A TOOL

FOR PEOPLE ...

TO SEE ...

IN ...


A TOOL FOR PEOPLE TO SEE is a magazine that challenges the view of the city as predictable, instantaneous and productivity-driven — instead, it looks for play, pause, and connection. Built around generated prompts (FOR PEOPLE… / TO SEE… / IN…), the magazine becomes a tool to shift perspective, encouraging playful and human ways of interacting with public space.


Newsletter, About

Want to read Issue #1? A copy can be found in De Boog, Leeszaal

Want your own copy? Contact: hello@atooltosee.org

ISSUE #1

The first issue focuses on play as a way to connect, pay attention, and engage with public space. The prompts became starting points for public events and workshops across various city locations, turning the magazine into a shared experience. This issue is both a reflection on play in public space and an invitation to take part. It experiments with how a publication can spark interaction.

Launched on July 3rd 2025 at Buitenplaats Brienenoord.



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FOR PEOPLE who speak many languages
TO SEE stories in gestures
 IN shadowed corners

The first part explores what happens when small gestures are translated into a publication that requires even the slightest interaction between people. It is a result of a performative dinner for people who speak many languages. It took place at Leeszaal, a resident-run space in Rotterdam West. For dinner we had gestures. The goal was to turn reading into a shared act, an exchange, or a physical connection.

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FOR PEOPLE who always carry a notebook
TOO SEE the choices in how we move
IN open spaces

Part 2 talks about pushing against the pressure of constant productivity. By allowing ourselves to expose this playfull side, we quietly invite others to do the same. We make space for others to join in. With this in mind this part is also an attempt to make a publication that folds into a kite—a publication not meant to be read on a couch, but in open spaces. To activate it, we gathered in a park in Rotterdam North.
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FOR PEOPLE who miss their hometown
TO SEE absurdity
IN spaces in between

Part 3 turns attention to notice absurdity in the everyday surroundings. It investigates stolen wheels and bikes in my neighbourhood. This part roams the city in the form of envelopes with collages. During a workshop at De Boog - a print and sound studio in Rotterdam, we made collages about absurdity from the textures and images found in the surrounding area.
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IN unfamiliar streets / IN shadowed corners / IN familiar spaces / IN chaotic streets /IN spaces in-between / IN spaces of certainty / IN neighborhood park / IN museum courtyards / IN crowded markets / IN city squares / IN open spaces / IN quiet side streets / IN leisure spaces / IN shared spaces / IN spaces full of people… There are PEOPLE always in a hurry / PEOPLE who sing to themselves / PEOPLE who take detours / PEOPLE who always carry a notebooks / PEOPLE lost in their thoughts / PEOPLE who bike everywhere / PEOPLE who dream vividly / PEOPLE who miss their hometown / PEOPLE who never stop questioning / PEOPLE walking alone / PEOPLE who enjoy getting lost / PEOPLE who love surprises / PEOPLE who stay up late / PEOPLE who speak with their hands / PEOPLE who feel out of place / PEOPLE walking slowly / PEOPLE who speak many languages. Perhaps we take these spaces for granted, moving through them daily without much thought. But maybe we can learn to see them differently: TO SEE the long way home / TO SEE stories in gestures / TO SEE the endless possibilities / TO SEE the rhythm of the city / TO SEE the connections / TO SEE the hidden textures / TO SEE the passing time / TO SEE absurdity / TO SEE the hidden shortcuts / TO SEE the unexpected / TO SEE the structures / TO SEE the stories / TO SEE the choices in how we move / TO SEE the city’s edges / TO SEE the city as a game / TO SEE hidden playgrounds / TO SEE new paths / TO SEE the absence / TO SEE what’s written in the street / TO SEE the extraordinary in the ordinary. And when we start seeing in this way, we can reimagine how we use these spaces. I believe the first step is to pay attention.