Leaky Turns: Interview 4: René Boer

09/06/2025 6 min

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Episode Synopsis

Amsterdam’s canals can be seen as both historically straightened infrastructures, and contemporary sites of queer resistance and celebration––particularly during the annual Canal Parade. Connecting this local example to a broader research into the straightening and queering of water bodies, René Boer reimagines these waterscapes as fluid, inclusive, and ecologically sensitive spaces in response to the ever-present climate crisis and social contestation.

This podcast is part of the series Leaky Turns



Leaky Turns

What becomes of water when we look at it through the lens of different artists and researchers? And how might it assist us in looking at the world differently? Seven practitioners individually welcome us to a water-related place in Amsterdam, and explain what this place tells us about water when we listen, look, and think carefully. Each interview is preceded by a listening exercise, guided by the voice of the interviewee; intimately connected to their chosen location. These recordings can be experienced onsite, or wherever you find yourself, with a moment to spare.

This series documents what has occurred in the Gerrit Rietveld studio as part of the Climate Imaginaries programme focussing on water and climate justice. The seven practitioners have been involved in the programme, engaging in practice-based artistic research and exploring both textual and non-textual formats. Five of the practitioners are part of Loom – practice for cultural transformation, who also produced this podcast.