Alien 3
Heidrun HolzfeindAt this point in time the situation of migrant workers and asylum seekers is a hot topic of debate in the Netherlands. Minister Verdonck, responsible for Migration and Integration, has developed a new, relatively strict and severe Return Policy for rejected asylum seekers and this has stirred up a controversy amongst civilians and opposition parties.
Simultaneously several European countries have defined quota concerning the admission of migration workers coming from the ten ‘new’ EU states.For the past two weeks these regulations have been contested and discussed in a large number of newspapers, magazines and on TV.
In this period of turmoil the Austrian artist Heidrun Holzfeind (currently residing in New York) presents a sequel to her project Alien in Amsterdam. She has been invited to do so by art space W139 and will be setting up Alien 3 in the courtyard of the SKOR-office ( the Dutch Foundation for Art in Public Space).
The core of the Alien project - see also http://alien.thing.net - is an ever-expanding collection of films, documentaries and videos by various international artists and filmmakers. Their extremely diverse work deals with the complex issue of migration and related phenomena.
Holzfeind will present her own work and productions by Ursula Biemann, Songul Boyraz/Peter Holl, Pier Paolo Coro, Gustav Deutsch, Rainer Ganahl, Kinga Kielczynska, Mina Lee, Walid Ra’ad, Oliver Ressler/Martin Krenn, Sislej Xhafa and others. The video library is installed in a set of containers, designed by artists Jeroen Bisscheroux and Michiel Voet, and includes a screening room and a self-service station.
Every Thursday night at 8 p.m. (19 Feb., 26 Feb., 4 March en 11 March ) an additional screening or lecture is set up with guests such as Everaert Immigration Lawyers, artists Ives Maes en Sagi Groner, Dutch documentary makers Mieke Bal, Sarah Vos en Maartje Nevejan. More specific information will be posted on the website.