Ripples of disturbance – NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
A wave, in physics, is defined as a disturbance or oscillation that travels through space and matter, transferring energy from one place to another. The works presented in NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art perfectly embody this concept, as they reflect on geopolitics (space) and material usage (matter).
The Stedelijk Museum Schiedam presents in collaboration with DAR Cultural Agency a group exhibition that features installations of six artists/collectives: The Nest from Nairobi, Nifemi Marcus-Bello from Lagos, and Rotterdam-based artists Marga Weimans, Ameneh Solati, Yuro Moniz, and Elejandro Martinez. These artists bring the diverse realities of their communities to the forefront, demonstrating how local experiences and global influences mutually shape and reinforce each other.
The exhibition is set in five rooms, spread across two floors, showcasing large-scale installations that invite both exploration and contemplation. This expansive layout creates an intimate setting that honors the diversity of different localities, allowing visitors to fully engage with the varied perspectives presented. As a group exhibition, the works are part of a broader international movement that addresses global issues through collective experiences and local ecosystems. Curator and DAR Cultural Agency founder Zineb Seghrouchni notes that while the concept of New Wave has been evolving for some time, its impact is now growing louder, stronger, and bigger. Thus, the wave itself may not be new, but it is taking on a more profound shape. Through this exhibition, Seghrouchni offers a timely reflection on how social and cultural discussions related to locality are gaining increased momentum and influence.
Upon entering the first room, visitors are immediately confronted by a building structure made of bales comprising a substance that is not immediately recognizable. The visual impact is instant, with a distinctive smell faintly lingering in the air. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the bales are made of discarded clothing, which accounts for the faint, stale scent. In the work RETURN TO SENDER, The Nest Collective explores the intersection of distant and immediate contexts. The monumental structure, built from bales, each 60kg of clothing, arranged like bricks and bound together with plastic wrappings and tie-wraps. Inside the installation, a video is showcased featuring experts who discuss the current state of the textile industry and its disposal processes. The video provides context on how discarded clothing accumulates, reaching towering heights, and thus metaphorically forms the building blocks of the structure being presented in this room.
These discarded garments, originally donated under the guise of charity, are shipped from Europe to Africa and Asia, where local populations often struggle with the overwhelming influx. As a result, these clothes, and their affiliated problems, end up in landfills, far from their original owners. By sending this textile waste back to its sender, The Nest Collective offers a critical reflection on Western material consumption and its impact on environments and local economies in other parts of the world—realities that the West frequently prefers to overlook. Through their use of clothing as both object and a ritual, The Nest Collective delves deeply into the everyday practices that connect global consumption to local realities.
The interplay between space and object is vividly illustrated in Nifemi Marcus-Bello’s work, which centers on the streets of his hometown, Lagos. Here, street vendors navigate their daily lives using highly efficient, lightweight mobile kiosks known as Kwalis
The impact of these seemingly mundane materials resonates throughout all the installations, demonstrating how the dominant notion that the macro solely influences the micro is flawed; instead, the micro not only responds to but can also amplify and significantly shape the macro. In this context, our daily routines and actions become essential to understanding how we interact with space and matter.
The interplay between space and object is vividly illustrated in Nifemi Marcus-Bello’s work, which centers on the streets of his hometown, Lagos. Here, street vendors navigate their daily lives using highly efficient, lightweight mobile kiosks known as Kwalis. These Kwalis, filled with an array of products from toothpaste and glue to candy bars and cigarettes, reveal a design approach rooted in practicality and necessity. Which is in contrast with many Western regions, which often approach design as an elitist endeavor, aiming to engage in pseudo philosophical pursues while achieving aesthetic sophistication. However, in many regions of East Africa, design remains fundamentally oriented toward solving everyday problems. These solutions are crafted not by renowned designers, backed by theoretical frameworks, but by the very people who confront these challenges daily. This grassroots, pragmatic approach to design leads Marcus-Bello to describe Africa as a “designer’s utopia.”
