Outset Netherlands proudly supported the realisation of 84 STEPS which occupies an entire floor of Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam. The transformation of a white-cube gallery into a dynamic space for socializing art practices and learning features projects at the intersection of art and education. The name – 84 STEPS – marks the distance from the ground floor to the third-floor galleries, where the initiative is sited.
Unfolding over the course of year, the public programme within 84 STEPS gives special attention to issues surrounding mental health. This includes weekend training sessions conducted by health experts, as well as forums and workshops. 84 STEPS features immersive art installations by Afra Eisma, The Feminist Health Care Research Group (Inga Zimprich), Moosje M Goosen and Daily Practice (Suzanne Weenink), Raja’a Khalid, Lisa Tan, Domenico Mangano & Marieke van Rooy, and Romily Alice Walden. The programming will activate and reactivate the artwork for the duration of the project.
The strength of the project lies in the combination of a new strong curatorial direction of Kunstinstituut Melly and a shift in focus towards collective care in precarious times. It envisions a new approach to the relationship between public and institution, as well as art itself.
84 STEPS is the first project of the institution (formerly known as Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art) under the new name Kunstinstituut Melly. The name change was part of an extensive four-year-long initiative that focused on, not only changing the name, but also the organisational structure of the institution.
