De Facto recommends

This week, on the 27th of July, it’s 73 years ago since the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, marking the still existing ceasefire between South and North Korea. The border between the two Koreas is a fascinating place that caught the attention of journalist Roland de Courson. He has been exploring the inter-Korean border, its history, landscapes, and the people living in its shadow and made K-Scar: A Journey Along the Korean Division. We recommend diving into this interesting online documentary project exploring everything border-related .

A conversation with Turkish writer Ece Temelkuran about her personal experience of exile, and the political realities shaping our present moment. With an installation by Studio Julian Hetzel, where the audience is invited to the imaginary Embassy of The Untitled States to experience a series of encounters with strangers. April 22, de Balie (Amsterdam, NL).

This spring, Museum Arnhem presents the exhibition Bakudengar (Listen to each other), in which personal stories, collective memories, and contemporary themes from the Indonesian archipelago and its diaspora come together. To be seen till September 20, 2026.

5 Broken Cameras is a personal testimony from a Palestinian father who spent five years filming the peaceful protests of his fellow villagers against the construction of an Israeli barrier wall. Go and watch this documentary classic and other films about human rights at the Movies that Matter festival in The Hague (NL) from 20-28 March.

De Facto was never as close to a border as this week: on November 12, we will travel to Maastricht (NL) for our newest edition of Off the Map. Art, science, stamps and a quiz - all about borders. Join us!

On October 8, De Facto will seek to create space between the lines that are drawn between Palestine and Israel. Jareach Gilula plays Arabic and Israeli music on her harp, seeking to emphasize what these groups share — even though this is becoming increasingly challenging. Furthermore, we will zoom in on the conflict between India and Pakistan, which recently flared up again. We will talk about this with Aletta André, former India correspondent. And: the story of Nutopia. Join us in MIMIK (Deventer).

How far would you go to uncover the truth? On August 22, De Facto’s Jorie Horsthuis will talk to Romy van Baarsen about the work of journalists at Europe’s borders, after watching Green Border, an impressive drama by Agnieszka Holland about the inhumane way in which migrants are treated. Join the conversation in MIMIK, Deventer.

The standard ‘design’ of the Dutch borderline is often seen as a self-evident representation. Yet this abstract form in no way reflects the geographical, social, and political reality. How can we rethink and redesign the representation of the multiplicity of Dutch borders? A workshop by designer and researcher Annelys de Vet and Professor of Geopolitics and Political Geography Henk van Houtum.

The dominant narrative insists that borders keep us safe. But from what, and from whom? What if borders are systems of power designed to divide, to dominate, to decide who gets to move, who gets to stay, and who is left behind? Film, talks, music and poetry on 20 June in Amsterdam.

What if we could dream beyond borders, beyond displacement, beyond extraction? A powerful one-day experience of collective imagination, embodied storytelling, and radical futurism led by displaced communities. Part of Refugee Welcome Week in Amsterdam.

Map lines are inherently political. After all, they’re representations of the places that are important to human beings — and those priorities can be delicate and contentious, even more so in a globalized world where multiple nations often share the same maps. Trump’s geographic renaming plans leave mapmakers pondering what to do next.

The breakaway republic of Transnistria has been plunged into an energy crisis following the end of Ukrainian transit of Russian gas. If it is Kyiv and not Moscow that comes to the unrecognized statelet’s aid, Russia risks losing any remaining influence in the region.