The Salon

As you enter the Salon, you’ll find a single-question form. The questions you’re asked are personal and poetic. The central question in this Salon is: Describe where you feel at home. You’re welcome to talk about your answers with other visitors, or put down the answer for yourself in words or maybe in a drawing.

In designing the public program that complements the exhibition, the Stedelijk Museum collaborated with rapper and writer Massih Hutak. His work explores stories of hope, love and struggle. Not always upbeat, but always honest and vulnerable. The Salon is Massih’s idea, a place where people can tell their stories.

Every month, the Salon zooms in on a different question. The Stedelijk gathers all these answers and hangs them on the wall as inspiration for the four Salon artists: Gershwin Bonevacia, Massih Hutak, Rachel Rumai and Ikram El Messaoudi. These questions and answers are also featured in the exhibition’s audio tour. At the end of each month, the artists stage an intervention—the Salon session—inspired by the answers people gave.

Describe where you feel at home

Rachel Rumai is a writer, poet and performance artist from Amsterdam. In her Salon session, Rachel will offer a counterbalance to the question she asked, turning it on its head. Are there times when you don't feel at home? Can you describe them? In an open and intimate talk with the audience, Rachel invites visitors to share their stories with her, which she gives back to the Salon.

This Salon session is free, reservations are not required.