"The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons", Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson, Fiona van den Bergh & SIGN
About this activity.
"The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons"
& three other community-scale projects.
25/1- 20/12 2025
Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson
"The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons & three other community-scale projects."
From October 25 - December 20, 2025
An exhibition and project by artists Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson in collaboration with SIGN projectspace & Fiona van den Bergh, organizer, performer, and city guide.
With a festive opening on Saturday, October 25, at 17.00 hrs
From October 25th to December 20th, SIGN will exhibit three recent and ongoing art projects by Castro & Ólafsson, showcasing their polyphonic, community-based, engaged, and intervention-oriented art practice.
SIGN will also serve as the headquarters and gathering point for the Groningen Circuit of Commons, where a large number of commoners will contribute to the open program. Come by, participate, and have your say. Let's use SIGN as a common!
"The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons" represents the right to diversity, the right to housing, and the right to public and communal spaces, for self-organized, social, cultural, artistic, and ecological initiatives in Groningen. Where there is a need for space for wealth that is not expressed in money.
The exhibition features, among other things, the film-in-process of the first intervention of "The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons" during the ‘Groningen Onderstroom’ demonstration on September 27th, featuring a monumental textile work. The huge banner was designed by Libia & Ólafur and created in collaboration with the social Groningen sewing workshops Draadkracht, Vanhulley and Eindhoven's Awesome.
The collaboration between Castro & Ólafsson began in Groningen, where they met during their MFA studies at the Frank Mohr Institute. In April 1998, they held their first exhibition together at SIGN.
For years, Castro & Ólafsson have been passionately involved internationally in supporting social and political processes and initiating new coalitions.
Works from their previous projects with the citizens' movement for a new Constitution in Iceland and with "La Casa Invisible" in Málaga are featured in this exhibition. The recently initiated project ‘The Right to Eindhoven - Circuit of Commons’, which continues with various Eindhoven collectives and is supported by the Van Abbemuseum, will also be exhibited at SIGN. Following this, the new project ‘The Right to Groningen - Circuit of Commons’ will be presented.
PROGRAM with Groningen commons in SIGN October to December 2025:
Expect a robust program covering engaged contemporary art practices, art & activism, local politics and the environment, discussions about free space, incubators, (anti-)squatting, the value of alternative lifestyles, food politics, and gatherings with performances, workshops, Queer Club Night, a reading group, and join the Alternative Groningen Tour! And of course, see the exhibition!
The program is still growing, so keep an eye on our website and social media! Mark your calendars for the following events!
Saturday, October 25th: Opening at 17.00 hrs
Exhibition of works by Libia Castro & Ólafur Ólafsson, and kick-off of new project
‘The Right To Groningen - Circuit of Commons’
Wednesday, October 29th from 18.00-22.00 hrs
Get-together: Initiatives, collectives & participants who form the Groningse Onderstroom
Sunday, November 2nd: City Tour from 14.00-16.30 hrs
City Tour about Groningen Commons by Fiona van den Bergh.
Saturday, November 15th: Event from 14.00-17.00 hrs
Discursive event about the policy for ‘broedplaatsen’ and the temporary use of space.
With Lenze Hofstee, Karina Bakx, Groningen Incubator Coalition
Friday, November 21th, event from 17.00-20.30 hrs
Event: Art and Activism on a communal scale / discursive event about commons.
With Thijs Lijster, Gemma Medina, Jeanne van Heeswijk, Rick Middelbos
Saturday, November 22nd, event from 12:00 -18.00 hrs
Case studies: Trav12 & Paradijsvogeltuin as commons.
With representatives from Trav12 & Paradijsvogeltuin
Saturday, November 29th, workshop from 14.00-18.00 hrs
Workshop by Stroomversneller for people from various collectives.
Further dates will be announced for:
Reading Group Deep Dive with Boekhandel Rosa, a performance by Rickie Edens & Lu, Food is Political with Wilbert van de Kamp & Ilse Donker, and a stimulating collaboration with FossilFreeCulture and Disobedient Art School.
The exhibition can be visited from October 25th to December 20th, 2025
Open: Tuesdays to Saturdays: 12.00-17.00 hrs. & Sundays: 14.00-17.00 hrs.
PS: Different opening hours apply for events; check our website for the complete program.
www.sign2.nl
SIGN
Winschoterkade 10
9711 EA Groningen
www.sign2.nl @sign.projectspace
signnl@gmail.com 0623631796
SIGN.
SIGN is een levendige en experimentele projectruimte voor actuele interdisciplinaire kunst op nationaal niveau. Zij biedt jonge kunstenaars een podium voor verdere profilering, ontwikkeling en intensivering van hun kunstenaarschap. Daarbij wordt nieuw werk geïnitieerd in bijzondere contexten en wordt de nodige reflectie gegeven. Presentaties zijn er in SIGN, op allerlei locaties, en in openbare ruimte met een variatie aan omstandigheden, invalshoeken, disciplines.
SIGN wordt ondersteund door Mondriaan Fonds Kunstpodium Basis 2025-2028 en door de Gemeente Groningen voor dezelfde periode.
Location.
SIGN
Winschoterkade 10
9711 EA Groningen
tel 050-3132651 of 0623631796
www.sign2.nl