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Agnes de Ruijter | The Rules of the Fringes
The former buildings of the Stelling van Amsterdam were squatted by a group of artists in 1988 and soon after legalized. For 35 years now, the art and business terrain Nieuw en Meer, on the far southwestern edge of Amsterdam, has been managed and governed by artists, designers, and free spirits. What rules are needed in order to preserve autonomy? A film portrait from the inside.
Saturday, October 4, 2025 – 2:00 PM – €10.00
REVIEWS – ‘The Rules of the Fringes’
They still exist, the utopian free havens on the edge of the city where artists and craftsmen give shape to their dreams in complete freedom—among and with each other, for 35 years already. Yet, this story is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, as the ideals of the generation that once set out to do everything differently risk becoming somewhat isolated. How does the artists’ enclave Nieuw en Meer attract new members? And how do you interact with one another inside an anarchist bubble—without too many rules and regulations, but with a great deal of meetings? Agnes de Ruijter, as a “fly on the wall,” created an intimate portrait from within.
A-Lab
Film: The Rules of the Ragged Edge
Film Screening – Nieuw en Meer
16 Sept 2025 – RSVP
Doors open: 19:30
Start: 20:00
Location: The Playground
Price: Free
In 1988, the former buildings of the Amsterdam Defence Line were squatted by a group of artists and soon after legalized. For 35 years now, the art and business terrain Nieuw en Meer, on the far southwestern edge of Amsterdam, has been managed and run by artists, designers, and free spirits.
What rules are needed to maintain your autonomy? A film portrait from within, by Agnes de Ruiter.
Utopian free spaces still exist on the edge of the city, where artists and craftsmen have been shaping their dreams in freedom—together and among each other—for 35 years already. But that story is becoming increasingly complicated. The ideals of the generation that once set out to do everything differently now risk becoming somewhat isolated. How does the artist enclave Nieuw en Meer attract new energy? And how do you actually deal with each other inside an anarchist bubble—without too many rules and regulations, but with plenty of meetings?
Agnes de Ruiter made a portrait from the inside, as a "fly on the wall."
*“Agnes de Ruiter’s documentary in honor of 35 years of Nieuw en Meer has become a remarkable film about a site on the edge of Amsterdam with one hundred studios, used by artists and art-related enterprises. It beautifully portrays what happens inside a number of the studios. Artists share their relationship with, and experiences of, the Nieuw en Meer complex. The many festivals and exhibitions regularly organized on and around the terrain are also highlighted.
But above all, the documentary shows—beautifully—how the former military storage site, once squatted and later legalized, grew into the community it is today. From its somewhat raw ‘squatters’ anarchism,’ it has evolved into an organization that holds self-developed democratic values in high regard.
Things don’t always go smoothly—there is a lot of talking and negotiating involved—but ultimately, the people of Nieuw en Meer always find ways that work. This film is not only about 35 years of Nieuw en Meer, but also about a social project. A project in which a large number of free-spirited individuals must organize themselves to secure their existence and work on the peninsula, while also striving to maintain a sense of identity. To achieve this, democracy on the terrain has had to take its own unique form—almost reinvented from scratch. Now, after 35 years, the independent and autonomous approach of this community can serve as an example for other art organizations. This film will certainly help to spread that message.”*
— Hans Scholten