Working from Cascoland's Kolenkit Headquarters
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In 2011 I
spent several periods of time in the Kolenkit neighbourhood in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. Some of these stays extended to periods of two months in which I developed
fieldwork that consisted mainly of closely following a long-term community arts project
developed by the collective Cascoland. I was intersted in exploring questions of
communication within the dialogues held between several agents working at Kolenkit.
Netherlands. Some of these stays extended to periods of two months in which I developed
fieldwork that consisted mainly of closely following a long-term community arts project
developed by the collective Cascoland. I was intersted in exploring questions of
communication within the dialogues held between several agents working at Kolenkit.
I visited several local associations and held conversations with 'kolenkiters' whose lives
passed through Cascoland's headquarters: women at dutch lessons, women managing the
neighbourhood's hostel, neighbours, residents exploring their gardens, or feeding their
chickens. Children playing. I was mostly an observer, but also was curious to research the
cultural layers of language use and what was carried and miscarried in translation.
passed through Cascoland's headquarters: women at dutch lessons, women managing the
neighbourhood's hostel, neighbours, residents exploring their gardens, or feeding their
chickens. Children playing. I was mostly an observer, but also was curious to research the
cultural layers of language use and what was carried and miscarried in translation.
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Kolenkit is a neighbourhood in Amsterdam-West, strongly characterised by its
Moroccan
and Turkish immigrant communities. It is currently transforming rapidly with increasing
gentrification, which highlights vivid contrasts within the neighbouthood.
and Turkish immigrant communities. It is currently transforming rapidly with increasing
gentrification, which highlights vivid contrasts within the neighbouthood.
Cascoland
describes itself as an ‘International
network of artists, architects, designers
and performers sharing a fascination for interdisciplinary interventions in public
space, promoting mobilization, participation and networking through artistic exchange
and collaboration. Projects are initiated by Fiona de Bell and Roel Schoenmakers and
executed with multi-disciplinary teams of artists and designers.’[1] Cascoland is
responsible for a long-term project in the neighbourhood, having moved its headquarters
into a Kolenkit house, from which it is generating a series of projects between 2010 and
2014. Projects include: several community gardens, barbecues and chicken cues; a short
term radio station; public interventions from invited artists, designers and architects, some
of them in-residents at Cascoland headquarters; a community managed hostel; a temporary
ice-skating ring, one day community restaurants. At their headquarters they collaborate
with other institutions, such as holding Dutch culture lessons facilitated by the municipality,
or supporting the work of sociology students from the university of Amsterdam.
and performers sharing a fascination for interdisciplinary interventions in public
space, promoting mobilization, participation and networking through artistic exchange
and collaboration. Projects are initiated by Fiona de Bell and Roel Schoenmakers and
executed with multi-disciplinary teams of artists and designers.’[1] Cascoland is
responsible for a long-term project in the neighbourhood, having moved its headquarters
into a Kolenkit house, from which it is generating a series of projects between 2010 and
2014. Projects include: several community gardens, barbecues and chicken cues; a short
term radio station; public interventions from invited artists, designers and architects, some
of them in-residents at Cascoland headquarters; a community managed hostel; a temporary
ice-skating ring, one day community restaurants. At their headquarters they collaborate
with other institutions, such as holding Dutch culture lessons facilitated by the municipality,
or supporting the work of sociology students from the university of Amsterdam.
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I followed Cascoland’s work during the set-up of the community hostel, the community
gardens, radio program and chicken cues. Whilst also holding a workspace at Cascoland
headquarters and spending periods of time in neighbourhood centres, such as
the Buurtvaders — Fathers of the neighbourhood — or a women association in the process
of creating a restaurant managed by women in the neighbourhood, in which I conducted
interviews. Furthermore, I developed a collaborative project for valentine’s day with theatre
maker and artist in residence Pedro Manuel.[5] The project experimented with a
communication device, by inviting the neighbourhood to an SMS with a valentin messages
that we then made public using a light-box set on the roof of Cascoland headquarters.
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I set a large table on the sidewalk interacting with by-passers, collecting information,
impressions, affects through the written answers and the unwritten dialogues held aside the
table.
impressions, affects through the written answers and the unwritten dialogues held aside the
table.
Questions asked:
Can you write a Dutch expression you dislike?
Can you write a word you really like in any language you know?
Can you write a word in your mother tongue that you feel represents you?
Can you write a traditional saying in your mother tongue?
A table used to invite people to answer questions regarding language use.
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In an attempt to comprehend how residents from Kolenkit inhabited the contours of the
neighbourhood, I asked people to photograph what they considered the borders of their
neighbourhood. Handing out disposable cameras at Cascoland house, Community centres
and Dutch culture lessons and asking them to be returned to Cascoland. The photographs
comprise mostly landmarks such as schools, playgrounds, the market and residential areas.
However, Schipol the airport 15 minutes by train, was perceived as the border to the
neighbourhood by a ‘Buurtvader.’
neighbourhood, I asked people to photograph what they considered the borders of their
neighbourhood. Handing out disposable cameras at Cascoland house, Community centres
and Dutch culture lessons and asking them to be returned to Cascoland. The photographs
comprise mostly landmarks such as schools, playgrounds, the market and residential areas.
