Another (Art) World is Possible: Nieuwe Vide as a Case Study on the Engagement with Activism in Dutch Presentation Institutions

Abstract

This MA thesis explores the engagement with and integration of activism in Dutch art institutions. Specifically, it examines activism in Dutch non-collecting non-profit contemporary art spaces, also known as presentation institutions. It argues why a broader and more nuanced understanding of activism is necessary within the cultural field to understand how and for what purposes activism is used. Nieuwe Vide art space in Haarlem is analysed as a case study to examine the different dimensions of activist engagement which can take place within presentation institutions, and why these institutions provide unique spaces for doing so. By applying a combination of methodologies, including Grounded Theory Method, institutional analysis and discourse analysis, data including interviews, articles and participant observation are analysed and brought into conversation with academic and activist literature and concepts. Furthermore, an activist dimensions model is introduced to nuance the full scope of activist engagements, as well as to understand their prefigurative potential within presentation institutions. As right-wing politics gain more traction than ever in the Netherlands and as global cultural fields preside in precarious and vulnerable positions, this thesis aims to add to the discourse around the pressing need for activism and social engagement in art institutions.