HARLOHEIM
A concept for Hostel; Hello I'm Local
Academie Artemis Amsterdam | 2022
Harloheim, born in the heart of Haarlem tells the story of young Dutch artists. Artists with a rich heritage and an important message; a message about inclusivity and diversity. Because being local comes in all shapes, colors, beliefs and backgrounds.
And that is exactly what Harloheim stands for; rewriting our history. Creating a richer arts scene, with young, inclusive talent at its center. And with that mission in mind, we settled down in beautiful Haarlem to open a gallery with a New York allure.
In collaboration with // Myrthe Specht, Interior Design
Harloheim, the first name of Haarlem, is the starting point of our journey. A journey through the diverse cultural backgrounds and histories of the locals that make our little country so rich. And to never let that cultural journey end, we change artists every six months; thus continuing to write the rich history of our gallery.
For us, the integrity of the locals is very important; that's why we scout our own artists at Dutch art academies and galleries looking for talent with more than beautiful works. We look for a story behind art. This is how we bring people together, reduce the distance between groups and expand our knowledge.
The keywords art, knowledge, authenticity and connection are the foundations on which Harloheim is built. And together with Hello, I'm Local, we try to make the Haarlem local just a little more inclusive.
This is a story without
a beginning or end
​
A story with losers and lost,
A family tree with missing faces,
Faces without names, without pasts.
This is the story of Harloheim.
The colors of the past disappeared
under the city's pavement.
Every stone enters here
colored, brown, ignorant.
As the weight presses on the
roots of the family tree.
Each stone out of tune is expelled
Replaced by a new batch
Discarded and written off
But that pile grows and grows
Fragile becomes precious
Rough becomes indestructible
Their paintings reflect the past,
they choose the colors of the future.
Step out of the shadow of the
dark past and shine into the
light of Harloheim.
​
- HLH
Hello I'm also local
The idea of windmills and farm clogs as "primal Dutch" should - in our opinion - make room for the rich past of 1.8 million Dutch people with 200 different ethnicities who were also born and raised here. A past that has so far been underexposed in Dutch history, even though it has played an important role in shaping the identity that our country has today.
We do not believe in one Dutch identity, but rather that the range of diversity makes our country as multifaceted as it is today. In this, art speaks volumes, especially where words fall short. Understanding each other is the first step, experiencing each other's world is the next.