In his collaboration with textile designer Frank Remak for the project Context in Design, Design in Context: Prōdogêrsi, Marcus-Bello features a pavilion inspired by the Kwalis, surrounded by video projections of vendors in action. However, the opulent tactility evident in the Kwalis is not reflected in the pavilion design. In contrast to the street vendors’ design objects, which exhibit high inventive user value, the pavilion itself is relatively minimalist and lacks this richness of color, texture, and above all, resourceful functionality. While the pavilion may be inspired by the designers’ utopian mindset and successfully conveys this story through the videos showcasing the work of the street vendors, it fails to embody this mindset in its own design. Nevertheless, the pavilion sparks new discussions about the purpose and context of design and invites reflection on what it truly means to be a designer.
In a similar vein to how street vendors carry their shops with them, Alejandro Martinez explores in his work Void Home the concept of people carrying their homes, particularly within the queer community. While relocating from one place to another may be feasible, carrying a sense of home is more challenging. The Reveler, a central figure in Caribbean carnival, symbolizes Martinez’s sense of home, representing pride, joy, and presence. The lavish Reveler’s costume is accompanied by a drapery of madras fabric, displayed somewhat incongruously on the wall without accompanying text or explanation. Originally from Chennai, India, Madras fabric was introduced to the Caribbean in the 17th century by European colonists. It quickly became an integral part of local culture, symbolizing national identity and pride, and is commonly featured in traditional festival attire. Therefore, the Madras fabric represents a significant element of Caribbean culture and identity. However, without an explanation of its history, the presentation fails to adequately convey the significance of the Madras fabric and does not effectively support the narrative about home that Martinez aims to tell.
By using locality as a lens to explore global issues, NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art provides an examination of how local and everyday experiences can illuminate pressing global concerns
An exploration of home in relation to the everyday is context-dependent—what is routine for one person might be extraordinary for another. NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art foregrounds these diverse perspectives, articulated from non-Eurocentric standpoints, and expands the scope for both thought and interpretation. Valuable stories come from communities expose the inner workings of their cultural cores through materials intrinsic to their practices, illustrating how these lived experiences intersect with broader societal debates.
The exhibition concludes with a poignant reflection on lived experiences through Marga Weimans’ installation, The 4C Body. This work engages with the question, “What is Black identity?” To spark dialogue around this theme, Weimans has created a staircase that extends to the ceiling. Made of metal and curling wires, the staircase evokes the form of a row of chairs while also symbolizing a pair of arms holding onto the chair (or person) in front of them. At the base of the stairs, a collection of curling materials in futuristic silver and chrome tones surrounds groups of tiny cyborg women. These elements collectively illustrate Weimans’ primary inspiration: her own 4C Afro-textured hair, which often accumulates on the bottom of her stairs at home. The elevated row of chairs and bodies symbolizes the intimate communal practice of caring for Black hair, embodying themes of connection, history, and family. What might seem like an everyday occurrence, such as a bundle of hair on the stairs, is transformed into an icon of fierce beauty within the intimate context of the human body. Furthermore, Weimans does not only reflect on current experiences but also envisions the future, by incorporating A.I. generated visuals, she explores possibilities for Black people to carry their traditions and cultures in powerful ways within future contexts. Weimans’ masterful integration of diverse media forms to craft a cohesive narrative underscores her artistry. By intertwining age-old traditions with futuristic scenarios, she explores themes deeply rooted in a shared history and cultural of Black identity.
By using locality as a lens to explore global issues, NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art provides an examination of how local and everyday experiences can illuminate pressing global concerns. It begins with ripples of disturbance that spark waves conversations and evolves into actions. By focusing on local contexts and personal narratives, it not only transcends cultural boundaries but also prompts us to consider the role of art and design in tackling urgent issues of our time and the important role of everyday materials. This exhibition is a reminder of how local realities can profoundly influence and reshape our global conversations. Until November 3rd, this wave is still unfolding at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. After that date, the wave will be released, maybe gaining even more momentum, possibly evolving into a full curl of transformation.
NEW WAVE. Future Voices in Art is on view until November 3 at Stedelijk Museum Schiedam
Karmen Samson
is modebeoefenaar en onderzoeker met interesses in materiële cultuur en museologie
