A-Mag May/June 2017

AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE

AMSTERDAM AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE SUSTAINABLE MOVEMENT

VoL 5 NO 3 €3.50

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COMPLETE LISTINGS DANCING & DINING ART & FASHION MAY & JUNE 2017

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Let your dreams take off Flying is a magical experience we have all dreamt of since we were young. We make your dreams come true - klm.com

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AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE

VOL 5 N0 3 MAY & JUNE 2017

GO CIRCULAR

P.04 WHAT’S NEW? City confidential: exciting new Amsterdam initiatives, events and venues – including your Top 5 must-do things this issue.

P.08 UP CLOSE When it comes to sustainability, Amsterdam is not going around in circles. Get the scoop on how the city is at the forefront of green initiatives, from lightbulb and jeans rentals to the wonders of the sharing economy.

P.17 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Rejoice: the summer festival season is gearing up its head, and it’s a beaut. Get the skinny on what’s swinging, from rolling kitchens and dance parties to the Holland Festival.

P.31 EAT, DRINK & CHIC Neighbourhood Watch goes to up-and-coming Nieuw West, plus the hottest new shops & food trends and our selection of the best restaurants and cafés.

P.63 CLOSING Get out of town with our excursion tips; Then & Now in Amsterdam; top tips from visitors on the way out.

P.47 THE A-LIST Agendas at the ready: from clubbing to gallery hopping, The A-List is your one-stop, at-a-glance guide to the city’s very best music, theatre (language no problem!), sporting, family and gay & lesbian events and venues.

Bart van Oosterhout editor-in-chief, A-mag a-mag@iamsterdam.com

STAY IN TOUCH: www.iamsterdam.com www.facebook.com/iamsterdam www.twitter.com/iamsterdam www.youtube.com/videoiamsterdam

WANT TO ADVERTISE? T: +31 (0)20 702 6180 E: partner@iamsterdam.com

© MARGOT VAN DER KROGT

CONTENTS

‘Leave no trace.’ If you ever go on a hike in nature, anywhere on earth, this is the rule.

Rules don’t come much easier than this.

Whatever you bring, you must take away.

All you leave is your footprint.

It’s an interesting thought experiment to see if you could apply the same idea to your house, or even your city. Can we make a closed loop of everything we use, so that nothing extra has to go in or out?

In the energy management of houses, this has been long proven to be possible. In Germany and the Netherlands, ever more developments are ‘energy-neutral’. Houses equipped with solar panels and heat pumps can function independently of the energy grid – or even add to it. While it's impossible to make all the old houses in Amsterdam energy-neutral, it’s hard to see why we don’t at least already build every new house this way.

Energy is the easy part of becoming circular: try getting rid of all waste. There are grocery stores that do without packaging altogether, and make you bring your own bags. But they haven’t been very successful. Bag & Buy in Utrecht closed after a promising start in 2015, for example.

On an individual level, it’s just too hard to aim at zero waste. This is something we have to tackle together. And that is exactly the ambition of the city of Amsterdam.

Abdeluheb Choho, the alderman for sustainability (the title alone shows resolve) has announced that the city wants to get rid of fossil fuels altogether before 2020, and start ‘closing the loop’ for nine categories of materials.

One of them is building materials. Amsterdam-based architect Thomas Rau – the godfather of the circular economy – has made a start by setting up a city-wide register of building materials. Once a building is demolished, the materials can be kept in a central depot, to be traced in Rau’s register, and then re-used.

But please don’t wait until these utopian plans have become reality. Take the first steps now, by reading our article on page 8.

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may & june 2017

OPENING

What’s new? (in town)

All the latest cultural news, plus the fresh new initiatives, events and venues making Amsterdam the place to be.

‘THE SMELL OF CANALS AND CIGARETTE SMOKE, ALL THE PEOPLE SITTING OUTSIDE THE CAFÉS DRINKING BEER, SAYING THEIR R’S AND G’S IN A WAY I’D NEVER LEARN.’ HAZEL GRACE LANCASTER, HEROINE OF JOHN GREEN’S THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, ON AMSTERDAM’S SENSUOUS SUMMERTIME APPEAL.

text Mark Smith

SUGAR RUSH

TINY DANCER A selection of personal letters and other items belonging to Mata Hari, the iconic dancer and wartime spy, went under the hammer in Amsterdam in late March, fetching €45,000. The belongings included furniture, a wedding menu and a poignant baby book featuring her son who died in infancy. The sale comes 100 years since the dancer, born Margaretha Zelle in Leeuwarden in 1876, was executed by firing squad in Paris.

Munchie mania hit Amsterdam back in March, when the iconic American snack behemoth Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first branch on Dutch soil (or rather the concrete of the Nieuwendijk). On three consecutive days, hundreds of sugar-crazed Amsterdammers braved the cold for their carbs, queuing up for half the night for the chance to win the year’s supply of free donuts granted to the first hundred customers through the door. Whereas most doughnuts on the market have been frozen and defrosted, Dunkin’ Donuts prides itself on serving its treats fresh. Amsterdam’s special-edition doughnuts include a Delft Blue-style pattern, a tulip-inspired variety, the city’s iconic XXX insignia and – but of course – a doughnut adorned with the mighty Dutch stroopwafel.

THE EYES HAVE IT Are these the most Amsterdam sunglasses ever? Cult eyewear company Ace & Tate, founded right here in Amsterdam, has teamed up with the artists and filmmaker duo Lernert & Sander, also of this parish, for a limitededition run of ‘rolling eye’ sunglasses. There are two models available: the Lernert (eyes left) and the Sander (eyes right). Each pair retails at a cool €148. aceandtate.nl

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‘IT COULD ALSO WORK AS THE SUBTITLE FOR A FLY-ON-THE-WALL DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MILLENNIAL LIFE.’

‘I REMEMBER RIDING MY BIKE IN THE SUMMERTIME AND, AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES OF CYCLING, TAKING ALL MY CLOTHES OFF AND JUMPING INTO A LAKE. BECAUSE YOU CAN DO THAT IN AMSTERDAM.’

KATIE ROSSEINSKY, OF THE UK’S GRAZIA MAGAZINE PONDERS THE NAMING OF ‘THE AVOCADO SHOW', AMSTERDAM’S AVO-ONLY RESTAURANT.

OSCAR-WINNING AMSTERDAMMER STEVE MCQUEEN REVEALS FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE CITY AS A YOUNG ARTIST.

ASH YOU LIKE IT

AMSTEL STANDING Age, it seems, cannot wither her. The undisputed grande dame of Amsterdam lodgings, the Amstel Hotel, is celebrating 150 years of top-flight hospitality this year. To mark the auspicious occasion, the five-star hotel is inviting regular Amsterdammers to join the ranks of David Bowie, Lady Gaga and George Clooney by spending the night in one of its luxurious rooms. Enhanced with Virtual Reality glasses for the occasion, the rooms are available for the special rate of – you guessed it – €150 per night. The promotion coincides with a programme of restorations to the hotel, which is one of the most instantly recognisable buildings on the banks of the River Amstel. Founder architect Cornelis Outshoorn’s original 1867 design will be retained and returned to its former historic glory, and restorers will use his original colour palette. intercontinental.com

The Netherlands is a frontrunner when it comes to developments in the field of Virtual Reality, but making movies in VR is still in its infancy. Enter a group of Amsterdam directors who’ve collaborated on a short film that shows the medium’s potential as a platform for a new visual language. Shot entirely in one take, Ashes to Ashes is a surreal tragicomedy about a dysfunctional family tasked with carrying out the bizarre dying wish of its recently deceased paterfamilias: namely, to have his ashes blown up. It can be viewed on Jaunt, the WeMakeVR app (for Android and iOS) or the AvroTros VR app. Viewers watch proceedings unfold from the perspective of grandpa’s urn.

Quite the trip!

EX-EXPAT An astonishing 12,000 newcomers to Amsterdam walked through the doors of the Expatcenter last year.

Founded with the intention of cutting red tape for arriving internationals, the centre’s services are so popular it’s moving to bigger premises at the World Trade Center. With the relocation comes a new identity: IN Amsterdam. The name change is prompted by the insight that a lot of the organisation’s clients – who include new graduates as well as start-ups and EU citizens – do not identify with the word ‘expat’.

RUN LOLA RUN In recent years, one of Amsterdam’s specialities has been putting large disused buildings to good use by converting them into broedplaatsen (literally, ‘breeding grounds’): cultural hubs where start-ups and creative companies can thrive. Lola Lik, the latest example of this phenomenon, is a former prison in the southeast of the city which is dedicating about 10,000 square metres to artists, start-ups and offices. This is a broedplaats with a difference, however, on account of its proximity to Wenckebachweg, a centre that houses 1,000 refugees from Syria, Eritrea, Iraq and Afghanistan, which also has a space in the building. By developing Lola Lik (whose name is a play on words, ‘lik’ being slang for prison) inside the complex, the city hopes to better integrate refugees with the rest of society. lolalik.nl

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OPENING WHAT’S NEW?

 ‘I WOULD GO PAST THE MUSEUM ON MY BIKE AND I WOULD SAY TO HIM ‘HEY MAN, ARE YOU STILL MAD AT ME? WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO BE RID OF YOU?’

‘WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT WHATEVER DARK FORCE IS KEEPING DRAKE OUT OF AMSTERDAM WILL EVENTUALLY SUBSIDE.’

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JOURNALIST WILLIAM HUGHES ON THE SUBJECT OF CANADIAN RAPPER DRAKE’S MANY CANCELLED GIGS HERE.

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OCTAVE ‘OKKIE’ DURHAM, WHO STOLE TWO PAINTINGS FROM THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM, FELT THE ARTIST’S DISAPPROVAL FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE.

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LOFT CONVERSION

annefrank.org

TOP 5 to do

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The Anne Frank House Museum is to undergo a two-year refurbishment, which will include an upgraded entrance and extra facilities for educational activities. The aim is to improve the historical context of the house where the famous diarist lived. ‘We’ll be providing more information on what happened during the Second World War,’ director Ronald Leopold says, ‘as well as on the Holocaust, how it could happen, and what this means to us today.’

If you only do one thing in Amsterdam, make it one of our top picks of must-do events, exhibitions, museums, music and more.

fun food festival that includes music and entertainment for the whole family.

1 OPEN-AIR THEATRE

3 HOLLAND FESTIVAL

A big stage in the middle of Vondelpark, with a flurry of amazing (and free!) performances, all summer long.

The entire city becomes a stage for this yearly festival that brings the best of the world’s performances, from theatre to dance and everything in between.

From 5 May Vondelparktheatre openluchttheater.nl

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2 ROLLING KITCHENS Truckloads of street food invade the Westergasfabriek grounds for five days of feasting al fresco in this typical Amsterdam free-spirited,

24-28 May Westergasfabriek rollendekeukens.nl

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3-25 June Various locations hollandfestival.nl

4 AMSTERDAM OPEN-AIR FESTIVAL In the enchanting setting of Gaasperpark, revel in a full

weekend of great music, food and culture.

3-4 June Gaasperpark amsterdamopenair.nl

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5 CINEMA EROTICA EYE Film Museum explores the more risqué genre with its collection of eroticathemed films, which range from cold cut porn to social commentary documentaries and even instructional videos from the 1920s.

1-19 June EYE, IJPromenade 1 eyefi lm.nl

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‘FUN FACT: IT’S WHERE THE METRONOME WAS INVENTED!’ THE SAME JOURNALIST WILLIAM HUGHES ON AMSTERDAM’S TIME-KEEPING CREDENTIALS.

NOT-SO MEAN STREETS

MIND YOUR STEP It’s a sobering statistic: on average, 18 people drown in Amsterdam’s canals each year, often while under the influence of alcohol. The city’s waterways are currently being fitted with handrails to improve safety, but it’s a sizeable project. In the meantime, temporary stairs are being installed near hotspots. According to Het Parool newspaper, the structures will enable those who end up in the water to get themselves out again.

WEB AND FLOW Want to learn the strategy secrets of Snapchat or WeTransfer? Then you’ll want to sign up to the 12th annual edition of The Next Web, the Amsterdam business event that’s becoming an unmissable fixture in the European tech scene. Closely resembling a music festival in the Westerpark, TNW brings together a whole week of side events and a two-day conference consisting of seven stages built around open-air eating. Food for thought indeed.

18-19 May; thenextweb.com

With eight Academy Award nominations for Best Director, the American film director Martin Scorsese is the most nominated filmmaker in Oscar history, and the arrival at Amsterdam’s EYE Filmmuseum of Scorsese – The Exhibition in late May will be a treat for film buffs and multiplexgoers alike. Somewhat less known than Scorsese’s canon of classics, including Taxi Driver and The Wolf of Wall Street, is the director’s long-standing relationship with Amsterdam. It was the EYE Film Institute that provided the 20-second clip from the George Méliès film Les Quatre Cents Farces du Diable (1906) that appeared in Scorsese’s 2011 historical adventure film Hugo.

What’s more, a novice Scorsese came to Amsterdam in the late 1960s to help Pim de la Parra with his solo feature debut, Obsessions. He was a regular at the Surinamese-Dutch director’s home in Osdorp. eyefi lm.nl

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FULL CIRCLE

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With bold business visionaries, innovative start-ups and its committed, forward-thinking municipality, Amsterdam is quickly paving the way to a more sustainable future.

CAFÉ DE CEUVEL From the repurposed bollards and planks of old boats used to build its home, to the recovered phosphates from urine used to fertilise its rooftop greenhouse and floating garden, everything about Café de Ceuvel strives to be organic, sustainable and circular.

Located on a former shipyard in Amsterdam’s hip Noord, and part of the larger De Ceuvel development, which features self-sufficient workplaces made from refurbished houseboats, De Ceuvel certainly practices what it preaches: compost toilets, renewable energy and the soon-to-be Biogas Boat, the world’s first to convert organic waste into cooking gas.

But you don’t have to know the details to enjoy veggie bitterballen made from mushrooms grown on coffee grinds while swaying in a hammock on the café’s waterside veranda, a glass of homemade elderflower soda in hand. deceuvel.nl

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Being at the forefront of a zero-waste, sharing economy takes ingenious, sometimes even far-fetched ideas. For years, Amsterdam has been busy breaking the expected moulds to create a better, greener, more conscious city. text Catalina Iorga highlights Lauren Comiteau

THE FUTURE IS NOW

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©DE CEUVEL

want to buy light, and nothing else,’ Thomas Rau, the founder of RAU Architects and a firm believer in sustainable architecture, told electronics giant Philips in 2009 when discussing the purchase of new LED fittings for his Amsterdam office. His desire, which seems esoteric at first glance, nicely sums up the shift towards a new way of doing business. In this model, service providers retain ownership of products and commit to sustainable solutions that are easy to maintain, repair, reuse and recycle.

Fast forward to 2015, when Amsterdam Airport Schiphol entered into a collaboration with Philips Lighting to introduce light-as-a-service to the airport’s terminal building. Schiphol pays for the light it uses, but Philips owns and maintains the terminal’s 3,700 energy-efficient LED light installations that consume 50 per cent less electricity than their conventional counterparts. This groundbreaking partnership was facilitated by Turntoo, Rau’s other venture, whose mission is to support the transition to the circular economy, an economy where product-as-a-service is

just a tiny cog in a nearly waste-free sustainable machine with endlessly reusable – instead of readily disposable – resources and materials.

VIRTUOUS CIRCLE With circular business parks like 20/20 and Valley, sustainable housing and creative developments such as Buiksloterham and De Ceuvel, forward-thinking fashion brands like ‘Lease a Jeans’ innovator MUD Jeans, food rescue and sharing initiatives such as Instock and Thuisafgehaald, and electronic waste-reduction enterprises like Closing the Loop, Amsterdam has placed itself firmly in the driving seat of this movement: ‘The circular economy carries enormous potential, and we are focusing on researching it and facilitating any projects that aim towards it’, says Abdeluheb Choho, the municipality’s alderperson for sustainability. ‘We could become the global frontrunner in this field’, he adds.

Choho’s ambition is shared by Guido Braam, founder of consultancy and cooperative Circle Economy, and initiator of Park 20/20 near Schiphol, the first business park designed according to the ‘cradle

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INSTOCK Think of this as a food rescue mission: Instock picks up unsold food from producers and local Albert Heijn supermarkets – the company its founders came from – and transforms it into tasty meals that you can enjoy at their restaurant in Amsterdam Oost.

With some 1.3 billion kilos of food wasted each year –about one-third of the world’s production – the Amsterdam initiative claims to have already rescued some 250,000 kilos of it, turning misshapen Brussels sprouts into kimchi, and overripe bananas into ice-cream. The menu changes daily depending on what’s been ‘harvested’, but there is one product always on offer: their award-winning Pieper beer, a pale ale locally brewed from surplus potatoes that even the spud-loving Dutch couldn’t manage to consume. instock.nl

AH MISFITS

© ARJAN BLOK

Let’s be honest: as the country’s largest supermarket chain, if Albert Heijn can add to its bottom line by selling fruit and veg that may otherwise end up on the proverbial compost heap, it will. But that doesn’t make its AH Misfits, or as the Dutch more lovingly call them, buitenbeentjes, an any less worthy endeavour. Inspired by France’s Intermarché supermarket, what started out as selling misshapen or discoloured apples, pears, carrots and courgettes at discount prices three years ago has now branched out to include peppers and crooked cucumbers. ‘What is perfect? It’s the inside that counts,’ says AH’s Menno van der Vlist. The produce is available both online and in the regular displays at Albert Heijns throughout the city. Happy farmers and a growing legion of satisfied eco- and price-conscious customers make this initiative a first for a big Dutch supermarket, a win-win-win situation. ah.nl/buitenbeentjes

CLOSING THE LOOP According to the Amsterdam social enterprise Closing the Loop (CTL), there are some 300 million unused mobile phones gathering dust in Europe alone. While we’re all guilty of the upgrade, we don’t have to be guilty of the stockpiling or, even worse, contributing to toxic landfills. CTL ships mobile phones – from yours to those of companies such as banking giant ING – to developing countries where they’re needed but often out of the average person’s price range. And when their life really does come to an end, CTL ships them to recycling plants, where some 95 per cent of the phone’s metals are repurposed – including its gold. CTL’s Niels Hazekamp has already collected enough of the precious metal from 200 dead phones to make a wedding ring for his fiancée. If you’re due for an upgrade, he’s seeking 200 more for the matching band. closingtheloop.eu

11 to cradle’ principles of energy-neutral buildings and products created for continuous recovery and reuse. ‘Why not use Amsterdam as a living lab to test circular environments? Collaboration, especially on tackling societal challenges, is in our DNA’, says Braam, who has also spearheaded Valley, a business development hub for circular economy.

Located in the Schiphol Trade Park, alongside a Green Datacenter Campus, a Logistics Zone and an Energy Hub, Valley helps drive the growth of Europe’s most sustainable and innovative business park. As Braam puts it, ‘Valley offers the inspirational environment that businesses need to make this transition. All our buildings will be completely circular and ready to disassemble in the next 30 to 40 years.’

SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING In the same collaborative spirit, the Municipality of Amsterdam joined forces with Circle Economy, not-for-profit sustainability expert TNO and knowledge design studio FABRIC to co-produce not only a vision but especially a concrete agenda for a circular Amsterdam. Out of nine flows weaving in and out of the city’s veins – think anything from water to carbon emissions – two value chains emerged as most promising for circular transformation: construction and organic waste.

As Amsterdam aims to build 70,000 new homes by 2040, in a not-so-distant future you’ll be living in a modular home, made from upcycled containers and

powered by renewable energy, while your waste – from apple peels to plain ol’ pee – will get a second life as, say, natural fertiliser. Did we mention a notso-distant future? Scratch that, take a five-minute ferry ride to Amsterdam’s Noord district and feast your eyes on Buiksloterham, the once heavily polluted home of a big chunk of the local shipbuilding and manufacturing industries, which is currently on track to becoming a circular oasis.

Just two years ago, more than 20 different organisations, including the municipality, signed the Circular Buiksloterham Manifesto to express their commitment to transform the area into a sustainable neighbourhood. Since then, Buiksloterham has seen the Amsterdam City Council actively support the construction of CO2-reducing homes by providing free energy advice and financial tools such as low-interest loans. And De Ceuvel, an association of forward thinkers and entrepreneurs, set up a self-sustaining creative hotspot in the same area, complete with retrofitted houseboats surrounded by soil-regenerating plants and a popular café featuring a rooftop greenhouse fertilised with phosphate retrieved from the waste of its patrons.

THE SHARING SOCIETY Reuse and recycling may be the core principles of circular economy, but a world of reduced production and increased access would be hard to imagine without digital platforms. ‘Online transactions are at the heart of the collaborative economy’, says

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ABEL Named after Abeltje, a beloved Dutch fictional elevator operator created by children’s author Annie M.G. Schmidt, the city’s newest taxi service serves its namesake well: its drivers are Abeltje, welcoming passengers not into elevators, but into a fleet of fully-electric mint green cars so the adventures can begin.

Booking a seat instead of a whole car – by app only and paying via electronic payment – helps keep costs down, as does a rider’s flexibility and willingness to ride with others. Abel says it’s had more customers and trips than it expected since beginning operations last year. Trying to bridge the gap between public transport and taxis, an Abel lift to the airport, for example, will set you back an average €16.88 as compared to €4.44 for the former and €44 for the latter. Let the adventures begin indeed. rideabel.com

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PEERBY

MATTY VAN WIJNBERGEN.

Need a baby cot for the weekend? A drill to hang up those bookshelves that have been lying about since Christmas? Chances are someone close by has one.

Amsterdam start-up Peerby will help you get your hands on it, linking together those who want to share with those who want to borrow. Whether you’re an Amsterdam resident or just passing through, this peer-topeer sharing site lets you virtually comb the neighbours’ homes for all your temporary needs. I recently got a kick out of offering my old-school tape recorder to an unknown neighbour wanting to hear her belated father’s voice. The exchanges are strictly cash-free, although we hear homemade goodies are always a nice thank you. After all, what are neighbours for? peerby.com

HEMELSWATER Rain and beer: two things the Dutch have in abundance.

Put them together and you get Hemelswater – literally, ‘heaven’s water’ – Amsterdam’s first rainwater beer. It’s the brainchild of brewing hobbyist Joris Hoebe, who was inspired by a campaign to increase the city’s so-called sponge capacity as global warming seems set to pour even more precipitation upon us. After trapping and purifying the city’s rainwater, local brewery de Prael turns it into a bitter blonde, which you can imbibe in bars and restaurants around town under the name ‘Code Blond’. New on the market: Hemelswater’s Gin & Tonic, taking another Dutch staple and making every drop count. hemelswater.com

PARKFLYRENT The Airbnb-like car-sharing service ParkFlyRent lets travellers leaving from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport park their cars for free and then rents their would-be idle autos to others, sharing some of the profits with the owners in a venture that’s all backed up by insurance. ParkFlyRent founder Niels de Greef says the idea struck after he and his girlfriend paid more for airport parking than a flight to Sardinia, and then shelled out even more for a rental car. ‘Why does every airport on earth create the need for thousands of rental cars to be produced, when all those airports have thousands of cars sitting idle in parking lots anyway?’ Not for long, judging by ParkFlyRent’s success: the Amsterdam start-up recently expanded to budget airline hub Eindhoven Airport and has Europe in its sights, too. Added bonus: they clean vacationer’s cars and provide free airport shuttles for their owners, who typically end up €150 richer while vacationing. Enough for quite a few pina coladas. parkflyrent.com

13 ple you carpool with and the more time you have to spare en route, the cheaper your ride becomes.

Meanwhile, with ParkFlyRent, you can park for free at Schiphol Airport and return to a squeaky-clean vehicle, complete with a full tank, if you allow your four wheels to be rented during your travels.

For those escapades abroad, a fashionable yet comfy wardrobe is a must. The average Amsterdammer owns six pairs of jeans, but can always be found craving new styles. Luckily, MUD Jeans introduced its circular ‘Lease a Jeans’ concept in 2013; for a monthly fee, you can strut around in your favourite jeans until they get worn out – or you tire of them – and then swap them for a fresh pair as the old ones get recycled. Meanwhile, LENA The Fashion Library, which was successfully crowdfunded in 2016, collects fine vintage, upcoming designers and eco labels that you check out upon flashing your sartorial subscription card.

If the newly-minted Fashion for Good innovation platform launched in the heart of Amsterdam at the end of March is anything to go by, Amsterdam is growing into a nexus of fashion that is good for people and planet, not just profit. This initiative, which is led by the C&A Foundation, will foster sector-wide collaboration for a cleaner and more sustainable industry, and accelerate promising startups, which should be aplenty among Amsterdam’s circular and sharing economy driven brands.

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Harmen van Sprang, co-founder of shareNL, an Amsterdam-based organisation collaborating with local governments worldwide, as well as corporates, start-ups and researchers to advance the sharing – or collaborative – economy. ‘It’s all about getting access to – instead of buying – the products and services that lead to a happy, sustainable and connected life,’ he adds.

Amsterdammers are sharing more and more: from the renewable energy powering their homes, through the cars they use to ride to their co-working spaces, to borrowed vintage clothes, homemade meals and everything else in between. Take Vandebron (Dutch for ‘from the source’), a mature start-up that in two short years managed to create an online marketplace where more than 100,000 eco-conscious consumers are currently purchasing renewable energy directly from independent producers such as wind, solar and biomass co-ops; but also selling the excess energy produced by their own solar panels.

Mobility is another area in which Amsterdam is making sharing strides in a bid to reduce pollution and congestion. The Green Carsharing Deal, whose signatories include leasing and insurance companies, municipalities, start-ups and environmental groups, aims to reach 100,000 cars shared across the Netherlands by 2018. And the goal may be within its grasp, given the growing number of new mobility ventures, such as Abel, an electric taxi service launched in 2016. With Abel, the more peo-

THUISAFGEHAALD Back in the day, people whipped up big batches of food in case the neighbours just happened to pop by. Admittedly, the Dutch are not big on unannounced appearances.

But the enticing aromas of a homecooked meal wafting over the garden fence dividing Marieke Hart and Jan Thij Bakker’s home from a neighbour’s enticed the couple to ask for a taste and, eventually, for a paid meal. Thuisafgehaald, or Shareyourmeal, was born. ‘We realized that sharing food is a great way to get to know your neighbours,’ say Hart and Bakker, whose Back-to-the-Future approach uses new technology to promote old-school meet-ups. Their online platform that links neighbouring cooks with those wanting a homemade meal eliminates waste and promotes healthy eating in the process. Since its humble beginnings in 2012, Thuisafgehaald has already shared more than 120,000 meals and counts 55,000 cooks among its members. shareyourmeal.net

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MUD JEANS American clothing magnate Eileen Fisher once called the clothing industry the ‘second-largest polluter in the world ... second only to oil’. While that precise distinction may be arguable, it’s no secret that the industry’s reliance on the ‘dirty crop’ cotton, its water consumption and manufacturing, and its shipping and disposal practices make it a pretty unfashionable affair. MUD Jeans seeks to break the cycle with its ‘Lease A Jeans’ programme. For a monthly subscription, the Amsterdam circular denim company will lease you everything from skinnies to customised vintage jeans that have been worn for a year to get that old-time feel the old-fashioned way.

