Jorge
Mañes
Rubio

Which place do you currently call home and where do you work on your projects?

Amsterdam has been my home for the past 15 years but I was born and raised in Madrid, which I also call home. I mostly work in my Amsterdam studio but I also try to move around often to learn new things or exchange knowledge with people I look up to or find interesting. For example, earlier this year I was on a research trip in South Africa, and right now I’m in residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute and the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe.

Where is your studio located & how does it look?

My studio is located in the east side of town, in a large building with several ateliers where many artists, designers and photographers work. I’ve been here for about 5 years now, it’s a good size studio for me and allows me to create pretty much everything work wise. If I need to work with something more specific I’ll then reach out to someone with the right tools or resources to do it. For example, now I’m collaborating with the National Glass Museum in the Netherlands for my upcoming solo show there which is great because it’s allowing me to blow glass for the first time in their workshops, making glass sculptures for the first time.

The studio has large windows, plants, a couch, and probably millions of glass beads and small materials I use for my works. It’s located right in front of the train tracks which I love because I also have a pretty nice sound system and no neighbours to complain about noise. I’ve been playing records and djing since I was 16 years old so definitely lots of records around here too! You can see what I mean here.

Are there any projects that are personally important to you—whether recently completed or currently in progress?

I’m currently working on a 2 year project called the ‘Language of Beads’. I began working with glass beads years ago, initially through subtle additions, now crafting complex compositions involving thousands of beads. This labour-intensive process has offered me a counterpoint to a fast-paced world, allowing me to slow down and deeply focus on my practice. Glass beads resonate with my interests as they’ve been used in many cultural frameworks to communicate meaningful (hi)stories, so they have a very syncretic nature. When I started working with them I wasn’t fully aware of all the nuances and connotations that are inseparable from beads.

Beads are among the earliest known forms of human art & communication, used for over 140,000 years to express social, political and spiritual belief. Glass beads in particular carry histories of migration, global trade, (colonial) power and ritual use. So, I decided to put together a project that would allow me to do in depth research in the Netherlands and abroad, collaborate with other artists who also use beads, and explore glass beads as a multilayered communication system, challenging Eurocentric ideas of value and authenticity. In South Africa, for example, a few weeks ago I attended a Shembe pilgrimage in KwaZulu Natal which was an extraordinary personal experience but also incredibly cool to see people wearing and activating so many beads.

Do you have a favourite place in your area where you like to relax and linger?

Yes, it’s called Marineterrein, it’s a small harbour in my neighbourhood, right next to Central Station but at the same time quite hidden. I love going there to hang out with friends, do a small picnic, sunbathe and if you’re brave enough go for a swim. It’s an inclusive, and LGBTQIA+ friendly space and there’s lots of fun people to watch or hang out with.

Are there any urgent political issues or problems in your region?

The main issue with Amsterdam I think is housing, gentrification and general living costs. Prices keep going higher and higher and it’s getting more and more difficult to afford to live here. I think the city could do a lot more to make sure that its local population, including the creative forces, stay in the city because we are a vital part of what Amsterdam represents. I have no problem with tourism or tourists and despite what some people say, I really enjoy going into town on busy weekends. But it’s painful to see so many empty houses just sitting there, the city tending to the wealthiest and most privileged, and gentrification pushing local people and businesses away. It’s a problem that is happening in many cities of course, but in Amsterdam, due to its small size, it’s even more complicated.

In your opinion, what has developed well in the last 5 years—and what has not?

I think there’s been progress on inclusivity and diversity, specially on cultural institutions, but there’s still quite some work to do to make sure minorities and women feel safe on public spaces, coming back home alone at night for example.

Do you know a hidden gem when it comes to local manufacturers—whether it’s arts and crafts, sustainable products or food?

A fun place for treasure hunting is De Looier, now called Antiekcentrum Amsterdam. It’s some sort of indoor market with lots of dealers specialised in jewelery, art, furniture, archaeological artefacts, all kinds of collectible things. From outside doesn’t look like much but once you get in it’s really huge and really easy to just get lost and have a nice time walking around chatting with the vendors and looking for that once nice thing you just didn’t know so desperately need.

Is there anything particularly innovative in your region? Also in comparison to other places you have already visited?

