Were It As If – Beyond An Institution That Is Veilige Betaling

To whom does a contemporary art institute belong? How are its stories told and untold? Could a staging of its exhibition history through traces, remains, and scars constitute an act of resistance against the tide of accumulation? This volume records a case study of how Bik Van der Pol created a temporary institute at the invitation of Witte de With director Defne Ayas, a process that gathers and reimagines perspectives on the city of Rotterdam through the art institute and vice versa. The subjective, site-sensitive project involved interviewing artists, staff, and graphic designers, as well as poring over bookshelves and boxes, uncovering both the physical space and dialogues.