Summer programme

Why wouldn’t you date me? 
A performance by Ines Borovac at Garage Rotterdam
17 – 20 July | Performances every evening at 9 PM 
Free entry!

From ancient times, the female body has served as a currency to foster homosocial relations under the disguise of marriage. A system rendering the young woman’s consent meaningless in a world of violent, patriarchal norms. Young ladies would be socially forced to find a husband, with her only act of emancipation in many European rituals being the gesture of handing over an apple to the chosen one – symbolizing her consent and leaving her one bite away from marriage.

Today, this symbolic apple has evolved into Apple products and dating apps, commodifying love and sex. These platforms now trade not only female bodies but the digital footprints of all users, enhancing capitalist surveillance.

The performance Why wouldn’t you date me? by the Rotterdam and Croatia based artist Ines Borovac draws parallels with historical practices, through a performative act where control over personal data is reclaimed. By adapting Croatian courting customs, Borovac will engage in a series of monitored dates every evening from 17 – 20 July. The dates will be live-streamed at Garage Rotterdam and the dating process will be gamified by giving the artist’s home country (Croatia) the power to influence the dates via an interactive app on their phones. 

Join us on 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 July at Garage Rotterdam to see the performative act Why wouldn’t you date me? by Ines Borovac live!

Finissage with DJ set by Acid Love Story: Saturday 20 July at 9 PM

This project is made possible by funding from CBK Rotterdam

Graphic Design by: Karla Žlimen

The Restore-rant
An intimate performance dinner by Michelle Woods and Anne Kluytenaar
9, 11, 13 and 15 August 2024

After a successful run in Antwerp, The Restore-rant will come ashore in Rotterdam this summer. The Restore-rant is an intimate performance-diner during which visitors are invited to discuss topics that may not always be easy to talk about in everyday life.
The dinner will take place in Garage Rotterdam where, for the purpose of the dinner, thematic rooms will be created and furnished in collaboration with various artists. Visitors will be offered a different dish, drink or experience in each room, tailored to the identity of the space and the sensory experiences it offers such as smell, sound, image and tactility. Sharing a meal in original but homely-feeling spaces creates a space for small groups of visitors to share stories and experiences. The dishes and design of the rooms combine the creators’ own autobiographical experiences with the visitors’ new interpretations and in doing so, encourage dialogue and contemplation about gender, sexuality, and self-image.

The Restore-rant will take place in Garage Rotterdam on 9, 13 and 15 August at 7 PM and on 11 August at 2 PM and 7 PM. The Restore-rant is part of the Carpool program, in collaboration with IDEM.

Purchase your ticket for one or multiple afternoon or evening sessions via this link: https://garagerotterdam.stager.co/The%20Restore-rant/tickets

We sell tickets for €2,00 and €5,00 based upon your donation choice and we work with free donations after the event.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at Garage Rotterdam!

The Restore-rant is an initiative of artist/ cook Michelle Woods and visual artist Anne
Kluytenaar. Woods has experimented with the history and performance aspects of food in her own restaurant and collective, Table Dance, and with artist residency, Morpho in Antwerp. She has also organised performative cooking-eating scenarios for various exhibitions, most recently at Museum De Pont in Tilburg.’ Kluytenaar grew up on a ship in Rotterdam, where she was witness to the gender transition of one of her parents and experienced firsthand how a space can offer both freedom and limitation, and the various ways in which people communicate about such themes. She discovered that sharing personal stories and experiences can invite others to do the same, potentially opening an otherwise difficult conversation in a natural way. Through flavour and experience, the team behind The Restore-rant wants to create spaces that are both physically and mentally accessible and that have the potential to transcend historic artistic disciplines and contribute to social discourse.

Rotterdam Direct
A project by artist Jacob van der Zwan (part of artist duo J&B), poet Anne Vegter (Rotterdam poet 2021-2022 and ‘Dichter des Vaderlands’ 2013-2017) and videographer Shefali van der Zwan
Friday 23 August 2024 | 1 PM

During Rotterdam Direct on Friday the 23rd of August, the front space of Garage Rotterdam will be transformed into a dynamic movie set. In this movie set, visitors and actors will take part in improvised conversations about personal experiences and about Rotterdam. Poet lines from the poems of Anne Vegter will be the ‘prompts’ which will shape the conversations.

Join us at Garage Rotterdam on Friday the 23rd of August to collectively explore personal stories and the city of Rotterdam.

This project is a precursor on Jacob van der Zwan his residency at Instituto Buena Bista (IBB), centre for contemporary art, based upon Curaçao.