I love Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general because I don’t really need a car unless I’m moving artworks around. My bike takes me anywhere I want around town and I can easily grab a public bike at any train station in the country. Trains also connect cities usually quite well and fast. But it’s the two wheels culture for me, we will bike through rain, snow, whatever. I love that.

Do you have a secret restaurant tip that you would like to share with us?

One of my favorite places in town is Loop 51. It’s a super nice spot for having a bite, nice drinks and very very good vibes. They’re known for their brunch (fried chicken is so goood) and a beautiful, custom sound system so you can enjoy your meal while listening to local dj’s. The staff is always sweet and they’ve really created an amazing community around them. It’s really a during the day spot, doesn’t open till late which makes it even more special.

Xi’an Delicious Foods is my place to go for hand pulled noodles. Everything is delicious and freshly made, and my favourite part is that you can even bring home a jar of their homemade chili oil!

For a bit more sophisticated choice, I recently went to Café Wu and it blew my mind. The food, wine and the service were excellent and tried for the first time what now probably isn my favourite cocktail: lychee negroni.

Is there a local shop whose products are only available in your region?

Cheese is quite a thing here in the Netherlands and my favourtie cheese shop is Wereldse Kaas. We’ve been buying cheese here for years, not only our favourite Dutch cheeses but they also have a super nice selection of small cheese producers from France, Spain… The staff is super friendly, happy to give you a taste before you make up your mind or vacuum seal your products so you can bring them to your loved ones abroad. It’s located in the Dappermarkt, a daily market in the east of the city. There are several markets in town but some can feel quie touristy. I really this market because it’s the real deal, tending mostly to locals although everybody is welcomed of course. You can find very nice food and snacks, from loempias to fries, kebab, nuts, fruits, vegs, fresh fish… but also textiles and house plants for example. It’s a very diverse and multicultural vibe and I’m really happy it’s in my neighbourhood.

What are your 3 favourite apps that you use every day and couldn’t live without?

Nothing really special. I use Instagram mostly for fun, staying connected with friends and for sharing updates about my work. Recently my algorithm has been consistently focusing on Michael Jackson, NBA highlights and the occasional red panda or racoon video. YouTube for my favourite comedy shows, podcasts and sometimes music (vinyl rips) that are not available on streaming platforms. I also really like Nike Training Club to do workouts at home or when I’m traveling because I really don’t like gyms and the app is free and has some really fun spicy workouts in there.

Do you have any favourite newspapers or online magazines? And how do you keep up to date with politics or social and cultural issues?

I don’t speak or read Dutch so that’s not very handy for reading local papers etc. For news I usually follow El País from Spain or Al Jazeera but yeah, it’s been hard to watch anything lately. I stay up to date of course but I think staying constantly updated with current global wars, invasions and genocides can also be exhausting, which is also such a privileged thing to say in iself. I read a lot for my work because I mostly run a research-based artistic practice, and we have a very nice collection of art books at home.

I also would like to show some love to Archive.org because there’s so many amazing, incredible books, so much knowledge in there and I don’t think everyone is aware of it. So many times I was trying to find a rare, out of print book that costs hundreds of euros and bam! There it is, for free, archive.org, incredible. I also love reading fiction specially to wind down at the end of the day, my brother in law put me up to a Brazilian author called Jorge Amado and he’s one of my favourites. I recently read his novel Jubiabá and loved it. In Brazil I also found out that a Jorge Amado is also the name of a delicious cocktail but that has nothing to do with it.

Imagine you could be mayor for a year—what would you change?

I would make sure locals enjoy their lives here and can afford their homes. Aso recenly there’s been a lot of conversations around nightlife, specially a new rule that expressively forbade people dancing in bars which is insane. I’m not sure what the reasoning behind this was, something like protecting locals from noise etc but we locals also decided to live in this city because there’s a fun and vibrating cultural scene. I don’ think shutting down bars, clubs and late night snack bars is the answer (oh yes we take our late night snacks very seriously).

One last question: If you could choose another place to live—regardless of financial or time constrains—which one would you choose?

Mexico City for a few years would be nice, Rio or Sao Paulo wouldn’t be bad either. Problem is I would have a really hard time getting any work done!