Art hotspot in Amsterdam: De Ateliers
De Ateliers is an independent postgraduate art institution in Amsterdam, housing 20 young aspiring artists from all over the world. Once a year, for only 2 weeks, the final year resident artists of De Atelier showcase their work. Trust me if I say that this is a high standard art exhibition! That is not surprising giving the tough selection procedure for this high profile institution; the chance to be admitted is approximately 1%. This year’s exhibition, called ‘Once a Closely Guarded Secret’, runs till Monday 10 June. So don’t wait too long, you really don’t want to miss this.
Looking for an intense art experience?
The art pieces and installations on display go beyond visual art objects. Artists do not only play with sound, materials, equipment, space, and time, but also with the viewer’s curiosity and even consciousness. The most intense art work was the video expedition by Rustan Söderling. Rustan, dressed in a white high level hazard coverall and with a gas mask, takes you on a expedition through a landscape that he describes as “not precisely nature.” As a viewer you witness a newly created world with unfamiliar installations and projected elements. I experienced feelings of awesomeness and discomfort at the same time. Awesomeness because of the exquisite piece of art I was looking at and discomfort because of the parallels with the twisted world we live in these days.
An immersive art experience
Another mind-blowing art work was ‘Every Time Before’ from Eulàlia Garcia Valls. It is described as a “24-hour delayed accumulative recording played continually for the duration of the exhibition, eight condenser microphones, twelve speakers.” I walked around that room several times, just by myself, from speaker to speaker. At the same time, the microphones were recording the noise from my steps in that room to be played 24 hours later. Brilliant!
The remaining rooms, 12 in total are equally amazing.
Ticket price?
Tickets can be bought at the door and cost EUR 5. It is the artists themselves selling the tickets, so if there is an artwork that blows you away, you might get a chance to meet the creator (I briefly spoke with Rustan Söderling).
How do I get there?
Well, you all know where to find the Heineken Experience. It is basically next door at Stadhouderskade 86. From Central Station you can take Metro 52 (direction Station South), get off at Vijzelgracht and walk for another 9 minutes.
About the author: Laura Danielle is a co-founder of Comedy Walks: stand-up comedy shows with the city as a stage, or, if you like, city tours with a professional stand-up comedian as a guide. By far the most fun and original way to explore a city! We currently run Comedy Walks in Amsterdam and Washington DC.
All information in the blog posts is based on personal experiences and commission free (“I rather drink coffee with inspiring entrepreneurs than compete with them for 20 cents commission for our customers’ coffee” – Laura Danielle).