Optrek In Transvaal.

On the Role of Public Art in Urban Development. Interventions and Research

Veronica Hekking, Sabrina Lindemann and Annechien Meier

This lively book documents a huge public art project using as its “gallery” the redevelopment of the rundown, multi-ethnic Transvaal district in The Hague. Hundreds of artist interventions have taken place in the district as 3000 outmoded rental units are being replaced with 1,600 new owner-occupied dwellings, transforming the neighborhood from downscale to mixed-income. The artists collective’s goal was to “make visible the transformation process” and involve the residents through a variety of mostly temporary projects, including the Restaurant Gratis (Free Restaurant), the Hotel Transvaal (creating hotel rooms in soon-to-be-demolished buildings), and video and television work. With oral histories from local residents, essays by art historians and cultural theorists, and interviews with artists.

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