Find out more about CBK Rotterdam's financial arrangements during That's how you do it! On Wednesday, October 29th, at C3-Studios, Cristal De La Cruz, Samboleap Tol, Sol Archer, and Giulia Zabarella will discuss their projects, which were made possible in part by the Praktijkbijdrage, I&V, and CBK Rotterdam x Fonds Kwadraat grants, and how they used these grants.
How did the project go, did the results meet expectations, and what would they do differently next time? This evening, the artists will share their insights and engage in a discussion with a moderator. Evita de Roode and the audience. We'll close with drinks.
Giulia Zabarella and Sol Archer
Sol Archer (1983) in Giulia Zabarella (1993) received an I&V for their project Tawny Pipit: Archive of Disappearance. In this work, the artists draw attention to the drastic decline in bird populations over the past forty years. This is primarily due to environmental pollution, intensive agriculture, and industry. The birds' rhythms are also being disrupted, meaning their calls increasingly serve as a clear marker of the seasons. Since 1273, a competition for imitating the calls of migratory birds, the "chioccolo," has been held in the northern Italian town of Sacile. It is a tribute to the craft of local, self-sufficient farmers. Their culture and diet are highly dependent on the rhythm of bird migration. Archer and Zabarella invited chioccolo artists to perform the songs of critically endangered birds at the annual Sagra Dei Osei. The artists combine these songs into a soundscape that forms the basis for a film, an installation, and a photo series. The work serves as an archive that now exists only in the memories of its practitioners.
Starlight, Samboleap Tol. Exhibition Puranic Transmutations, 2025
Samboleap Tol (1990) received a Practical Contribution for her project StarlightIn the summer of 2025, Tol took part in the international group exhibition Puranic Transmutations in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is what she did with her new work Starlight, a moving sound sculpture. The exhibition explored how contemporary Javanese and Cambodian artists relate to the classical past, which, partly due to the presence of ancient temples, is still deeply intertwined with their physical environment and cultural awareness. Starlight was created in collaboration with local artisans and in dialogue with scholars and cultural figures from the region. The work revolves around two central themes: "mentorship and friendship as a surrogate family" and "the cosmic Mount Meru as a cultural reference." StarlighIt was presented in the traditional Javanese pavilion (pendopo).
Crystal De La Cruz
Crystal De La Cruz (1990) received an interest-free loan through CBK Rotterdam x Fonds Kwadraat for her project Efigie and YocahúShe uses the loan for the material costs of two new sculptures. Efigie and Yocahú are part of Cruz's Cemí series. This project is an investigation into the Taíno heritage of Quisqueya (Dominican Republic) and the Nautilus spiral, which symbolizes continuous growth. In the Taíno tradition, cemís are sacred objects connected to the forces of nature. Yocahú is named after Yocahú Bagua Maorocotí, the Taíno deity of fertility, creation, and the sea. Efigie is a portal artifact, a piece intended to connect humans and spirits through ritual.
Practical information
Date: Wednesday, October 29
Time: 19:00 PM to 21:00 PM (doors open at 18:45 PM)
Location: C3-Studios, Huismanstraat 30, Rotterdam South
Language: Dutch/English
Before the event it is possible to C3 Cantina dining at 6:00 PM for €18. Reservations are not required.
