Caihong

Beijing, CN (2019)

Caihong is an app that predicts the formation of rainbows, and sends you an alert if rainbows are nearby.
Originally designed as a reaction to the (2013) law banning homosexual propoganda (link to kissing film) in Russia – Caihong is a comment on the power of nature versus politics, and a way to protest without danger.

The app was re-designed in 2019 for China, in cooperation with Amnesty International.

Partners: Ministerie voor Buitenlandse Zaken, Amnesty International

Cornucopia

Detroit, USA (2010)

This still life depicts 180 pieces of produce, that sold in one day by initiative Peaches & Greens. Peaches & Greens is a Detroit based mobile produce stand helping residents who reside in the ‘food desert’ that resulted after the financial collapse of local supermarkets.

Partners: Fonds BKVB.
Peaches & Greens ook noemen?

Cornucopia Kopie

Detroit, USA (2010)

Partners: Fonds BKVB.
Peaches & Greens ook noemen?

De Kapitein

European parliament, EU (2019)

Prior to the Brexit referendum the slogan Fishing For Leave was used by UKIP to mobiles British fishers. De Kapitein shows how not only politicians – but also the people they represent – can deploy cultural rhetoric and symbols. De Kapitein depicts ‘God’s rays’ – a meteorological phenomenon and a symbol of hope, and was designed and produced by the Urker fishing community.

Europarliamentarian Annie Schreijer-Pierik, and Minister Carola Schouten (NL) both wore the golden earring in Brussel, during Brexit negotiations.
De Kapitein was realised as part of the overarching project De Tijden.

Partners: Visserij Coöperatie Urk, Juwelier Romkes, P.O. Urk & Urker fishers and friends. Supported bij BankGiro Loterij Fonds.

Freedom

Heerlen, NL (2012)

During an audio-tour including anecdotes from residents in Vrieheide, Henk describes his beard as a symbol of freedom – and equates it to the freedom he experiences living in the neighbourhood. When describing Vrieheide he explains, ‘More freedom than here is unimaginable.’

Before the city council took part in the audio-tour, they rarely visited Vrieheide. When they did, they rode through the neighbourhood in darkened buses, and did not get out. After listening to the anecdotes in the tour, they started scheduling ‘kitchen table’ meetings with residents.

Partners: Stichting Doen, Gemeente Heerlen

Galvanize

Arti et Amicitiae, NL (2020)

Together with the Urker fishing community we moved in an eight meter long puls-wing into the oldest artist’s society club in Amsterdam. The installation envisions the consequences of a struggle between propaganda and science, in which science succumbs; resulting in the nullification of 168 retired plus-wings from the Urker fleet.

Partners: Visserij Coöperatie Urk, Klaas Jelle Koffeman, P.O. Urk & Urker fishers and friends. Sponsor: BankGiro Loterij Fonds, Agnes B.

Giving back to Rome

Nijmegen, NL (2013)

Time changes perception. What we choose to value correlates with the context it exists in.‘Spuiten of Hakken’ (Giving back to Rome) reminds Nijmegen of its own history and its layered relationship with this history. Fleeting graffiti tags – utterances of our time – are paired with Roman stone carving, in preparation to enter the future.Layering these two different kinds of craftsmanship – the spray can and the chisel – dares the passerby to ponder on the meaning of the pieces, and more importantly, the essence of what is worth preserving. The Ponies cooperated with master stonecutter Gerard van Luijn to realise this project on-site.

Partners: Besiendershuis Nijmegen, Familie Van Luijn Sponsors: Gemeente Nijmegen, Nijmeegs Ontwerp Platform

Golden Rock

Sint Eustatius, BQ ()

Together with school children on the island Sint Eustatius, we worked on a proposal to add the former colonies to theme park Madurodam. Children voted for their favorite models using the island’s official voting equipment, so that a new generation experienced how to participate in the electoral process.

