Hussel Zhu photographed the Spring Gather Together, and Plaatsmaker Maurice captured everything on video. You can view the visual material at the bottom of this page.

During Ploegendienst 5 (January/February/March 2026), artists Merel Nijhuis, Jivan van der Ende, and the Queer Collective Workers’ Union worked in the Plaatsmaken workshops. As a common thread throughout their working periods, they explored the visible and invisible aspects of labor, and the emotional and physical pain that comes with it.

Merel created zines in which she combined text, cyanotype, and screen printing. Jivan van der Ende gave herself over to her fascination with reflective workwear. The Queer Collective Workers’ Union presents their founding letter on a billboard, based on the contradiction of a collective that demands its workers to “work alone.”

During the Spring Gather Together, the new works were celebrated along with the arrival of spring and Iranian New Year, marked by a reading by Merel. We served Iranian soup, and there was an open workshop where participants could express themselves about the war in the Middle East. In the basement, visitors could use their phone flashlights to search for the messages Jivan had applied to her work using reflective ink. Afterwards, we watched as the Queer Collective Workers’ Union used a green spray can to write “Work Alone” on the billboard while reading their founding letter aloud.

The Spring Gather Together is part of H0ha, a program by Sunflower Soup.