However, Schipol the airport 15 minutes by train, was perceived as the border to the
neighbourhood by a ‘Buurtvader.’
Photographing the borders of the neighbourhood.
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In ‘Gezegd’ — Saying — traditional sayings from diverse cultural origins were translated
into different languages with people from Kolenkit, making visible the subtle nuances of
meaning that are left unbound, unseen and muted through the processes of verbal
translation.
into different languages with people from Kolenkit, making visible the subtle nuances of
meaning that are left unbound, unseen and muted through the processes of verbal
translation.
In a first
stage I gathered proverbs and
traditional sayings among local passers-by,
residents, shop-owners, people at community centres to then ask them to translate these
from their mother tongue in to Dutch, or from Dutch to other languages. Translations were
collected on a series of individual stickers posteriorly attached next to doorbells within the
Kolenkit neighbourhood.
residents, shop-owners, people at community centres to then ask them to translate these
from their mother tongue in to Dutch, or from Dutch to other languages. Translations were
collected on a series of individual stickers posteriorly attached next to doorbells within the
Kolenkit neighbourhood.
The first
idea was to experiment in exercising a process of direct verbal translation.
But
rather than accentuating an automatic translation, as by a software (last resort of
verification and translation) primarily translating with people, asked to translate a popular
saying between languages. The difference between a translating software and a person
translating — and the main aspect being sought after — was that not only a person is
capable to better grasp the context of the enunciation and the overall meaning of the
sentence but, most importantly, what becomes visible in the process of convening the most
appropriate translation, a sort of middle term, are the choices of meaning.
rather than accentuating an automatic translation, as by a software (last resort of
verification and translation) primarily translating with people, asked to translate a popular
saying between languages. The difference between a translating software and a person
translating — and the main aspect being sought after — was that not only a person is
capable to better grasp the context of the enunciation and the overall meaning of the
sentence but, most importantly, what becomes visible in the process of convening the most
appropriate translation, a sort of middle term, are the choices of meaning.
The body of text to be translated was traditional
sayings. Not only based on the length
or difficulty of the texts, the main reason was that, in traditional sayings, there are
usually diverse layers of meaning which, though clear to a native speaker, often become
illogical, nonsensical, ambiguous, absurd when translated word by word. In a
traditional saying there are underlying meanings asserted to characters, to locations, to
phonetic assemblages (as the rhyme), performances of elocution. In a way, a traditional
saying is a sort of verbal limit of a language within culture. It is, of course, always
possible to convey the main idea, maybe even in appropriate manners, but there are
always many cultural layers set aside. By trying to disassemble the traditional sayings
these layers tend to unlock, slide, appear.
or difficulty of the texts, the main reason was that, in traditional sayings, there are
usually diverse layers of meaning which, though clear to a native speaker, often become
illogical, nonsensical, ambiguous, absurd when translated word by word. In a
traditional saying there are underlying meanings asserted to characters, to locations, to
phonetic assemblages (as the rhyme), performances of elocution. In a way, a traditional
saying is a sort of verbal limit of a language within culture. It is, of course, always
possible to convey the main idea, maybe even in appropriate manners, but there are
always many cultural layers set aside. By trying to disassemble the traditional sayings
these layers tend to unlock, slide, appear.
Beyond the final result of people translating a traditional saying to a second language, or
translating from a second language to their mother tongue, the interest was in observing
the process of what was set aside, how meanings were negotiated between languages in
order to come close to a supposedly optimal, final, clear form, and the descriptions,
impressions, stories, embodiments that emerge within translation.
Sayings unfolded gestures, values that needed contextualisation, comparative readings.
Words comprised stories and experiences, frustrations and enthusiasm, geography,
humour and irony. I recurrently initiated a conversation with one person and finished
surrounded by neighbours, family, a group of curious and enthusiast people giving
opinions. Sometimes, dialogues held contradicted written translation.
Example of doorbell with translation of a saying.
Overview of one of the streets in which stickers were placed.
The choice was to display the traditional at the entrance door of buildings of the
neighbourhood — a separating line between public and private — by printing the
Gezegd in stickers and installing them next to doorbells. It is customary in The
Netherlands to attach nametags to doorbells; in Kolenkit these names offer a glimpse
into the diversity of the neighbourhood.
[1] "Cascoland,"
http://www.cascoland.nl.
[2] Pedro Manuel, "Lichtkrant," http://randomassociates.blogspot.pt/2011/03/lichtkrant.html.
[3] cascoland, "Cascoland Kolenkit 2010 - 2015: 14 02
11 - Lichtkrant,"
http://www.cascoland.com/2009/index2_dt.php?id=1705&cat=50&artist=Fiona%20de%20Bell,Pedro%20Manuel,Roel%20Schoenmakers.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Manuel, "Random Associates".
[8] Photographs collected from cameras distributed in the
neighbourhood.
