In two sessions, we will explore the possibilities of VR and XR design for new modes of research and the public display of archival documents. The starting point is the XR test installation on show in the foyer of Het Nieuwe Instituut: Alison’s Room, designed by Paula Strunden. The installation consists of an immersive reconstruction of the work room of the British architect Alison Smithson and the archive of the practice she shared with her husband Peter.

Heritage innovates. It does this partly through technological progress, but mainly by questioning current practice. A collection is not a neutral representation of the past, but acquires meaning through interactions with, and interpretations of, new generations of users. This means that heritage must, by definition, be future-oriented. At the conference Disclosing Futures – Rethinking Heritage, on 2 and 3 November in Het Nieuwe Instituut, we will discuss the reorientation of the role of heritage, and innovation as a condition for sustainable collection management.

During the third public gathering of Collecting Otherwise, the audience is invited to join the conversation. Which alternative methodologies can enrich the archives of the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning? And how do we collect otherwise, including other points of view? Invited speakers Jos Boys (Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative/UCL) Mitchell Esajas, Nychenda Fecunda (The Black Archives), Aska Welford, Rika Theo (UvA) and Working Group members Micheal Karabinos and Harriet Rose Morley, will join the discussions on case studies presented during the event.

During the first public gathering of Collecting Otherwise, the audience is invited to join the conversation. Which alternative methodologies can enrich the archives of the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning? And how do we collect otherwise, including other points of view? The research team, whose members form part of Disclosing Architecture, will be introduced, followed by discussions on case studies presented during the event.

Hermine Giefing-Elzas and her husband Abraham Elzas liked to travel. Little is known about their journeys, but the holiday photos they took in various places in Europe may reveal their unknown fascinations and sources of inspiration. In the context of Disclosing Architecture, Het Nieuwe Instituut is starting a public investigation into these private images in the hope of not only gaining new insights about Abraham Elzas and Hermine Giefing-Elzas, but also to establish new connections between the hundreds of archives which make up the Dutch national collection. We invite you to analyse the images and uncover unknown histories.

The collection of artist Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931) at Het Nieuwe Instituut consists mainly of colour designs, architectural drawings and photo-mechanical reproductions on tracing paper. This important collection is being examined, conserved and, if necessary, restored to preserve it for the future. During Art Rotterdam, project leader Elza van den Berg and curator Eline de Graaf of Het Nieuwe Instituut discuss the ongoing research and restoration project.