Return the jeans when you’ve had enough and MUD will recycle them for the next wearer. ‘People really like what we do,’ says CEO Bert van Son, especially the more sociallyconscious millennials. ‘It’s like being a member of a movement.’ A guilt-free way to stay on trend if ever there was one. mudjeans.eu

THOUGHT FOR FOOD The Thought For Food Global Summit is an essential window into the future of food and nutrition security. In just a few years, the planet will have to feed more than nine billion people, in a system that is environmentally unsound and already pushed to its limits. At TFF, food and agriculture innovators and scientists from all over the world come together, learn and explore what comes next. Keynote speakers include Koert van Mensvoort (Next Nature Network), and Tim O'Reilly. Young entrepreneurs also give breakthrough pitches. TFF said that they picked Amsterdam as their 2017 host because 'the Netherlands boast a thriving activity in the food & agricultural sectors. From worldclass universities to impactful companies, it was a natural fit.'

26-27 May Kromhouthal tffchallenge.com

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‘An economy where product-as-a-service is just a tiny cog in a machine with endlessly reusable – instead of disposable – resources and materials’

CONSCIOUS HOTEL Like many save-the-world ventures, this three-branch (soon to be four) Amsterdam hotel chain was born after co-owner Marco Lemmers became a parent and started thinking about his baby’s dismal prospects on Planet Earth. ‘More hip than hippie… eco-friendly but not eco-fundamentalist’, the eco-design Conscious Hotels run on renewable energy, feature smart showerheads, LED lighting, and furniture made from recycled yoghurt pots and coffee cup holders. Not convinced? There’s a hive for wild bees on their green roof, they serve organic locally-sourced food, and their latest outpost (near Vondelpark), named The Tire Station in deference to former owners Michelin, boasts eco patisserie Sticky Fingers. Lemmers and partner Sam Cohen made a conscious choice to reduce their carbon footprint so we can, too. conscioushotels.com

MEDIAMATIC ETEN Taking the sustainable, organic and locally-produced and -sourced trend one step further down the mulched path, Mediamatic ETEN, part of the all-encompassing Mediamatic cultural institution, makes use of aquaponics to grow its own edible flowers and herbs. In its greenhouse overlooking the IJ waterway, Mediamatic ETEN cultivates fish and plants together, with the waste of the fish being used to fertilise the plants that in turn purify the water for our aquatic friends. That circular system produces the greenery that graces their creative, mostly-vegan, brickoven pizzas (think: fermented black bean, local oyster mushrooms and roasted garlic – yum!) or the catfish in brine that comes from the aquaponic system and was likely caught by Piet Ruijter, the ‘last standing fisherman of Amsterdam’, who you might just glimpse from the greenhouse’s terrace plying his not-yet-lost trade in the IJ. eten.mediamatic.nl

ARTIST | INVENTOR | GENIUS

Chris Beekman, Compositie, 1920

MUSEUM TIPS

photo Francis Perez

TICKETS ADULTS: â‚Ź11,50 PRESALE

Steinlen, Chat Noir

amsterdammusea.org

World Press Photo The 60th edition of the competition features impressive photographs by 45 prize winners from 25 countries in 8 categories.

De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, till 9 July

Chris Beekman, De Stijl defector One of the most politically active artists affiliated with this movement. Around 80 artworks of this forgotten De Stijl artist on show.

Stedelijk Museum, till 17 September

Prints in Paris 1900

Rembrandt and Jan Six

Prints and posters from the fin de siècle. Due to their fragility, these artworks are rarely displayed.

About the friendship between artist Rembrandt van Rijn and mayor and writer Jan Six. On show among others is a worldfamous etching.

Van Gogh Museum, till 11 June

Rembrandthuis, from 8 May

museumtips halve pagina a-mag mei-jun.indd 1

Visit these and many other museums for free with the I amsterdam City Card iamsterdam.com/citycard

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may & june 2017

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SUMMER FESTIVALS HOLLAND FESTIVAL OPEN-AIR THEATRE NEW AMSTERDAMMERS OPEN GARDEN DAYS FILM NIGHTLIFE ESSENTIALS ARTZUID

'I BELIEVE THE NETHERLANDS WILL GROW TO THE TOP WHEN IT COMES TO FASHION AND BRANDING.' Fashion designer Reza Kalani is happy to be launching his brand in our city

Every two years, for four months, ARTZUID puts amazing contemporary sculptures from all over the world on display in Amsterdam Zuid. The sculptures are installed in the district’s beautiful Berlagedesigned avenues, along a 2.5-kilometre trail that goes along the Apollolaan, Minervalaan, Churchilllaan and the Zuidas business district. The 50-sculpture exhibition, which this year will reflect the centennial of the movement De Stijl, is curated by Rudi Fuchs, former director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Access to the exhibition is free 24/7.

To experience the sculptures, visitors can simply wander the streets and uncover the artistic surprises, follow a pre-planned walking route, or join an official ARTZUID guided tour, available in Dutch and English.

19 MAY-17 SEPTEMBER Various locations artzuid.nl

KUNSTRAI KunstRAI is the Netherlands’s longest-running art fair and offers art lovers the chance to get their hands on the latest and greatest in the scene. Alongside the regular gallery-centred stands, booths are devoted to individual artists allowing visitors to delve deeper into their work, with everything from painting and sculpture art, photography and graphic arts to contemporary glass, jewellery and ceramics. The 2017 edition includes a particular focus on the Belgian city of Antwerp, while the RAW Edges programme sees ten young galleries present new talents to a broader audience.

31 MAY-5 JUNE RAI, Europaplein kunstrai.nl

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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

summer festivals

Here comes the sun

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What’s your fancy after this long and dreary winter? A slew of festivals are sprouting up all over the city to indulge every Amsterdammer dying to frolick in the sun.

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text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

amsterdamkookt.nl rollendekeukens.amsterdam tasteofamsterdam.com rawfoodfestival.nl openluchttheater.nl hemeltjelieffestival.nl westwaarts.com diynamicfestival.com amsterdamopenair.nl awakenings.com kwakufestival.nl mysummerbreeze.nl amsterdamroots.nl

FOR THE FOODIE Fasten your napkins: most upcoming weekends, the city parks will be welcoming big line-ups of food trucks, with hearty paper-platefuls of everything from burgers and fresh seafood to world cuisine and desserts. Marrying interesting concepts and quality ingredients, the fare’s variety is worthy of the city’s incredible diversity. First up is Amsterdam Kookt, which will be dishing up all sorts of tasty delights at the Olympisch Stadion on Liberation weekend (5-7 May) before investing Oosterpark (2-4 June). From 24-28 May, the staple Rolling Kitch-

ens parks its cheerful trucks on the Westergasfabriek grounds serving everything from ceviche to pancakes.

For some classy al fresco dining, Taste of Amsterdam (2-5 June) lures hungry visitors to Amstelpark and invites them to sample the signature dishes of Amsterdam’s top chefs.

FOR THE WORLD EXPLORER Honouring the Caribbean heritage of many of its residents, the Kwaku festival comes to Amsterdam later this summer; but this year it’s also bringing live music, dancing and spicy Surinamese food to a quick

pre-party at the Vondelpark Theatre on 21 May. The next weekend, the park’s balmy early summer nights turn muy caliente with the Summer Breeze Latin Festival – the live salsa music and dance workshops will keep those hips shaking all night long. But the biggest and worldliest event of the season is undoubtably the Amsterdam Roots Festival, returning to its former home in redesigned Oosterpark for a whole week (19-25 June) of celebrating world and roots music with an amazing line-up of international stars. Discover exotic cultures with dance workshops,

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highlights BIEROOST FESTIVAL

BIEROOST FESTIVAL

VRIJE WESTEN

VURIGE TONGEN

The Jaap Eden Ijsbaan transforms its ice rink into the perfect grounds for this outdoor beer festival that embraces Amsterdam’s brew culture with the tastiest local, national and international beers. Along with the incredible selection of ales, the party atmosphere is completed by live bands and DJs, and fresh food trucks for the well-deserved snack breaks between two cups of golden nectar.

13 May Jaap Eden Ijsbaan taptevents.nl

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VRIJE WESTEN On 4 May the whole country celebrates Remembrance Day, paying homage to the victims and soldiers of World War Two and subsequent conflicts. The next day is all about celebrating the freedom we enjoy thanks to these fallen heroes, with events, performances and concerts peppered throughout the Netherlands. One of the largest Liberation Day events in the city, Het Vrije Westen (‘the Free West’) is a free festival that takes over the Westerpark grounds with a multitude of concerts and live acts from rising and established Dutch stars, from singer-songwriters to rock, soul and hip-hop bands. Spread over a host of stages and with indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from, there’s really something for everyone – including the kids, at the Family Vrijheidsplein (‘Freedom Square’).

5 May Westerpark hetvrijewesten.eu

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VURIGE TONGEN food and clothing stalls, and entertainment for the entire family.

FOR THE BEAT FIENDS Amsterdam’s summer dance parties are too many to list, but there are a couple of essentials that should make it on any good party-goer’s agenda. While DIYnamic Festival (26 May at Amsterdamse Bos) is all about the finest German-engineered beats, the Amsterdam Open Air Festival is a huge bash with a crazy variety of stages and styles that reflect the city’s rich clubbing scene: from deep house to dubsteb and old fashion tech-

no, there’s something for everyone to bounce to at this Gaasperpark shindig from 3-4 June. And of course, it wouldn’t be an awesome summer season without a festival edition of the worldrenowned Awakenings, with more than 100 top-notch international acts sharing two days (24-25 June) of nonstop action at Spaarnwoude.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY You can lock the kids in the house while you enjoy this vast programme of Amsterdam festivals, or you can bring them along – there are plenty of child-friendly events in the city all summer

long. The Vondelpark Theatre season opens on Liberation Day with the KinderBevrijdingsfestival (literally, ‘the children’s freedom festival’), while the Hemeltjelief Festival (25 May) on NDSM features stacks of bands and DJs as well as fun arts & crafts activities, workshops and theatre performances. Just get the babysitter to collect them before the after-party at Noorderlicht Café. WESTwaARTS at Erasmuspark is also geared towards families, with a week full (24 June-2 July) of live music, food and drinks, dancing, craft workshops and other lively activities.

North-West of Amsterdam lies a charming village that’s staunchly defended its position as an alternative culture (which some would call hippie) stronghold since the 1970s. Every year on Whitsun weekend, the village holds a colourful event, Vurige Tongen: ‘Fiery Tongues’. What began almost 15 years ago as a poetry festival has grown to become a fully-fledged arts festival, including music, children’s theatre and visual art.

The music programme at Vurige Tongen features oodles of reggae and dub, plus everything from hiphop to blues to classical. Still, poetry takes centre stage, in both Dutch and English. There are a range of stages and venues, including a circus tent with children’s performances, and a market.

4-5 June Ruigoord ruigoord.nl

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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

holland festival

The world is a stage The Holland Festival, the largest international performing arts event in the Netherlands, is celebrating its 70th birthday, with three weeks of world-famous artists and innovative newcomers.

© CHRIS-VAN-DER-BURGHT

text Catalina Iorga

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ince 1947, our festival and its international artists have helped us face the future, and today we need the Holland Festival more than ever,’ says Ruth Mackenzie, who has been Artistic Director of the Holland Festival (HF) since 2015.

After embracing the ‘Edges of Europe’ for last year’s edition, the HF will examine our post-Brexit society through the lens of representative democracy which, according to Mackenzie, ‘was a symbol of the society from which post-war festivals emerged, but is now under question’. Luckily, theatre-makers who shaped the festival’s history seem to be up to the task of delving into both the roots and current problems of democracies around the world. Take for instance, Italian veteran Romeo Castellucci who will explore the Athenian origins of democracy in La Democrazia in America, or American play-

wright Richard Nelson, whose trilogy The Gabriels, a marathon ivncursion into generational issues, is set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 2016 US elections.

LOOKING EAST Another focus of the 2017 HF programme is Indonesia, which 70 years ago saw its national revolution reach a violent pinnacle during the first Dutch military campaign, as the country sought to have its independence recognised by the Netherlands. To celebrate Indonesia’s progressive artists, socially-engaged bands such as Kande and Filastine will take the stage at Paradiso for an eclectic evening. Noise collective Jogja Noise Bombing will give guerrilla concerts in surprising locations, and Jompet Kuswidananto will face off censorship in art with an opera installation complete with a chandelier blown

to smithereens – which should contrast nicely with one of Concertgebouw’s sumptuous halls.

For those on a budget, the HF will present free works in public spaces, such as young collective åyr’s installation I’d Rather Be Outside on the Museumplein, Boris Charmatz’s performance Danse de Nuit on Anton de Komplein in Zuidoost, and the Dutch National Opera’s interpretation of Salome on a huge screen in Park Frankendael. And for those who really want to get political, the free Parliament of Things art exhibition will turn its host venue, the Stadsschouwburg, into a place to collectively develop new forms of representation for objects, plants and animals affected by the Anthropocene, the era of human impact on the Earth.

3-25 JUNE 2017 hollandfestival.nl All performances surtitled in Dutch and English.

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featured artist

don’t miss these

text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

‘We all have to live on this planet.’

It takes a bit of bracing to face this yearly exhibit where the photojournalists crowned during the World Press Photo competition expose both the harsh and the wonderful realities of the past 12 months. It is also an essential moment that is filled with revelations, reflection and inspiration, as the beauty of photographic art, which is slowly losing its tenure in a world of Instagram citizen reporting, becomes obvious. Large prints of the winners of each category, from general news and portraits to animal photography and sports, are on display at De Nieuwe Kerk – including this year‘s winning shot: the chilling image of the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, taken by Burhan Ozbilici.

© BURHAN OZBILICI

WORLD PRESS PHOTO

UNTIL 9 JULY De Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square worldpressphoto.org

Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s acclaimed director Ivo van Hove strikes again with a masterful adaptation of Visconti’s first film, Obsession.

A tale of intrigue, passion and murder, based on the 1934 novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, the play features a stellar international cast, including Halina Reijn and British superstar Jude Law. While the play premiered in April in London, you can catch it on Pathé screens on 11 May, but even better: live at Theatre Carré during the Holland Festival from 8-18 June.

(In English with Dutch surtitles.)

WIJNAND DE VRIES

UNTIL 5 JUNE Outsider Art Museum Hermitage Amsterdam Museum

A DOG’S HEART

© SANDER TROELSTRA

Born: 17 February 1973 Talent: Artist and painter Wijnand de Vries has an eye for beasts and creatures. It’s his ‘Monster from Other Times’ drawing that won him the second prize of the 2011 Special Awards – a nationwide contest for artists with disabilities – and launched his career. De Vries suffers from brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation at birth; but his handicap doesn’t stop him from expressing his great passion for exotic cultures and animals through his art.

‘News about endangered species, animal cruelty and illegal fishing and hunting really upset me,’ he says, channelling that energy into his canvases filled with the bold colours of oil or acrylic paint overlayed with the texture of chalk. His art is populated by giraffes, chameleons, lions; but also inspiration gathered from his own life – such as the cranes he admired during a holiday at a French lake: ‘I loved their span, their movements, as if they were dancing.’ Now in residence at the Outsider Art Museum studio, he is showing his striking work alongside other disabled artists at the China exhibition.

Widely acclaimed at the 2010 edition of the Holland Festival, this operatic adaptation of the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov is a grim but stunning satire on the Soviet era. A beaten, dirty dog is taken in by a mad, Frankenstein-esque doctor who replaces his pituitary gland and testicles with those of a homeless man. Slowly but surely, the animal mutates into a man, whose base criminal instincts cannot be tamed. With breathtaking, dynamic staging and a chilling range of voices (including the dog’s barks), Alexander Raskatov’s production is a singular, genius and quite witty modern opera.

(In Russian with Dutch and English surtitles.)

©JAN VERSWEYVELD

OBSESSION

8-18 JUNE Theater Carré, Amstel 115 hollandfestival.nl

2 & 5 MAY Dutch National Opera, Amstel 3 operaballet.nl

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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

open-air theatre

Open season Each summer, the stately Vondelpark revels in its bohemian past via a series of eclectic al fresco spectacles. text Mark Smith photo Peter Elenbaas/HH

I

t goes without saying that the Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s flagship green space – a glorious, stately idyll modelled on a fantasy of 19th-century English living and leisure as envisaged by the landscape starchitect of the day, Jan David Zocher. The park was opened to the public in 1865 as a place designated for ‘riding and strolling’, but – shock horror! – the sounds of strumming, shouting and singing soon penetrated the dignified serenity, as the ‘Nieuwe Park’, as it was

known back then, became a popular place for Amsterdam’s creative types to showcase their talents in a time before YouTube and the X Factor.

When a statue of 17th-century poet Joost van den Vondel was added in 1867, the park’s artistic sensibilities were sealed with a name change. In the 1950s, informal pre-hippie ‘happenings’ began to enliven the park, reflecting a burgeoning countercultural spirit that would culminate in the late 1960s with round-the-clock love- and

music-making. Amsterdam responded, as it usually does, by replacing suspect, unfettered spontaneity with impressively organised fun.

A SUMMER-LONG STAGE In 1974 the Vondelpark Openluchttheater (‘Vondelpark Open Air Theatre’) was born in a purpose-built amphitheatre near the 1930s Modernist pavilion of the Blauwe Theehuis (‘Blue Teahouse’) café. Since then, from early May until late September each year,

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ND A M.PEZE@ N EMAIL TO IAMSTER DAM.CO WITH TH M E SUBJE CT:

SNEAK ER GIVEAWNESS AY

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the Openluchttheater’s eclectic programme has incorporated a heady array of professional artistic disciplines.

The Openluchttheater seeks to offer something for everyone – and this year is no exception, with a ‘Language No Problem’ programme. That doesn’t include the kick-off Liberation Day event for children on 5 May, marking the end of Nazi occupation – but the spectacle of small kids singing with gusto should transcend all barriers.

PACKED PROGRAMME The third weekend of May sees a preview of the multicultural Kwaku Summer Festival, whose origins lie in celebrating the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies. A week later, on 28 May, it’s the Latin Summer Breeze Festival, a celebration of all things salsa that promises dance workshops, dance acts and lots of live music.

June’s packed schedule includes a performance of Two on 9 June from ICK Amsterdam – the superb contemporary dance ensemble whose repertoire contemplates the body in revolt – a concert from the NedPhO GO! ensemble (a compact version of the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest) on 11 June, and a gig from Trijntje Oosterhuis, the much loved pop-and-jazz sensation who flew the flag for the Netherlands at 2015’s Eurovision song contest, on 25 June. Gallowstreet, who take to the stage on 18 June, are a twelve-headed Amsterdam-based brass band who claim to have invented a new genre, namely analogue dance music. A mixed bag indeed!

The rest of the summer is just as fun, rich and varied, with the Julidans contemporary dance festival, Nora Fischer, a Bob Marley tribute, and a special version of Amsterdam Pride.

Although attendees are invited to make a voluntary donation of €1 per visit, performances are entirely free.

Those hippies would be proud.

FROM 5 MAY Vondelpark Openluchttheatre openluchttheater.nl

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SNEAKERNESS For the fans of the more casual footwear, Sneakerness is returning to Amsterdam for its seventh edition, with a warehouse full of sneakers. A huge selection of brands and shops showcase not only their latest creations, but also rare and vintage models for discerning aficionados. You can also expect stalls that will clean and protect your beloved pair of Converse so you can flaunt them for many years to come, artists who will show off their trendy designs, and of course streetwear, T-shirts and posters, the ultimate accessories to a great pair of trainers.

ARCHITECTURE DAY While Amsterdam is renowned for its 17th-century beauty, the city is constantly spreading its tentacles to newer areas where modern architecture reigns. Urban planning is more than an art form to Amsterdam architects, who focus their designs not only on aesthetics but also on sustainability, community and work/life balance.

Every year, Architecture Day hones in on a particular neighbourhood that sprouts up new brilliant constructions, and 2017 is all about the Amstelkwartier. Architects, urban planners and designers will give special tours (including on bike), accompanied by lectures about the future of the area.

DE STIJL To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the revolutionary art movement, the Stedelijk Museum is spending much of 2017 focusing on De Stijl. Based on radical theories on shape and colour, the abstract art trend took off after the First World War, when its pioneering founders searched for an artistic expression of harmony and unity.

From Rietveld and Mondrian to more recent artists such as Chris Beekman (infamously known as the Stijl Defector), the Stedelijk Museum is putting on show its impressive collection of De Stijl artwork, exploring the movement’s roots and its ramifications throughout contemporary art history, including its influence on eminent artists such as Lichtenstein and Isa Genzken.

3-4 JUNE Kromhouthal, Gedempt Hamerkanaal 231 sneakerness.com

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18 JUNE Various locations dagvandearchitectuuramsterdam.nl

UNTITLED, 2012, COURTESY GALERIE BUCHHOLZ, COLOGNE PHOTO: DELFANN

WIN 2 TICKE T S! SE

don’t miss these

De Stijl at the Stedelijk, until 21 May Chris Beekman, until 17 September Stedelijk Museum, Museumplein 10 stedelijk.nl

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highlights

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A civil take Capturing race issues with grace

A Da Vinci playground text Lily Heaton

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tep into the mind of humanity’s most beloved polymath with Leonardo da Vinci – Artist – Inventor – Genius, on display until 20 June. The multitalented Italian’s unprecedented skills included painting, sculpture, engineering science and anatomy, backing up his reputation as the quintessential Renaissance Man. Visitors wander through the basement of the Beurs van Berlage during this major retrospective that highlights some of Da Vinci’s most famous paintings and inventions. Inspired by nature and fuelled by a fervent curiosity, the master created some of the world’s most recognisable works of art, like the ‘Vitruvian Man’, ‘The Last Supper’, and the ‘Mona Lisa’, which are reproduced here in high resolution (their originals are still currently on display at their respective homes.) Da Vinci’s wonder and admiration for the human body was meticulously recorded in more than 10,000 pages of notebooks and detailed sketches, lovely enough to be considered works of art themselves, so it’s a treat to take a break from wandering the exhibition to peak through a few pages – but don’t expect to decipher much as they’re famously written in mirrored script.

What makes this exhibition truly special are the wooden replicas of his inventions, with some fascinating surprises, such as the humanoid automaton that sits up, waves and moves its head. They remind us that even as we approach 500 years since his passing, Da Vinci is still considered one of humanity’s most brilliant minds. In addition to learning about these contraptions through informative videos (and captions in which the English versions were marred by a lot of grammatical and spelling errors…), you can get as hands-on as you wish with the toothed gears, water pumps and flying machines.

The interactivity gives a full measure of how far his genius lay beyond his time, and it’s truly fascinating – and quite fitting, as the genus himself once said, ‘Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.’ ★★★★★

UNTIL 20 JUNE Beurs van Berlage, Damrak 243 beursvanberlage.com

Life magazine. For 20 years, the illustrious publication – among many others, which included Vogue – printed large collections of his work, from his essays on critical social issues, such as poverty and segregation, to his portraits of eminent figures (Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali). True to his modest beginnings, he also continued to shoot fashion, with his signature style filled with life and movement.

A man of many talents, Parks was also an accomplished writer, having penned 15 books from technical essays on photography to poetry and fiction.

He forayed into filmmaking in 1969 by adapting his novel The Learning Tree; but as a director he is most well-known for introducing the first black superhero in Shaft. Opening on 16 June at FOAM, the major retrospective on his life’s oeuvre, aptly titled I Am You, shows how Gordon Parks’s unique eye courageously yet gracefully broke many inflammatory barriers of race.

16 JUNE-6 SEPTEMBER FOAM, Keizersgracht 609 foam.org

PARKS FOUNDATION

Renaissance Man

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hat is most striking in Gordon Parks’s body of work is the power of the messages he delivered through seemingly innocuous images of daily life.

While many photojournalists depicted the American Civil Rights Movement through its agitation and physical confrontations, Parks had a completely different take, which brought the subject back to its essence: humanity. In his series ‘The Restraints: Open and Hidden’, little girls lovingly carried by their father drink from a ‘coloured’ fountain, or enviously ogle white mannequins through a shop window.

The violence in these pictures lies beneath the loveliness of family and childhood, with a searing depth.

This talent at bittersweet yet crucial storytelling may be borne of Parks’s ability to relate, even though his career defied the odds for a young African-American born in Kansas in 1912. Throughout the years, that talent was recognised time and again, from the very first roll he shot that landed him a job as a fashion photographer, to his lifelong collaboration with

‘DEPARTMENT STORE, ALABAMA’, 1956, GORDON PARKS, © THE GORDON

© PAULA ROMEIN

text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

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THE NEW AMSTERDAMMERS

Iranian fashion designer Reza Kalani (39) creates exquisite scarves inspired by the Dutch Masters, with a dream to use his art to spread love and tolerance. text and photo Marie-Charlotte Pezé

‘I want to make something that connects me and my new country’ 1. HOW DID YOU COME TO AMSTERDAM? As a refugee, you must stay in your first port of landing, and through some strange circumstances, I ended up in Schiphol instead of Germany six years ago.

But in the end, it was a happy accident: Amsterdam is my home now, and I love it.

2. WAS FASHION YOUR TRUE CALLING? When I was a little boy, my father wanted me to become an engineer, but I’d sneak into his garment-manufacturing company and play with the sewing machines. I broke quite a few of them… until, at 10 years old, I made a hat from scraps of fabrics that really impressed him.

3. HOW DID YOU START OUT HERE? When I arrived in Amsterdam, I received social income to study Dutch; but I wanted to earn my part, so I worked in my spare time. There are so many platforms to help you launch your own enterprise. The Beach

Foundation really helped me get a fresh start and capitalise on my 10-year experience in fashion from Iran. In return for their kindness, I helped them with several projects too – including making King’s Day ribbons from refugee’s life vests for charity.

4. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE SCARVES? I wanted to make something to connect me and my new country.

I am a newcomer here – a term I much prefer to ‘refugee’ – and Tehran is very different from Amsterdam, so it made me think of the polarity of the world. One man is alone – but God created a pair, which created love. The past and the present also give us wisdom about the future – again, two sides that create balance.

Dutch people are progressive, smart, forward-looking. So I got the idea to introduce the Dutch Masters in a new way, by marrying them with modern, geometric designs. I felt like their place wasn’t only in museums, but also connected to today’s life.

5. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS? Its incredible culture, its civilisation, which is so rich in art history.

6. IS AMSTERDAM A GOOD PLACE FOR AN ARTIST? A multi-cultural city is an openminded city. There is a focus on business and entrepreneurship, and many people are willing to try and achieve their dreams. I believe the Netherlands will grow to the top when it comes to fashion and branding. So I feel like this is the right time and place for Kalani to introduce its own fresh and unique code.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPOT IN THE CITY? Museumplein. There are so many happy people from so many different places, like a world without borders. And of course, because of all the art and culture. The Rijksmuseum has a profound effect on me – I believe every artwork has a soul and great vibes. Maybe that’s why Museumplein has such a wonderful atmosphere.

8. ANY AUTHENTIC IRANIAN FOOD TO BE FOUND? Mezrab and Manoto Restaurant are great, and I suggest you try Ghormeh Sabzi or Cholo Kabab.

9. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? I want to do my best in this country to say thank you for the many nice things it has done for me. I dream of introducing Kalani as a unique Amsterdam brand and concept to the whole world, and connecting people from different cultures with my products. On a personal front, I hope to find my soulmate, be happy together, and raise intelligent, creative children as a big, nice and warm family. kalani.nl

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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

open garden days

Garden State Most of us have to wait until June’s Open Garden Days to get a glimpse inside Amsterdam’s grand gardens. Unless, like Philippa van Loon, that garden is home. text Lauren Comiteau photo portrait Marie-Charlotte Pezé

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ointing to the rhododendrons, magnolia trees, rose bushes and camellias in various states of bloom on a sunny March day, Philippa van Loon recalls playing hide and seek in this Golden Age paradise when the stately home was her personal playground.

‘I used to have a big bouncy ball in the garden,’ she reminisces. ‘We had dogs and cats and barbeques, and I even had a disco party for my 21st birthday. It’s hard to imagine now.’ Difficult perhaps, but not impossible.

The Van Loons have inhabited the house on Keizersgracht since 1884, but in the 1950s, realising the intact canal house with its equally intact art collection was a rare gem among the city’s weary post-war canal belt, Philippa’s father set up a family foundation to preserve it. The family eventually moved into the former servants quarters on the top two floors of the main house, which was later established as a museum.

It’s an auspicious address, one whose first tenant was Rembrandt’s pupil Ferdinand Bol, and whose grandeur embarrassed the young Philippa.

She still lives here today with her husband and children in the apartment she says offers the best bird’s-eye view of the garden: its geometric patterns anchored by a cake-like centre that her father commissioned based on 17th-century designs.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS While that particular view is off limits, the Van Loon Museum’s garden has been public since 1973. The museum spearheads June’s Open

27 TICKETS A ticket allowing access to all of the gardens costs €20 at the door, €18 if you buy in advance. You can purchase tickets in advance via the Museum Van Loon website, exchanging your voucher for a ticket on the day of the event.

The gardens are open from 10:00 to 17:00 on each day of the event.

OPEN GARDEN DAYS Hidden behind the stately façades of the houses along Amsterdam’s canals lie some of the city’s best-kept secrets: private gardens. For one weekend in June you can look behind these impressive canal-side homes and step into a completely different world, where a quiet green oasis welcomes visitors.

Very few of these canal-house gardens are usually open to the public year round, but each year some 30 of them are accessible to visitors during Open Tuinen Dagen, or ‘Open Garden Days’. Presented by the Museum Van Loon you’ll see both classic and contemporary gardens, beautifully manicured with hedges, ponds and fountains.

© MUSEUM VAN LOON

16-18 JUNE opentuinendagen.nl

Garden Days, when visitors can roam some 30 of the canal belt’s mostly private but also public gardens.

Philippa engaged landscape architect Eugénie André de la Porte to update the garden in 1999. ‘It needed replanting,’ she says, recounting how for years the family had deposited its Christmas trees out back.

‘It's not a good idea as you end

up having a mini pine forest in the corner.’ An artist, Philippa’s touch is visible in the grand house as well. Open and accessible, she guides me though its rooms in their pristine splendour, casually fluffing up pillows as she goes. The Turkish Tulips exhibit, running through to the end of May, was curated by her friend, British artist Gavin Turk, and its name pokes

fun at the fabled Dutch tulip that actually hails from Turkey.

Like most wealthy Golden Age families, the Van Loons made their money trading, partly with the Ottoman Empire. Philippa has two pieces in the exhibition, one of which is a small glass coffin containing pressed tulips. ‘It refers to the passing of generations and to the fragility of a house like this that has

to be looked after,’ she says. ‘It’s breakable.’

It also seems an apt metaphor for her life as a Van Loon: her confinement as sole safeguard of her family’s legacy, but also the satisfaction of injecting it with new life – her work affirmation that she’s broken through the glass coffin indeed. museumvanloon.nl

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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

film

Taking you through Amsterdam’s movie scene, one event at a time.

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Cinema Erotica

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Some like it hot

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text Bregtje Schudel

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1-19 JUNE EYE, IJPromenade 1 eyefilm.nl

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ifty Shades, get a number! This June the EYE Filmmuseum will open the vaults of its erotica film collection, from provocative auteur cinema to embarrassing home videos, and from well-meaning educational movies to, well, hardcore porn.

Practically every self-respecting film archive has an erotica collection, but usually the lids are kept tightly shut. Not because of a great conspiracy, explains Anna Abrahams, co-curator of the programme with Ronald Simons, but because most of the films just aren’t that good.

‘It’s a bit of a cabinet of curiosities,’ she admits. ‘Most of them aren’t terribly exciting artistically speaking, but they do offer an intriguing insight into the way we look at sexuality.’

Most importantly, the collection shows that erotica is in the eye of the beholder. One person’s freak show can be another person’s fantasy. ‘There’s no other

genre where personal preferences can be so far apart. It’s a very intimate affair. Porn is about exploitation, about getting someone off as efficiently as possible. Erotica is about sexual desire.’

FROM NUNS TO BROTHELS Every night the festival reaches a cinematic climax with the screening of a high-quality erotic film, from Die Büchse der Pandora (1929, Georg Wilhelm Pabst) and Un Chant d’amour (1950, Jean Genet), to Querelle (1982, Rainer Werner Fassbinder) and The Duke of Burgundy (2014, Peter Strickland).

Three main themes delve deeper: one is film history, with a rare screening of the Asta Nielsen short Afgrunden (1910, Urban Gad); the ‘Sexy Trailer Show’, a collage of old movie trailers, which offer an interesting perspective on erotica over the years; and the screening of The Good Old Naughty Days

(2002) a compilation of sexual instruction films that were screened at early-century Parisian bordellos to show inexperienced young men what exactly goes where.

The social-cultural thread will focus on sexuality in Dutch film, feminist porn and the inherent sexiness of nuns, among others. The final theme will highlight the relationship between sensuality and other arts, from design and sound to literature. There will be a lecture on nudity in the paintings of Saint Sebastian (followed by a screening of Derek Jarman’s 1976 Sebastiane), a martyr who managed to always look fabulous while suffering horribly, and the presentation of a fresh Dutch translation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

If all this gets your creative juices flowing, write your own erotic movie script at the storyboard workshop by Jennifer Lyon Bell (on 18 June).

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highlight Our must-see film(-related) pick this issue…

Amsterdam Spanish Film Festival

T

he third edition of the Amsterdam Spanish Film Festival, a celebration of fabulous Spanish film, food and culture, opens with Tarde Para La Ira (‘The Fury of a Patient Man’), an award-winning revenge thriller about a – patient – man (Antonio de la Torre) with a plan.

Special focus will be on Argentina, from historical thriller Kóblic with Argentinian superstar Ricardo Darín (think a versatile George Clooney) to the quietly devastating documentary Algo Mío – hosted by Movies that Matter - about two children who were kidnapped by the military junta, and their foster parents, who are now standing trial for ‘appropriating’ them.

Speaking of social injustice, a special programme will highlight films with a main focus on human rights and social issues, from a social musical about a personal financial crisis (Cerca de tu Casa/‘At your Doorstep’), a documentary about seven young Syrian refugees (Nacido en Siria/‘Born in Syria’), and a non-fiction feature film focusing on the LGBT repression under the Spanish Franco regime (Bones of Contention).

The festival also celebrates other Spanish culture, as with La Chana (winner of the audience award at IDFA 2016), a documentary about fiery gypsy flamenco dancer Antonia Santiago Amador, who returned to the stage 30 years after she quit dancing; and music documentary Omega, about the making of Enrique Morente’s controversial album in which he dared to combine flamenco, music by Leonard Cohen, poetry by Federico García Lorca and rock. Both screenings will be followed by performances by the protagonists themselves (or in the case of Omega, with Soleá Morente, Enrique’s daughter).

Also dancing on the lines between film and art will be Spanish Cinema without Fear, with film screenings and exhibitions by local Spanish artists, in collaboration with Galerie Mokum.

30 MAY-4 JUNE Pathé Tuschinski and other venues amsterdamspanishfilmfestival.com

nightlife essentials trict, highlighting its long and strong connection with jazz.

2-4 JUNE On occasion of Remembrance redlightjazz.com Day, writer and former politician Jan Terlouw ruminates ARTIS about the vulnerability of our ZOOMERAVONDEN freedom (in Dutch), followed On Saturday evenings throughby music featuring that most out summer, party animals in fragile, yet most powerful Artis gather expectantly in of instruments: the human their enclosures. Yup, voice. Cappella Amsterdam, ZOOmeravonden (’Summer the Nationaal Vrouwen JeugEvenings‘) at Artis Royal Zoo dkoor (‘National Women’s let visitors learn what the aniYouth Choir’), and singer mals get up to after hours by Nora Fischer perform works staying open until sunset

by Des Prez, Poulenc, Ravel every Saturday from June and De Leeuw, framed by through to August. There’s two parts from Rossini’s plenty of activities for families optimistic ‘Petite messe and also live music perforsolennelle’. mances for adult crowds.

4 MAY EVERY SATURDAY JUNE TO Royal Concertgebouw  AUGUST concertgebouw.nl Artis  artis.nl

REMEMBRANCE DAY CONCERT

AMSTEL CONCERT

Liberation Day traditionally concludes with one of the biggest events of the day, the Amstel Concert. Musicians from various genres perform light classical, pop and traditional music on an enormous floating podium, with the stately Royal Carré Theatre in the background.

The concert will be attended by the King and Queen, as well as all volunteers of the 4 and 5 May festivities, and it’s free for everyone.

5 MAY Amstel  4en5meiamsterdam.nl

OPERA IN THE PARK: SALOME

Amsterdam’s idyllic Park Frankendael will be filled with the music of Strauss’s ‘Salome’, giving the audience the opportunity to experience a screening of one of the Holland Festival’s highlights for free. Bring a picnic and enjoy the incomparable talent of the Dutch National Opera.

21 JUNE Park Frankendael  hollandfestival.nl

DINOSAUR JR.

This Massachusetts band has enjoyed something of a cult indie following since the 1980s. The signature Dinosaur Jr. sound is melodic tunes saturated in layers of guitar noise and punctuated by J Mascis’s elaborate yet laconic guitar solos. Since Mascis and the band’s co-founder Lou Barlow reunited in the mid-2000s, they’ve released four criticallyacclaimed albums – arguably gaining more credit and fandom in their modern-day postgrunge state.

14 JUNE Paradiso  paradiso.nl

PALMBOMEN II LIVE: MEMORIES OF CINDY

Don’t sleep this one out as Kai Hugo (aka Palmbomen II) is one of the most spectacular electronic musicians calling the Rhine Delta home. Not only is his collection of analogue synthesisers impressive, the sounds he squeezes out of them hold the middle ground between various emotions: happiness, excitement, nostalgia and melancholy. We suggest you check out Palmbomen RED LIGHT JAZZ II’s brilliant self-titled album FESTIVAL before you head out, to get An annual festival that cele- you all excited. brates Amsterdam’s position 18 MAY as a true jazz city. Every year De School  on the first weekend of June, deschoolamsterdam.nl the event aims to flaunt a more cultured side of the city’s infamous Red Light dis-

30

PART II ADVERTORIAL

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Get out of town ZAANSE SCHANS With its traditional houses, windmills, warehouses and workshops, the historic village of Zaanse Schans offers a preserved glimpse of what it was like to live in the Netherlands in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the Zaan region was one of Europe’s first industrial areas. The Zaans Museum tells the story of daily life in the Zaan region over the centuries.

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, 1893

TSAR NICHOLAS II AND TSAREVICH ALEXEI, C. 1910 © GARF, STATE ARCHIVE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, MOSCOW

In Amsterdam

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card:

HERMITAGE MUSEUM 1917. ROMANOVS & REVOLUTION Until 17 September

For the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, the Hermitage Museum is putting on a monumental exhibition that retraces the steps of a 300-year-old monarchy’s demise.

250 items are on display, including documents that show how the Tsar’s decisions led to the uprising, as well as intimate belongings of the imperial couple, such as clothes and artwork.

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

VAN GOGH MUSEUM PRINTS IN PARIS 1900: FROM ELITE TO THE STREET Until 11 June

See the original prints of iconic images such as the black cat and the Moulin Rouge, designed in fin-de-siècle Paris and now popular posters all over the world. The Prints in Paris exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum is also a rare opportunity to see similar, gorgeous works of art born during the times of the printing revolution, many of them from private collections and galleries.

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

THE I AMSTERDAM CITY CARD INCLUDES: • Free entrance to over 40 museums • Free public transport in Amsterdam • A free canal cruise and more 24hrs €57 / 48hrs €67 / 72hrs €77 / 96hrs €87

The I amsterdam City Card is available at the I amsterdam Visitor Centres and Store, hotels, canal cruise companies and GVB Tickets & Info offices. For more information, see iamsterdam.com/citycard.

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

TSAR PETER HOUSE One of the oldest wooden houses in the Netherlands (1632), this modest labourer’s house is the one Tsar Peter the Great stayed in when he visited Zaandam in 1697. A beautiful dome was added to protect this small museum, which features countless memories of the Tsar’s stay, as well as visits by other dignitaries who have written or carved their names in the windows and wooden walls.

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

THE AMSTERDAM & REGION TRAVEL TICKET Discover Amsterdam and the surrounding area with the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket – a special public transport ticket valid on trains, metros, trams and buses operated by NS, GVB, Connexxion and EBS. The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is available for 1, 2 or 3 days and is valid on any of the routes listed on the public transport guide of the Amsterdam region. Tickets can be purchased at the I amsterdam Visitor Centres and I amsterdam Store in Amsterdam, and ticket counters of the participating public transport companies. iamsterdam.com/citycard

CLASS 2

2018 il 31-12with Valid unt required and out Check in ier on every trip each carr

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N & REGIO L TRAVE TICKET

may & june 2017

PART III

EAT DRINK CHIC

32 38 40 42 44 45

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: NIEUW-WEST EATING OUT ON THE MENU PRETTY THINGS WHAT’S IN STORE COLUMN

‘IT’S INTERESTING TO SEE PEOPLE FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ORIGINS, ALL GETTING ALONG.’ Tweede Jeugd’s owner Manuel Oostveen, who makes a mean tosti

MAD FOX Creatures of the night, rejoice: a sleek new club just opened its doors in the centre of Amsterdam.

The promise of the premises is extravagant: high-end parties where guests rub elbows with celebrities until the wee hours of the night.

There’s no guest list but you better dress to impress to make it through the doors – or, if the photos are any indication, UNdress to impress.

Spuistraat 175 madfoxclub.com

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

Neighbourhood watch

NIEUWWEST

neighbourhood watch

33

Gentrification and urban rehabilitation started zipping through Nieuw-West a couple of years ago, infusing it with new life, culture and eco-consciousness. text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé map Barbara van den Berg/SaltyStock

Take a walk on the west side

A

s the tentacles of Amsterdam’s centre spread to newer neighbourhoods such as Oud-West, their outwards cousins gain in popularity as well. At first glance, Nieuw-West’s got nothing to write home about; mostly residential, its shopping and entertainment options appear far and few between, and the district has lost the charm of the historical centre, with architectural styles that seem mostly geared towards pragmatism – think wide blocks of row-housing development or looming, nondescript apartment buildings. However, they are also the perfect example of why we should never judge a book by its cover.

There’s a reason why Bos en Lommer suddenly got a hip new nickname (‘Bolo’) – a sure-fire sign that it’s leaving its wretched reputation behind and becoming a new locals’s favourite at lightning speed. When you scratch at the surface and really explore these newer neighbourhoods of the city, many surprises await.

ANGELO CHIORESCU, 10, AND HIS FRIENDS student

‘We do free-running. We come here to train because there’s so much space. It’s a really great park with lots of different areas, and that’s perfect for parkour.’

MELTING POTS The great thing about Amsterdam is its human size; not only do many tram lines criss-cross the area, but Nieuw-West is actually much closer to the centre than it appears – Bolo and De Baarsjes, in particular, are

within easy walking distance, especially on a nice day.

Like most of Amsterdam’s outlying areas, the history of this vast district is the same old, same old: in the early 20th century, urban expansion encroached on rural land to provide housing for the city’s booming working population. Bos en Lommer actually translates to ‘Forest and Shade’ – a lovely name that, let’s be honest, is quite misleading today, but refers to the old farm that used to stand on what is now the area’s central square, Bos en Lommerplein. Nieuw-West’s various neighbourhoods were either test runs for modern urban-planning (such as ‘Plan West’ by famous architect HP Berlage) or camps for displaced refugees.

The area therefore has a long tradition of welcoming immigrants and fostering vibrant melting-pot communities, a quality it has embraced to this very day: Bos en Lommer is still home to 127 of the 180 different nationalities represented in Amsterdam. Manuel Oostveen, who recently opened his bread outlet and tosti bar Tweede Jeugd on Jan Evertsenstraat, loves the variety: ‘It’s interesting to see people from so many different social and cultural origins, all getting along and going about their business in such a bustling area.’

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

neighbourhood watch

Het Parool, one of the country’s leading newspapers, even compares Nieuw West to Berlin’s Kreuzberg.’

When you hike even further West, it may feel like you’ve been dropped in a forlorn, postcommunist landscape, but don’t be fooled.

Young students and families and energetic entrepreneurs are attracted to the cheaper rents, and the city’s urban planners are hard at work re-developing the area to fit Amsterdam’s new mantra: more green and pedestrian spaces, more beautiful, livable and community-oriented areas, better transportation networks, and last but not least, a formidable eco-conscious drive.

Het Parool, one of the country’s leading newspapers, even compares Nieuw-West to Berlin’s Kreuzberg, with its mix of natives and influx of newcomers. What’s better here than in Berlin?

A lot more space, and with the abundance of parks, a lot more nature.

MYSTIC GARDEN FESTIVAL Every Amsterdam festival has its shtick, and Mystic Garden’s is all in the title. In addition to its fabulous musical line-up (which among others includes Alex Niggemann, Anil Aras, Christian Wünsch, Cuartero, Dispar Vulgo and Edu Imbernon), the event uses the enchanting forest surroundings to boast a real fantasy vibe with quirky theatre acts, magical dancers and performers, and fun interactive games. It’s a real Narnia-style fairy-tale for adults, where décor and atmosphere (and the food, mostly organic) count just as much as the dancing.

ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES Nieuw-West respects its vast green expanses such as Erasmuspark, Rembrandtpark (just as large but much quieter than famous Vondelpark – boasting ponds, bike paths, playgrounds and one of the oldest petting zoos in the city) and especially the Sloterplas, a giant lake surrounded by Sloterpark where the Loveland festival takes place every summer.

‘Things have been changing around here,’ says long-time resident Niels Pieksma. ‘They’ve added a lot of playgrounds and an outdoor fitness area. They’re renovating the parks and shopping centres. It’s attracting a lot of families, and boosting diversity.’

Around these parts, many of the new developments show promise: the Collage complex won a major architecture prize, and the residential complex Nieuwe Akbar won an award for the reuse of an old building. But it’s not all ‘out with the old, in with the new’ – renovation plans from the past two decades have also en-

17 JUNE Sloterpark mysticgardenfestival.nl

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DE SCHOOL This fast-rising multi-purpose star holds one of the rare 24H licences of the city. The club/ concert space has a trendy but unaffected programming; the spacious, airy café is a lovely place to plop down with a laptop; and the restaurant’s world-inspired kitchen is absolutely fabulous. You can also use their 1960s gym hall to lose some of the calories you’re bound to acquire with the €49 sevencourse menu.

Dr. Jan van Breemenstraat 1 deschoolamsterdam.nl

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THEATER DE MEERVAART

PODIUM MOZAÏEK

This monument of shiny modern metal architecture is a top-notch theatre that loves everything from cabaret, dance and musical performances to stand-up comedy, film and workshops. The next couple of months welcome humansas-puppets choreo­graphy by Kris Verdonck, a play about DEA agents, a concert of Andalusian music and a visit from comedian Russell Howard.

With a programme of world music, theatre, cabaret and dance, Podium Mozaïek celebrates cultural diversity in 1,001 ways. In May, among others, they’re exhibiting ‘Amsterdam-Dakar’, a photo series by Judith Quax, and in June they’re presenting the performances of the Mezrab Storytelling School. Alongside its menu, the café also serves a traditional Turkish breakfast from 10:00 until 15:00 on weekends.

Meer en Vaart 300 meervaart.nl

Bos en Lommerweg 191 podiummozaiek.nl

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

neighbourhood watch

WOW WOW’s low ceilings and lighting may give it an underground parking-garage feel, but the huge complex combines a hostel with an artistin-residency programme for 50 young creatives from Amsterdam’s art institutes.

But that’s not all: its rich cultural agenda and affordable restaurant mean that visitors, Amsterdammers and artists can convene and converse at exhibitions, performances and workshops.

Wiltzanghlaan 60 wow-amsterdam.nl

24H NIEUW WEST THINGS I LIKE, THINGS I LOVE Heaven-on-earth for lovers of new and vintage clothing and trendy accessories, this little shop of wonders also carries jewellery, home décor and plants galore. Their selection includes must-haves as well as unique items you never knew you needed but can’t live without, such as delicate lace-button tops, striped leggings and batik suits. And who doesn’t dream of brass crocodile paperweights or handcrafted ceramics?

Jan Evertsenstraat 106 thingsilikethingsilove.com

WILDE WESTEN Discreetly located in the basement level of the ugly, modern development Oude Gak, Wilde Westen is a secret gem: one of the best foodie hangouts in Bolo, with a delicious menu of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and tasty wood-fired pizzas – the latter of which are available at a discount on Mondays and Thursdays. The staff is super friendly, their communal table allows you to work quietly or socialise with your neighbour, and they have a row of washing machines (!) in case you need to run a quick load of laundry between two cocktails.

Bos en Lommerplantsoen 1 wilde-westen.nl

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24H Amsterdam is the opportunity to experience the city in new ways, when, for a blistering 24hour period, a neighbourhood’s shops, clubs and cultural institutions throw open their doors for some special surprises. The Nieuw West edition on 13 May offers a programme chock-full of activities such as an amphibious sauna, a tour of the Sloten windmill, a backstage peek at Theater de Meervaart, an urban art festival and many other street art exhibits.

13 MAY iamsterdam.com

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MAARTJE RODENHUIS, 24 and her boyfriend Hidde Fafiani

‘It’s developed a lot in the past year. It’s become safer, and there are so many more opportunities to go out, from cafés and restaurants to cool pop-up or concept shops.’

NIELS PIEKSMA, 50 facility manager

‘They’ve added a lot of playgrounds and an outdoor fitness area. They’re renovating the parks and shopping centres. It’s attracting a lot of families, and boosting diversity.’

SLOTERPARK A well-kept secret by the locals, Sloterpark is one of the largest parks in Amsterdam with its 90 hectares of nature and its giant lake, Sloterplas (which also boasts a really nice beach). In addition to its winding paths that are perfect for strolls or biking, there are lots of fun things to do, such as the disc golf course (where you use Frisbees instead of clubs), the Olympic-size swimming pool and even an outdoor pool. There are also gym facilities, and sailing and watersports clubs. The best part is probably Ruige Riet (‘Rough Reeds’), the nature reserve that’s been left untouched since it opened in the 1950s. A real green haven smack in the middle of a very urban area of Amsterdam.

Sloterpark

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hanced and highlighted the hidden historical architectural treasures peppered through the area, many of which flaunt the signature style of the Amsterdamse School. A walk along Jan Evertsenstraat or Hoofdweg, for example, reveals many of the typical rounded façades with intricate details and brickwork. The tower of Mercatorplein, designed by Berlage himself, was also rebuilt in 1998 as part of the area’s overhaul, a general project that not only beautified but also revitalised the neighbourhood with bustling outdoor markets, awesome ethnic grocers and many popular chain stores establishing franchises in the area.

URBAN CULTURE This process of urban renewal and gentrification infused these neighbourhoods with new life, in a colourful marriage that respects their multicultural heritage while also catering to the city’s intrinsic demand for alternative culture. New concept cafés, specialised or upmarket restaurants and cultural hotspots are sprouting all over the place, so local residents don’t have to hop on public transportation for their daily dose of social entertainment anymore. While Jan

Evertsenstraat (or simply, ‘Jan Eef ’) is a new favourite shopping destination where trendy concept stores, Turkish shops, greengrocers and bakeries sit side by side in perfect harmony, Witte de Withstraat is an essential stop for any art gallery aficionado.

Bos en Lommerweg sports plenty of its own flair with multicultural mecca Podium Mozaïek, which, located in a former church, gives the neighbourhood some social soul.

New hip establishments are attracted by the active ‘cultural breeding ground’ policies. These new-generation hotspots, such as De School, WOW, Het Sieraard, Lola Luid, Vlla and Meneer de Wit, wear as many hats as possible to appeal to the young creative crowds and to foster community projects – why go anywhere else when you can find it all under one fabulous roof?

Nieuw-West may have a lackluster past, but it’s a prime example of the magic that urban renewal and cultural initiatives can accomplish. A bustling tapestry of young families, immigrants and creatives, with an energetic city life that’s peppered by peaceful green oases before quickly fading into rural North Holland, the area is thriving and becoming well worth the detour.

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

EATING OUT

Our top dining options, from firm favourites to precocious newcomers.

text Karin Engelbrecht

A former gas distribution station that once kept the city’s street lamps lit, is now home to a brewery and tasting room, with an enlightening story.

Bart Poesiat and Klaas Kater were important figures in the early Dutch trade union, and master-masons at the Van Vollenhoven Brouwerij, Amsterdam’s biggest brewery in 1900.

In 1949 the brewery was incorporated into Heineken and would’ve been forgotten had a local foundation not held on to its recipes, which are now in the possession of Poesiat & Kater. Resurrected Van Vollenhoven beers, made using the original recipes, include the ‘famous’ Extra Stout, with notes of black liquorice, coffee and caramel, and the ‘legendary’ Princesse, a traditional spring blond, which made up 40 per cent of the brewery’s production in 1885, yet tastes surprisingly modern, with a coriander and orange peel aroma, and tart, wheaty flavour (€3.25).

There are also contemporary creations, named after Van Vollenhoven’s brewmaster, bottler and bookkeeper, including an easy-drinking pale ale, a malty Porter with a caffeine kick, and a citrusy IPA. The menu includes beer-paired bar bites, such as the ever-popular veal bitterballen, cod-cheek kibbeling and fried chicken with a spicy IPA-dip (from €6.50).

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Polderweg 648 poesiatenkater.nl

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POESIAT & KATER

NEW

eating out

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39 trendy BLUE BOY At this hip eatery named after an all-male brothel, Dutch hospitality tycoon Casper Reinders’s signature eclecticism creates a genuinely warm and charming whole: think Art Nouveau stools along an antique-mirrored bar, rattan Panton chairs, vintage circus posters and the odd touch of taxidermy. The menu is a world tour of comforting flavours: black Angus tartare with sesame mayo, sambai vinaigrette and crunchy crackling; creamy gnocchi with zingy heirloom tomatoes; and white chocolate marbré with textures of tropical fruit (from €39.50 for 3 courses). The excellent cocktails are very reasonably priced, too (from €9).

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Spuistraat 3GH blueboy.amsterdam

critic’s choice LT. CORNELIS

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his Dutch food specialist gives traditional dishes a light, modern twist. The décor too, is a picture-perfect combination of past and present, with original arched leaded-glass windows, a restored 17th-century ceiling and staircase, and copper lamps over a marble bar. There’s also a large reproduction of Dutch Master Frans Hals’s famous militia portrait, which inspired the restaurant’s name and colour scheme, and cinemagraphs bring other Dutch paintings to life.

