In Edgelanders: Amsterdam On Trial, artists Ehsan Fardjadniya and Raul Balai work on an indictment of the municipality of Amsterdam, calling on the city to fulfil its ethical and legal obligations towards undocumented people. This long-running project will culminate in a public trial on 27 October 2025, during Amsterdam's 750th anniversary.
The fifth chapter, The Indictment, will be presented at the Brakke Grond with the installation Les Citoyens Actifs. The symposium Le Colloque is the conclusion of this chapter. All testimonies and insights collected in the month of February and during Festival Beyond the Black Box will be brought together in a joint indictment. This will be done in collaboration with lawyers, undocumented workers and the public.
With the contribution of:
Souleyman & Gladys - Experts in lived experience
Alexia Magiru & Jonas Scholte Ter Horst - Law students
Pim Fischer – Social lawyer who initiated the Bed, Bath, Bread regulation and recently sued the city of Rotterdam over shelter closures
Sven Lütticken – Art historian, critic, and editor, speaking on the history of art and justice
City Rights Radio– A collective of undocumented citizens in Amsterdam producing independent podcasts
Drs. Jordan Dez – Assistant Professor of Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, researching human rights claims of irregular migrants in Europe and the U.S.
Activists & artists from Network Noo – Organizers of the Rotterdam demonstrations against shelter closures
Ehsan Fardjadniya & Raul Balai – Artists behind Amsterdam On Trial
Elke Uitentuis & Sami - Part of Vluchtmaat alternative shelter