"Performing Urban Memory"

Artists Femke Kempkes and Machteld Aardse create artworks in public spaces that use light projections to visualize the history or contemporary stories of a place.

The act of making a piece of a place's history visible and tangible in the public space is referred to as 'Performing Urban Memory' [1]. The artwork is always location-specific (site-specific) and is shaped in content and form by the location itself. This makes the projection unique and intrinsic to the site. Kempkes and Aardse conduct research in archives, interact with residents, document, and collect materials to ultimately arrive at their artistic representation. They aim to reintroduce the human and personal aspect into the public space.

Light and projections in the past

Femke Kempkes and Machteld Aardse have previously developed many facade light projections together.

As part of the Amsterdam Light Festival, in collaboration with the Jewish Cultural Quarter, they created 'Vaarwel / Last Words' (2013/14) on the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam. They also developed 'Home Sweet Home' (2013/14) for the festival, which had more of a community-oriented character.

Since 2017, Kempke and Aardse have been working in Den Helder and developed the light projection 'Halen en Brengen' (editions 2017/ 2018/ 2019), collaborating with the local fishing industry, the old naval yard, residents, and refugees. The theme of 'departure and return' is always central.

A longer-running project is 'Lichtpost', in which they work with children and highlight social issues. The Light Projection serves as a platform for children to share their personal handwritten notes, stories, and thoughts in the public space. This gave rise to the project on 'Loneliness' (2017) in Alphen a/d Rijn, dealing with the feeling of loneliness. In collaboration with the IMC Weekend School and NS, 'Lichtpost against Loneliness' (2022) was further developed and projected onto and in 9 NS stations in the Netherlands.

In the context of the 75th anniversary of freedom, Kempkes and Aardse created 'Over Vrijheid' for the city theater in Nijmegen, where they collected texts and drawings about the personal meaning of freedom. In Amsterdam Zuid Oost, a 30-meter-high projection on a building opposite the hospital served as a platform for 'Lichtpost about Corona.' This project was later included in the exhibition 'Corona and the City' at the Museum Amsterdam.

Femke Kempkes (1971, NL) studied sculpture at the Amsterdam School of the Arts. The physical aspect is evident in her spatial work and light projections, where she always seeks interaction. Kempkes often collaborates with the residents/users of a place, leading to significant community projects. In addition to her own work, she works on commission and teaches spatial design and art history.

Machteld Aardse (1972, NL) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Amsterdam. After studying Art History, she studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and obtained her Master's at the Dutch Art Institute. In her work, she initiates processes in which the human aspect and physical interaction are essential. Aardse draws, works with paper or film material, scratches, paints, and primarily works in public spaces, such as construction sites, shipyards, theaters, and courtrooms.

[1] For a definition, see David Duindam, Signs of the Shoah, The Hollandsche Schouwburg as a Site of Memory (Ph.D. thesis, UvA 2016).

Photo: Machteld Aardse (left) and Femke Kempkes (right) / Photo credit: Coco Olakunle