On the menu (€35 for 3 courses), you’ll find dishes like panfried haddock with pointed cabbage, pink radish and bacon vinaigrette; sirloin steak with cheese-stuffed roasted onion and beet jus; and cranberry sabayon with pomegranate and Dutch fondant sweets.

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Voetboogstraat 13 restaurantcornelis.amsterdam

classic 5&33 AT ART’OTEL

quick & simple CHIAPAS TACO CARTEL While the Mexican street food here may not always be authentic, the décor certainly looks the part, with distressed walls and a kitschy Mother Mary altar with multi-coloured candles. We recommend the tangy Al Pastor, with grilled pork, apple guacamole, pickled onions and salsa verde (€7.95 for 2), with extra habanero sauce if you like it hot.

Van Woustraat 29H taco-cartel.com

An all-Italian kitchen is often a sign of delicious things to come, and at this high-end hotel restaurant you’re in the capable hands of chef Nadia Frisina, whose love of seafood shines through in generously-proportioned shareable plates of linguine with vongole, bottarga and Prosecco (€45), and frittura di mare (deep-fried soft-shell crab, calamari and tiger prawns) with lemon mayonnaise (€23). There’s a well-considered wine list, with plenty of options by the glass (from €5.50), and the cocktails are particularly good here, with one of the best Penicillin’s in the city (€12). Be sure to take your drink and stroll through the basement art gallery before you go.

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Prins Hendrikkade 33 artotelamsterdam.com

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

ON THE MENU

Three of a kind to suit every taste. text Karin Engelbrecht

parent traps

romance

kid-friendly

CANNIBALE ROYALE

GRAHAM’S KITCHEN

MINIMARKT

Appeal to dad’s inner caveman with this meat-lovers mecca, which scores masculinity points with its gallows humour and quirky interior, hefty slabs of steak and massive knives to match. We recommend the ‘L’exceptionnel’, 600g of c rib roast from Irish Shannon beef – or if he likes his bones, ‘Cannibale’s favourite ribs’, which are sticky and tender.

We’ve admired chef-owner Graham Mee since his Michelin-starred days, but enjoy his clever creations even more in the comfortably casual setting of his year-old restaurant.

Expect creative combinations, such as salmon with gin fizz, yuzu-avocado and sea kale or salsify, duck egg, fermented garlic, kombu and barilla, and desserts to die for. From €38 for 3 courses.

Stop by this kiddies concept store in Oud-Zuid to start off your day with an organic juice and granola bowl, while your toddler lives it up at the train table in the adjacent play area. Then, shop for children’s clothing, accessories and gifts by brands such as Soft Gallery and Stella McCartney Kids.

Handboogstraat 17a (check website for other locations) cannibaleroyale.nl

THE GRAND AFTERNOON TEA Spoil mum with a classic afternoon tea in the serene courtyard garden of a former 15th-century convent. She’ll enjoy delicacies such as crostini with smoked eel and basil cream; soft-set eggs with caviar and crème fraîche; Opéra cake; and la religieuse – a subtle nod perhaps to the building’s beginnings.

Oudezijdsvoorburgwal 197 sofitel-legend-thegrand.com

THE SEAFOOD BAR Seafood-loving parents will find this sustainable seafood specialist a worthy port of call: from ocean-fresh oysters, local smoked mackerel and Volendam eel to flawless fish and chips and lavish platters of Fruits de Mer. Various locations theseafoodbar.nl

Hemonystraat 38 grahamskitchen.amsterdam

Beethovenstraat 5A minimarkt-store.com

WIJS WEST

With valet parking and plush red velvet, you may feel like a mob movie extra, but don’t let that put you off this Museum District marvel.

The flattering lighting is fab for first dates and the cooking is as well rounded as the furniture, with three 3-course menus (‘land’, ‘sea’ or ‘chef’s choice’, from €37).

Looking for a neon yellow ‘love’ lamp or ‘map of the world’ rug for your little one’s room? Then head to this Oud-West wonderland, with its carefully curated collection of designer toys, clothes and gifts, as well as delicious lunch sandwiches, decent cappuccinos and iced lollies. A toy-stocked playpen takes care of your toddler while you relax.

GEISHA

EDDY SPAGHETTI

This centrally-located PanAsian eatery offers shareable dishes such as sushi, vegetable dumplings and Korean short ribs. Owned by the sisters Wang, the excellent food and service here leave little doubt that the hospitality gene was successfully passed on. For more privacy, book a table in the Champagne Lounge with its secluded candlelit booths.

This petite and perpetually packed pasta bar offers half a dozen pasta dishes, which usually includes an outstanding ragù, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options, thin-crust pizzas and spaghetti with tomato sauce and Parmesan for the bambinos. There are also classic Italian cocktails and wines, gin and tonics, and local craft beers. Bellissima!

EN PLUCHE

Ruysdaelstraat 50 enpluche.nl

Prins Hendrikkade 106A restaurantgeisha.nl

Bilderdijkstraat 62 wijswest.nl

Krugerplein 23 eddyspaghetti.nl

on the menu

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DESIGNER DÖNER It’s pita perfect!

organic ‘Berlin-style’ veal and chicken kebabs, slathered with spicy bell pepper harissa and 30-day fermented garlic sauce. Pimping up that other popular pita-based snack is Meat & Greek, with its minimalist interior and next-gen gyros made with dayfresh ingredients, premium pork and pita from a Greek artisan baker.

DONNIES Gerard Douplein 10-HS donniesdoner.nl PITA (FOODHALLEN) Bellamyplein 51 pita-amsterdam.com/foodhallen MEAT & GREEK Utrechtsestraat 113 meat-and-greek.com

© MARIE-CHARLOTTE PEZÉ

A

fter burgers, hotdogs and fries got their gourmet makeover, designer döner may be the next big thing. Sure, the dodgy midnight variety’s been around for years, but restauranteers in Amsterdam are now taking things to the next level, following the trend in cities such as Berlin, Paris and London. First out of the gate was Donnies, founded by two brothers, who believe döner ‘deserves so much better’ than simply being ‘eaten after 10 beers’. They offer five varieties – made from quality local ingredients and served on pita or Turkish bread.

Soon to follow was Pita, from the folks behind renowned restaurants Breda and Guts & Glory, which offers

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

pretty things

PRETTY THINGS Purses at the ready: these tempting stores will have you reaching for your credit card. text Imke Walenberg

T.I.T.S. STORE

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NEW IN TOWN

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t’s not literally all about tits at the T.I.T.S. Store: the acronym stands for This Is The Shit.

And that’s just what it is: a funky shop on De Clercqstraat, which isn’t new per se but was recently entirely remodelled to carry even more and even cooler fashion, accessories and home design goodies.

This daily-inspiration boutique has a whole world of smile-

inducing stuff, like the highly original brands it stocks, such as London-based Skinnydip, creator of sparkly bags and unicorn-tears tech-cessories; or Lazy Oaf, a graphics and illustration label that makes bold and bright clothing with cartoonish elements.

T.I.T.S. also carries alpaca scarves beautifully crafted by Bufandy; pop-inspired, fashion-nostalgic Clashist; and adventurous, exotic lifestyle products by Madam Stoltz, among many others.

And of course, for the more daring out there, they also sell their own line of products with their tongue-in-cheek design of crayon-drawn boobs: a simple white T-shirt (for the boyfriend perhaps?) and a dark blue tote that spells it out in their bright pink signature: ‘You're the tits’.

De Clercqstraat 78 tits-store.com

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sleek and classy BOLIA

garage sale DE CAMER Owner Merel started six years ago with ’garage sales’ and giving interior advice as a personal home shopper. She already had a shop located in Laren, but Merel moved it to Amsterdam this past March in, what else… an old garage. It’s a lovely stroll through this airy and inspiring shop where you can find ceramic tableware, Turkish silk cushions, leather chairs and lots of other luscious homewares.

It’s also hard to leave with empty hands.

Sofas, cabinets, chairs, table lamps, baskets, clocks, glassware... This Danish furniture chain has it all. Located on the corner of Kerkstraat and Utrechtsestraat, this beautiful mecca of typical Scandinavian design is like walking through a picture-perfect Pinterest board, making it impossible not to want to remodel your entire interior all in one go. Their new spring collection is sleek, airy and inspired by bright, light woods and materials.

Utrechtsestraat 78-80 bolia.com

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Frederiksplein 6 decamer.nl

treasure hunt PIETER & TOSCH Along thriving and trendy Jan Evertsenstraat lies the wonderful world of Ashanti Pieter and Eugenie Tosch, the owners of this treasure trove where you can find gifts for your loved ones – but especially for yourself. All the products were hand-picked during the trips the two girls made, from artisans or independent brands that they love. Expect to find handmade earrings with gems, delicate earthenware, silky-smooth beauty products, colourful fashion or interior accessories, and unique artwork for your walls.

Jan Evertsenstraat 88 pieter-tosch.com

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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

what’s in store

WHAT’S IN STORE Fashion-forward style – for your closets and the rest of your home.

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text Imke Walenberg

AMSTERDAM OERSOEP SHOP This shop just opened in February to showcase the unique designs of the Amsterdam Oersoep artwork in the Beurspassage that connects Nieuwendijk and Damrak (another of Amsterdam’s beautiful must-sees). Elements from the gorgeous pedestrian alleyway and its impressive colourful mosaic are incorporated into the store’s products, with a first collection featuring bags, T-shirts, sweaters and lapel pins. Their motto? ‘Take some mokum with you’.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 291 amsterdamoersoepshop.com

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MATINIQUE CONCEPT STORE The Danish menswear label, with their stylish but minimalistic fashion items, recently opened a concept store here in Amsterdam. Typically Scandinavian, with a wooden floor and pure white elements, it accompanies its own label with fashion accessories from Kapten & Son and Pig & Hen, urban art from I LOVE FAKE, and curated items of vintage design furniture.

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Utrechtsestraat 120 facebook.com/matiniqueconceptstoreamsterdam

SØSTRENE GRENE The Danish brand Søstrene Grene is growing rapidly, with its big YouTube presence and ‘do-it-yourself videos’ shtick, so it’s not surprising that they’d open a shop in Amsterdam, the city that’s a big fan of Nordic design. Reminiscent of brand stores like Hema and Flying Tiger, affordable but a bit more fancy, this store is full of office supplies, home accessories, kitchen stuff and so on – including a big selection of outdoor living products for that roof terrace or small city garden.

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Nieuwendijk 219 sostrenegrene.com

MARVIN Located on Kinkerstraat, Marvin is a one-stop convenience store and catering shop. During the day you can buy gifts – from textile zip purses to lovely postcards, and so much more in between – as well as enjoy a good cup of coffee (or two) and delicious pastries.

In the evenings, it becomes a place for private dinners, tastings and workshops.

It’s probably one of the most relaxed ways to shop.

Kinkerstraat 66A marvin.amsterdam

KOLIFLEUR Kolifleur is a curated concept store in the popular De Pijp district. All items are hand-selected by owner Eva Koolen, with high-end brands like Carven and Stella McCartney sitting alongside more accessible Scandinavian labels like Acne Studios and Filippa K. They also sell artisan-made paperware, leather items, ceramics and jewellery from young Dutch designers such as Bruinlabel and Kirstie van Noort.

You can also hand in your own unused treasures here to gift them a second life.

Frans Halsstraat 35 kolifleur.nl

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WAAR This chain of shops is pretty popular, and already has 20 outlets throughout the Netherlands. All the products at Waar are inspired by sustainability: fairtrade, organic, ecological, recycled or made in sheltered workshops. Shopping with a conscience has never been this cool.

Middenweg 31-BG ditiswaar.nl

OQIUM If you’re a real sneaker addict then this shop should be on your ‘must-visit’ list.

Oqium specialises in premium basketball shoes, including Air Jordan, Nike & Adidas styles. The big windows and flashy colours, combined with brick walls, gives the place an urban vibe. Once in a while they also sell very limited-edition sneakers, like the atmos Air Jordan Air Max. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 262 oqium.nl

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LEG-INC Finally a shop that’s dedicated to the comfy fashion trend that’s not going anywhere – to the horror of some but the delight of so many others. Totally devoted to leggings, Leg-Inc is the love child of owners Saskia and Marleen, who look for cool fabrics and the best patterns: black, with a giraffe print, golden lamé dots or even cosmic patterns (and a whole line just for children…).

Bilderdijkstraat 200 leg-inc.nl

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When in Amsterdam…

After two decades here, native New Yorker Lauren Comiteau is still working out how to ‘go Dutch’.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

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h, the happiness indices. They sprout up every spring like Dutch tulips and, like that perennial bulb, the Netherlands always gets high marks.

Lauren Comiteau is a journalist and writer who has been covering the Netherlands for TIME magazine, CBS Radio and others since 1996. She lives in Amsterdam with her two daughters.

I understand why this country is one of the happiest places in the world. Really, I do, despite my grumblings about being knocked over in non-numbered queues, or, even worse, being cut off by people who simply pretend you don’t exist. Especially drivers, in a practice Amsterdammers have perfected into an art form. But that those drivers are more often than not cyclists instead of behind the wheel of a polluting automobile steers you towards an understanding of why we’re all so damn happy.

The UN-sponsored World Happiness Report uses such well-being promoting factors like freedom, good governance, honesty and health to determine its rankings – all things the 6th-placed Dutch excel at.

Our work-life balance is unbeatable: the majority of parent professionals work four days a week and healthcare is free for kids under 18. Preventive care is even better, as I’m reminded when it’s time for my daughter’s vaccination. Called up by postcode, she will join hundreds of others in a cavernous sports hall, injected and then liberated in five minutes.

Possibly with a balloon.

Indeed children seem to be the biggest ben-

eficiaries of Dutch policy and personality.

UNICEF surveys have for years found Dutch kids to be the happiest in the world. It’s not hard to see why: my daughters bike around town independently, and I noticed a meditation room at a secondary school we were scouting for my youngest, who got to visit middle schools like a potential homebuyer and submit her most-wanted list to the school board, which then throws it into a mostly satisfactory lottery.

My girls didn’t have homework until middle school and we all eat dinner around the same table, although admittedly not at the 6pm Dutch-appointed hour. These are precisely the things the studies find make you happy.

For such a liberal society, though, its people are quite conservative. And their reputation for being blunt to the point of rudeness and impeccable rule-followers is not unearned.

But as a whole, their collective reasonableness is reassuring. One Dutch minister, speaking about the Brexit negotiations, advised: ‘Keep calm, be realistic and negotiate.’ The country’s level-headed voters also bucked the populist trend during March’s elections and instead voted for… well, more of the same. Stability.

Boring, predictable and infuriating at times, is the Dutch way worth a larger peace of mind, and, by extension, happiness? You better believe it.

NOW Available in Available inthe the I amsterdam Store

Amsterdam CS, IJ-zijde

Amsterdam CS, IJ-side

AMSTER DAM GIFTS

PART IV

THE

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may & june 2017

FESTIVALS/MUSIC/ CLUBBING/EXHIBITIONS/ STAGE/SPORTS/FAMILY/ GAY & LESBIAN

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For complete listings, see iamsterdam.com

BACCHUS WINE FESTIVAL A clearing in the woods, meat sizzling on barbecues, a bunch of friends and a glass of wine (or 12 – who are we to judge?): it’s the winning recipe of the Bacchus Wine Festival, a lighthearted fair that tastes like country. Plastic is banned and visitors enjoy the first days of summer by walking among the trees or sitting on hay bales, with their stem glass of red, rosé or white.

Wine is the star of the show, with many tasting shops, tents and workshops, but there’s lots of great food and music on the menu too.

Thanks to its past popularity, this year will see two backto-back editions, from 9 to 11 June and again from 16 to 18 June.

9-11 AND 16-18 JUNE Amsterdamse Bos bacchuswijnfestival.nl

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUMS TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS SHAKESPEARENL An exhibition exploring the impact and influence of Shakespeare in the Netherlands. The English playwright remains omnipresent in the Dutch theatre scene, from classical presentations to modern-day interpretations. Here you’ll find old and new posters, costumes, books and models from the University of Amsterdam’s Special Collections, compiled by Hans van Keulen and Rob van der Zalm.

Special Collections, until 7 May BÉLA TARR - TILL THE END OF THE WORLD Enter the world of Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, regarded worldwide as one of the most important and influential film authors of the past 30 years.

Tarr is a master of the long take, of wonderfully shot, languid, melancholic films that express the human condition. Here he’s developed an exhibition that is a cross between a film, a theatre set and an installation, aiming to give a voice to the vast numbers of migrants who have been left stranded in Europe over the past two years.

EYE Filmmuseum, until 7 May VAN GOGH RETURNS. THE STOLEN PAINTINGS After a 14 year absence, Van Gogh’s ‘View of the Sea at Scheveningen’ (1882) and ‘Congregation leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen’ (1884-85) will once again be on display at the Van Gogh Museum. The paintings will subsequently undergo restoration.

Van Gogh Museum, until 14 May CITY AT WAR Photos of Amsterdam from 1940-1945, when the city was occupied by the Nazis. The newly found images paint a realistic portrait of what citizens endured during the period, from collaboration to resistance.

Amsterdam City Archives, until 14 May ENRICO BAJ: PLAY AS PROTEST An extensive selection from the works of the Italian artist Enrico Baj (1924-2003). The exhibition displays around 100 of the artist’s works dating from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, which, while looking playful, colourful and humorous, they simultaneously showed his sharp socio-critical attitude.

Cobra Museum, until 14 May JENNIFER TEE See the artwork commissioned for the metro entrance hall at Amsterdam Central Station during a ceremonial exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. Jennifer Tee’s exquisite ‘Tulip Palepai, navigating the river of the world’ is inspired by the pa-

pelai or ship cloths that were customarily hung in the living rooms of Sumatran families.

Demonstrating the fusion of Indonesian and Dutch culture, this interpretation is an intricate assemblage of 100,000 pressed tulip petals.

Rijksmuseum, until 21 May STAR-VU TEN YEARS OF PHOTO ACQUISITIONS THANKS TO BAKER & MCKENZIE The Rijksmuseum showcases photographs from its collection by iconic 20th-century photographers, purchased during the past decade through support by law firm Baker & McKenzie.

These works include internationally renowned artists like Man Ray, William Klein, Lisette Model, André Kertész and Saul Leiter.

Rijksmuseum, until 21 May DE STIJL AT THE STEDELIJK In 2017 Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum joins in a nationwide celebration of 100 years since the art movement known as De Stijl began. This momentous exhibition fills six galleries with works by Piet Mondrian, Gerrit Rietveld, Theo van Doesburg and a host of artists who were influenced by those iconic primary colours and geometric shapes. What’s more, the exhibition explores the relationships between the original De Stijl works and many other artists associated with the museum’s collection, such as Bas Jan Ader and Roy Lichtenstein.

Stedelijk Museum, until 21 May ED VAN DER ELSKEN: CAMERA IN LOVE As one of the early adopters of street photography, Ed van der Elsken offered an unrivaled glimpse into the streets of Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo, and especially the real people who inhabited them. The photographer had the rare ability to draw the viewer into his scenes of everyday life; his images always making a very personal connection with the most interesting personalities on the city streets. This exhibition presents a complete retrospective of his life’s work, curated by Hripsimé Visser, curator of photography at the Stedelijk Museum.

Stedelijk Museum, until 21 May ABN AMRO ART AWARD 2016: MARIJN VAN KREIJ Van Kriej, winner of the 2016 ABN AMRO Art Award, presents ‘Reclining Nude with Man Playing the Guitar’. It’s built around a new series of monumental paintings on paper in which he carefully chose details from late paintings of Picasso to serve as a point of departure.

He copied the fragments meticulously and arranged them into a single repetitive pattern of stacked horizontal rows.

Hermitage, until 28 May TURKISH TULIPS: GAVIN TURK The Dutch national flower is represented as a symbol of

trade and exploration in a new exhibition at Museum Van Loon. The famous Van Loon family were heavily involved in trading with the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Turkish Tulips revisits the impact of this trading history on immigration, globalisation and modern politics. Curator and featured artist Gavin Turk presents his new work alongside pieces by Sir Peter Thomas Blake, Fiona Banner and Damien Hirst.

Museum van Loon, until 29 May FOOD IN WARTIME Between 1940 and 1945 the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. Five Dutch chefs have taken on the challenge of creating dishes using only ingredients that were available during the occupation.

‘Food in Wartime’ offers an exclusive insight into daily life during this time.

Dutch Resistance Museum, until 28 May JEFF COWEN: PHOTOWORKS Huis Marseille presents the first Dutch solo exhibition of American artist, Jeff Cowen. The photographer, now based in Berlin, is inspired by experimenting with chemical processes to manipulate and appropriate the properties of photographic film.

See his latest work concerning sculptors and their subjects.

Huis Marseille, until 4 Jun IN EGYPT – TRAVELLERSAND PHOTOGRAPHERS, 1850-1900 When Dutch explorers set out to travel Egypt in the 19th century, the recent introduction of photography made it possible to preserve what they discovered. Extraordinary views of the Nile, imposing pyramids and the bustling streets of Cairo are documented in this fascinating exhibition of images, collected almost entirely from Dutch collections.

Huis Marseille, until 4 Jun DAISUKE YOKOTA MATTER Daisuke Yokota’s installations revolve around the tactile aspects of photography, where the outcome of the artwork is not determined by the camera, but by experiments with the material forms of the medium. In this exhibition, Yokota focuses on the aspect of volume and material of photography, pushing the medium and its perception forward into ever more original directions. In his new works it’s never the image being reprinted or reinvented, but the physical photo print and film.

Foam, until 4 Jun CHINA Catch a major exhibition of both Chinese and Dutch Outsider Art that has never before been on display in the Netherlands. The exhibition features in excess of 200 exceptional works by Chinese and Dutch artists.

Outsider Art Museum, until 5 Jun

WILLIAM EGGLESTON – LOS ALAMOS In this series of iconic images taken between 1966 and 1974, Foam presents a journey through the southern states of America via the camera lens of US photographer William Eggleston. A pioneer in colour photography renowned for his experimental use of the form, Eggleston transformed everyday scenes into vivid, poetic and mysterious images. The exhibition includes Eggleston’s first colour photograph.

Foam, until 7 Jun THROUGH THE EYES OF OTHERS Micky Hoogendijk has earned an international following for her deeply moving pictures that aim to capture the vulnerability of her subjects. Museum Jan van der Togt in Amstelveen presents a retrospective titled ‘Through the eyes of others’, timed to coincide with the release of her first photography book.

Museum Jan van der Togt, until 9 Jul ACHTER DE GEVELS Photographer Arjan Bronkhorst looks behind the historical facades of Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal houses, showcasing the grand interiors of these palatial homes.

ARCAM, until 11 Jun PRINTS IN PARIS 1900: FROM ELITE TO THE STREET Paris in the Belle Époque was a heady concoction of glitzy nightclubs, haute couture, absinthe-fuelled art and bohemian ideals. It was also a time when printmaking soared to the prestige of high art and prints of La Chat Noir and the Moulin Rouge reached their iconic status. The Van Gogh Museum has one of the largest print collections from 1890 to 1905, and presents them in an exhibition that takes you through the boulevards of Paris at the fin de siècle.

Van Gogh Museum, until 11 Jun 130 YEARS OF CARRÉ Oscar Carré opened his famous Amsterdam theatre on 3 December 1887. Relive the history of this iconic landmark, from circus theatre to the plush surroundings of the modernday Royal Theatre Carré, via a presentation of photos, posters, documents and film fragments.

Amsterdam City Archives, until 11 Jun SAMUEL JESSURUN DEMESQUITA Exhibition of drawings and designs by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, an artist and teacher who lived beside Artis and became renowned for his drawings of animals and caricatures of people. While in Amsterdam, one of his pupils was M.C. Escher. In 1944, the artist and his family were transported to Auschwitz, where they were killed. Escher and family friends were able to sal-

vage many of Mesquita’s works before they were lost.

Jewish Historical Museum, until 11 Jun AN ODE TO MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN Artist and scientist Maria Sibylla Merian had an extraordinary career, particularly for a woman in the 17th century. The Rijksmuseum celebrates her life achievements in the year that marks 300 years since her death. Maria Sibylla Merian’s botanical drawings and research, conducted in Amsterdam and as far as Suriname, led to significant discoveries regarding the life cycle of insects and their reliance on plants. The exhibition displays her illustrations alongside photomontages by art historian Ella Reitsma.

Rijksmuseum, until 13 Jun NALINI MALANI – TRANSGRESSIONS Transparent cylinders that have been painted from the inside are overlaid with video footage and lighting effects in Nalini Malani’s new exhibition: ‘Transgressions’. The artist draws on her own experiences as a refugee during the separation of India and Pakistan, as she navigates themes of migration, globalisation and political upheaval. Walking through the installations takes the viewer on a powerful multisensory experience.

Stedelijk Museum, until 18 Jun LEONARDO DA VINCI – ARTIST – INVENTOR – GENIUS This touring exhibition presents key works from throughout Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime. In terms of exploring the genius of the great inventor, there are more than 60 wooden models representing his most innovative designs and inventions.

These are matched with lifesize reproductions of his most famous paintings, detailing the evolution of his artistic style and offering detailed background information on each work.

Beurs van Berlage, until 20 Jun AMSTERDAM ARCHITECTURE PRIZE Discover the 10 buildings nominated for the Amsterdam Architecture Prize in 2017. The nominees reveal a city in transition. The projects showcase the use of innovative construction methods, new forms of project development and provide a response to Amsterdam’s population growth.

ARCAM, until 25 Jun THE STATE COACH IN THE NETHERLANDS The Van Loon Family travelled in style. See the spectacular golden carriage, which has recently been restored, in the coach house at Museum Van Loon. The exhibition continues through the historical home and includes paintings, archival documents and other

may & june 2017

WORLD PRESS PHOTO The winning images from the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest begin their world tour in Amsterdam each year, presenting a reflection of trends and developments in photojournalism. This collection of images not only presents the (at times gruesome) reality of events on the world stage, but also the beauty of life, sports, art, science and nature. With 2016 regarded as an especially turbulent year by many, the exhibition presents the highs and lows of the human condition around the world – the overall winner is Turkish photographer Burhan Ozbilici.

De Nieuwe Kerk, until 9 Jul A BETTER CITY Amsterdam City Archives presents an exhibition about the ‘Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan van Amsterdam’, which was the expansion plan devised for Amsterdam in the 1930s. Renowned architect Cornelis van Eesteren was a key figure in this urban planning period, which has continued to influence and evolve city developments and neighbourhood growth through to the present.

Amsterdam City Archives, until 16 Jul EVERLASTING FAME A selection of special prints, from the 16th to the 19th centuries, are on display during this informal exhibition. Works by the likes of Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden, Peter Paul Rubens, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Sir Thomas Lawrence can be seen throughout the museum.

Rijksmuseum, until 23 Jul ADAM JEPPESEN Adam Jeppesen travelled far and wide to capture the largescale landscapes in his new self-titled exhibition. The Danish photographer embarked on a journey from the North Pole to the South Pole to create these

Choice exhibit

JUUL KRAIJER – CHIMAERA Throughout 'Chimaera', the body is central to photographer Juul Kraijer's work – never a face or personality. Featuring poses by contortionist Lise Pauton and dancer Camille Mutel, the viewer is confronted with an unsettling artistic research into anatomy. By capturing these seemingly impossible, or at least implausible poses, Kraijer's work resonates with the infinite possibilities of existence.

