Interview Jeroen Boomgaard

Jeroen Boomgaard is an advisor for art in public spaces and the chairman of Public Art Amsterdam, a collaboration of twelve art institutions in Amsterdam. He is also a member of the Stadscuratorium Amsterdam.

Art needs to be in public space

How do Public Art Amsterdam and the Stadscuratorium relate to the debate about controversial statues in Amsterdam?

The main goal of Public Art Amsterdam is to draw attention to Amsterdam's collection and motivate affiliated art institutions to move more to public spaces. I think that too many institutions are still inward-focused, while you reach a much larger audience outside. With Public Art Amsterdam, we created an art route in Amsterdam-East because there are many references to the colonial past in this district. In principle, we deal with controversial statues, but not explicitly in the upcoming event in September or October of this year. Several artists are commissioned to make a sketch focusing on the theme of 'the shared city'. In the event, we will also address the existing collection of statues in Amsterdam, the different districts may propose the works they wish to prioritize. Actually, there are few controversial statues on the list. I think districts want to avoid drawing attention to them."

The Stadscuratorium Amsterdam has an advisory role. Boomgaard continues: “We advise the districts, for example, when they want to establish new artworks. Within that, we raise larger questions about how to involve residents in art in public spaces. We also address exciting and major themes, such as controversial monuments."

Adjusting controversial monuments?

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) advises in the report Unstable Pedestals. Controversial monuments in public spaces to supplement controversial monuments, for example, with a critical framing, a counter-monument, or artistic transformation.

How do you view this advice?

“I think recontextualization is a good idea, controversial monuments can be supplemented, or a counter-monument can be placed. There are certain monuments that are so controversial, such as the Civil War monuments in America or the dictator statues in Eastern Europe, that they are better off removed. In that case, recontextualization is pointless. In the Netherlands, we don't have many such controversial statues, maybe only J.P. Coen."

An inclusive public space

In July 2020, the Amsterdam city council passed motion 839, instructing the mayor and aldermen to make the public space more inclusive.

Do you see any change since then?

“No, I'm afraid significant change has not yet occurred. Government measures often don't have an immediate effect. Artists from non-Dutch backgrounds are only slowly being chosen. This is also due to the complexity of the field of art in public spaces."

According to Boomgaard, the Stadscuratorium Amsterdam often advises clients to actively seek artists who are non-white, female, and slightly younger. On the other hand, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts imposes on art institutions as a primary requirement that they must be inclusive at all levels: “All art institutions must prove, if they want to receive funding, how inclusive they are and what steps they will take. And that's a considerable task. Many art institutions have little money, and it's genuinely difficult to get development subsidies from funders. The institutions affiliated with Public Art Amsterdam, for example, cannot get additional subsidies because they are already subsidized. Therefore, making substantial changes is challenging.”

About Jeroen Boomgaard

Jeroen Boomgaard is an advisor for art in public spaces and the chairman of Public Art Amsterdam, a collaboration of twelve art institutions in Amsterdam. He is also a member of the Stadscuratorium Amsterdam. Until march 2022, Boomgaard led the research master LAPS (Research Institute for Art and Public Space) at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and was head of the Artistic Research master at the University of Amsterdam.