49m²

In Zaartpark, a public park in Breda, lies a demarcated 49-square-metre plot of land where, since 2016, no municipal maintenance has taken place. This area exists as the result of a unique agreement between the Municipality of Breda and artist Gerrit-Jan Smit, founder of 49m². Within this seven-by-seven-metre space, anyone may make changes — except the government. This makes 49m² an experimental zone where questions of ownership, freedom, climate and the role of art in public space are continuously explored.

49m² was initiated by Gerrit-Jan Smit, whose work addresses societal questions such as authority, responsibility, the common good and value. How do we as humans relate to our public space, and how does it in turn shape us? Since 2020, Witte Rook has invited one artist each season to care for and observe the site over a three-month period, in relation to their own practice, the surroundings and passing visitors. Each artist interprets the residency in their own way, turning 49m² into a space for research, inspiration and experimentation.

As a result of the original agreement, temporary changes may be made within the 49m² without permits or administrative fees. This hybrid artist-in-residence thus operates as a mini free state, raising questions such as: what rights or responsibilities apply when existing regulations no longer hold?

Each artist develops a personal and unique experience, which is shared on our online platform at the end of the work period. These reflections take various forms: video, poetry, text, image, audio or animation, combined with an article about the working process. To support this, a writer is invited at the end of each residency to reflect in conversation with the artist. This helps make the themes of 49m² more accessible to a wider audience and adds an additional layer of reflection.

In 2025, Witte Rook will welcome Roeland Rooijakkers, Rick Abelen, Maud van den Beuken and Anoek Mensink. Each of them will spend one season observing, questioning or transforming the 49m² in Zaartpark.

Roeland Rooijakkers – Winter 2025
Roeland collects, studies and transforms natural materials from the local environment. From twigs and leaves to clay and stones, his work focuses on the timeless presence of these elements and their connection to the Earth’s origins. He explores the relationship between human and non-human entities and investigates how their presence can be made visible. How will the wintry atmosphere of 49m² influence this dialogue?

Rick Abelen – Spring 2025
Architect and artist Rick Abelen will explore the theme of freedom during his residency, in a time marked by a housing crisis. What do we truly need to live well together? And how can small spaces inspire big ideas? As spring awakens, Rick sets out in search of answers.

Maud van den Beuken – Summer 2025
Maud examines how we perceive the Earth in relation to our own bodies. Like a fieldworker, she measures, scans and defines the space to gain a better understanding of the world beneath our feet and the air above our heads. During her residency at 49m², she will explore the physical and conceptual boundaries of the site. How does our perception of a defined piece of land shift through time, movement and observation?

Anoek Mensink – Autumn 2025
Anoek Mensink engages with social and landscape-based themes, centring the relationship between people and place. Her projects emerge from in-depth observation and interaction with the environment. How will the changing autumn colours and the ebb and flow of visitors shape her research at 49m²?