Huis Marseille, 10 Jun-3 Sep UIT DE VERGETELHEID Photographs by Annemie and Helmuth Wolff, German Jews who fled from Munich to Amsterdam in 1933. As well as photos of the fledgling Schiphol and Port of Amsterdam, they took hundreds of portraits of their neighbours, capturing an insight into Amsterdam life.

National Holocaust Museum, until 3 Sep REMBRANDT AND JAN SIX: THE ETCHING AND FRIENDSHIP An exhibition that celebrates Rembrandt’s friendship with Jan Six. An etching from the museum’s collection features Jan casually reading while leaning against a window, which was an unusual composition during the time of Golden Age portraiture. The etching is representative of the type of friendship the artist had with his subject and his ability to paint with warmth and intimacy.

Rembrandt House Museum, 8 May-3 Sep ANDRES SERRANO The controversial photographer whose previous work has featured corpses, members of the Ku Klux Klan and torture scenes is heading to Amsterdam for an exhibition at Huis Marseille. The New-York based artist is world renowned for his confrontational images, and is even the designer of two album covers for heavy metal band Metallica.

Huis Marseilles, 10 Jun-3 Sep SETH PRICE – SOCIAL SYNTHETIC More than 140 pieces by the New York-based Seth Price are on display at the Stedelijk Museum in a celebration of the artist’s career highlights so far.

The multi-disciplinary works are grounded in contemporary themes such as cultural consumerism and the digitisation of society. Price is well-known for his assemblages that remove

JHAVERI CONTEMPORARY (LONDON/MUMBAI)

IT’S A MEN’S WORLD It may seem like a modern idea, but the ‘man bag’ is actually centuries old. Rummage through the oft-overlooked history of male accessories – from 16th-century belt purses to modern ‘it bags’.

The Museum of Bags & Purses, until 27 Aug

sociated with Bart van der Leck and Piet Mondrian early in his career. He later abandoned the principles of the movement, in favour of figurative works that promoted his left-wing political views. ‘Chris Beekman, De Stijl Defector’, follows the journey of his artistic career with more than 80 works on display.

Stedelijk Museum, until 17 Sep

LIONEL WENDT - CEYLON Lionel Wendt’s images taken in Sri Lanka in the early 20th century are now rare collectors’s items as the negatives were destroyed following the artist's death. The photographer’s experimental techniques and modern compositions have a captivating avant-garde style. After studying in Britain, Lionel Wendt returned to his home in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where he photographed spectacular scenes of island life and cultural rituals. Huis Marseille celebrates the artist’s inspiring oeuvre with a full retrospective.

Huis Marseille, 10 Jun-3 Sep

© XXXXXXXXX © ED VAN DER ELSKEN

DRIVE: 100 YEARS OF COLLECTING If you’ve been pondering why your cupboards are overflowing with Tupperware, this exhibition explores the reasons why we collect and showcase objects. Sometimes it’s by people who want to show off their wealth, other times they simply have an urge to hoard.

A collection can make you feel immortal, or even create a unique microcosm. Naturally, a maritime theme recurs through the exhibition, including an exclusive peek at Reinier Nooms’s 1664 painting ‘Gezicht op het IJ met ’s Lands Zeemagazijn’ – which the museum recently purchased – a life jacket from the Costa Concordia and a letter signed by Dutch naval hero Michiel de Ruyter.

The National Maritime Museum, until 2 Jul

extraordinary images. Details such as scratches on the negatives add a layer of authenticity to the artist’s voyage.

Foam, 16 Jun-27 Aug

LIONEL WENDT. PRIVATE COLLECTION, COURTESY

glimpses into Amsterdam’s past.

Museum van Loon, until 30 Jun

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ROMANOVS & REVOLUTION Travel back in time to St Petersburg 1917, the ultimate turning point in Russia’s history. This exhibition marks 100 years since the beginning of the Russian Revolution. See paintings, clothing and precious objects that belonged to Russia’s last imperial family on display.

Hermitage Amsterdam, until 17 Sep NEW REALITIES Some of the most intriguing photographs of all time were taken shortly after the invention of the camera in 1839.

This exhibition showcases pioneering photographers whose work varies greatly in subject, technique and purpose.

Rijksmuseum, 17 Jun-17 Sep MODERNISM: IN PRINT UvA’s Special Collections looks at a century of Dutch graphic design and the influence of the De Stijl art movement. It features works, old and new, by the likes of Piet Zwart, Dick Elffers, Jurriaan Schrofer, Wim Crouwel and Experimental Jetset.

Special Collections, 16 Jun-1 Oct

MARTIN SCORSESE Each year Amsterdam’s EYE Filmmuseum selects an esteemed director as the subject of a major exhibition.

In 2017, it celebrates the work of Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest filmmakers of the past half-century.

Clips, photographs and memorabilia from films like ’Taxi Driver’, ’Raging Bull’, ’Goodfellas’ and ’The Wolf of Wall Street’ have been curated from his and Robert De Niro’s private collections, to tell the fascinating stories behind the films.

EYE Filmmuseum, 25 May-3 Sep the boundaries between sculpture and video, installation and print, music and poetry.

Stedelijk Museum, until 3 Sep SARAH VAN SONSBEECK In times gone by, the Oude Kerk was one of the few public, covered places where sails and nets could be mended, and a space where naval heroes were buried.

With this exhibition, Sarah van Sonsbeeck invites the sea into the church once more in order to prompt visitors to reflect on the monumental building’s earlier significance, as well as its current meaning of protection and shelter in an era when refugees endure horrific sea crossings.

Oude Kerk, 19 May-17 Sep

ALEPPO Experience a now and then view of Aleppo, the war-torn Syrian city. At the heart of the exhibition is the Tropenmuseum’s own scale model of the historic city, as it was then. This is paired with photographs by renowned photographers like Stanley Greene and Eddy van Wessel, postcards and videos, all providing insights into life in Aleppo before and during the war. Former Aleppo citizens will also host guided tours and share stories .

Check the Tropenmuseum website for schedules.

Tropenmuseum, until 31 Dec SMALL WONDERS An exhibition that urges you to take a closer look. 'Small Wonders' is a collection of rare religious artefacts including figurines, prayer beads, boxwood pendants and other tiny treasures. Each piece is elaborately carved to depict biblical scenes in microscopic detail, demonstrating the immense craftsmanship of the artists.

Rijksmuseum, 17 Jun-17 Sep CHRIS BEEKMAN, DE STIJL DEFECTOR Get to know one of the unsung heroes of the De Stijl art movement during its 100-year celebration. Chris Beekman is a lesser-known artist who was as-

EDWARD KRASINSKI The Stedelijk Museum celebrates the achievements of Polish artist Edward Krasinski with a full retrospective. This exhibition, comprised of sculptures, installations and paintings, demonstrates his position as one of the most innovative artists from Eastern Europe.

His experimental approach led to works that were inspiring, unique and often infused with witty irony.

Stedelijk Museum, 24 Jun-15 Oct VAN KROT TOT WONINGWET These specialists of the Amsterdam School architecture movement examine the living situation of workers in the Netherlands, both before and after the introduction of the Housing Act in 1901. Explore a life-sized hovel, built next to the museum, to discover what living conditions really were like.

Museum Het Schip, permanent BODY ART Body art and body modification, including tattoos and piercings, but also scarification, branding and implants, have a long history and are present in numerous cultures around the globe. This exhibition explores the various meanings and functions of body art, the shifts in beauty ideals and the significance body modification can have in terms of social status or personal identity.~ Tropenmuseum, until 2018

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ Distant Worlds is a celebration made a comeback in 2009, and of the soundtrack from Final they’ve been happily rocking Fantasy, the world’s most prolifout ever since. Must be the SHAWN MENDES ic role-playing-game series. The luck of the Irish.

Wed 10 May, Royal Theatre Canada have yet again given us symphony orchestra, choir and Carré, 20:00, €45-€58 another pop star in the making. renowned vocal and instrumental soloists emulate the series’s This time it’s Shawn Mendes, PVRIS diverse soundtrack stunningly who – despite being just 18 – all led by Grammy AwardThese rockers may have had years old – has already released winning conductor Arnie Roth. to re-stylise their name from two albums that topped the Paris to avoid legal issues, but coveted Billboard 200, includ- We wonder how much XP he’ll get for this one. that doesn’t take anything ing last year’s ‘Illuminate’.

Thur 4 May, AFAS Live, away from PVRIS’s kick-ass Mon 1 May, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €33.85-€72.84 sound, which is a mash-up of 20:00, €34.90-€64.90 beat-heavy rock and dreamy DEPECHE MODE GEORGE CLINTON & electronica. Fans of the band PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC This English electronic band are in luck, as they’ve promised have been going for over 35 to play new tunes from their Joined by his mothership, comyears and were one of the first hotly anticipated second album plete with his a huge funk cast bands to establish a sound on this tour. from the history of Parliament based solely around syntheWed 10 May, Melkweg, Funkadelic, expect around sisers. Now on their 14th re20:30, €17.50 three hours of funk jams from cord, ‘Spirit’, the band show no this revolving cast of music’s TRIBUTE2BOBMARLEY signs of slowing down. freaks and geeks – along with

BY ROOTSIDERS Sun 7 May, Ziggo Dome, a packed audience ready to go 19:45, €64-€89 The legacy of Jamaica’s most with the flow. famous musician continues Mon 1 May, Paradiso, VENICE with the return of the popular 20:30, €35 Californian folk and country Tribute2BobMarley live shows.

POKEY LAFARGE rockers Venice are celebrated Rootsiders, Europe’s top Bob for their strong vocal harmoMaley Tribute band, will make The St. Louis-based singer, nies and Eagles-like tunes. No their triumphant return, this songwriter and multi-instruone loves them as much as the time celebrating the 40-year mentalist draws from a deep anniversary of Marley’s well of American musical tra- Dutch, though – they even beat out megastars U2 and Coldplay seminal ‘Exodus’. ditions to create distinctively for an Edison Award in 2003 Thur 11 May, Melkweg, personal music that’s timeless (the Dutch equivalent of 19.30, €17.50 rather than retro. After a parthe Grammy’s). ticularly successful period with JESCA HOOP Sun 7 May, Royal Theatre Jack White’s Third Man Carré, 20:00, €30-€35 American singer-songwriter Records, LaFarge is now Hoop has a reputation for woowalking his own line.

KONRAD KOSELLECK zy folk, jazz and acoustic pop, Tue 2 May, Paradiso, BIG BAND working with the likes of An20:30, €20 An accomplished jazz pianist drew Bird and Sam Beam (Iron CHRIS POTTER QUARTET and graduate of both Hilver& Wine). Ten years on from her Chris Potter is one creative sax sum and Amsterdam conserva- debut, newest record ‘Memories tories, Konrad Koselleck brings Are Now’ was released in Febplayer, combining technique, his passion, energy and humour ruary, capturing Hoop at her velocity and pace with an efto the fore as the bandleader of strongest to date. fortless flair. His handpicked this ensemble. Their frequent Sat 13 May, Bitterzoet, bandmates – pianist David adventures in Amsterdam’s 21:00, €12 Virelles, bassist Joe Martin and Bimhuis throw up everything drummer Nasheet Waits – give ARIANA GRANDE the artist the harmonic freedom imaginable: jazz, cabaret, musiFrom TV star to pop star, to truly breathe as a musician. cals, pop, rock, funk, Latin and even classical music.

Ariana Grande reached interWed 3 May, Bimhuis, Mon 8 May, Bimhuis, national music success with 20:30, €21-€25 20:30, €16 the release of her 2014 album, SYLVAN ESSO ‘My Everything’. Since then, her BRUNO MARS popularity has only increased.

This American indie-pop duo He may be short, but he’s defiLet's just hope she doesn’t folaren't afraid to embrace elenitely not short of cash: ‘Just low Miley’s lead and jump on a ments of folk pop and electro, the Way You Are’ and ‘Grenade’ wrecking ball any time soon. happily peppering xylophone are two of the most successful Sun 14 & Tues 16 May, Ziggo tones, dance beats and sacchadigital singles of all time. The Dome, 20:00, €39-€49 rine synths throughout their artist's showmanship has been tracks. They’ll be promoting SIMPLE MINDS compared to Michael Jackson their new album ‘What Now’. too, so expect a spectacle when This Scottish rock outfit Wed 3 May, Bitterzoet, he promotes his latest album, released their 17th studio al21:00, €16 ‘24K Magic’ at these two shows. bum last year, which features DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC Tue 9 & Wed 10 May, Ziggo acoustic versions of their most FROM FINAL FANTASY Dome, 20:00, €49-€74 popular songs. The album’s called ‘Acoustic’, but hey, they NATALIE IMBRUGLIA are called Simple Minds. Of advert If you ever wonder what hapcourse, they're still best-known pened to the pop diva who for ‘Don’t You (Forget About brought us the hit ‘Torn’ in the Me)’ from classic ’80s film ‘The Nineties, well, Natalie Imbrug- Breakfast Club’, and other surglia released her first album in ing pop hits from the late ’80s six years, ‘Male’, back in 2015. and early ’90s.

The Aussie singer-songwriter Sun 14 May, Royal Theatre will be promoting it, along with Carré, 20:00, €68-€144 a clutch of favourite covers on JAZZ ORCHESTRA OF this acoustic tour.

THE CONCERTGEBOUW – Wed 10 May, Melkweg, RHYTHM CHANGES WITH 19:30, €27.50 NORA FISCHER AND THE CRANBERRIES REINIER BAAS This Irish band reached fame Nora Fischer’s versatile and with their quirky musical cockvirtuosic voice is a force to be tail of late-Eighties dream pop reckoned with; despite her and melodic post-Smiths indie classical music education, the guitar pop. After a six-year hia- artist can easily adapt her voice 18, 25 MAY tus in the Noughties, the band to suit any occasion – even jazz.

SURTITLED IN ENGLISH

POP & JAZZ

THE MAIDS

It’s a good thing really, as she’ll be complementing jazz compositions from guitar hero Reinier Baas and Amsterdam’s own Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.

Sun 14 May, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:15, €27.50 PAUL CARRACK This British singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist rose to fame in the Seventies as the lead singer of pub-rock band Ace. Since the early ’80s, the pop-rock journeyman has had a fruitful solo career. He’ll be showing off ‘Soul Shadows’, his latest album, at this soulful show.

Mon 15 May, Royal Theatre Carré, 20:00, €34-€39 ASGEIR This young artist’s first release became the fastest-selling Icelandic debut album of all time.

If Bon Iver ever teamed up with Sigur Rós, the end result would probably sound like one of Ásgeir’s dreamy ballads. Following previous sold-out visits to Amsterdam, he’s been promoted to the city’s pop temple itself this time around.

Thur 18 May, Paradiso, 20:30, €25

‘Break on Through’, ‘Roundhouse Blues’ and more.

Sun 21 May, Melkweg, 20:30, €24 ROGER HODGSON Roger Hodgson has released just three records since parting ways with ’70s prog rock band Supertramp. Despite the few-and-far-between releases, he’s remained busy touring – playing a mix of the band’s work and his own stuff alike, so expect to hear classics like ‘Breakfast in America’ and ‘The Logical Song’ alongside his more recent efforts.

Tue 23 & Wed 24 May 2017, Royal Theatre Carré, 20:00, €72 ANOUK Dutch singer-songwriter and record producer Anouk is one of the Netherland’s biggest stars. She even represented the country in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. There are plenty of chances to see what all the fuss is about, as she’s playing not one, not two, but three shows in Amsterdam to show off her newest album.

Wed 24, Sat 27 and Wed 31 May, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €39-€59

COMMUNIONS SONDRE LERCHE This Copenhagen-based indie This Norweigan singer-songfour-piece are known for their writer’s distinctive voice and nostalgic ’80s sound – a sound natural talent for writing catchy that takes poppy vocal melopop tunes have propelled him dies, hook-laden guitar work into musical fame across and a love for the music of yes- Europe and beyond. Now an interyear, and melds it all togeth- die-pop prodigy and wordsmith er in a pot of indie goodness. in his own right, the artist has Thur 18 May, Paradiso, proven time and time again 20:00, €10 that he can make most genres his own, whether it be melodic NERVANA: THE AMERICAN pop or ambient rock.

NIRVANA TRIBUTE Fri 26 May, Sugarfactory, These Boston-based boys 20:00, €12 have been praised for their LONDON CALLING authenticity and reverence for the original artists. Of course, A favourite of music lovers in they’ll be performing hits such Amsterdam, taking place twice as ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and per year in Paradiso, London ‘Lithium’, but expect renditions Calling showcases a collection of lesser-known (better) tracks of bands who’re tipped to make from the original poster boys it big, along with a few more of grunge too. who're making a comeback: Thur 18 May, Q-Factory, pop, rock, electronic and be20:00, €14 yond. In this edition look out for the return of British Sea STORMZY Power from Brighton, the Tame He may have kicked off his Impala-related Aussie rockers MCing career at youth clubs, Pond, new lo-fi punks Priests, but now British grime prodigy and garage rocker Ron Gallo.

Stormzy performs in front of Fri 26 & Sat 27 May, packed crowds across Europe.

Paradiso, londoncalling.nl He’s best-known for his BPI EDDIE VEDDER gold-selling song ‘Shut Up’.

Supporting is genre veteran The quintessential grunge Lethal Bizzle, whose 2017 alfrontman himself – that’s right, bum is the artist’s first release not Kurt – is dazzling the in eight years.

Dutch capital with three shows.

Sun 21 May, Melkweg, Interestingly, his first solo al19:30, €17 bum was the soundtrack of the Sean Penn film ‘Into the Wild’.

THE DOORS ALIVE However, he released another The sound, look and essence album in 2011, ‘Ukelele Songs’, of The Doors are brought back which features folk covers and to life by this top tribute band, original baritone belters alike. conjuring you straight back Sat 27, Mon 29 & Tue 30 May, to the late Sixties. The Doors AFAS Live, 19:45, €99-€125 Alive use precisely the same inPETER BRODERICK struments as The Doors themselves, perfecting the illusion This American songwriter is that you’re right back there in probably tired of being called the summer of love. Expect to quirky but he’s certainly a hard shout and jump along to perfect one to peg. A prolific recordrenditions of ‘Light My Fire’, ing artist, Broderick mixes up

may & june 2017

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MUSIC/POP & JAZZ SNARKY PUPPY Exploratory jazz, funk and rock is the name of the game for Texas-based jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy. The band, who affectionately refer to themselves as ‘the Fam’ have been together for over a decade, with an impressive 11 studio albums in their repertoire.

Mon 5 & Tue 6 Jun 2017, Paradiso, 20:30, €30

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE Canada sure loves its indie supergroups. Just some of the involved musicians in Broken Social Scene have included Feist, members of Metric, Stars and a long list of others. Seven years on since their last record, they're back with new music and a not-yet-defined cast of musicians.

Mon 29 May, Paradiso, 20:30, €19

BUFFALO TOM It's a big year for Boston-based rockers Buffalo Tom. It’s been a quarter of a century since they released their breakthrough album, ‘Let Me Come Over’, so it’s only fair that they celebrate with a massive tour. Expect a mixed bag from their hefty catalogue: melancholic ballads and fist-pumping anthems alike.

Thur 8 Jun, Paradiso, 20:00, €20

THE POWERFEST SUGAR MOUNTAIN This celebration of post-hardPRESENTS core and metalcore features heavy-hitters Sleeping With Sugar Mountain presents yet Sirens, Pierce The Veil, ISSUES another top night of alt-counand Crown the Empire. These try, folk and roots music in bands may be pretty boys with Amsterdam’s very own pop side fringes, but they make temple. This time it’s Nikki some damn good rock music. Lane, Robert Ellis, Julien Baker ISSUES are a particular highand Rivers taking the stage, light, successfully blending two so grab a drink, kick back and genres that have no business enjoy some classic moments of together: RnB and metal.

Americana and bluegrass.

Thur 1 Jun, Melkweg, Sat 10 Jun, Paradiso, 18:00, €30 19:00, €17.50 LITTLE MIX Ever since winning Britain’s ‘The X Factor’ in 2011, these four ladies have toured the world with their polished and prepackaged pop sound. The name Little Mix reflects the low number of changes Simon Cowell allows to his tried and true formula for crafting pop phenomena. Well, if it ain’t broke...

Sat 3 Jun, AFAS Live, 20:00, €44-€69.30

THE LIVING END These Aussie punk rockers have been making music for over two decades now, but they still ooze vitality and raw ferocity – as showcased on their most recent album, last year’s ‘Shift’.

Their beastly cocktail of punk, rockabilly and rock makes them a stand-out band in Australia’s thriving punk scene, and that’s saying something.

Sun 11 Jun, Melkweg, 19:30, €20

KEVIN MORBY ROB ZOMBIE A key member of indie bands Rob Zombie has found success Woods and The Babies, Kevin in directing, writing and acting, Morby has recently stepped but music was where it all beout on his own to release the gan for this horror honcho. He emotive record ‘Singing Saw’. rose to fame as the frontman There’s some strong support of heavy metal band White from Imarhan, a band whose Zombie. Following this, he tunes draw inspiration from embarked on a solo career. The African funk and the pop bands industrial-metal artist is now of the Seventies. six solo albums strong Sun 4 Jun, Paradiso, and loving it.

19:30, €25 Tue 13 Jun, Paradiso, 20:30, €35 advert

Choice pop & jazz

200 and the UK album chart.

Mon 19 Jun, AFAS Live, 20:00, €40 HOUSE OF PAIN The 1990s hip-hop collective are back to celebrate 25 years of their anthem ‘Jump Around’.

If you’ve been wondering what they’ve been up to in the years since, the core of the group had been performing under the name La Coka Nostra, while the bluesy folk of frontman Everlast inspired the mediocre modern-day pop of Rag n Bone Man. Tue 20 Jun, Q-Factory, 20:30, €28.50

DEEP PURPLE From their instantly recognisable ’Smoke on the Water’ riff to their lesser-known ventures into glam-like heavy metal, Deep Purple’s half-century-spanning catalogue has something for every rocker at heart. They finally received their long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, too.

The guys have hinted that this will probably be their last big tour, so follow that ’Highway Star’ and break out the denim and hairspray for one final head-banging hurrah.

Fri 2 Jun, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €49-€59

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD This Australian psychedelic rock band, whose music draws from folk, jazz, soul, folk rock, metal and everything in between – are an anomaly in the music world. Not only are their live performances absolutely nuts, they churn out an insane amount of records. Their current aim is to release five albums in 2017 alone, which is more than most bands release in their entire career!

Tue 20 Jun, Paradiso, 20:30, €15

JUSTIJN STROTHER

field recordings, experimental albums, instrumentals and earnest pop songwriting. On record they’re kept distinctly apart, but onstage you get to experience all aspects of his personality. And it’s a big personality at that, which is why his shows always attract a continuously growing audience.

Sun 28 May, Het Zonnehuis, 20:30, €15

HANS ZIMMER If you’ve seen more than a handful of blockbuster films over the last 20 years, chances are you've heard this German composer’s work. He composed the soundtrack for ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and many others. His score for ‘The Lion King’ even secured him an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The music is matched by a visual/light spectacular.

Wed 21 Jun, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €54-€69

ALDOUS HARDING She’s been a lesser-known folky singer-songwriter till now, but this upcoming New Zealand songstress with a rich, quivering voice looks like having a fantastic year. She’s newly signed to respected English indie label 4AD and is presenting her new album ’Party’, which was produced

by John Parish (of PJ Harvey fame). This first round of European dates starts off in intimate and pretty locations - this bright white church on the outskirts of Amsterdam isn't a frequent host of concerts - but don’t be surprised to see her headlining much bigger rooms by winter.

Sun 28 May, Schellingwouderkerk, 20:00, €10

DINOSAUR JR. PRIMAL SCREAM This Massachusetts band Primal Scream’s career didn’t has enjoyed something of a cult fully kick off until singer Bobby indie following since the ’80s.

Gillespie ended his drumming The signature Dinosaur Jr. career with The Jesus and Mary sound is melodic tunes Chain. After that, however, the saturated in layers of guitar Scotsmen solidified their role noise and punctuated by J as one of the pioneering bands Mascis’s elaborate yet laconic of the indie-pop scene of the guitar solos. Since Mascis Eighties. They’ll be showing off and co-founder Lou Barlow last year’s ‘Chaosmosis’ at the reunited in the mid-2000s, upcoming show. they’ve released four critically Thur 15 Jun, Melkweg, acclaimed albums - arguably 19:30, €27.50 gaining more credit and A NIGHT IN INDONESIA fandom in their modern-day post-grunge state.

Immerse yourself in the nightWed 14 Jun, Paradiso, life and songs of Indonesia at 20:30, €20 this event, which showcases an eclectic variety of the region’s

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS The New Pornographers and their explicitly pop tunes have attracted a wide following since they first got together in 1999. It’s little surprise given that this Canadian indie rock supergroup is comprised of musicians who also record and perform with popular acts like Destroyer, A.C. Newman and are often joined by country singer-songwriter Neko Case, too. They’re arriving back in Amsterdam in support of new record ’Whiteout Conditions’ without Destroyer’s Dan Bejar.

But with their always-fluid line-up, that won't dilute the energy and harmonies in the slightest.

Wed 10 May, Tolhuistuin, 20:30, €20 music. Expect traditional Indonesian beats and percussion, but prepare to be surprised by Western elements of pop, folk, rock and electro, too.

Fri 16 Jun, Paradiso, 20:00, €18-€26 THE 1975 Since releasing their first EP in 2012, Brit rockers The 1975 have achieved much more success than they ever expected. Their mix of rock and pop – coupled with their relatable lyrics – has propelled the band into international stardom.

Their 2016 album ‘I Like It When You Sleep...’ even made number one on the Billboard

HEARTH Hearth is a jazz-infused musical collaboration between young improv prodigies from Amsterdam and Norway: Mette Rasmussen (alto sax), Ada Rave (sax), Susana Santos Silva (trumpet) and Kaja Draksler (piano).

Thur 22 Jun, Bimhuis, 20:30, €18 IDINA MENZEL As well as being a Broadway star and actor, this leading lady is also an established pop star, with a strong repertoire of solo albums up her multi-talented sleeve. She’s currently touring to promote her eponymous fifth album, ‘Idina’, which is bound to resonate with pop enthusiasts and fans of her stage work alike.

Mon 23 Jun, Royal Theatre Carré, 20:00, €44-€74 TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS Born in 1942, Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert became famous for his inimitable soulful reggae style, creating passionate melodic rocksteady and ska since the early ’60s. They’ve been covered countless times over the decades, from The Specials to Amy Winehouse, but this sum-

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ/CLASSICAL mer show is the perfect way to of classical music.

Baroque musician Lars Ulrik experience the energy and spirit Wednesdays, Royal Mortensen will be conducting of tracks like ‘Pressure Drop’ Concertgebouw, 12:30, free and playing the harpsichord. and ‘Funky Kingston’.