Partners: Historical Museum Foundation Sint Eustatius, Bethel Methodist School, Governor de Graaff School, NuStar School, Lynch Plantation SDA School, Golden Rock School Sponsors: Prins Bernhardfonds Caribisch Gebied, Bankgiro Loterij Fonds, Nustar Special thanks to Glenn Helberg, Erik Jutten, Francesco Guadeloupe

Malatang

Beijing, CN (2019)

For Beijing Design Week, we were invited by The Embassy of The Netherlands in Beijing to present our work in a way that gave insight into our practice. We invited Mr. Gao, a traditional street-food vendor from the hútòng to prepare and serve traditional Chinese cuisine at the embassy – the first time this food had been prepared there since the embassy opened.

Malatang soup is a simple concept, in which some thirty ingredients are offered, varying from mushrooms and tofu to fish and meat skewers, leafy vegetables and noodles. Everyone gathers their ingredients in brightly coloured plastic baskets which are added to a large communal soup pot where the broth is already simmering for many hours.

Partners: The Embassy of The Netherlands in Beijing, Beijing Design Week, Dutch Design Week Sponsors: Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie In collaboration with: Mr. Gao, Studio Julien McHardy

Nature’s Bounty

Nanjing, CH (2014)

Nine days long our students produced as many artificial Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) as possible. Students alternated between making, and researching the social and political history of the blossom.

At the end of the workshop, the students sold the blossoms on-line to buy one square meter of land from a farmer. This is rare, as almost all land is owned by the government.

The workshop was inspired by ‘Christmas Village’ (Yiwu), where workers produce sixty percent of the world’s Christmas ornaments – though they have no cultural or emotional connection to these products, or the countries to which they are exported.

The workshop explored what happens when there is a cultural or emotional connection to what is being mass produced, and on what the profit should be spent.

Partners: Nanjing University of the Arts, China Calling (Cola Zhang)

Okina Kutsu

Tokyo, JP (2013)

In Tokyo, the businessmen, the geisha girls and the fashion commandos all wear big shoes. A big shoe is usually worn three sizes too big.

The project researches and speculates about the meaning of these three extra inches between the heel, and the backside of his shoe.

Podzemka

Sint Petersburg, RU (2020)

Podzemka is Russian for ‘underground’ and takes place in the subway of Sint Petersburg. Pink Pony Express was asked to do a performance in public space. But during our stay, Putin introduced a law that forbids groupmanifestiations and performances in public space. For this reason, we disguised ourselves as Russian women. Ordi-chique. Skin coloured stockings, high heals, and tight fits are a key element to infiltrate.

Sponsors: The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Project partners: Cascoland

Silver Darlings

Scotland, UK (2019)

In the final weeks leading up to the Brexit deadline we travelled up and down the Scottish coast to meet with local fishing communities, to hear from the other side.

Largely due to their longstanding frustrations about territorial water rights, and a contentious quota system, they overwhelmingly voted to leave the European Union. In conversation with them, we tried to understand the impact Brexit could have on their industry.

For the time being, fishermen are neither here nor there.

Partners: BankGiro Loterij Fonds.

Research in Scottish fishing villages

Sterk Water

Texel, NL (2018)

We sold ’strong water’ to beachgoers on the Dutch island Texel, to start conversations about how colonial symbols are still used to market the island’s identity.

The Still Life of Hot Memes

Beijing, CN (2018)

The Dutch Embassy in Beijing invited us to make work celebrating International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT). While working together with local LGBTIAHQ+ activists we became interested in digitally coded language. In China, emojis can be used to tak about forbidden subjects. We extracted a lily, a peach, and a mirror from the digital realm and transformed them into a living still life.

We also made a poster proclaiming, ‘Rainbows are here to stay.’ that could be scanned from afar. The zone where the poster was is under Dutch jurisdiction, and controlled by a Chinese People’s Armed Police guard. This created a unique circumstance, ‘gay propaganda’ was secured by the opposing party.

Poster outside the NL embassy with giant QR codes to download the app

Waar is Willemstad?

Willemstad, CUW ()

While doing archival research for our project proposing to add models of the former Dutch colonies to the theme-park Madurodam, we discovered one used to be there. Our attempt to rediscover this lost model took us from the inner chambers of The Hague to a living room on Curaçao. Our journey is recorded in the podcast ‘Where is Willemstad?’

Building up the long lost model with residents from Nos Lanterna