The Stranger Next Door

In early November 2016, the streets of my neighborhood, the Amsterdam Transvaalbuurt, became an open-air exhibition space. A walkable route featured digital mapping on building facades, video & film installations in storefronts, apartment windows, behind gates, and in gardens. Inspired by the theme The Stranger Next Door, 24 international contemporary video artists contributed to the exhibition.

Living in an “ethnically mixed” working-class neighborhood of native-born residents, immigrants, refugees, and Airbnb’s, I was fascinated by the dynamics of a steadily shifting local population. It presented a rich and complex landscape for artistic exploration, especially in the context of "The Stranger Next Door." The general misunderstanding and mistrust, if not outright rejection, of any new comer who was somehow different, drove me to organize this exhibition. I found it remarkable that one group would initially oppose a new group, only to later ally with them against an even newer group demonstrating the cyclical nature of social dynamics and exclusion. This pattern is a profound commentary of in-group and out-group identities, illustrating how fear or distrust of the "other" can shift as circumstances change. I chose ‘projection’ as the medium to mirror how we project preconceived ideas onto strangers. Using projection as a medium created a dynamic, immersive experience for viewers in effort to encourage them to confront their own projections and biases.

The Stranger Next Door was presented as a 3-night festival under the same name and included tours, artist’s talks, guest speakers, and an exhibition in the “buurthuis’ that featured the personal stories along with a treasured possession of local residents.

The Stranger Next Door was made possible with the co-operation of Museum zonder Muren, Beam Systems, The Tropin Museum, Micropia Museum, and MuseumN8.

Participating artists were:

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