Autonomous Practice

concept

My idea was to do artistic research on the accessibility in Rotterdam.

I chose this subject because I never knew how important accessibility was until I myself became chronically ill.
A couple weekends ago I went on my first vacation with my new ‘lifestyle’. This was the same weekend before the practice started. I went to Germany to the city Frankfurt. I was surprised, pleasantly and unpleasantly. The city has been rebuild after the World War, just like Rotterdam. I expected the city to be modern like Rotterdam and it was but it also wasn't. There we’re a lot of very old buildings. I think even older than the oldest building in Rotterdam. The stores in Frankfurt we're beautiful! There were a lot of new buildings and a lot of old buildings. It was a perfect mix.

However it was very difficult for me to get around. Every bridge, every store or every building had stairs that I needed to use to get to the place where I wanted to be. The places or bridges that did have elevators weren't working. They all happened to be out of order. This made it extremely hard for me to have a fun day shopping or a fun day exploring the city. After almost 15 minutes walking I was dead tired. I was used to being able to get around longer than that. At least 15 minutes longer until I am slightly fatigued. And believe me that is a huge difference to me.

So that made me wonder what does make a city accessible?? There have to be more things that are important than just stairs or elevators. So I want to explore this, what does and doesn't Rotterdam have? because accessibility has so many shapes and varieties. I want to look into other people's experiences and at my own.

How am i going to do artistic research?

Firstly I want to do research in what already exists. I want to look in to the disabled or chronically ill content creators who have already discussed the topic accessibility. I want to do this because they already talk a lot about accessibility on subjects that I probably haven't thought about yet. You can see the list in the picture downlow.

After this research I want to ask people online if they can help me out on this subject.

I will also do my research by photographing things in Rotterdam that are about the subject accessibility. I'm going to take pictures with two photographers who are in a wheelchair. I'm also going to show you their photo's in the end. The pictures will be taken during the may break.

Online help

I'm going to pop the question on every social media outlet/account I have. This is what I'm going to ask:

ik ben opzoek naar jongeren met een beperking (zichtbaar en onzichtbaar) in en om rotterdam die met mij aan tafel zouden willen zitten om vragen te beantwoorden over de toegankelijkheid over de stad.
Dit is in opdracht vanuit de kunstacademie WDKA. Ik ben zelf een filmstudente dat met een beperking in en rondom de stad leeft maar ik ben benieuwd naar meer ervaringen en wil dit vastleggen met educatie en awareness als doeleinde.

I got a lot of messages!! I was shocked at the response, I spend all weekend trying to get to all the messages

Who is going to help and what are the responses so far?

2 photographers are going to collaberate with me to make a photoseries about the accessibility in Rotterdam

I had contact with an architect who recently worked together with the school van bouwkunde in Rotterdam. They made a project about the accessibility in Rotterdam. They made two vlogs about someone in a wheelchair and a blind person. The video's aren't posted yet but I am allowed to look into them.

End May there is a congress talk about the accessibility in Rotterdam I was invited to show my research there and to discuss along on the topic. There wil be architects, people from the (gemeente weet engelse woord even niet) and people who are (invisibly) disabled.

I have found two twentysomethings who I can interview about accessibility. One girl has EDS and goes around by wheelchair. The other girl has Fibromyalgia so she has an invisible disability.
If the time lets me I also want to interview the two photographers who go around by wheelchair.

I'm also a member of the Chronic Warrior Society so I dropped the question if they could help me in my research. Down below you can see the group chat. I had to blur some things out because of privacy.

If you want to know more about the CWS got to their website

My Own Research and experiences

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I didn't came very far

No one waited

nice museum trip got a migraine because of the lights

and then I sat alone

snow is pretty, but not when I can't walk