Michiel van Iersel
Is an urbanist and cultural producer who studied Business and Cultural Studies at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and Metropolitan Studies at the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin. After an internship at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, he started his professional career at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam as an organizer of public and interdisciplinary programmes. In subsequent years he was responsible for a wide range of public events at a.o. the Venice Biennale and Art Rotterdam and worked as an advisor working with LAgroup for numerous cultural institutions. In 2008 he co-founded Non-fiction, an Amsterdam based office for cultural innovation. Besides he is the co-founder (with Juha van ‘t Zelfde) of De Verdieping, a temporary project space in an abandonded printing plant focusing on experimental culture. He talks and writes about the arts, heritage and architecture on a regular basis and (co-)hosted various conferences, including McMuseum (2002), Open Museum (2008), Curating the City (2009) and Urban Heritage Inc (2011). He is a member of several cultural (advisory) boards, amongst which the Amsterdam Foundation for the Arts (AFK), Stad-Forum, the Netherlands Media Arts Institute/Montevideo and the Advisory Board of the Nieuwe Kerk Foundation in Amsterdam. He is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences, and writes about arts, urbanism and heritage on a regular basis.
26 April Zuiderkerklezing: Failed Architecture
Michiel has been asked to deliver the so-called Zuiderkerklezing on April 26. His talk will focus on his research project Failed Architecture and is part of long-running lecture series at the Zuiderkerk (a 17th Century Protestant church in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam). Organized by the spatial planning department (Dienst Ruimtelijke Ordering) of the City of Amsterdam, the Zuiderkerklezing presents people with a refreshing look on urban developments. Entrance free, the lecture will be in Dutch.
More information below (in Dutch)
Workshop in Belgrade 2-6 April
Failed Architecture (FA) is an independent research project and travelling forum, founded by Non-fiction, focusing on individual buildings and urban environments that are either malfunctioning, displeasing and/or have failed to stand the test of time. Based in Amsterdam, the FA-team travelled to Copenhagen, Sofia and Skopje to conduct research and host debates before coming to Belgrade for a workshop from April 2 -6 2012 at GRAD, European Center for Culture and Debate.
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3 April: YouNESCO-symposium
In 2010 Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal ring was added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO. On April 3 the newly established Stad-Forum, an advisory body for the City of Amsterdam and mobile debate platform, will organize a public discussion focusing on the opportunities and threats that UNESCO might pose to the city.
Being a member of Stad-Forum, and having written about UNESCO on several occasions, Non-fiction’s Michiel van Iersel will be one of the speakers, together with the deputy mayor of both Brugge and Amsterdam, providing an international overview of the ways in which cities deal with UNESCO. Please find more information below (in Dutch).
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March 30, 5 PM, Czech-out party
It’s time to say goodbye to Adela, our former superstar intern who became our CIO. She is returning to the Czech Republic to become the first female president of the country, only after establishing the Non-fiction Eastern Europe HQ in Prague.
Come and join us for a Czech-out-party with a strong line-up:
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Opening exhibition Nicky Zwaan
On 23 March 2012 is the vernissage of the Cityscapes Opening Exhibition at GM8, our collective super-space in the building where we keep our office. During the opening, Non-fiction’s Michiel van Iersel, will interview artist Nicky Zwaan and Cityscapes-founder Bastiaan Gribbeling.
Nicky Zwaan: Trying to Catch Up With My Molecules
Succesful A Perfect Day extended by weekend
Due to success, A Perfect Day Tekenshow has been extended and will remain open for an extra weekend. On Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February from 11-17 hrs there will be extra activities.
On Saturday and Sunday: drawing (free) and making buttons (€0,50) for children.
On Sunday: t-shirt workshop. For € 13,50 you get a t-shirt, can join the workshop and can see the entire exhibition. If you bring your own t-shirt you join for just € 7,50.
If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, here is your chance to change that. Tickets are only 5 euros. The Parool called it “art without a pedestal“, and NRC gave it four stars. We look forward to seeing you at the Westergasfabriek this weekend.
