The idea to make a mobile home has been lingering in my mind for some time. It derives from many thoughts within the social, ecological, political, economic, environmental, philosophical and historical sphere. I am interested in a self-organised pragmatic approach part of a process of personal change. Actualising my ideas in the present and performing them in the everyday. My family is a huge motivation. Due to my current living situation and the problematic of housing, I am curious what mobility has to offer in the context of domestic life. Initially the idea was to find out on wheels. But as I didn't have a driving license yet, the idea to make something on the water started.
Of course the Netherlands has a long term relationship with water. I imagine how nomadic people (from around 8000 - 5000 BC) where living in this geographical area in coherence with the seasons, climate and the tides. This raft life could be seen as a continuation of this relationship with water.
The thought of a possible escape scenario also came in mind. Referring to the alarm bells which have been ringing by scientists for a while now. Due to the current dangers of rising water levels as a result to the rapid melting of polar ice caps. Part of the Netherlands will then become the Underwater-lands.
To me life on water seems legislatively still not as much defined as the rules on land. Even in the Netherlands. But perhaps it's my ignorance, not knowing enough about it. The raft is something interesting though. There is this indeterminacy about the direction your going, the lack of control, drifting along with the current. See where life takes you.
I wanted to make a raft where my family and I could temporary life on. We would experience and explore Amsterdam on the water. Moving within, through and on the periphery of the city. Enjoying the city and the 'rural', the quiet and the social, the practical and beautiful. Finding some freedom in mobility. Being mobile, able to look for new spots in the city. Looking at things from a different angle, getting other perspectives. Daily activity would continue, going to work, bringing my son to pre-school, doing shopping or meet up with friends.
Due to financial reasons and ethical principals, I wanted to use exclusively recycled materials. So from the beginning of the summer (2014) I started with my carrier cycle to search the streets of Amsterdam for materials. Actually, I picked up a lot of things in the neighbourhood commuting between work and my home. But also from the containers of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy during the end exam period.
It all took quite some effort and there was quite some struggle to find the base for the raft. So I asked two companies for un-new materials that were hard to find on the streets, plastic barrels and long wooden beams. Kesbeke B.V. and Stichting Stadshout Amsterdam were so kind to sponsor these. I was able to store all the materials at my friends temporary anti-squat home. In this same industrial area I was able to get a significant amount of pallet wood, some car tires and straw bales.
With my family I was planning to make the raft in mid summer, in a period of 10 days. They would leave on vacation to see family and I would work on the raft. Unfortunately I got an bronchitis infection. So I had to postpone it. Then two months later, out of the BLUE, my friends wrote to me they had to leave there place. I was to build the raft within a week but daily life also continued. Next to working and taking care of my children I just managed to finish the raft's platform within the deadline. It became a few square meters smaller but I was happy with the result. Together with the help of some kind friends we succeeded to lay it in the water. I stored some of the remaining materials on the raft, having in mind to create a cabin/shelter on it. But the circumstances forced me to get rid of some important collected materials.
With a motorboat I managed to take the raft to the other side of the city. Its been laying at the back of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. It has been there for a while, about two months. I have been passing by occasionally to check up on it because some material got lost due to weather conditions. I was hoping to start working on the shelter/cabin early spring. But then I noticed that the raft was starting to lean deeper in the water at one corner. Water was entering in one of the corner barrels which must have got damaged while putting it in the water.
Now I am trying to find a solution to this problem and find a way to replace this barrel. This opportunity has come in the form of an exhibition, named "Invitation to the Blues". The curator/artist of the exhibition, was able to transport the materials to the exhibition space. With the materials that were on the raft I will make a sculpture for the show. The raft will be lighter this way. Hopefully light enough to lift out of the water from one side and replace the barrel. After the exhibition I will return the materials back to the raft and continue the work in progress.
