‘De bartjes’ is a working-class neighborhood located near the city center of ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, the neighborhood was built by retrained workers from the formal cigar factory called "Goulmy & Baat’’. Due to the lack of opportunities, the workers stayed and never left for generations. The Bartjes district operates as a tight-knot and is a notorious community.

On 16 December year 2000, one of the largest neighborhood riots in the Netherlands took place over the killing of FC Den Bosch soccer supporter Pierre Bouleij. Vandalism was committed and a blood bank was set on fire, among other things. The riots lasted three days and received both national and international media attention. Over the years there have been many more incidents and prejudice has only increased.

The neighborhood is appalling to me as a visual artist:

During this project, I spent a year in this neighborhood on a weekly basis to connect with these media portrayed savages and criminals. Via various interventions and at last a publication/zine and visual work, I try to portray the neighborhood as I experienced it. I designed my own halftone pattern and chose the luxurious' majestic real silver' paper to elevate people above what they think themselves to be. Also, this says something about my privileged position from which I operate; a visual artist. I shared the zines with the local residents in order to give something back and re-enter the conversation. It wasn't necessarily about taking pictures, it was just a conversation starter, a way to connect with people.