Raenys Martis and the Politics of Everyday Life
Curator Raenys Martis discusses the exhibition The Politics of Everyday Life in the staircase of SCHUNCK. On language, power, and how art helps us question the reality of the Kingdom.
How do the countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands relate to one another—legally, but more importantly, in practice? And what does the way we interact say about power, language, and humanity?
In the exhibition The Politics of Everyday Life, on view in the staircase of SCHUNCK Glaspaleis, curator Raenys Martis explores these questions together with four artists. Their point of departure is the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, signed exactly 70 years ago. A formal document outlining the relations between the Netherlands and the islands—but what does it mean today?
In this video, Raenys shares his perspective on the exhibition, the importance of language as both a bridge and a barrier, and the choice of the staircase as an exhibition space: a place where everyone encounters art, whether you're heading to the museum, the library, or just grabbing a sandwich.
“Sometimes people speak the same language but mean completely different things. Can art serve as a mediator in such cases? I believe it can.”
The Politics of Everyday Life is free to visit through 14 September 2025 in the staircase of SCHUNCK Glaspaleis.
Watch the video here: