49m2

In the Zaartpark in Breda lies a demarcated plot of land measuring 49m2, where no municipal maintenance has taken place since 2016. This is 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 is allowed to make changes—except the government. This makes 49m2 an experimental zone where ownership, freedom, and the role of art in public space are continuously questioned.

Since 2020, Witte Rook has invited an artist each season to observe, use and explore the site over a period of three months. This residency offers space for experimentation, reflection and dialogue. The artist investigates the interaction between the natural environment, passers-by and their own artistic practice.

How does art manifest itself in a space without fixed frameworks? What does ownership mean in public space? What influence does time have on an unregulated patch of nature?

49m² functions as a mini free state, raising broad societal and philosophical questions: How does art relate to legislation and power? What does ownership mean in public space? How do we shape responsibility and obligation within a context of freedom?

This unique site offers the opportunity to realise temporary interventions without permits or levies. Artists are free to experiment with materials, concepts and interactions, allowing new perspectives on public space and collective ownership to emerge.

Each artist-in-residence enters into dialogue with a writer invited by Witte Rook to produce an article about the working process and findings. This adds an extra layer of reflection and makes the themes explored at 49m² accessible to a wider audience. At the end of the working period, the results and insights are shared via our online platform.

In 2025, Witte Rook welcomes four artists who will each observe, question and transform the 49m2 in the Zaartpark for a season. Although their precise plans are still in development, their previous works and research give a glimpse of their possible approach to this unique location.

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

Rick Abelen – Spring 2025
During his residency, architect/artist Rick Abelen investigates the theme of freedom in a time of housing crisis. What do we really need to live well together? And how can small spaces generate big ideas? As spring awakens, Rick goes in search of answers.

Maud van den Beuken – Summer 2025
Maud investigates how we perceive the earth in relation to our own bodies. Like a fieldworker, she measures, scans and defines space to get a grip on the world beneath our feet and the sky above our heads. During her residency at 49m², she will explore the physical and conceptual boundaries of the place. How does our perception of a demarcated piece of land change through time, movement and observation?

Anoek Mensink – Autumn 2025
Anoek Mensink works with social and landscape themes, in which the relationship between people and their environment is central. Her projects arise from in-depth observation and interaction with the place. How will the changing autumn colours and the changing visitors influence her research within 49m²?

Each season brings a new perspective on 49m². Through the diversity of approaches and disciplines, the questions surrounding freedom, ownership and public space continue to develop. Follow the artists in their process via our online platform and discover how they temporarily appropriate and transform this piece of unregulated land in Breda.