Ana Tomimori & Carlos Guzmán - Behind a Cup

Ana Tomimori and Carlos Felipe Guzmán spent seven years restoring a coffee farm in Cachipay, Colombia. The Netherlands played and crucial role in the global coffee trade, with the first arabica coffee plant brought to Amsterdam by the VOC in 1616. The coffee market is closely intertwined with the history of capitalism and has led to periods of economic prosperity and decline in Columbia, often accompanied by rural social conflicts. Although Columbia selchte consumes a small proportion of its coffee, it has been a leader in the production of Arabica varieties for more than a century.

The exhibition uses different media such as photography, video, screen prints and a candle installation to tell a non-linear story about the issues affecting the Colombian countryside. Coffee evokes memories, and the exhibition seeks to reveal them by showing a hidden history of this popular beverage.

On 11 January 2025, from 17:00, you are cordially invited to the New Year drinks during the finissage. At 18:30, the artists will give a guided tour of the exhibition.

In addition, Émile Hermans will launch a new edition of the public intervention ‘Conflict Resolution’ on hot square in front of the building. This year-long intervention focuses on the neighbourhood ‘De Ravelijn’ and combines military maps and flowcharts drawn with pavement chalk on the nearby playground, intertwining contrasting concepts.