HIMMELSBACH Idea Consultation – Werkplaats Molenwijk

An Artistic Laboratory for New Perspectives
The Himmelsbach Idea Library is the result of fifteen years of experimenting with social interventions, monuments, and speculative strategies. As an artist, I operate at the intersection of art, activism, and humor. My mission is to challenge ingrained ways of thinking, open up new perspectives, and approach social issues in a playful and artistic way.
In 2020, I opened my Idea Library to the public for the first time during a residency at Werkplaats Molenwijk, part of the art platform Framer Framed in Amsterdam-Noord. In this installation, I invited local residents to browse through my ideas and engage in conversations about their own challenges. This led to the Idea Consultation, where together, we explored unexpected solutions.

How does it work?
The consultation sessions were open and accessible, allowing participants to discuss their questions and frustrations, ranging from waste management issues to political representation. Instead of offering obvious solutions, I provided new perspectives, artistic interventions, and sometimes absurd but effective approaches.
Examples of interventions that emerged from the consultation include:
• Kintsugi Waste – Using gold paint as a playful way to highlight waste issues.
• Vogelaar Memory – A memory game featuring portraits and names of neighborhood residents to strengthen social cohesion.
• The Firework Horn – An artwork that transforms firework explosions into harmonious sounds.
• The Cosmic Complaint Line – A global phone number where people can voice their frustrations.

From Residency to International Project
The 120 ideas at the heart of this residency were based on sketches and notes from my notebooks. I transformed these rough drafts into engaging texts, presenting them as a catalog for social change. I noticed that the ideas with detailed drawings resonated most with the audience.
Since then, the Himmelsbach Idea Library has evolved further. During residencies at Artphy (Groningen) and the medieval Athenaeum Library (Deventer), I refined my ideas into pen drawings, prints, and collages. The complete collection is now compiled in an A3 PDF, serving both as an exhibition installation and a conversation piece. Internationally, it is used as a source of inspiration for new discussions, ideas, and collaborations.

A Participatory Future
The Idea Library is not a static archive—it is a living laboratory. These ideas can inspire others to tackle their own challenges, but also function as a practical catalog from which commissioners can select projects for realization.
With this project, I aim to make the power of conceptual thinking visible and accessible, demonstrating that art is not just an expression but also a strategy for addressing societal issues.
Would you like to collaborate or organize an Idea Consultation? Get in touch.