Power Equilibrium

Emancipation of the periphery (2031)

"The piece ´Power Equilibrium´, by the famous political artist/activist Tess Apelschorn (Heerlen, 2004), depicts the turning tide of the relationship between urban and periphery. Apelschorn was highly involved in the Power to Periphery (P2P) movement in Parkstad right from its origin in 2029. Whilst studying art, Apelschorn attended many protests and was present at their climax: the toppling of the first transmission tower in Parkstad. P2P protesters took down the tower after the power was repeatedly cut off to prevent blackouts in the Randstad. Other protest groups around the country followed suit. After a turbulent period of protests in peripheral areas, the political power dynamics between the urban and periphery eventually shifted towards the equilibrium we know today.

In this artwork, Apelschorn captures the anger and neglect she felt during her time in P2P. She seeks to represent the dichotomy between impersonal city life in the Randstad, and the resilient, self-sufficient cooperatives of Parkstad. She also shows the interrelatedness of the two areas: the Randstad as the ignorant energy consumer, and Parkstad producing their power. Subtle but integral to mobility, this piece has earned its place in the museum. It represents an impactful transition in Dutch history: the re-migration from urban to periphery, as a consequence of the political power and subsequent socio-economic development that had been unleashed by the P2P movement.

Source: on loan from Tess Apelschorn.

Curated by: Justien Dingelstad, Mady Hof, Nadia Hummel & Gustav Thungren."

Text from the Mobility Museum 2050