For the seventh day of Arts Collaboratory Assembly, we returned to Amsterdam, starting from Midwest, and moving further west to Voedselpark Amsterdam. During the visits, the collective discussions with Stichting DOEN critically examined the relationship dynamics between art organizations and funders, reflecting on the funding paradigm shift we have mutually committed as members of AC. Afterwards, while witnessing a community-ran local sustainability initiative fighting the local enclosures of the once common lands destined to become box-like distribution warehouses catering to the urban pressure with our own eyes, we had a necessary breath of fresh air!

Returning to Casco the day after, the penultimate AC School session focused on refining its core activities, followed by a walk in Utrecht led by Nancy Jouwe on the cities’ colonial history with a focus on the recent route CAPE X exhibition curated by the Black Archives. The session continued on the following (and final) day of the Assembly; the assembly group returned to Amsterdam after living in Utrecht for eight days to conclude with the last session at Framer Framed. We reflected on all the ideas and strategies harvested during the collective sessions and how we would take this with us in the coming years. Thus, the theme of harvesting and futurecasting came full circle.

The conclusive evening marked a festive farewell, where we carried forward the principles of collectivity, solidarity, care, resistance, and radical imagination. We were warmly welcomed to Rijksakademie where we had the opportunity to reflect on the beginnings of AC, through a memory throwback of RAIN Network by Gertrude Flentge, Hama Goro from Centre Solei d’Afrique, Elke Uitentuis and Emily Pethick. We finalized with a beautiful dinner hosted by We Sell Reality, who shared classic injera with various collard and stewed vegetables with us. With our tummies full and revolting spirits alike, we shared warm conversations with Rijksakademie residents and the many friends who joined us.