On Saturday, 14 September, we will come together to bid farewell to ‘Keep up the good work!’ by Sarah van Sonsbeeck. For this final meet-up, we warmly invite you for a cup of tea or coffee and a conversation. We will meet on the bridge at the beginning of Spinozastraat, where it meets Wibautstraat.
Sarah van Sonsbeeck argues that home extends beyond your house. For Welcome Stranger, she focuses on her view. Through the sunlight reflecting off the windows of the Benno Premsela building opposite her—a municipal monument housing the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences—the neighbours across the way send her a message in Morse code: Keep up the good work! As she captures this fleeting moment, she extends the encouragement it gives her by sharing the message with the many passers-by on Spinozastraat and the adjacent Wibautstraat, telling everyone to keep their spirits up.
In her work, Sarah van Sonsbeeck gathers personal experiences and situations related to her relationship with other people and the world around her. For instance, she once wrote a letter to her neighbours about the noise coming through the walls into her home. Her work is twofold: on the one hand, she tries to define, defend, and expand private space, while on the other hand, she simultaneously shows the impossibility and perhaps undesirability of being completely cut off from the world.
“I believe that your home is your mind. For me, art can emerge anywhere, and a house is a portrait of its inhabitant. Additionally, I am fascinated by the view as a unique part of the interior. Many people know their view better than their facade and are disturbed when something changes in their view. But who owns that view?” – Sarah van Sonsbeeck
About Welcome Stranger
During walks and meet-ups, we have met lovely people, often in conversation with the artists, and we are proud of the reviews in both the Volkskrant and Het Parool. Welcome Stranger develops artworks in everyday life, which are also experimental for the involved artists. Step outside your home and wander through the streets of the city. The works can be admired until 15 September 2024. We hope to see you!
Read more about Welcome Stranger and previous artworks and projects here.
For more information about the current programme and associated locations, visit welcomestranger.nl. And keep an eye on our socials as well.