Sat 6 May, Muziekgebouw aan REMEMBRANCE DAY AND Mon 26 Jun, Paradiso, 't IJ, 20:15, €34 LIBERATION DAY CONCERTS 20:30, €27.50 GEELVINCK SALON IN A variety of orchestras and JOHN FOGERTY – 1969 THE CROMHOUTHUIS choirs will pay musical tribute Most know John Fogerty as the to the Second World War at Cellist Larissa Groeneveld and lead vocalist, guitarist these free concerts. The perfor- pianist Frank van de Laar have and songwriter for monumenmances will take place across been a successful music duo tal rock band Creedence many of Amsterdam’s iconic Clearwater Revival. After their classical venues, including the seminal run ended in 1972, Royal Concertgebouw, Fogerty turned to writing solo Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ and tunes in the form of country De Schutse. The largest concert and swamp rock music.

– which will be attended by the Almost 45 years and eight King and Queen – takes place albums later, it’s safe to say he’s on 5 May on a floating podium enjoying himself.~ on the Amstel.

Wed 28 Jun, Ziggo Dome, Thurs 4 and Fri 5 May, 20:00, €60-€89 various locations, 09:00, free

BORODIN QUARTET The predecessors of the current Borodin Quartet had a close working relationship with Shostakovich. Today, the Moscow-based quartet comes to the Concertgebouw in its current incarnation to play the composer’s Ninth and 11th String Quartets, plus works by Schubert and Tchaikovsky.

Choice classical

CLASSICAL SINGING IN DE HALLEN Every first Sunday of the month, choirs perform in the central passage of De Hallen.

Sun 7 May & 4 Jun, De Hallen, 16:00, free SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE CONCERT The twice-monthly Sunday morning ‘Coffee Concerts’ at Amsterdam’s Pianola Museum offer a chance to hear the pianola in action.

Sun 28 May, 11 & 25 Jun, Pianola Museum, 12:00, €8

REMEMBRANCE DAY CONCERT On occasion of Remembrance Day, writer and former politician Jan Terlouw ruminates about the vulnerability of our freedom (in Dutch), followed by music featuring that most fragile, yet most powerful of instruments: the human voice.

Cappella Amsterdam, the Nationaal Vrouwen Jeugdkoor (National Women’s Youth Choir) and singer Nora Fischer perform works by Des Prez, Poulenc, Ravel and De Leeuw, framed by two parts from Rossini’s optimistic Petite messe solennelle.

Thur 4 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 21:15, €12.50-€15

YUJA WANG PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY'S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 A star of her generation, the Chinese pianist Yuja Wang joins the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia from Rome for Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. Antonio Pappano conducts.

Tue 9 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €48-€126

NETHERLANDS RADIO CHOIR – ERIC WHITACRE’S SAGRADA FAMILIA The Netherlands Radio Choir performs Sagrada Familia, a new commission by American composer Eric Whitacre. Other works by Whitacre, such as Lux aurumque and Sleep, are also on the programme.

Sat 13 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 14:15, €33-€38 ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA – SHOSTAKOVICH’S EIGHTH The RCO performs Shostakovich’s unapologetically tragic Eighth Symphony (which got him into trouble with the Soviet officials and was banned for years). Before the interval, it’s Denis Kozhukhin’s solo debut with the orchestra in Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto.

Jaap van Zweden conducts.

Wed 17 & Thur 18 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €33-€141.90

ASKO|SCHÖNBERG CHAMBER SYMPHONY In 1906, legendary Austrian composer Arnold Schönberg wrote his groundbreaking Chamber Symphony No.1 – a key piece of modern music that to this day continues to inspire.

In addition to a performance of this monumental work, watch its inspiration unfold as young composer Jan-Peter de Graaff premieres his own composition, Wed 10 May, Royal Concertge- ‘Ripples’ – with Etienne Siebens conducting and Hans bouw, 20:15, €38-€60 Woudenberg on cello.

CALEFAX – MORE Thur 18 May, Muziekgebouw MOVING MUSIC aan 't IJ, 20:15, €31 Visual and audio spectacles collide with ‘More Moving Music’. THE MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY CONCERT CHOIR Dutch reed quintet Calefax are The Mansfield University joining forces with visual artist Concert Choir – all the way Jaap Drupsteen to craft a striking palette of sight and sound. from Pennsylvania, USA – are a The programme includes com- select ensemble that represent some of the finest gospel talent positions by Erik Satie, Raaf the American Northeast has to Hekkema and The National’s offer. Led by Dr Peggy DettwilBryce Dessner. er, the talented young group Thur 11 May, Muziekgebouw will be performing works by aan 't IJ, 20:15, €31 Josquin des Prez, Tomás Luis AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA de Victoria, Felix Mendelssohn – GENTILHOMBRE PABLO and more – and they’ll even be SÁINZ VILLEGAS throwing in an American folk song or two.

Sáinz Villegas is considered to be one of today’s greatest guitar Fri 19 May, English Reformed Church, 13:00, free talents and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta have constructed NORTH NETHERLANDS a wide-ranging programme SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & around him with works by ALEXANDER GAVRYLYUK Ralph Vaughan Williams, Joaquín Rodrigo, Luigi Boccherini, The renowned Russian pianist and the orchestra from GronÁstor Piazzolla, Nino Rota and ingen perform Rachmaninoff ’s Joseph Canteloube.

Rhapsody on a Theme of PaFri 12 May, Muziekgebouw ganini. Also on the programme: aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €37 Johan Wagenaar’s overture for JOSHUA AND ALISA WEIL- Cyrano de Bergerac and the OrERSTEIN: SHOSTAKOVICH gan Symphony by Saint-Saëns, for which the musicians are Joshua Weilerstein conducts the Netherlands Philharmonic joined by famous Dutch organist Leo van Doeselaar.

Orchestra and is joined by his sister, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, Sat 20 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €32-€40 for Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. John Adams’s Short JERUSALEM QUARTET & Ride in a Fast Machine and MATAN PORAT Fanfare for Orchestra, as well The Jerusalem Quartet joins as Rachmaninoff ’s Second forces with pianist Matan Porat Symphony, are on the pro-

AMSTEL CONCERT Liberation Day traditionally concludes with one of the biggest events of the day, the Amstel Concert. Musicians from various genres perform light classical, pop and traditional music on an enormous floating podium, with the stately Royal Theatre Carré in the background. The concert will be attended by the King and Queen, as well as all volunteers of the 4 and 5 May festivities, and it is free for everyone.

Fri 5 May, Amstel, 20:00, free

AMSTEL CONCERT Liberation Day traditionally concludes with one of the biggest events of the day, the Am- for over 30 years. Witness their stel Concert. Musicians from unique musical connection as various genres perform light they perform Bach’s Sonata No. classical, pop and traditional 3 and their own innovative spin music on an enormous floating on Beethoven’s works. podium, with the stately Royal Sun 7 May, Cromhouthuis, KAVAKOS AND BEETHOVEN Theatre Carré in the back16:45, €18-€21 WITH THE CONCERTGEground. The concert will be atGRIGORY SOKOLOV BOUW ORCHESTRA tended by the King and Queen, as well as all volunteers of the Grigory Sokolov, one of today’s Violinist and Brahms specialist 4 and 5 May festivities, and is greatest pianists, comes to AmLeonidas Kavakos joins the free for everyone. sterdam as part of the ConcertConcertgebouw Orchestra for that composer’s Violin Concerto Fri 5 May, Amstel, 20:00, free gebouw’s Master Pianists series.

Sun 7 May, Royal Concertgeand Beethoven’s Eroica HOLLAND BAROQUE, LARS bouw, 20:15, €60-€75 Symphony. Myung-Whun ULRIK MORTENSEN – Chung conducts.

DRAMA IN THE BAROQUE SOVIET CINEMA – ARSENAL Wed 3 & Sun 7 May, Royal Holland Baroque will be in Strings and electronics alike Concertgebouw, 20:15/14:15, their element at this concert, complement the climax of Sovi€27.50-€88 as they’ll be performing some et film ‘Arsenal’ at this concert.

LUNCH-TIME CONCERT of the genre’s seminal 18thThe film tells the heart-wrenchcentury compositions, includ- ing story of a homeward-bound The Concertgebouw’s free ing works by Francesco Dufront-line soldier of the Great lunch-time concerts are a War. Belgian composer Eric much-loved fixture on the cal- rante, Franz Xaver Richter and Antonio Vivaldi. Established Sleichim and sax quartet endar of the town’s lovers BL!NDMAN offer up an accompanying score of 20th- and 21st-century epics, including works by Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Schnittke, Andriessen, Pärt and Cage.

Sun 7 May, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:15, €25 PATRICIA KOPATCHINSKAJA The young, successful AustroMoldovan violinist performs a personal programme with works by Bach, Kurtág and others.

Wed 3 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €34-€54

gramme after the interval.

Sat 13 & Sun 14 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15/14:15, €23-€54

may & june 2017

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ/CLASSICAL Choice classical

to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Dvorák’s birth year, with a programme featuring the Terzetto in C major, the String Quartet no. 13 and the Piano Quintet no. 2.

Sat 20 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €34-€54

the programme. Andrey Boreyko conducts.

Sat 27 & Mon 29 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €23-€54

THE DE BIE FAMILY TRIO – SWEELINCK TO RACHMANINOV BACH ORCHESTRA OF THE The talented De Bie family – NETHERLANDS – ROYAL MUfeaturing 15-year-old pianist SIC BY HÄNDEL & PURCELL and organist Alexander de Baroque specialists the Bach Bie, pianist Jack de Bie and Orchestra of the Netherlands soprano Andrea Wittchen – will and their conductor Pieter Jan be performing organ works by Leusink hark back to the days Sweelinck, Bach, Beethoven, of Georgian glory on the River Chopin, Rachmaninov and Thames with a performance more at this uplifting concert. of Händel’s Water Music and Sun 28 May, English Reformed a number of arias by Händel Church, 15:15, €10-€17.50 and Purcell. With soprano Olga JOHN ADAMS CONDUCTS JOHN ADAMS CALEFAX REED QUINTET – Zinovieva, countertenor Sytse DIE KUNST DER FUGE Buwalda and trumpeter John Adams himself comes to Amsterdam‘s Concertgebouw Frank Anepool.

In the three decades of their to conduct the Dutch premiere of his Saxophone Concerto, Sun 21 May, Royal Concertgeexistence, these inventors of which pays homage to Stan Getz and Charlie Parker – both bouw, 14:15, €25-€75 the reed quintet form have had heroes of his youth. Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine is hundreds of works written for also on the programme, as are Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and ARCADI VOLODOS them, but they have also reStravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements.

As part of the Concertgebouw’s worked existing compositions.

Sat 6 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 14:15, €33-€38 Master Pianists series, reBach’s masterful Kunst der nowned virtuoso Arcadi VoloFuge is one especially interdos comes to Amsterdam to twined within their oeuvre. perform Schumann’s Papillons, Tue 30 May, Royal ConcertgeBrahms’s Acht Klavierstücke bouw, 20:15, €30-€48 and Schubert’s Sonata in A. Sun 21 May, Royal Concertge- CAMERATA RCO – MOZART bouw, 20:15, €60-€75 Three Mozart piano concertos in chamber music setting.

THE AUTHENTIC Wed 31 May, Royal ConcertgeRUSSIAN SONG bouw, 20:15, €17-€30 Take an artful journey into JÖRG WIDMANN’S Russian classical music at OPERA BABYLON this concert. Baritone Sergei Leiferkus and soprano Olesya The Netherlands Radio Golovnev, accompanied by Philharmonic, the Groot OmCOLLEGIUM VOCALE GENT HOLLAND FESTIVAL PROMS skilled pianist Semyon Skigin, roepkoor and the Netherlands The Collegium Vocale Gent This epic ‘mini festival’ will will be performing works by Chamber Choir perform the is one of the leading vocal offer classical aficionados and Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander large-scale opera by German ensembles specialised in newbies alike a day and night Borodin, Sergei Rachmaninoff composer Jörg Widmann, and Dmitri Shostakovich. which premiered in Munich in old music. It was founded in of music and magic. Unlike Fri 26 May, Muziekgebouw 2012. Markus Stenz conducts; 1970 by Philippe Herrewetypical Concertgebouw peraan 't IJ, 20:15, €40 the soloists are soprano Marisol ghe, whose 70th birthday formances, this one will offer a Montalvo as Inanna, soprano is celebrated with this conpromenade-style experience CONCERTO KÖLN: VIVALDI Guibee Yang as Die Seele, cert. But that’s not all: this without any chairs on the main AND TELEMANN tenor Jussi Myllys as Tammu, year also marks the 500th floor of the world-famous Vivaldi’s heart-rending Stabat bass-baritone Robert Bork as anniversary of Martin Luther concert hall. The line-up veers Mater, expressing Maria’s grief Priesterköning/Der Tod, soat the death of Jesus, is perprano Gabriele Schnaut as Euposting his 95 theses on a from spine-tingling classical formed alongside other works phrat, countertenor Kai Wessel church door, thus starting the greats such as the Netherlands

by Vivaldi and by Telemann, as Skorpionmensch, bass-bariReformation. Accordingly, Radio Philharmonic Orchestra including the latter’s overture tone Franz Mazura and tenor the Collegium performs through to a tech-embracing and conclusion of Tafelmusik.

Steven Ebel as Priester.

Bach’s Lutheran Missa Brevis virtual-reality concert. You Attilio Cremonesi conducts.

Sat 3 Jun, Royal Concertgeand several cantatas, among can choose to attend just one Sat 27 May, Royal Concertgebouw, 13:00, €39-€45 which Eine feste Burg ist un- concert or nab a pass for the bouw, 14:15, €39-€45 JONAS KAUFMAN ser Gott, also known as the whole thing. Check out the THE NAARDEN ORCHESTRA Star tenor Jonas Kaufmann ‘Reformation cantata’. website for the full schedule.

– SPRING CONCERT has never performed solo in Sun 14 May, Royal Concertge- 24 Jun, Royal Concertgebouw, The enthusiastic Naarden Or- the Netherlands so the Holland bouw, 20:15, €35-€79.50 15:00, €10-€125 chestra have been around for Festival has invited him to over half a century now, and make a rare appearance with – despite being a semi-profesThe Hague Philharmonic.

An die ferne Geliebte. of practice between lectures sional ensemble – their expeSpecial guest will be the interSat 6 Jun, Royal Concertgeand seminars to craft a concert rience certainly shows in their nationally acclaimed Dutch bouw, 20:15, €30-€47 that'll appeal to any self-concharismatic collective playing soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, fessed classical connoisseur.

ZAÏDE QUARTET style. The programme for this who Kaufmann has performed The programme features work year’s spring concert boasts frequently with in Covent The quartet plays Haydn’s String by Bizet, Fauré, Holst, Strauss works by Luigi Cherubini, JoGarden and the Quartet in E-flat major (op. 20, and Grieg. hannes Verhulst and Metropolitan Opera.

No. 1), Bartók’s Third String Thur 8 Jun, Oosterkerk, Gabriel Fauré.

Sun 4 Jun, Royal ConcertgeQuartet and Schubert’s String 20:00, free Sat 27 May, De Duif, bouw, 15:00, €100-€120 Quartet No. 15 in G major.

MARGARET LENG TAN 20:15, €18.50 Wed 7 Jun, Royal ConcertgeMARK PADMORE & bouw, 20.15, €29-€46 The American composer NETHERLANDS PHILHARKRISTIAN BEZUIDENHOUT – George Crumb (1929) is conMONIC ORCHESTRA & SCHWANENGESANG LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC sidered to be one of the most LUCAS DEBARGUE STUDENTS’S UNION Tenor Mark Padmore and forteimportant musical innovators CAMERATA Pianist Lucas Debargue joins pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout of our time and is a focal point the orchestra for Rachmanimake a renowned Schubert team In this free concert, the LCMfor this year’s Holland Festival. noff ’s Piano Concerto No. for the composer’s swansong – a SUC will be flaunting their This programme showcases 4, followed by Tchaikovsky’s posthumous cycle of Schubert’s skills by playing some of the ‘Metamorphoses, Book I’, his Symphony No. 4. Les offrandes last 14 songs. Before the interval, all-time greats of classical long-awaited new work for oubliées ‘méditation sympho- there are a number of Beethoven music. The talented students amplified piano, written specifnique’ by Messiaen is also on pieces, including the stirring have squeezed countless hours ically for pianist Margaret Leng

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Tan, as well as works by Henry Cowell and John Cage.

Fri 9 Jun, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:30, €26-€29 ROBOTS/NON/ROBOTS Avant-garde orchestra Ensemble Musikfabrik, electronica pioneers Mouse on Mars, conductor André de Ridder and an array of percussion robots take to the stage for the Holland Festival. Together they explore the no man’s land between electronic dance music and contemporary classical.

Sat 10 Jun, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:30, €28-€31 SETAN JAWA Taking inspiration from the haunting, atmospheric films of the 1920s, ‘Setan Jawa’ is a brilliant silent film brought to life with live orchestral music.

The film tells the story of a man living in poverty-stricken Java who consults a mystical Setan Jawa (Javanese devil) in order to win the heart of a wealthy girl.

Sun 18 & Mon 19 Jun, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, €33-€36 MATANGI QUARTET – DMITRI SHOSTAKOVITCH Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich was a latecomer to the world of strings composition; by the time he wrote his first strings piece in 1938, he’d already composed five symphonies and two operas. At this concert, Dutch string ensemble Matangi Quartet will be performing the iconic composer’s initial three works in the style.

Sun 18 Jun, Amstelkerk, 15:30, €17.50-€25 ORCHESTER-FINALISTEN In 1996 Karlheinz Stockhausen wrote ‘Orchester-Finalisten’ for ensemble and electronics, especially for the Holland Festival.

The musicians in this theatrical concert work – students from the Royal Conservatoire – depict finalists in a contest ‘auditioning’ with solos.

Tue 20 Jun, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:30, €26-€29 OPERA IN THE PARK: SALOME Amsterdam’s idyllic Park Frankendael will be filled with the music of Strauss’s ‘Salome’. It gives the audience a chance to experience a screening of one of the Holland Festival highlights for free. Bring a picnic and enjoy the incomparable talent of the Dutch National Opera.

Wed 21 Jun, Park Frankendael, 20:00, free GAVRYLYUK, STRAVINSKY AND PIETARI INKINEN’S FIRST APPEARANCE WITH THE RCO This concert marks the coveted Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s debut performance with esteemed Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen and virtuoso Russian-Australian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk. The programme features compositions

by Kurtág, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Bartók.

Fri 23 Jun, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €23-€48

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

STAGE THEATRE, DANCE & COMEDY EASYLAUGHS This international comedy group performs a hilarious, hi-octane, completely improvised show at the CREA Café every Friday night. There’s also an early bird show, guest performers from around the world, various formats, themes and open podiums.

Every Fri, CREA, 20:00 & 21:00, €5-€10 PUB QUIZ XL Pub Quiz XL is exactly what it says on the tin... a pub quiz on a grand scale. It’s certainly regarded as the biggest quiz in Amsterdam, in which up to 30 teams of five will compete to win fun prizes. Between the rounds, expect live acts and entertainment, all hosted by charismatic quizmaster O-Dog. Please note that the quiz is in Dutch, but surtitled to be accessible to international audiences.

Tue 9 May, Boom Chicago, 20:00, €10-€20 (or €2.50 to watch) STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW IN ENGLISH The clue’s in the title. Standup comedy from a selection of performers, all in English.

Every Thur, Comedy Café, 20:30, €10-€12.50 AMSTERDAM MAGIC SHOW The Amsterdam Magic Show is the city’s first and only theatre show combining worldclass magic and comedy. Taking place in an atmospheric cabaret theatre in the heart of the old city, the monthly show brings together some of the best international magic and comedy acts on the circuit.

Tue 2 May & 6 Jun, Paleis van de Weemoed, various times, €25 BEST OF BOOM After more than 20 years of laughs and cultural silliness in Amsterdam, the Boom Chicago comedy crew presents ‘Best of Boom’. This highlights package combines the troupe’s sharpest sketches and trademark improvisation for a twohour show that starts big and never slows down.

Wed-Sat, Boom Chicago, various times KRIS VERDONCK – I/II/III/IIII The dancers in ‘I/II/III/IIII’ showcase their considerable talent as they defy gravity in a type of human puppet show.

The piece is led by Belgian choreographer Kris Verdonck.

A solo, a duet, a trio and a quartet see the dancers manoeuvre themselves like graceful marionettes.

Fri 5 & Sat 6 May, De Meervaart, 20:15, €11.50-€23 HOLLAND & LE CHAT NOIR With a flair for theatrics and exciting a crowd, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam is set to

mesmerise audiences once again. In this two-part performance choreographed by Ed Wubbe, Holland revisits the Dutch Golden Age, while Le Chat Noir is an ode to the French cabaret of the same name, complete with can-can dancers, humorous solos and outrageous costumes.

Fri 5-Sun 7 May, Stadsschouwburg, various times, €10-€35 SHOT OF IMPROV Shot of Improv sees the entire Boom Chicago cast take to the stage, so the laughs are guaranteed to keep on comin’.

Completely different each week, it’s a show that starts big and never slows down.

Every Sat, Boom Chicago, 22:30, €15 JOHAN GOOSSENS – DARKROOM DIARIES In this English-spoken show, Dutch comedian Johan Goossens playfully spills the beans on Amsterdam's LGBT nightlife. Naturally, you should expect tales of a raunchy, quirky and provocative nature (to say the least) as he reveals all about the darkrooms of the Dutch capital.

Wed 10 & Thur 11 May, Theater Bellevue, 20:30, €16.50 MICHAEL MCINTYRE Michael McIntyre is one of the most popular comedians in Britain. His relatable, energetic and loud humour launched the jolly fat man to stardom back in 2009. In 2012, he was even reported to be the highest-grossing comedian in the world. His remarkable success led to him judging on ‘Britain's Got Talent’ and scoring his very own BBC One series.

Sat 13 May, AFAS Live, 20:00, €39.60-€ 53.90 INTRODANS – MONUMENTAAL Those who prefer their ballet modern and minimal are in for a treat with this four-part performance by Introdans.

Featuring some of today’s most innovative choreography, it presents works by Czech choreographer Jirí Kylián, post-modern minimalist Lucinda Childs and the Netherlands’s own Regina van Berkel.

Mon 15 May, Stadsschouwburg, 20:30, €10-€35 ASHTON BROTHERS Although perhaps not so well known internationally, this slapstick comedy troupe have been responsible for a fantastic run of elaborate shows throughout the past decade.

Language has never been a problem either. The notactual brothers have taken their Buster Keaton-worthy ideas abroad before, as their energetic combinations of acrobatics, magic, music and general clowning about is clearly open to all ages and cultures.

Thur 18-Sun 21 May, DeLaMar Theater, various times, €19.50-€29.50

DE MEIDEN A dark drama brought to Amsterdam by acclaimed English theatre director, Katie Mitchell. ‘De Meiden’ (The Girls) tells the story of two maids with murderous intentions, based on the 1947 play by Jean Genet. The visually rich performance, based on a real murder case, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Performances are in Dutch but with English surtitles on these dates.

Thur 18 & 25 May, Stadsschouwburg, 20:30, €10-€36.50 RICHARD GADD One of the big hits of the 2016

JIM NORTON This American jokester is known for his biting political incorrectness, so get ready to be shocked, amused and possibly confused. His raw, edgy and unashamedly brash comedy has won him legions of fans around the world, and he even recently secured a Netflix comedy special.

Wed 31 May, De Meervaart, 20:15, €29.50

OBSESSION Jude Law swaps the big screen for the stage, taking the lead role in Ivo van Hove’s new theatre production, ‘Obsession’.

The darkly romantic crime drama is one of the highlights of this year’s Holland Festival and is expected to sell out quickly.

Thur 8 Jun-Sun 18 Jun, Royal Theatre Carré, various times, €29.50-€50

WHAT DO WE KNOW GrossDanceCompany explores issues faced by asylum seekers and links them to the works of Kafka. ‘What do we know’ tells the story of a group of people who take a long and exhaust-

FLEXN The world’s latest dance phenomenon, Flex, travels from the streets of Brooklyn to Amsterdam. See the dancers contort their limbs into extraordinary positions to a soundtrack of reggae, pop and hip-hop, with exclusive choreography by Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray, a pioneer of Flex dance.

Fri 9 & Sat 10 Jun, Stadsschouwburg, 20:30, €23-€33

Choice theatre

NKENGUEGI An emotive story of cultural displacement and the plight of refugees is the subject of this performance by Congolese playwright and director Dieudonné Niangouna.

Elements of traditional African storytelling are woven throughout the performance.

Tue 13 & Wed 14 Jun, Stadsschouwburg, 20:00, €21-€29 RIGOLETTO The Dutch National Opera performs one of Verdi’s ultimate masterpieces, the tragic tale of the Duke of Mantua and his court jester. Rigoletto is the cursed jester of the Duke of Mantua’s court - based on King Francis I in Victor Hugo’s controversial play, ’Le Roi S’amuse’. When Rigoletto’s beautiful daughter Gilda falls in love with the Duke, she meets a tragic end trying to save him. The stunning and dramatic opera is often described as Shakespearean in its rich characterisation and universal themes.

Tue 9 May-Mon 5 Jun, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, various times, €22-€165 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Richard Gadd bring his eye-opening confessional comedy to Amsterdam. This show is titled ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ and performed from a treadmill as he explores the meaning and effects of masculinity in today’s world.

Sun 21 May, Toomler, 20:30, €16.50 DA BOUNCE COMEDY NIGHTS Da bounciest comedy night in Amsterdam is back, with this edition focusing on humourists from North America.

And let’s face it: with all the recent goings-on in the country, they’re bound to have a wealth of side-splitting material for us.

Fri 26 May, De Meervart, 20:30, €25

ROSS NOBLE With his wild eyes, flailing locks and untameable Geordie accent, this charismatic Brit made a name for himself appearing on panel shows such as ’Have I Got News for You’ and ’QI’, as well as countless sold-out stand-up tours around the world. His unique blend of surrealist comedy, improv and streamof-conscious storytelling make his live shows truly something to behold. And with his new show titled ’Brain Dump’, anything and everything goes, always turning out differently.

Wed 24 May, De Meervaart, 20:00, €27.50-€31.90 ing trip before navigating the procedures, protocols and experiences that come with being a refugee.

Wed 31 May, Theatre Bellevue, 20:30, €17 HOLLAND FESTIVAL This leading international performance arts festival provides Dutch and international theatregoers with a survey of the best and most widelyacclaimed performance pieces from around the world – plus a bunch of world premieres. It offers a heady mix of theatre, music, dance, opera, film and visual arts, as well as Western and non-Western performance pieces in various languages.

See our feature on page 20 for more details, and get the full programme on their website.

Sat 3-Sun 25 Jun, various locations, hollandfestival.nl

SHOSTAKOVICH TRILOGY The Dutch National Ballet presents the evocative Shostakovich Trilogy, performed for the first time in Europe as part of the Holland Festival. The ballet is described as choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s most personal work, delving into his complicated ties with his homeland and life under Stalin’s regime.

Sat 17-Fri 30 Jun, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, various times, €15-€61 DEMOLISHING EVERYTHING WITH AMAZING SPEED Puppeteer Dan Hurlin works his magic at Compagnietheater for three unmissable performances. Tapping into the darker side of the human psyche. The play is based on four works written in 1917 by the leader of the futurist movement, Fortunato Depero.

The tragicomedy confronts the audience with a suicidal alcoholic, a couple intent on tearing each other apart and a violent shooting.

