Evil Media in Rotterdam

Two weeks ago I went to Rotterdam to help Matsuko install the Evil Media Distribution Centre, which was shown at The New Institute. Eight different works ranging from interior and product design to archaeology and critical art formed the exhibition called The Ruin. I was writing about the Evil Media Distribution Centre earlier in Februrary when we set it up at the Transmediale in Berlin, but here is a brand new brilliant article by Stephen Fortune, where you can find out more about the concept.

I was so happy to be working together with Matsuko again, and meeting all the incredibly friendly museum personnel: starting with the ever-joking cheerful museum director and ending with a russophile technician who would enthusiastically shout "Работа! Работа!" once he found out that I was from Ukraine. I grew to love the process of setting up exhibitions. It is such a beautiful psychotic time, when you run around from early morning until very late, get to know so many people by working side by side with them, experience the sparkling ups and the nervous downs, have adventurous tasks and unexpected problems to solve, and produce something very tangible in the end which makes you feel proud and part of something meaningful.

I especially loved the fact that there was a kitchen in the basement of the museum, which had supplies of food and most importantly coffee. You could just sit with everyone working for the museum at one table: technicians, information desk workers, cleaners, bookshop keepers, exhibition producers, etc.

For the first night I was staying in Leiden at my parents' friends, which was 30 min train ride from Rotterdam. It turns out that you can cross four important cities within half an hour, as you pass by Delft and den Haag on the way to Leiden. Holland, you seriously impressed me.

The opening night was fantastic, and the speech of the director must have been very enjoyable, but the only thing I could understand was something something Evil Media, and thanks to Graham Harwood, Matsuko Yokokoi, Tom Keene and Anna Blumenkranz. In the meantime my husband was occupied with tiny octopuses in his salad.

The exhibition will be on for the next three months, so if you are close to Rotterdam (which is basically everywhere in Holland, as I found out) you have the chance to see it!