City Forces

Het Nieuwe Instituut and Storefront for Art and Architecture launched City Forces, a year-long joint cultural crossover programme examining the relationships of power between those involved in the construction of the global city. The role of architects, politicians, policymakers, urbanists, developers and corporations in shaping the contemporary metropolis was critically examined through a series of events, exhibitions and projects which were developed in cities around the world, including New York, Rotterdam and Rio de Janeiro. This partnership was supported by the Netherlands Consulate General in New York, and kicked off with the exhibition Control Syntax Rio, originally commissioned by Het Nieuwe Instituut, where it was presented from June 2016 to January 2017.

Letters to the Mayor: Rotterdam was the second leg of this collaboration. The format – previously organised in many global cities – was applied to Rotterdam. Architects and urbanists with a (working) relation with the city of Rotterdam were invited to write a letter to mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb.

Storefront for Art and Architecture

Storefront for Art and Architecture advances innovative and critical ideas that contribute to the design of cities, territories, and public life. Storefront’s exhibitions, events, competitions, publications, and projects provide alternative platforms for dialogue and collaboration across disciplinary, geographic, and ideological boundaries. Since its founding in 1982, Storefront has presented the work of over one thousand architects and artists.