"While I write this report I sit next to Sofia at the shared table in ceramic workshop. It is the last day of July, which means that Lena buys lunch at Lokaal 12: a tomato soup with bread, Sofia is reading a magazine and periodically engages me in conversation about the tasty granola she reads about, or the mosquitoes that are biting her leg. For the first time, Noor, one of the staff members, approaches me with a technical question about layering ceramic glazes on a fired bisque. It is a quick interaction, but to me it is a sign of trust that has build up throughout my multiple visits to the Sam."
We’ve reached a midpoint in Daniela Tokashiki Kunigami’s artistic residency at Landpark Assisie, and that means it’s time for an update on her progress on the site. As a part of the Sit-Plu project, Daniela’s residency has placed a strong focus on developing sustainable long-term relationships with the site and its residents. As will often occur over the course of such a long period, these relationships and the challenges that come with them have begun to re-shape her initial proposal into something entirely new.
In negotiating her role as an artist within a healthcare institution, Daniela has faced many challenges, leading to a broader examination of the relationship between design and social work— and the malleable barrier that divides the two. From difficulties in communication and coordination to disputes over storage, workspace, and client relationships, the project has become inseparable from the context in which it is taking shape.
→ “My work has diverged from the original plan. Being influenced by the community is a big reason. Another reason has been the practical reality of working within a framework that involves land, art, and a healthcare institution, with all the logistics and permissions that come with it.”
Daniela entered this residency with a proposal of creating a site-specific ceramic workshop to remain at the Landpark beyond the term of her residency. It was immediately clear that things would not follow exactly according to that plan. As she entered into the tight community of the village, we would come to realize that the site already had an operational ceramics studio, which was available to the facility’s clients for leisure and workshop activities. This workshop, called the Sam by its patrons, already had a knowledge hierarchy, regular patrons, and a certain way of doing things which proved to be difficult to infiltrate.
As an alternative to the original plan, Daniela pivoted to work within the existing facility and establish more sustainable practices of recycling clay by sampling soil and wild clay from the surrounding region. Though she certainly made the best of it, Daniela would be the first to tell you this was not the ideal situation:
→ “The studio was already full of pieces made by the residents. Bringing soil into the workshops was side-eyed, especially because the staff was not fully aligned with what I was attempting to do. They had not been briefed about my intentions, nor had they requested my assistance or presence. I was in their territory, and bringing a whole new process into their usual routine.”
Work in a care facility is labor intensive, and though the struggles faced by caretakers here are not unique, there remains a visible pattern of undervalued workers given more responsibilities than there are hours in the day to complete them. When first entering this space, Daniela felt that she was yet another time-suck for the already overburdened staff.
→ “The last thing the staff needs is an attention-seeking artist who disrupts their routines”
In spite of this initial reaction, the time and attention which Daniela dedicated through her extended presence on site was enough to slowly start to melt the barriers between herself, staff, and clientele.
After seeing her show up over and over to work on her samples, staff and clients alike began to ask Daniela questions about her work and invite her to participate in group activities and discussions. While far from a perfect arrangement, the project was beginning to find a new shape.
Over time, Daniela’s presence at the Landpark began to extend beyond the walls of the Sam. As a part of her situated research, she participated in Carnival events, church services, and group lunches. Daniela’s project was later included in the Easter program following a meeting with the local priest. It was through these circumstantial alliances that Daniela began to gain a voice within the local ecosystem. Through it all, she remained open to the questions that continue to arise:
→ “How can I adapt a ceramic workshop for people with disabilities? I have many ideas, but as a resident in this space, it has been unclear to me how much involvement is expected of me, allowed, or well-received. What could be considered a basic activity can grow out of proportion in an environment like the Landpark. Stability and routines are what keep the clients safe and the staff happy. Disruption, which is often what an art project like mine brings, is therefore eyed with caution and its intentions questioned. How can art in this context support, and not contradict the needs of both the staff and clients.”
So the thesis of the project shifts: How, if at all, can Daniela create a lasting influence on the process of working with clay at the Sam. While the staff may have begun to see value in her work after six months of regular presence on the site, the journey has not been a smooth one. Ideas that Daniela introduces on the site often take far longer than expected to catch on, needing to be proven sufficiently valuable before they are taken as serious proposals for improvement. Daniela realized that the staff, who are largely left responsible for day-to-day operations, were her best route to creating change within the Landpark.
→ “I believe [these] initiatives will work best if they happen … by giving the staff tools and knowledge that they can integrate into their existing practice, rather than by me imposing new ways of working. … This is the new reality of my work. Having a better relationship with staff from other workshops, I gravitate to collaborate with them in what they see fit … I am filling a hole in the skillset of the workshop, and I wonder whether that is also a part of my project, or if it is just a human need to feel fulfilled.”
→ “I see my position has changed from: 'How can I use ceramics for this' to 'What role should ceramics actually play here’. Given the complexities of the health care fabric interwoven in this situated practice, how much should my practice adapt to its context, and how much should it attempt to transform it? Who cares for ceramics in these types of institutions?”
Daniela’s work at Landpark Assisie has already borne fruit in its creation of new knowledge on the feasibility of social design work in a world defined by underfunded medical systems, lack of tangible qualifications in social design practices, and the dichotomy of care vs. caretaking. During the remainder of the year, Daniela will continue to embed herself in the site through strategic alliances with cooperative staff members and by attempting to meet this institution at the level it’s at. While challenges will undoubtedly continue to arise in the impossible pursuit of a true union of art and healthcare, Daniela has proven herself adept at staying with the trouble of such a conflict of interests. By persisting in remaining present on site and offering moments for compassionate collaboration, her absence is sure to be felt in the new year.
→ “Six months ago, I was trying to find my place in the Sam. Now I can sit at the table without heads turning or uncomfortable feelings. These are all small changes. But perhaps the project is comprised of small changes. For this small changes to happen I need to continue showing up.”
About Daniela
Daniela is a social designer with an intuitive, process-based practice rooted in autonomy, collaboration and material exploration. She works across various media, including ceramics, food, publications, and participatory formats. Ceramics plays a central role in her practice, offering a tactile, grounded way to explore time, care, and experimentation. Daniela values spaces for multicultural perspectives and is interested in engaging with socio-economic perspectives in the world of crafts and design. Collaboration is essential to her work, while her design ethos embraces the ‘work with what is already there’.
You can read more about Daniela and her work on her website, here