De Keramieken Kaart van IJsselmonde

Runtime: 16 minutes and 47 seconds



Over the past century, the community residing in Oud IJsselmonde has witnessed more transformations than most. Situated in the southeastern corner of the municipality of Rotterdam, they have observed the rapid expansion of urban development and housing construction in the surrounding farmland. Additionally, the construction of a bridge and a major highway ring resulted in the neighborhood being divided from the rest of Rotterdam. Consequently, many historical monuments have been demolished, leaving the district feeling neglected and its past undervalued.

Nan Deardorff-McClain, a mosaicist renowned for her large-scale community art projects, embarked on a mission to preserve the history of Oud IJsselmonde. Collaborating with the streekarchief Eiland IJsselmonde, she embarked on a project to create a ceramic map of the district, highlighting the numerous monuments and landmarks that have been lost to time. Through workshops, Nan brought together individuals of all ages, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Together, they crafted hundreds of custom ceramic tiles, each representing a unique aspect of the district’s heritage. After glazing and assembling the tiles, Nan transformed them into a stunning mural spanning 10 square meters.

Throughout the year, I had the privilege of following Nan as she conducted workshops in community centers and libraries across IJsselmonde. I captured her guiding participants as they molded clay into houses, trees, and ships. I documented the process of glazing, firing, and assembling these creations until the mosaic panels were complete. Throughout this journey, I engaged in conversations with the participants, capturing their stories and experiences. Finally, I captured Nan’s triumphant moment as she unveiled the map to the community. This documentary serves as a testament to Nan’s dedication to bringing the young and old together for the sake of art and aims to secure funding for future ceramic map projects.



Credits
Filming and editing by Liam McClain
Behind the scenes photographs by Njaay Mame Saliou Assile