THE RURAL SIDE

TENT presents The Rural Side, a project about rural culture by artist Wapke Feenstra with Rotterdammers. Her project questions the supposed contradiction between the countryside and the city that dominates not only popular perception but also urban and rural planning and politics. The urban and the rural are inextricably interrelated, but the urban perspective dominates. We consider urbanisation and urban culture as synonymous with progress. From this perspective, the countryside and rural culture are always on the periphery, in the city’s shadow. Feenstra questions this preconception with on-location projects. Her latest enquiry is into Rotterdam’s ‘Boerenzij’ (Farmers’ side). The harbour city of Rotterdam was built by people who often came from elsewhere, mainly from the countryside. Feenstra connected with them to share knowledge and to recall memories, revealing how a rural mindset is present within urban space. The exhibition resulting from this exchange invites us to reimagine our perceptions of the city and the countryside. Website