Wed 21-Fri 23 Jun, Compagnietheater, 20:30, €26 THE NAKED SHIT SONGS Experimental ‘retropera’ titled ‘The Naked Shit Songs’ is an innovative new work by Huba de Graaff. The opera is based on a recorded interview between filmmaker Theo van Gogh and artist duo Gilbert & George. Catch its world premiere as the Holland Festival draws to a close.

Thur 22 & Fri 23 Jun, Stadsschouwburg, 20:00, €18-€26

may & june 2017

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FESTIVALS FESTIVALS EVENTS MUSEUM MARKET This design market on Amsterdam’s Museumplein offers fashion, accessories, textiles, homewares, jewellery, stationery and much more, all by local designers. When you’re done shopping, grab a bite of food and enjoy some live music or performances.

Sun 21 May & 18 Jun, Museumplein, museummarket.nl TULP FESTIVAL Despite their fame, it takes a bit more effort to track down tulips in the streets and gardens of Amsterdam nowadays.

But there can never be enough tulips, and so every spring, this festival celebrates the famous flower and ensures it blooms all over the city. Until mid-May, more than 500,000 colourful and occasionally rare tulips can be seen in the gardens of museums, private homes and other city institutions.

Until 14 May, various locations, tulpfestival.com SPRINGSNOW FESTIVAL Every year, Amsterdam’s elm trees scatter a blanket of blossom over the city’s streets: a phenomenon that has come to be known as ‘spring snow’.

This celebration of spring includes a walking route past the city’s elm highlights, exhibitions and side programmes.

Until 21 May, various locations, springsnow.nl INTERNATIONAL JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL This celebration of Jewish music promises the customary blend of top-class concerts (from renaissance to pop and classical to klezmer) and workshops. A major element of the festival is the International Jewish Music Competition, which never fails to attract acclaimed musicians from all over Europe.

Thur 4-Mon 8 May, various locations, ijmf.org KINDERBEVRIJDINGSFESTIVAL This special Liberation Day festival in Vondelpark is especially for the kids. Enjoy a splash of music, a dash of theatre and plenty of colour and laughs.

Fri 5 May, Vondelpark Open Air Theatre, openluchttheater.nl HET VRIJE WESTEN One of the largest Liberation Day events in Amsterdam, Het Vrije Westen is the place to be for music fans. This free event features live sets from upcoming and established Dutch acts, from singer-songwriters and rock bands to hip-hop and soul.

Fri 5 May, Westergasfabriek, hetvrijewesten.eu VRIJLAND FESTIVAL Celebrate freedom at the Vrijland Festival. In 2017 the

musical programming features seven main musical areas, so expect plenty of house, techno and ‘bass ‘n’ beats’. The festival typically also houses a market featuring pop-up stores, a mini theatre, a host of other performance surprises and plenty of fantastic food and drink.

Fri 5 May, Blijburg, vrijlandfestival.nl AMSTERDAM KOOKT Delicious snacks, food trucks, tasting sessions, good wine, a beer garden and cooking workshops are all in place here. Amsterdam Kookt also offers a music programme.

Fri 5-Sun 7 May, Olympic Stadium, amsterdamkookt.nl HET AMSTERDAMS VERBOND Organisers of Het Amsterdams Verbond include Vunzige Deuntjes, Chicago Social Club, Club NYX, Yours Truly, Klear and Baskèts. Thanks to this alliance of Amsterdam's top nightlife specialists, expect a vibrant festival spirit in which quality dance music takes centre stage.

5 May, Sportpark De Eendracht, hetamsterdamsverbond.nl FIBER FESTIVAL Always looking ahead, Fiber returns for its latest full celebration of cutting-edge audio-visual art, design, music and digital culture. Look out for numerous multimedia installations, lectures, screenings and live performances that reflect our digital lives of today and tomorrow.

Thur 11-Sun 14 May, De Brakke Grond, fiberfestival.nl BIEROOST FESTIVAL Embrace Amsterdam’s beer culture at BierOost Festival.

There you’ll find only the tastiest local, national and international beers served up alongside the freshest food trucks.

Plus, there’s live bands and DJ performances all day long, setting a fine social scene.

Sat 13 May, Jaap Eden IJsbaan, taptevents.nl 24H NIEUW-WEST 24H Amsterdam is an opportunity to enjoy the very best of all that Amsterdam is and has to offer. This second edition of 2017 takes place around the neighbourhoods in the district of Nieuw-West. Head out past the A10 ring to take part in special tours, workshops and events, or catch unusual performances, talks and sessions in venues, cafes, shops and other unique locations.

Sat 13 May, various locations, iamsterdam.com/24h AMSTERDAM ART FAIR Organised by Wim van Krimpen, former director of Den Haag’s Gemeentemuseum and the Kunsthal Rotterdam, the Amsterdam Art Fair aims to be inclusive, making both weathered art connoisseurs and fledgling collectors feel welcome.

Choice festivals

Ron Gallo.

Fri 26 & Sat 27 May, Paradiso, londoncalling.nl DIYNAMIC FESTIVAL The Hamburg-based record label Diynamic heads west to pack this forested location south of Amsterdam full of pulse-pounding dance beats.

The line-up includes regulars like Solomun, Adriatique and Kollektiv Turmstrasse, plus a host of special guests.

Fri 26 May, Amsterdamse Bos, diynamicfestival.com

REMEMBRANCE & LIBERATION DAY Amsterdam joins the rest of the Netherlands on 4 May when its citizens pause to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers of World War Two and more recent military conflicts and peacekeeping operations. There are remembrance events throughout the day but the national moment of remembrance takes place at 20:00. Then it’s time for a party on 5 May, as the crowds take to the streets to celebrate their freedom on Liberation Day. Bands and performers take to stages erected at various locations in the city, and there are numerous festivals going on around town, too. For a classy end to the day, head to the free Amstel Concert for classical and pop.

4 & 5 May, various locations, 4en5meiamsterdam.nl Wed 17- Sun 21 May, Kunsthal Koper, amsterdamartfair.nl TNW CONFERENCE 2017 Founded and hosted annually in Amsterdam, The Next Web Conference is one of the leading events for online businesses and forward thinkers looking to discover the latest innovations in the online world. Participants can hear internationally renowned speakers, meet the hottest startups, learn about best business practices and help predict, discuss and invent the future.

Thur 18 & Fri 19 May, Westergasfabriek, thenextweb.com GIN FESTIVAL Get set for a summer of G&Ts with this celebratory Gin Festival. Look out for around 150 brands, as well as specialist tonics, jenevers, vermouth, vodka and other artisanal spirits. You might not remember it the next day, but you’ll probably have had a lovely time.

Fri 19 & Sat 20 May, UnderCurrent, ginfestival.nl KWAKU SUMMER FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN 2017 Enjoy an early taste of summer at this Kwaku mini event in Vondelpark. As well as live music and dance, be sure to grab a taste of exotic cuisine and drinks from Suriname and the broader Caribbean region.

ARTZUID Artzuid is a four-month event putting amazing contemporary sculptures from all over the world on display in Amsterdam Zuid. Look for 50 abstract sculptures installed in the district’s beautiful Berlagedesigned avenues (primarily the Apollolaan and Minervalaan) and through the Zuidas business district. There’s free access to the exhibition 24/7. To experience the sculptures, visitors can simply wander the streets and uncover the artistic surprises, follow a pre-planned walking route, or join an official Artzuid guided tour for extra depth. The event’s central info point can be found at Minervalaan 1.

19 May-17 Sep, various locations, artzuid.nl Sun 21 May, Vondelpark Open Air Theatre, openluchttheater.nl ROLLING KITCHENS During the long holiday weekend, hoards of mobile kitchens descend upon the park at the Westergasfabriek to create an enormous open air restaurant.

Food to suit every appetite is on the menu, with everything from fresh Italian pizza to sophisticated seafood dishes.

Hunt around for your favourite dish(es), pick up your order and relax under the sun (or later in the evening, stars) as you enjoy your food. When the sun shines, the crowds flood in and the queues can get pretty long, so take a moment to pick the optimum visiting time.

Wed 24-Sun 28 May, Westergasfabriek, rollendekeukens.amsterdam LONDON CALLING A favourite of music lovers in Amsterdam, taking place twice per year in Paradiso, London Calling showcases a collection of bands who’re tipped to make it big, along with a few more who're making a comeback: pop, rock, electronic and beyond. In this edition look out for the return of British Sea Power from Brighton, the Tame Impala-related Aussie rockers Pond, new lo-fi punks Priests, and garage rocker

SUMMER BREEZE LATIN FESTIVAL 2017 Let things get spicy at the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre this spring. The Summer Breeze Latin Festival is a celebration of all things sensual salsa. It promises dance workshops, dance acts and lots of live music.

Sun 28 May, Vondelpark Open Air Theatre, openluchttheater.nl KUNSTRAI The longest-running art fair in the Netherlands offers art lovers the chance to get their hands on the latest and greatest in the scene. Alongside the regular gallery-centred stands, booths are devoted to individual artists allowing visitors to delve deeper into their work.

The 2017 edition includes a particular focus on the Belgian city of Antwerp, while the RAW Edges programme sees 10 young galleries present new talents to a broader audience.

Wed 31 May-Mon 5 Jun, RAI Amsterdam, kunstrai.nl CINEMA EROTICA Featuring movies old and new, Cinema Erotica is a celebration of sensuality in film. The provocative festival transcends typical cinematic decorum, presenting an ode to lust that includes contemporary film, art, talks, music and more. Of course, classic erotica films will also make an appearance, such as Jean Genet’s ‘Un Chant d'Amour’ (1950).

Thur 1-Sun 18 Jun, EYE Filmmuseum, eyefilm.nl RED LIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL An annual festival that celebrates Amsterdam’s position as a true jazz city. Every year on the first weekend of June, the event aims to flaunt a more cultured side of the city’s infamous Red Light district, highlighting its long and strong connection with jazz.

Fri 2-Sun 4 Jun, various locations, redlightjazz.com TASTE OF AMSTERDAM Top chefs from leading restaurants in Amsterdam fashion starter-sized plates of some of their signature dishes for visitors to sample in this unbeatable al fresco feast. While eating is a fine way to pass the time, don’t forget to drop in on a live cook-off (guests judge the winner!), workshop, kids’s activities or wine tasting. And finally, shop at the Farmers’s Market to stock up on goodies

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

FESTIVALS for home.

Fri 2-Mon 5 Jun, Amstelpark, tasteofamsterdam.com AMSTERDAM OPEN AIR A collaboration between a host of major names from the city’s clubbing circuit, this festival mirrors the diversity of today’s electronic music scene and Amsterdam's nightlife.

So expect a versatile festival brimming with deep house, dubstep, electro, tech house and techno. In 2017 the stages are curated by the likes of STRAF_WERK, GirlsLoveDJs, WEITER, Format and 44BASS. And if you want a true summer festival experience, you can camp too.

Sat 3 & Sun 4 Jun, Gaasperpark, amsterdamopenair.nl ARTIS ZOOMERAVONDEN On Saturday evenings throughout summer, party animals in Artis gather expectantly in their enclosures. Yip, ZOOmeravonden (Summer Evenings) at Artis Royal Zoo lets visitors learn what the animals get up to after hours by staying open until sunset on every Saturday from June through August. There’s plenty of activities for families and also live music performances for adult crowds. every Sat in Jun, Artis, artis.nl HOLLAND FESTIVAL This leading international performance arts festival provides Dutch and international theatregoers with a survey of the best and most widelyacclaimed performance pieces from around the world – plus a bunch of world premieres.

The festival offers a heady mix of theatre, music, dance, opera, film and visual arts, as well as Western and non-Western performance pieces in a variety of languages. Highlights from the festival can be found throughout our A-list and feature on page 20.

Sat 3-Sun 25 Jun, various locations, hollandfestival.nl THE FLYING DUTCH Ten of the top DJs in the world (unsurprisingly all Dutch) will play in three different cities around the country: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven. How? In style, of course. Following a carefully crafted timetable, DJs will circulate between cities by way of helicopter.

Sat 3 Jun, Olympic Stadium, theflyingdutch.com SNEAKERNESS Sneaker culture has always been an important part of street style and fashion, but in recent years, obsessives seem to have multiplied, and collecting rare models and following new releases is now a legitimate and popular hobby. Sneakerness gives a home to all those for who sneakers mean more than just a pair of shoes to throw on when going to the gym.

Sat 3 & Sun 4 Jun, Kromhouthal, sneakerness.com

HET BACCHUS WIJNFESTIVAL A festival in honour of the Roman god of wine! The Bacchus Wijnfestival is set to present more than 250 wines from all corners of the world, in combination with plenty of mobile catering, DJs and live music. The 2017 edition takes place over two weekends so you stand a better chance of making an impressive dent.

Fri 9-Sun 11 & Fri 16-Sun 18 Jun, Amsterdamse Bos, bacchuswijnfestival.nl OPEN GARDEN DAYS Hidden behind the stately façades of the houses along Amsterdam’s canals lie some of the city’s best kept secrets: private gardens. Look behind these impressive canal-side homes and you’ll step into a completely different world, where a quiet green oasis welcomes visitors. Few of these canal house gardens are usually open to the public, but each year on the third weekend of June, some 30 of them are accessible to visitors during the Open Garden Days!

Fri 16-Sun 18 Jun, various locations, opentuinendagen.nl MYSTIC GARDEN FESTIVAL A dance music festival with an extra sprinkling of magic every midsummer. The line-up is always teeming with enchanting DJ-driven beats and equally bewitching musical performances. There are numerous areas, with the 2017 line-up featuring Alex Niggemann, Anil Aras, Christian Wünsch, Cuartero, Dispar Vulgo and Edu Imbernon.

Sat 17 Jun, Sloterpark, mysticgardenfestival.nl SPUIBUURT STRAATFEEST The Spui is a space for thinking and expression, a haven for authors and artists. This annual street party closes the nearby roads to traffic and opens up the city centre square and surroundings for the public to entertain and celebrate.

Expect live music and DJs, a puppet show for kids and a street market hosted by the actual neighbours.

Sun 18 Jun, Spui, facebook. com/Spuibuurtstraatfeest DUTCH RAW FOOD FESTIVAL Taking place at the beautiful quasi-rural location of the Langerlust farm by Amsterdam’s Gaasperplas lake, this festival will introduce you to raw food delicacies with dozens of stalls, plus various workshops, tastings and talks.

Sun 18 Jun, Boerderij Langerlust, rawfoodfestival.nl ARCHITECTURE DAY AMSTERDAM Amsterdam may be renowned for its 17th-century elegance but the city is always open to new developments and new styles. The annual Architecture Day programming is all about showcasing its new buildings, new ideas and looking to the future. The 2017 programming

GAY & LESBIAN takes a closer look at the developments in the Amstel quarter.

Sun 18 Jun, various locations, dagvandearchitectuuramsterdam.nl

REGULAR EVENTS

GARBO FOR WOMEN AMSTERDAM ROOTS A special women-only dance FESTIVAL party every third Saturday of This annual celebration of the month. world and roots music brings Club Lite, garboforwomen.nl a wide variety of international GAY MOVIE NIGHT stars to Amsterdam, closing with a large music festival Every first Wednesday of the (Roots Open Air) in Oostermonth Pathé de Munt shows a park on 25 June. The indoor special gay classic movie. The shows throughout the week reception - with a welcome require tickets and encapsulate drink - usually starts at 20:30, a wide variety of music styles, the movie itself starts at while Roots Open Air is a 21:00. Check the Pathe webspectacular global gathering site for movie and time. and is free entry for all! For the pathe.nl/event/gaynight latter, be sure to go along with HORSEMEN & KNIGHTS an empty stomach as the food and drink treats on-site are as Horsemen and Knights is the irresistible as the tunes. big willy gay play and cruise Wed 21-Sun 25 Jun, various party, taking place in the aflocations, amsterdamroots.nl ternoon every third Sunday of the month. Dress code: naked ITS FESTIVAL or underwear.

The International Theatre Door open 15:00-16:00 School Festival gives the latest Eagle, horsemen.nl batch of homegrown and inMELLOW MONDAY ternational theatre graduates a chance to showcase their Recharge after your busy talents in front of a wider weekend with free foot and audience. For more than 25 shoulder massages, free years, the festival has provided snacks, free detox scrubs, and a professional springboard for dry and steam saunas. new theatre and dance talent, Every Mon, Sauna NZ, also including plenty of off19:00, €19.50, under 26 €10, stage events such as post-permen only. formance talks, debates, NAKED SWIMMING workshops, afterparties and the annual award show.

The Marnixbad pools contain Wed 21-Sun 25 Jun, much less chlorine than most various locations, – which is good news since itsfestivalamsterdam.com you’ll be exposing your sensitive bits.

NOMADS FESTIVAL Every Tue, Marnixbad, 21:15 This popular house music SAUNA NZ festival traditionally sells out quickly, so get your tickets for Every Tuesday is "No Towel the upcoming edition while Night" (totally naked) at Sauyou can. It takes place across na NZ. You will get a normal five stages with a treasure towel to dry yourself off and trove of house and dance mua small towel to sit on and to sic pioneers. Also look out for pat yourself dry. Come and an organic market and a chillcheck out the sexy vibe from out zone with decor worthy of 18:00 till 00:00. an Arabian fairy tale.

Every Tue, Sauna NZ, Sat 24 Jun, Sportpark Riekersaunanieuwezijds.nl haven, nomadsfestival.nl (Z)ONDERBROEK AWAKENINGS FESTIVAL Guys: Every Friday night and Awakenings is already billed every first Saturday of the as one of world’s largest outmonth, drop all your pretencdoor techno festivals, yet it es and dance without pants at just keeps getting bigger and Club Church in Amsterdam. bigger! The festival hosts its The dress code is strictly enannual weekender edition out forced: briefs and jocks are in the countryside, with more welcome; swimming trunks, than 100 international acts boxers, sports shorts or going and DJs spread over areas commando are also permitted. representing all aspects of the Board shorts, Bermudas or techno scene. other streetwear prohibited.

Sat 24 & Sun 25 Jun, SpaarnEvery Fri night & first Sat woude, awakeningsfestival.nl of the month, Club Church, 22:00-05:00, €10 WESTWAARTS A collaboration between Podium Mozaïek and the AmONE -OFF sterdam district of West, this EVENTS diverse cultural event provides a host of music, theatre, dance, AMSTERDAM BEAR cabaret and circus fun for the WEEKEND entire family, with plenty of surprises thrown in along the Bear Necessity, NZ Sauna, Eaway. Check the WESTwaARTS gle, Spijkerbar and many othwebsite for the er local businesses organise confirmed dates.~ the Amsterdam Bear Weekend end of June (date TBC), Tue 2-Sun 7 May Erasmuspark, amsterdambearweekend.nl westwaarts.com

BACKDOOR TEA DANCE The Backdoor was a popular Sunday event from 20002005. This special edition is a Eurovision after-party.

Sat 13 May, Akhnaton, 23:0005:00, €20 facebook.com/backdoorteadance AMSTERDAM FETISH PRIDE Many bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and companies participate in Amsterdam Fetish Pride. All throughout Ascension weekend, enjoy well-established parties like Mister Leather Amsterdam election, RECON’s Full Fetish, XXX Leather, BLUF Workshops, 2nd Hand Fetsh Flea Market, Fetish dinner and much more.

Thur 25-Sun 28 May, various locations amsterdamfetishpride.com LADZ The gay dance party for lads, scallies, gabbers, sneaker- and sportswear boys. DJs play the harder styles of dance music.

Sat 27 May, Club Church, 22:00-5:00 BEAR NECESSITY Bear Necessity started as a bear party, but has become more a general gay dance party for men. This party celebrates their eighth anniversary!

Sat 3 June, Club Air, 23:0006:00, €20 ADDRESSES Club Air Amstelstraat 16 www.clubair.nl Akhnaton Nieuwezijdskolk 25-27 akhnaton.nl Church Kerkstraat 52 www.clubchurch.nl Eagle Warmoesstraat 90 theeagleamsterdam.com Club Lite Jan van Galenstraat 24 clublite.nl Marnixbad Marnixplein 1 www.hetmarnix.n Pathé de Munt Vijzelstraat 15 www.pathe.nl Sauna NZ (Nieuwezijds) Nieuwezijds Armsteeg 95 www.saunanieuwezijds.nl advert

OBSESSION 8 – 18 JUN PERFORMED IN ENGLISH

may & june 2017

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CLUBBING/NIGHTLIFE BIG NIGHT OUT One of the biggest student nights out in town where DJs play a mix of house, urban and tropical bass. Billy the Klit, Daniel L Mebius, Ziggy, Kevin Orduna, Joshua Walter and more on rotation.

Every Thurs, Escape, 23:00-05:00, €10 HOUSE RULES DJs Raymundo, Troj, Thomas Hensbroek, Robert Feelgood, Gabriel & Castellon, Jasper Clash and Yssf Flex play on rotation. Count on house bangers from start to close.

Every Fri, Escape, 23:00-05:00, €16 COOKIN’ A weekly feature at Canvas, Cookin’ invites rising stars in a variety of styles – such as Amsterdam’s cult hero in the making Amadeus (who looks like a party animal, is a party animal and caters to party animals); Emily Dust (one of the most prolific DJs at London’s Radar Radio); Bert-Bert, Philou Lozoulo, Hellie Berrie or Emmanuelle Vos. They’re all worth the detour.

Fri 5 May, Canvas, 23:00-04:00, €5 BRAINWASH Cosmopolitan, big room clubbing with world-class go-go dancers, performers and bigroom house music. DJs Raymundo, Carita La Nina, 2Dirty, Dennis Quin, Frederik Abas, Greg van Bueren, Sander den Ouden and Jethro Galung on rotation.

Every Sat, Escape, 23:00-05:00, €16 DOLLKRAUT LIVE Amsterdam’s Dollkraut is part of the Dutch analogue synthesizer elite. His music may be brand new, but it feels like you’re stepping in a time machine to the New York City of the dark 80’s when minimal wave music was king. Add the visual element of synthesizers the size of space ships and you know you’ll have a brilliant Thursday night out.

Thu 2 Mar, De School, 20:00, €10 NGHTDVSN Dance to German techno till you drop with Dominik Eulberg, Reza Athar and DJ Hell.

Fri 3 Mar, De Marktkantine, 22:00-05:00, €19 PAUL KALKBRENNER PRESENTS BACK TO THE FUTURE Paul is about the closest a German DJ’s ever come to being a pop star. His idea for this tour is to recreate the atmosphere of the raves he was himself too young to attend. It’s for you to decide if he’s being pretentious or not.

Thur 4 May, Melkweg, 23:30-05:00, €25 VRIJLAND The best line up on libera-

tion day, period. Among the highlights is Chicago’s house jock and producer Mike Dunn (check out his upbeat early nineties house anthem ‘Welcome to the Club’). Another unusual guest is one of Detroit techno’s most uncompromising heroes, DJ Bone, whose melancholic melodies clash with dirty beats in a very raw and beautiful way. Local highlights are Hellie Berrie (house and disco), Tom Trago (house), Sandrien (techno), JP Enfant (techno), Bokoesam (live, hiphop), Yung Internet (live, hiphop), Adje (live, hiphop) and L-Dopa (jungle).

Fri 5 May, Blijburg, 12:0023:00, €10 BEVRIJDGINGSDUB Celebrate your freedom by dancing to the dubbed-out beats of Amsterdam’s one and only Jamaican-style sound system King Shiloh.

Fri 5 May, NDSM, 13:0023:00, €10 THUISHAVEN 4 YEARS Underground rave spot Thuishaven has an anniversary to celebrate with a largely local line-up, headlined by versatile Canadian electronic producer Matthew Jonson (live) and French veteran Joakim (known for his releases on the famous Tigersushi label). Other notables on the bill are musical friends Aron Friedman and Eric De Man. Fri 5 May, Thuishaven, 13:0023:00, €15 VERKNIPT TECHNO SPECIAL An excellent treat of a lineup for fans of high-quality, hard-hitting techno with Paula Temple (one of the UK’s front runners of the scene) headlining, and Sweden’s Gary Beck and ROD Malmok aka Benny Rodrigues out of Rotterdam also spinning.

Fri 5 May, Depot, 23:0009:00, €25 KRAAK & SMAAK Considering Kraak & Smaak’s impressive amount of internationally successful breakbeat and future funk releases, it is quite an opportunity to see Mark Kneppers, Oscar De Jong and Wim Plug play a vinyl only set with Amsterdam’s skyline in the background.

Sat 13 May, Canvas, 23:0004:00, €10 KLERENBENDE Ok, get this: the organisers of this festive mid-week gathering have collected 1000 pieces of vintage clothing for you to try on, dance in and take home!

It is a well-known fact that dressing up increases enjoyment on the dance floor, so we feel tonight’s going to be pretty good. DJs put the cherry on the cake by playing disco-flavoured house.

Wed 24 May, Club Up, 23:00-04:00, €10 BEDROCK In 2001, long before EDM dominated the mega festivals, John Digweed made it to

Choice clubbing

STRANGE SOUNDS FROM BEYOND This is about as good as a Sunday is likely to get, from a musical point of view. Radical DJs Mutant Beat Dance (Traxx and Beau Wanzer) are set to spin their weird clinical beats, Rush Hour’s boss Antal is likely to prove he’s able to take eclecticism to another level, Daphni (aka Caribou) deejays beats you never thought you could dance to, and live performances come from legendary groups such as Sun Ra Arkestra and Selda Bagcan.

Sun 25 June, Noorderlicht, 12:00-23:00, €25

PRINS THOMAS

CLUBBING

FESTIFEST A cute little boutique festival on Amsterdam’s northern shores with a small handful of DJs who don’t come to town every day. Our favourite is Norwegian space disco ambassador Prins Thomas (check out his brilliant edit ‘Rompenridder’ under his Major Swellings alter ego). The most remarkable appearance of today/tonight is by Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell aka The Idjut boys, whose dubby house draws all the head-nodders to the floor.

Also spinning is London’s Midland, whose ‘Final Credits’ is one of 2016’s biggest underground club hits.

Sun 25 June, Noorderlicht, 12:00-23:00, €25 number one in the DJ Mag worldwide ranking of best DJs. Together with Sasha, the now50 year old DJ/producer from Hastings was once seen as the most important figure of progressive house, a kind of trance ‘light’ – less bombastic and more subtle. Tonight sees him play a longer set than usual. Support by C-Jay. Fri 26 May, Melkweg, 23:30-05:00, €25

PALMBOMEN II LIVE: MEMORIES OF CINDY Don’t sleep this one out as Kai Hugo (aka Palmbomen II) is one of the most spectacular electronic musicians calling the Rhine Delta home. Not only is his collection of analogue synthesizers impressive, the sounds he squeezes out of them hold the middle ground between various emotions: happiness, nostalgia, excitement and melancholy. We suggest you check out Palmbomen II’s brilliant self-titled album before you head out, to get you all excited.

Thur 18 May, De School, 20:00, €10 PLEINVREES AM STRAND Pleinvrees never fails to satisfy Amsterdam’s biggest hedonists and you might be right to think the party could be even better on the beach… Rave-likethere’s-no-tomorrow techno will be spun by Guy Gerber, Bedouin, Oliver Koletski (live), Arjuna Schiks & Mees Dierdorp (live), Hoger Hecler, Noraj Cue, Max Morel and others.

