Landscape Theory: tools of control

We invite you to join us for an evening conversation between artist Cihad Caner and film scholar and curator Julian Ross.

Cihad Caner’s solo exhibition brings attention to a largely forgotten event in Dutch history: the 1972 riots in Rotterdam’s Afrikaanderwijk neighborhood, where guest workers were targeted. With the riots as a focal point, Cihad expands his exploration to include how the neighborhood was named in commemoration of the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, as well as the particular challenges of gentrification it faces today.

Join us at 6 pm on Friday 27 June, for a conversation between Cihad and film scholar and curator Julian Ross on how landscapes—urban, rural, or colonial—have historically served as instruments of control, surveillance, and oppression, as well as sites of resistance. Rooted in “landscape theory”, together they explore landscapes not just physical spaces, but as cultural and political constructs shaped by colonial and capitalist forces. The discussion will also touch on how geography and memory influence identity, and how artistic interventions can disrupt and challenge dominant narratives embedded in the landscape.

Taking place within the exhibition space, this event marks the closing weekend of Cihad’s solo, on view at Kunstinstituut Melly until Sunday 29 June.

Also planned, is a panel discussion on Saturday 28 June from 1.30 pm between Cihad, curator and cultural programmer Leana Boven, artistic researcher Hannah Dawn Henderson, and curator and writer Tirdad Zolghadr.