Michael Rakowitz, 'Be longing', 2024 >> in development <<

Location: Molenvlietpark, Leidschenveen-Ypenburg, The Hague

"A city where everyone feels at home is created together." – Michael Rakowitz

Unveiling: 5 July 5, 2025, by Mayor Van Zanen 

Background
Since 2018, Stroom Den Haag has been guiding a major art commission on the themes of Archaeology and Migration Flows, commissioned by the municipality of The Hague, along the Rotterdamsebaan – the new road between Binckhorst and the Ypenburg junction. The commission is linked to the area of Molenvlietpark, where an archaeological site has been found. A selection committee was formed for the project, which shortlisted (internationally) renowned artists and approached them in 2021. After an extensive exploration of the area, visits to the Victory Boogiewoogietunnel under construction, Archeology Den Haag, various neighborhoods, and discussions with organizations such as the Indisch Herinneringscentrum, the sketch presentations took place in early March 2022. The final choice of Michael Rakowitz's proposal Be longing was made later that year. The Rotterdamsebaan itself was officially opened in February 2021. The artwork is expected to be unveiled at the end of 2024 in Molenvlietpark.

Be longing
For Rakowitz, each new artwork is preceded by an intensive research process in which he actively involves both local and international communities. For the commission in The Hague, he spoke with many people from migrant communities during his visits to the city, with whom he aims to collaborate. Central to the project is his partnership with the Participatie Keuken (Participation Kitchen), an initiative by Ben Lachhab that builds on the idea that every person wants to feel seen, heard, and valued. Sharing meals and stories is seen as a way to collectively work toward a livable society.

Be longing is based on the idea that migrants bring household objects and recipes from their home countries to feel at home in their new surroundings. During archaeological excavations near Molenvlietpark, fragments of plates and bowls were found, which are being reconstructed by archaeologists. These hybrid objects inspired Rakowitz’s design proposal, in which the diverse backgrounds of the people of The Hague form the basis of the artwork. He sees a parallel between the archaeological layers of The Hague's soil and the social layers of the city's population.

Rakowitz views his interventions as a way to make cultures tangible and visible, revealing new connections in the city. In collaboration with the Participatie Keuken, he organizes communal dinners and gatherings where issues affecting different migrant communities in The Hague are discussed through the objects brought by the participants and meals prepared together. He invites residents to donate crockery they have brought from their country of origin, to serve as tangible foundations for all the stories. In the final artwork, these stories will resonate in the ceramic shards.

Michael Rakowitz (born 1973, based in Chicago, USA), of Iraqi descent, recognizes the longing of migrants to return to their homeland, a feeling that can extend to future generations. This desire coexists with the need to feel at home in a new place. The English title Be longing refers to both feeling at home somewhere and to homesickness (for the old place) and the desire for a new home. This personal involvement and connection with local multicultural communities is a fundamental part of Rakowitz’s artistic practice. His process-oriented approach, where the input of his interlocutors is welcomed and utilized, is characteristic of his work. Michael Pollan’s popular book The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2005), in which food and cooking are seen as foundational to the formation of cities, inspired Rakowitz's Enemy Kitchen (2003), a project where a mobile truck with Iraqi refugees and U.S. Iraq War veterans serves food in the U.S. In recent years, Rakowitz has focused on reconstructing the images stolen and destroyed by ISIS, leading to works such as The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist (London, 2018). With Be longing, Rakowitz follows in the footsteps of great international mentors – including Dennis Adams – who have created works in the Netherlands.

As a permanent partner of the municipality for public art, Stroom Den Haag is overseeing the selection process, the artist, and the artistic development of Be longing through to its unveiling. The artwork builds on the unique commissioning practices in the Netherlands and Europe for public art projects. It will be a new addition to The Hague's international art collection, alongside works such as Ling Zhi Helicopters by Huang Yong Ping, Celestial Vault by James Turrell, and Parc in the Water by Vito Acconci & Studio. [insert links to these pages]

Previous events related to Be longing
- 6 – 22 April, 2024, Project presentation at the Ypenburg Library
- 29 – 30 June, 2024, Participatory dinners at Molenvlietpark
Over the past years, several gatherings have been organized throughout the city where residents could meet Michael Rakowitz and were invited to bring ceramic objects to donate for the artwork.

If you'd like to learn more about the artwork, please contact us at: buitenkunst.molenvlietpark@gmail.com

The artwork Be longing is being realized in collaboration between Stroom Den Haag, the Participatie Keuken, and the Municipality of The Hague.