Myriad forms of appropriation, such as squatting, play an essential role in the development of the city and public space. In a period of renewed interest in a programmatic approach to the city, Het Nieuwe Instituut is conducting research into squatting as an architecture of appropriation. Architecture of Appropriation examines ideas such as vacancy, property, alternative living arrangements and housing policy.

Rafaël Rozendaal questions the anonymity and ephemerality of the screensaver and is fascinated by its subversive, playful and diffuse character. He creates an immersive space for the visitor that captures the extraordinary visual language of this virtually lost medium.

How do truth and myth relate to archives? Het Nieuwe Instituut presents the project The Transylvania Archive by artist duo Marta Volkova and Slava Shevelenko. The project ingeniously weaves together themes such as the relevance of the archive, how artists relate to power, and fear of strangers.

The New Garden has gradually developed into a public space with an ecological system of herbs, shrubs, birds and animals. Artist and designer Frank Bruggeman and ecological landscaper Hans Engelbrecht laid out the garden in the spring of 2015 in the grounds of Het Nieuwe Instituut. Their design is a plea for an urban green space managed on an ecological basis with space for nature to take over.