Human Activities

27/03/2026

This March two members of CATPC, Ced'art Tamasala and Mbuku Kimpala, are in The Netherlands. Want to stay close to what's happening?

Read our latest newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/humanactivities/white-cube-zeeuws-vlaanderen-new-global-museum-for-the-articulation-of-the-art-of-rural-communities-5863150) or sign up to receive the 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 straight to your inbox: http://eepurl.com/dgWI1v

20/03/2026

!! 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 !!

Tomorrow artist Mbuku Kimpala (CATPC) will give a public masterclass at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵, as part of the exhibition Art She Crafted and in the context of International Women’s Day. Drawing from her sculptural practice focused on female strength, care, and inequality on the plantation, participants will work with clay alongside Mbuku. The session combines conversation, reflection, and collaborative making.

13:00–16:00 | 16+ | €25 (museum entry included)
Language: French/English, with an English-speaking interpreter present.

𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩: https://bit.ly/41fFh03


Stichting Stokroos

11/03/2026

𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗯𝘂𝗸𝘂 𝗞𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮 Wereldmuseum Rotterdam

𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝
Mbuku Kimpala (CATPC) on sculpture, solidarity, and learning from the plantation.

Congolese artist and CATPC member Mbuku Kimpala will give an exclusive masterclass on Saturday 21 March at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. In her sculptures, she places female figures at the centre as carriers of history, strength, and equality. Drawing from her experiences as a woman on a plantation, Mbuku’s work makes physical labour, exhaustion, and solidarity tangible through clay.

CATPC’s work goes beyond the symbolic. With the income from their art, the collective buys back land and restores the sacred forest.

During this afternoon session, you will be introduced to her artistic practice, watch a demonstration of clay techniques, and create your own small sculpture. The workshop concludes with a shared reflection and conversation.

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: 13:00–16:00 | 16+ | €25 (museum entry included)

Language: French/English, with an English-speaking interpreter present.

Reserve your place via the ticket link: https://rotterdam.wereldmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-doen/activiteiten/vier-de-vrouw

Image: Human Activities and CATPC.

02/03/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

In 2024, CATPC visited Kopiisme in Indonesia, East Java, a community of plantation workers whose ancestors laboured on one of the plantations that financed the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

During the visit, we exchanged research into the museum’s history and shared the coffee grown on the plantation. In November 2024, we offered that same coffee to the museum’s director during a public event: as a gesture and an invitation.

The invitation was clear:
to acknowledge Kopiisme’s resistance,
to open a dialogue,
to build a relationship in the present.

Kopiisme stated:
“We have a great deal to contribute to the debate on the museum.”

In 2026, Kopiisme is still waiting. The Stedelijk Museum has yet to reach out to the plantation worker communities whose labour financed its foundation.

Museums choose to interrogate their origins with handpicked curators, researchers and artists, but avoid engaging with the very communities on the plantations who funded them.

Read the full article in ArtReview Magazine:
https://artreview.com/future-greats-2026-kopiisme/

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Van Abbemuseum Charles Esche

Mondriaan Fonds

09/02/2026

Human Activities zoekt een zakelijk leider!

Human Activities, opgericht door kunstenaar Renzo Martens, wil met kunst ongelijkheid opheffen. De komende jaren voeren we een nationaal en internationaal programma uit van exposities, films, educatie en regeneratieve landbouw, en ontwikkelen we een nieuw participatief kunstplatform in Zeeland.

Het instituut bestaat uit een klein, hecht team, gevestigd in Amsterdam (en binnenkort ook in Zeeland). Het kernteam wordt ondersteund door freelancers.

Human Activities heeft een samenwerkingsverband met CATPC, het kunstcollectief van plantagearbeiders uit DRC. Met de opbrengsten van hun kunst kopen zij uitgeput plantageland terug en herstellen het. In 2024 verzorgden we met Cercle d'Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise - CATPC en Renzo Martens de Nederlandse inzending op de Biënnale van Venetië.

Wij zijn op zoek naar een zakelijk leider 32 uur per week, die als spin in het web van de organisatie gaat functioneren. Solliciteren is mogelijk tot en met 27 februari 2026.

Bekijk de volledige vacature op www.humanactivities.org

Afbeelding: Tentoonstellingsoverzicht, CATPC at K21, Düsseldorf.

05/02/2026

𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗣𝗖 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄’𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀.

“Pak Sa’i asked CATPC to submit an offering of coffee to the Stedelijk Museum and invited them to reach out to him and his community. The offering was presented to the Stedelijk Museum director in a public event in November 2024. A year later, they have yet to reach out.”

“Museums choose to interrogate their role in the world with handpicked curators, researchers or artists, but seem to avoid engaging with the very people on the plantations who funded and still sustain them.”

https://artreview.com/future-greats-2026-kopiisme/

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

22/12/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗽 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄𝘀‑𝗩𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻: ‘𝗛𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗶𝗲𝘁’

Vandaag in PZC: "Kunstenaar Renzo Martens wil in Zeeuws‑Vlaanderen een nieuw museum bouwen op een akker, gemaakt vóór en dóór inwoners. „Er wordt vaak elders beslist hoe onze wereld op het platteland eruitziet. Dit museum wordt de plek waar mensen dat zelf mogen bepalen.”"

Lees het volledige artikel 👉 https://www.pzc.nl/terneuzen/renzo-martens-wil-museum-op-zeeuws-vlaamse-akker-bouwen-hier-mogen-gewone-mensen-bepalen-hoe-hun-wereld-eruitziet~a71dc1f2/

—

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄𝘀-𝗩𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻: '𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.'

