people live,

with galleries and shops that form small but vibrant communities.

PONG: OPEN CALL FOR CLOSED VIEWING

Open calls. Very open calls. Extremely open calls.

Calls on mamas, calls on papas, calls on you and me.

I am not an artist. Can I call my works art?

I can still make art by myself.

Iam an artist. Your life is my work. You are my art.

Just a day in my life.

Monotonous life is the mother of exciting artwork.

If only I had the ability to connect.

PING: SHOW ME YOURS AND I’LL SHOW MINE

Fascination and celebration of everyday life.

Document, exhibit, internalize, review, opinionate.

The art of others’ living.

A good work is not necessarily about the result, but the intention and the process.

An exhibition is one way to showcase such elements.

Realization and progression of everyday life.

Care, communicate, make, interact, embrace.

The living of others’ art.

PONG: DOES MY ART GROW?

Craftsmanship is art.

Practice makes perfect.

Your effort will be noticed and appreciated.

Creativity, says who?

Necessity or arbitrary, whose lens and agency? 

Art evolves through the process of making.

Intuition is art.

The world is already full of art.

Untrained and raw is the way to go.

It is not really a match, more of a casual pick-up game between friends. The game has no end, the focus is solely on keeping the ball bouncing back and forth, to keep the conversation flowing. A new ball is thrown in if the ball drops, or a new player joins if someone wants a break. In this massive playing field of the arts, everyone balances between striking and defending his or her own interpretations and assertions – communicating and validating their very presence. 

Forget the equipment, the rules, the audience. Forget the court, courtside seats and the television broadcasts. We are approaching a new level of ping-pong, there are no winners and losers anymore. The game is still open for everyone to join, but only a few would. Those who have something to say, those who have the means to express, those who are willing to communicate. Where there’s a will, there’s a residency for them.