In the Netherlands, the Utrecht-based Expodium arts collective is an example of a group that saw inspiration in the do-it-yourself mentality in Detroit. They were frustrated by the top-down way in which the arts are used in urban development in the Netherlands. Often, this takes the form of artists being used as “placemakers” to make a neighborhood or space more attractive for capital investment and gentrification. Seeking to counter this approach, Expodium took inspiration from the practices and ideas emerging from Detroit and obtained funding from the Netherlands to set up an artist residency there. Rather than trying to implement their vision in Detroit, the goal was to learn from the practices in the city and to engage with artists and the local community. In total, five Dutch-based artists traveled to Detroit. During their stay, many got to know Drew Philp, and Expodium's approach to entering Detroit would fit more within the concept of a “searcher” rather than a “planner” (see Chapter Fourteen). Equally important, they were also able to invite a grassroots community leader in the field of urban agriculture from Detroit over to the Netherlands to share their insights and lessons with planners, community leaders, and policymakers.

In such an edited volume, it is also important to showcase perspectives of outsiders who have come with these mentalities, but who have also learned from their experiences in Detroit. As the three members of Expodium illustrate in their chapter, their time in Detroit shaped the way in which they subsequently engaged with Dutch planning and urban development back home, though they already operated from a different standpoint than many other artist groups in the Netherlands. How they engaged with their own neighborhood in Utrecht was also reminiscent of ongoing practices in Detroit.

Expodium consists of Friso Wiersum, Bart Witte, and Nikos Doulos. They are an arts-based collective and consider themselves to be an urban “do tank,” as opposed to just a “think tank.” Through a variety of methods of artistic research, they generate vital information about urban areas and, at the same time, activate those areas and their users. They document, archive, contextualize, and frequently publish information and knowledge generated through their practice. They collaborate and work with diverse groups, including: international networks of artists, architects and academics, housing corporations, local governments, museums, universities, festivals, and art institutions.