Today in Dutch newspaper PZC: Artist Renzo Martens wants to build a new museum in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen on a field, created for and by residents. ‘Decisions about what our rural world looks like are often made elsewhere. This museum will be the place where people can decide for themselves.’"

18/12/2025

𝗡𝗮 𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘁 𝗸𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘂𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗶𝗺𝘁𝗲

Deze week in NRC: “Op een akker in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen ontstaat een museum dat niet begint bij curatoren maar bij scholieren en buurtbewoners. Een initiatief van de internationaal opererende kunstenaar Renzo Martens, architectenbureau OMA gaat helpen het gebouw te ontwerpen.”

Lees het volledige artikel 👉 https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/12/17/na-een-museum-in-congo-werkt-kunstenaar-renzo-martens-nu-met-zeeuwse-scholieren-aan-nieuwe-kunstruimte-a4915491

—

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼, 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲

This week in Dutch newspaper NRC: “A museum is being created on a field in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, initiated not by curators but by students and local residents. An initiative of internationally renowned artist Renzo Martens, architectural firm OMA will assist in designing the building.”

15/12/2025

Kunstenaar Renzo Martens neemt samen met Human Activities het initiatief voor een nieuw kunstcentrum in Zeeland: White Cube Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

White Cube Zeeuws-Vlaanderen wordt een platform voor kunst van het platteland, waarin de praktijken, tradities en creativiteit van gewone mensen centraal staan. Het masterplan wordt samen met lokale bewoners en jongeren ontwikkeld, in samenwerking met David Gianotten (OMA).

Deze week vinden co-creatiesessies plaats in samenwerking met het Lodewijk College in Terneuzen.

Het project vormt een nieuwe stap na het internationaal geprezen werk van Renzo Martens met het Congolese kunstcollectief van plantagearbeiders CATPC waaronder hun presentatie voor Nederland op de Biënnale van Venetië vorig jaar, die meer dan 800.000 bezoekers trok.

—

Artist Renzo Martens, together with his organisation Human Activities, initiates a new art centre in Zeeland: White Cube Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

White Cube Zeeuws-Vlaanderen will be a platform for art from the countryside, placing the practices, traditions and creativity of everyday people at its core. The masterplan is being developed in close collaboration with the local community, together with David Gianotten (OMA).

This week, co-creation sessions will take place in collaboration with Lodewijk College Terneuzen.

This project marks a new step following Martens’ internationally acclaimed work with the Congolese art collective CATPC, including their presentation for the Netherlands at last year’s Venice Biennale, which attracted over 800,000 visitors.

10/12/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘂𝘄𝗲 ‘𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗲’ 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄𝘀-𝗩𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻

Gisteren in de Volkskrant: “De bekende Nederlandse kunstenaar Renzo Martens gaat een kunstplek oprichten in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Daar zal ‘de culturele visie van mensen van het platteland’ centraal staan.”

Lees het volledige artikel:
https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/na-zijn-museum-in-congo-opent-renzo-martens-nieuwe-white-cube-in-zeeuws-vlaanderen~b9ce19094/?utm_campaign=shared_earned&utm_medium=social&utm_source=copylink

Met dank aan Provincie Zeeland, Gemeente Terneuzen, Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds, Mondriaan Fonds en Fonds 21 voor hun steun.

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𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 '𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗲' 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄𝘀-𝗩𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻

Yesterday in Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant: “Renowned Dutch artist Renzo Martens is establishing an art space in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. It will focus on ‘the cultural vision of people in rural areas’.”

08/12/2025

And incredibly important recognition: Cercle d'Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise - CATPC ranks 82nd in ArtReview's Power Top 100 of the most influential people in 2025 in the contemporary art world.

𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗣𝗖 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝟴𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.

We express our gratitude to God and our ancestors for this renewed inclusion, which we dedicate to all plantation communities around the world.

We are happy that through this recognition, we can continue to share the “unhealthy privileges” of art, transcend the colonial divide, and support each other in a spirit of solidarity. We dedicate and share this victory with all plantation workers. Especially those in Congo, Indonesia, Suriname, the Caribbean islands, and elsewhere in the world who, through forced labor, have involuntarily contributed to the existence of museums in the West.

We also want to express our gratitude and joy for all the inspiration that brother Ibrahim Mahama has brought us. This collective achievement is proof that together, anything is possible.

Luyalu.

10/11/2025

𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺

Today at the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, Cercle d'Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise - CATPC will launch the Seven Easy Steps for Museums to Liberate the Plantations that Funded Them. In seven clear steps, this toolkit creates a framework for museums which have profited from the plantation economy to move beyond symbolic gestures toward genuine repair with plantation communities.

The Toolkit will be presented by Matthieu Kasiama, Mbuku Kimpala, and Ced’art Tamasala from CATPC in a keynote presentation at the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam during a seminar for museum professionals entitled HERE: Heritage Reflections. The event is focused on restitution and is initiated by the Mondriaan Fund, the public fund for visual arts and cultural heritage in the Netherlands.

Developed by CATPC and Human Activities, this toolkit draws from the perspectives of plantation worker communities and Western art institutions to help museums rethink their origins, responsibilities, and futures. It is especially designed to guide museums built with profits extracted from plantation worker communities.

The toolkit can be downloaded here 👇
https://www.humanactivities.org/en/iha-blank/catpc-launches-decolonization-toolkit/