Sat 3 Jun, Thuishaven, 12:00-23:00, €15

DENNIS FERRER & FRIENDS A rare Amsterdam set by the famous Defected Records-associated US producer, responsible for one the biggest UK funky tunes in history: Fish Go Deep – ‘The Cure And The Cause (Dennis Ferrer mix)’. Yes, that’s correct, an American guy made a big UK funky tune.

Sat 3 Jun, Thuishaven, 13:0023:00, €15 AMSTERDAM OPEN AIR DAY 1 The most house and techno-heavy of these two days of dancing in the park with a hammering live set by Surgeon, Kerri Chandler playing his deepest house records (check out his masterpiece ‘Rain’), old school house hold name Todd Terry, London’s versatile dance floor omnivore Eats Everything, French downbeat producer Shlømo plus Germany’s druggy techno jocks Michael Mayer and Gabriel Ananda, former Rauw resident Joost van Bellen and up-and-coming local bass DJ Rachel Green.

Sat 3 Jun, Gaasperpark, 12:00-23:00, €82.50 (also valid on Sunday) AMSTERDAM OPEN AIR DAY 2 Quite a different package compared to day one, with some big commercial names on the bill that includes deep-house heads Bakermat, Jax Jones (mainly known for his current hit ‘You Don’t Know Me’) and Mark Kinchen aka MK, one of the biggest house/pop producers of this age. Underground dance music fans: don’t be fooled though, as today’s bill also includes Ghanaian avant-garde producer Ata Kak (live), Chicago’s disco selector Rahaan, krautrock electronic producer Young Marco, afro-house jock Philou Louzolo, South Africa’s obscure queen of house and disco Lakuti, and Rotterdam’s techno punisher Speedy J. Sat 3 Jun, Gaasperpark, 12:00-23:00, €82.50 (also valid on Sunday) HAPPY FEELINGS FESTIVAL Step into the time machine, back to the nineties when festival line-ups consisted of local selectors. Three of the main DJs spinning will remember those days very well: Mike Risk (formerly of the Club Risk nights in Club More), Benny Rodrigues (once a shop attendant at Rotterdam’s Basic Beat Records) and today’s highlight-on-paper Dimitri (ex-resident at RoXY). Who’s in for some post-Cold War hedonism?

Sat 10 Jun, Thuishaven, 13:00-23:00, €34.50 OUDE STIJL IS BOTERGEIL 140 BPM + hardcore and gabber beats from the golden age with DJs Apac, Enforcer, Faniac, Geoff Da Chef, Scott Brown, 909 Junkies (live), The Irritainer and more. Not for the faint-hearted, and that’s an understatement.

Sat 17 Jun, Dhoem Dhaam Warehouse, 22:00-08:00, €15

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A-LIST. PART IV THE A-LIST

GALLERIES CURATED BY AMSTERDAM ART. FOR A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF EXHIBITIONS,

OIL ON CANVAS COURTESY: ORNIS A. GALLERY

1. DUNCAN HANNAH

27 MAY-1 JUL Ornis A. Gallery Hazenstraat 11

UNTIL 15 JUL The Merchant House Herengracht 254

3. DAN ASHER

COURTESY: ANDRIESSE EYCK GALERIE

DAN ASHER, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD,

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andriesse eyck galerie presents a tribute to Dan Asher, a gifted American artist who left a versatile and unconventional oeuvre. You’ll find his pictures of icebergs, cracked-clay sculptures and a video work in which Asher follows an isolated figure obsessing about a plastic bag.

The film displays a certain type of honesty his work is often associated with.

UNTIL 10 JUN andriesse eyck galerie Leliegracht 47

4. #+28.00

FONS WELTERS

SASKIA NOOR VAN IMHOFF COURTESY: GALERIE

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The exhibition focuses on the Italian artist’s so-called ‘disseminations’: works consisting of textured objects, rhythmically orchestrated across a wall surface. Pinelli combined the three primary colours – red, yellow and blue – to make an explicit connection to Mondrian, inspired by his geometrical translation of nature.

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Saskia Noor van Imhoff is known for creating installations out of both existing and newly-made objects, such as artworks by other artists, pieces of clothing and other everyday items. She investigates how we attach value to the objects and systems surrounding us.

UNTIL 17 JUN Galerie Fons Welters Bloemstraat 140

5. DANIEL SCHUBERT

German artist Iris Schomaker is mostly known for her expressive large-scale watercolour and oil works on paper, featuring figures in various states of repose. Faceless characters are resting, unaware of the viewer’s gaze.

HOFLAND

DANIEL SCHUBERT, COURTESY: GERHARD

Duncan Hannah met the legendary Andy Warhol in art school, who functioned as his mentor, and became a regular at Warhol’s notorious studio called The Factory. According to Hannah, the roots of his work stem from the romantic imagination of his youth. His collage-like paintings are filled with references to a vanished world.

2. PINO PINELLI

PINO PINELLI COURTESY: THE MERCHANT HOUSE

DUNCAN HANNAH, RED CROSS, 2013, 50 X 40 CM,

EVENTS AND WEEKLY TIPS VISIT AMSTERDAMART.COM.

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UNTIL 3 JUN Gerhard Hofland Bilderdijkstraat 165C

FILM FAVOURITES CLASSICS

Getting a bit bored with yet another superhero/monster/ animated blockbuster movie? Fear not, there are always the classics! But will you go for the polite and über-British love affair between Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in Merchant & Ivory’s Howards End (EYE), the gritty realism of Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront (Rialto), or the sophisticated shenanigans of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (Rialto).

Filmhuis Rialto rialtofilm.nl EYE eyefilm.nl

DEKALOG

Nowadays, working in television is nothing to be ashamed of, but with his tenpart masterpiece Dekalog (1989), Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski showed us that television could be high art decades before the rest of the world caught on.

Every episode – loosely based on the Ten Commandments – works as a separate entity, but all take place in the same gloomy apartment complex in Warsaw. With English subtitles.

Every Monday in May Kriterion kriterion.nl

TWIN PEAKS MARATHON

Before we meet back up with Dale Cooper, Sherry and Donna, Leland and Sarah (and Tony and Riff) in the gingerly awaited new season of Twin Peaks (May 21), LAB111 and Studio/K give you the opportunity to travel back in time to 1991 with the twopart marathon of Twin Peaks’ first season. Served with coffee and cherry pie.

6 May (Studio/K) and 7 May (LAB111)

I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO

It’s tempting to see this haunting Oscar-nominated documentary as a thematic companion piece to 13th, but I Am Not Your Negro stands squarely on its own two feet. Not only a riveting portrait of a great writer, James Baldwin (1924-1987), but also an engaging and

enraging look into the enduring racial inequality in the United States.

Directed by Raoul Peck Release 11 May

LITTLE MEN

Unemployed actor Brian (Greg Kinnaer) and breadwinner Kathy (Jennifer Ehle) inherit a nice brownstone – with a tenant (Paulina García) – in Brooklyn. When they’re forced to raise the rent, tensions rise. There are no real villains in this intimate drama, but the little men of the title – one the son of Brian and Kathy, the other of the tenant – end up the victims.

Directed by Ira Sachs Release 18 May

THE BLEEDER

Do we really need another boxing movie? When the lead role is played by Liev Schreiber, the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’. Schreiber plays Chuck – the real life Rocky – Wepner, an American boxer who famously survived 14 rounds against the great Muhammed Ali. Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss and Ron Perlman co-star.

Directed by Ira Sachs Release 18 May

FILM @ HOLLAND FESTIVAL

Forget about the film version.

Holland Festival gives you the chance to watch Manifesto as artist Julian Rosefeldt intended: a film installation with 13 screens for the 13 personas Cate Blanchett inhabits, while quoting world-famous manifestos on art, from Dada to Dogma 95. Don’t miss Inside

by Greek artist Dimitris Papaoiannou, a six-hour long rumination on rituals at home. hollandfestival.nl

MY COUSIN RACHEL

The movies by Roger Michell tend to be a bit hit or miss lately, so we’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed that his period drama My Cousin Rachel – with Rachel Weisz as the mysterious, and possibly murderous, cousin – will be more Persuasion than Hyde Park on Hudson.

Directed by Roger Michell.

9–12 March EYE cinedans.nl

may & june 2017

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KIDS & FAMILY AMSTERDAM DUNGEON The Amsterdam Dungeon brings 500 years of dark history to life with 11 shows and seven actors in one terrifying experience!

Rokin 78, the-dungeons.nl.

Open daily 11:00-17:00 (last tour); €22, ages 4-15 €18.

AMSTERDAMSE BOS This huge park and forest is one of Amsterdam’s super secrets despite being three times the size of New York’s Central Park.

Bosbaanweg 5, Amstelveen, amsterdamsebos.nl.

Various times & prices.

ANNE FRANK HOUSE This is the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her diary during World War II. Features quotations from the diary, photographs, films and original objects – including the diary itself.

Suitable for children over 10.

Prinsengracht 263-267, annefrank.org.

Open Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00, Sun 9:00-21:00; €9, ages 10-17 €4.50.

ARTIS ROYAL ZOO Admire the tropical fish in the Aquarium and travel through time in the Planetarium. See giraffes grazing amongst the zebras and wildebeests.

Surround yourself with hundreds of fluttering butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion, or stroll through the historical park with its centuries-old trees and a multitude of plants.

Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, artis.nl.

Open daily 9:00-18:00; €20.50, ages 3-9 €17.

BLEEKMOLENS RACE PLANET Burn off some steam and rubber at this indoor go-karting track, for ages 8 and up.

Helmets and protective clothing are included. There’s also a large playground, bowling alley and restaurant.

Herwijk 10, raceplanet.com.

Open Mon-Fri 13:00-23:00, Sat & Sun 12:00-23:00; various packages available.

COBRA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART In addition to interesting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, the museum also offers a free Children’s Studio.

Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen, cobra-museum.nl.

Open Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00; adults €9.50, ages 6-18 €6.

Children’s Studio Sun 11:00-14:00; free.

HORTUS BOTANICUS A refuge from the bustle of the city, highlights include a palm and a butterfly greenhouse, four beehives, temporary exhibitions and a café.

Plantage Middenlaan 2A, dehortus.nl.

Open Mon-Sat, 10:00-17:00; €8.50, ages 5-14 €4.50.

holidays 10:00-17:00; €12.50, ages 4-18 €8, under 4 free.

HET TWISKE This nature reserve and recreational area is situated north of Amsterdam, between Zaanstad and Purmerend. Rent canoes, and row, pedal or even sailboats. hettwiske.nl.

TUNFUN An indoor paradise for children under 12. Kids can enjoy hours of fun in a huge 4,000 m2 indoor playground.

Mr Visserplein 7, tunfun.nl. Open daily 10:00-18:00; ages 1-12 €8.50, accompanying adults free.

KINDERKOOKKAFÉ The ‘Kids Cook Café’ is a delightful and unique restaurant located in the Vondelpark.

Children (ages 5 to 12) do everything to help run the restaurant.

Vondelpark 6b, kinderkookkafe.nl.

Open daily 10:00-17:00; various prices.

DE KLIMMUUR Rock climbing in the centre of Amsterdam.

Dijksgracht 2, deklimmuur.nl.

Various times & prices.

LOVERS POWERZONE Strike it big at one of the six glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes, or pit yourself against the enemy in the laser-tag arena.

De Ruyterkade 153, loverspowerzone.nl.

Various times & prices.

MIRANDABAD SWIMMING POOL A subtropical swimming complex with a beach, palm trees, several indoor pools and wave machines. Amenities include squash courts, a solarium and a restaurant.

De Mirandalaan 9, mirandabad.nl.

Various times & prices.

PANCAKE BOAT A cosy boat, all-you-can-eat pancakes and a view of Amsterdam’s waters make the Pancake Boat a great activity for all ages.

Ms van Riemsdijkweg pannenkoekenboot.nl.

Various times & prices.

HET SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM (NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM) This nautical museum has a variety of exhibitions designed just for kids.

Kattenburgerplein 1, scheepvaartmuseum.nl.

Open daily 9:00-17:00; €15, ages 5-17 €7.50, under 5 free.

SCIENCE CENTER NEMO NEMO introduces young and old to science and technology.

Oosterdok 2, e-nemo.nl.

Open daily 10:00-17:30; €15, under 4 free.

TROPENMUSEUM JUNIOR The Tropenmuseum is renowned for its Junior building's interactive exhibitions introducing children to new cultures in a playful way.

Linnaeusstraat 2, tropenmuseum.nl.

Open Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Mondays during public & school

Highlight kids

VERZETSMUSEUM JUNIOR A Junior wing shows young visitors (9-14 years) how four peers lived during wartime.

Plantage Kerklaan 61, verzetsmuseum.org. Open TueFri 10:00-17:00; Sat-Mon 11:00-17:00; €8, ages 7-15 €4.50, under 7 free.

WOESTE WESTEN PLAYGROUND An outdoor playground where kids can explore, dig, climb, play in the sand, and check out the frogs and bugs.

Westerpark, woestewesten.nl.

Playground supervisor present Mon & Tue 12:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00.

EVENTS NEIGHBOURFOOD MARKET Follow your nose and discover some of the tastiest food and delicious drinks in Amsterdam at the NeighbourFood Market, which stops off at the Westergasfabriek on every third Sunday of the month. It’s great fun for all the family and there’s a wealth of healthy produce and snacks to discover.

Sat 17 & Sun 18 Jun, Westergasfabriek, neighbourfood.nl HET NEDERLANDS MARIONETTENTHEATER A charming marionette theatre with performances for children aged 4 to 10 (sometimes to 12). Puppets bring magical tales like ‘Rumpelstiltskin’, ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘The Magic Violin’ to life. Productions are in Dutch.

Het Nederlands Marionettentheater, nederlandsmarionettentheater.nl.

Various dates May & Jun HET FIEPTHEATER A celebration of Fiep Westendorp, the Dutch illustrator renowned for much-loved creations such as ‘Jip en Janneke’.

This small theatre in the attic of the Jewish Historical Museum’s Children’s Museum will bring some of her characters to life via animation, film and music.

Until Dec, Jewish Historical Museum, 100jaarfiepwestendorp.nl ZIEZO MAROKKO Take a virtual trip to Morocco in the Tropenmuseum Junior.

On the way you’ll meet Esmaa, Fatima, Nasrdin and Yousef.

Follow their trail through the medina – a maze of narrow streets and alleys – and go on a bus trip right across Morocco.

Try your hand at mosaics, cal-

RICHARD TAS PHOTGRAPHY

VENUES

VONDELPARK OPEN AIR THEATRE Steeped in musical and theatrical history, Amsterdam’s famous Vondelpark presents a programme packed with dance, cabaret, jazz, children’s theatre, stand-up comedy and all genres of music every weekend in summer. Things get started in 2017 with the children’s Liberation Day festival on 5 May. After that, the festivities truly kick off from 4 June.

Performances are free, though donations or purchases from artists always help the cause. Check the official website to see the schedule each weekend.

May & Jun, Vondelpark Open Air Theatre, openluchttheater.nl ligraphy, fashion or culinary secrets.

Until 27 Aug, Tropenmuseum, tropenmuseum.nl KINDERBEVRIJDINGSFESTIVAL This special Liberation Day festival in Vondelpark is especially for the kids. Enjoy a splash of music, a dash of theatre and plenty of colour and laughs.

Fri 5 May, Vondelpark Open Air Theatre, openluchttheater.nl 24H NIEUW-WEST 24H Amsterdam is an opportunity to enjoy the very best of all that Amsterdam is and has to offer. This second edition of 2017 takes place around the neighbourhoods in the district of Nieuw-West. Head out past the A10 ring to take part in special tours, workshops and events, or catch unusual performances, talks and sessions in venues, cafes, shops and other unique locations.

Sat 13 May, various locations, iamsterdam.com/24h THE CASTLE IN THE AIR Set in the French countryside, ‘The Castle in the Air’ tells the story of Jeannot and Jeannette, two performers travelling to Paris. After purchasing a lottery ticket, Jeannot strikes it rich, but gaining wealth comes at a cost. With catchy melodies, humour and a sprinkling of melancholy, Jacques Offenbach’s opéra comique makes the move from his small theatre in Paris to Amsterdam.

Sat 20 May, Amsterdam Marionette Theatre, marionettentheater.nl NEXTGEN GAMES A weekend-long celebration of all things sport. Look out

for events such as 3x3 basketball, tennis, martial arts and athletics. And if you’re serious about sport, keep an eye on the NextGen Talks series for inspirational advice and background from top athletes and trainers.

Fri 26-Sun 28 May, Olympic Stadium, nextgen.amsterdam ARTIS ZOOMERAVONDEN On Saturday evenings throughout summer, party animals in Artis gather expectantly in their enclosures. Yup, ZOOmeravonden (Summer Evenings) at Artis Royal Zoo lets visitors learn what the animals get up to after hours by staying open until sunset on every Saturday from June through August. There’s plenty of activities for families and also live music performances for adult crowds. every Sat in Jun, Artis, artis.nl OLYMPIC MOVES This national sport festival reaches its climax at Amsterdam’s grand Olympic Stadium (and other venues throughout the city). Some 5,000 youths will converge to participate in 15 different sports. The day begins with an opening ceremony and ends with prizes.

Fri 9 Jun, Olympic Stadium, facebook.com/OlympicMovesNL WESTWAARTS A collaboration between Podium Mozaïek and Amsterdam West, this diverse cultural event provides a host of music, theatre, dance, cabaret and circus fun for the entire family, with plenty of surprises thrown in along the way. end of June (date TBC), Erasmuspark, westwaarts.com

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PART IV THE A-LIST.

SPORTS EVENTS FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE Get your skates on for the weekly Friday Night Skate, Amsterdam’s skating extravaganza. Departing from the Vondelpark, the skating routes take in all areas of the city, allowing you to skate in places where you wouldn’t on your own. Check the website for route updates and news each week. every Fri, Vondelpark Pavilion, fridaynightskate.com DE KLIMMUUR Rock climbing in the centre of Amsterdam.

Dijksgracht 2, deklimmuur.nl.

Various times & prices.

LOVERS POWERZONE Strike it big at one of the

ADRESSES the Europa League competition too.

Sun 7 May, Amsterdam ArenA, ajax.nl FRIDAY NIGHT RUN Organised by the Phanos athletics association every second Friday of the month, this free group running event is open to both recreational and more serious sportsters. Beginners can join in the 40-minute run at a slower tempo and there’s also the standard 1-hour run.

Fri 12 May & 9 Jun, Olympic Stadium, fridaynightrun.nl NEXTGEN GAMES A weekend-long celebration of all things sport. Look out for events such as 3x3 basketball, tennis, martial arts and athletics. And if you’re serious about sport, keep an eye on the NextGen Talks series for inspirational advice and back-

Highlight sport

NACHT VAN DE VLUCHTELING Raise money for good causes in this nighttime run in Amsterdam. Kicking off at midnight, participants get a small taste of what it’s like for refugees to flee their homes in the dark of night to escape all manner of dreadful situations. By taking part, you can raise money and generate attention to help people all over the world. Routes in Amsterdam include 10, 20 and 40km options.

17 & 18 Jun, Westergasfabriek, nachtvandevluchteling.nl

six glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes, or pit yourself against the enemy in the laser-tag arena.

De Ruyterkade 153, loverspowerzone.nl.

Various times & prices.

MIRANDABAD SWIMMING POOL A subtropical swimming complex with a beach, palm trees, several indoor pools and wave machines. Amenities include squash courts, a solarium and a restaurant.

De Mirandalaan 9, mirandabad.nl.

Various times & prices.

AJAX They’re Amsterdam’s top football club, known around the world for their distinctive redand-white shirt and for their legacy of Dutch and European victories. Their final home league match of the season takes place on 7 May 2017 against Go Ahead Eagles.

Although, if all goes to plan, they may still be competing in

ground from top athletes and trainers.

Fri 26-Sun 28 May, Olympic Stadium, nextgen.amsterdam AMSTERDAM SEVENS RUGBY Get ready for a ruck as international rugby returns to Amsterdam! Taking place since 1972, the Amsterdam Sevens tournament attracts male and female teams from around the world (both amateur and professional), as well as up to 10,000 cheering rugby fans looking for a sporting feast.

Pick up a single day ticket or head along for the full weekend.

Fri 26-Sun 28 May, Nationaal Rugby Centrum, amsterdamsevens.com THE COLOR RUN Returning to Amsterdam in 2017, this 5km run will feature participants dressed in white getting doused in colour as they make their way around

the course. Each time they hit a new 'Zone’, they’ll face a new explosion... paint, foam and a special orange area.

For this Flower Power edition, the run is paired with a Hippie Market.

Sun 28 May, Sloterpark, thecolorrun.co.nl OLYMPIC MOVES This national sport festival reaches its climax at Amsterdam’s grand Olympic Stadium (and other venues throughout the city). Some 5,000 youths will converge to participate in 15 different sports. The day begins with an opening ceremony and ends with a prize giving.

Fri 9 Jun, Olympic Stadium, facebook.com/OlympicMovesNL ZUIDAS RUN A unique event on Amsterdam’s running calendar, as a core group of its participants work directly in the district.

Most of the companies in the Zuidas are represented and employees typically form their own running teams to raise money for charities. Not that you need to be from the Zuidas to take part – anyone can join in for its 10-mile course, while there are also children’s races. For something different, check out the Suits & Stilettos sprints and a challenging Urban Run. Sun 11 Jun, Gustav Mahlerplein, zuidasrun.nl GAASPERPLASRUN Another staple event in Amsterdam’s running calendar, this biannual competition features 1, 2, 5 and 10km courses around the Gaasperplas Lake in Amsterdam Zuidoost. It forms part of the Rondje Mokum (Amsterdam Circuit) series.

Sun 11 Jun, Gaaserplas, gaasperplasrun.nl CYCLE TOUR AMSTERDAM Looking to explore Amsterdam and its outskirts by (racing) bike? Then get ready to ride. This trek leads cyclists past many of the highlights of the Netherlands’s capital city, as well as the option to tour areas of Noord-Holland (all the way out to IJmuiden, as well as south-east of Amsterdam). The tour features various routes and distances meaning there’s something perfect for racers of all ages (50, 80, 110 & 145km).

Sun 11 Jun, ArenA Boulevard, cycletouramsterdam.nl TRIAMSTERDAM Triathletes from all across Europe and beyond will take to the roads, parks and waterways of Amsterdam during this family-friendly event.

Tackle the full Olympic triathlon or the half triathlon, or form a relay team to share the load. If that'’s still a bit much, cheer on the racers from the banks of the Amstel and around the course.

Sat 17 Jun, Amstel and beyond, tri.amsterdam

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUMS Amsterdam City Archives Vijzelstraat 32 stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600 arcam.nl Beurs van Berlage Damrak 243 beursvanberlage.com Museum of Bags & Purses Herengracht 573 tassenmuseum.nl Cobra Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen cobra-museum.nl Dutch Resistance Museum Plantage Kerklaan 61A verzetsmuseum.org EYE Filmmuseum IJpromenade 1 eyefilm.nl FOAM Keizersgracht 609 foam.org Jewish Historical Museum Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1 jhm.nl Hermitage Amsterdam Amstel 51 hermitage.nl Museum Het Schip Oostzaanstraat 45 hetschip.nl Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401 huismarseille.nl Museum Jan van der Togt Dorpsstraat 50, Amstelveen jvdtogt.nl National Holocaust Museum Plantage Middenlaan 27 jck.nl De Nieuwe Kerk Dam Square nieuwekerk.nl Oude Kerk Oudekerksplein 23 oudekerk.nl Outsider Art Museum Neerlandiaplein 1 outsiderartmuseum.nl Rembrandt House Museum Jodenbreestraat 4 rembrandthuis.nl Rijksmuseum Jan Luijkenstraat 1 rijksmuseum.nl National Maritime Museum Kattenburgerplein 1 hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl Special Collections bijzonderecollecties.uva.nl Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 stedelijk.nl Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2 tropenmuseum.nl Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7 vangoghmuseum.nl Museum van Loon Keizersgracht 672 museumvanloon.nl STAGE AFAS Live ArenA Boulevard 590 afaslive.nl Boom Chicago Rozentheater Rozengracht 117 boomchicago.nl Comedy Cafe 89, IJdok comedycafe.nl Compagnietheater Kloveniersburgwal 50 compagnietheater.nl Crea Café Nieuwe Achtergracht 170 crea.uva.nl DeLaMar Theater

Marnixstraat 402 delamar.nl De Meervaart Meer en Vaart 300 meervaart.nl Dutch National Opera & Ballet Amstel 3 operaballet.nl Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A melkweg.nl Paleis van de Weemoed Oudezijds Voorburgwal 15 paleis-van-de-weemoed.nl Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8 paradiso.nl Royal Theater Carré Amstel 115/125 carre.nl Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26 stadsschouwburg amsterdam.nl Theater Bellevue Leidsekade 90 theaterbellevue.nl Toomler Breitnerstraat 2 toomler.nl Ziggo Dome De Passage 100 ziggodome.nl MUSIC AFAS Live ArenA Boulevard 590 afaslive.nl Amstelkerk Amstelveld 10 amstelkerk.net Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3 bimhuis.nl Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2 bitterzoet.com Cromhouthuis Herengracht 366 cromhouthuis.nl De Duif Prinsengracht 756 deduif.net English Reformed Church Begijnhof 48 ercadam.nl Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A melkweg.nl Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ Piet Heinkade 1 muziekgebouw.nl Oosterkerk Kleine Wittenburgerstraat 1 oosterkerk-amsterdam.nl Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8 paradiso.nl Pianola Museum Westerstraat 106 pianola.nl Q Factory Atlantisplein 1 q-factory-amsterdam.nl Royal Concertgebouw Concertgebouw 10 concertgebouw.nl Royal Theatre Carré Amstel 115 /125 carre.nl Schellingwouderkerk Wijkergouw 6 stadsherstel.nl Tolhuistuin IJpromenade 2 tolhuistuin.nl Ziggo Dome De Passage 100 Y ziggodome.nl Het Zonnehuis Zonneplein 30 zonnehuis-amsterdam.nl

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PART III VISITOR INFORMATION

VISITOR INFORMATION

@

I amsterdam Visitor Centres are your one-stop shops for everything you need to know about the city.

LAST MINUTE TICKETS Enjoy discounted theatre tickets on the day of a performance.

The pick of the day can be a choice of theatre, ballet, opera, concerts or international comedy.

Check the Last Minute Ticket Shop after 10 AM and buy tickets at: www.lastminuteticketshop.nl

I AMSTERDAM STORE

Discover the best of Amsterdam here. Real Amsterdam products and the best tips on everything you want to know about the city. Come and take a look!

In the IJ Hall (inside Central Station) Open Mon-Wed 8:00-19:00, Thur-Sat 8:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-18:00 www.iamsterdam.com/store #iamsterdamstore

I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRES For information and to book excursions, visit one of the I amsterdam Visitor Centres in Amsterdam: www.iamsterdam.com www.twitter.com/Iamsterdam I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRE STATIONSPLEIN (across from Central Station) Open daily (check opening times on: iamsterdam.com/visitorcentres) I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRE SCHIPHOL AIRPORT Arrivals 2 at Schiphol Plaza Open daily 7:00-22:00

THE AMSTERDAM & REGION TRAVEL TICKET Discover Amsterdam and the surrounding area with the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket – a special public transport ticket valid on trains, metros, trams and buses operated by NS, GVB, Connexxion and EBS. The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is available for 1, 2 or 3 calendar days and is valid on any of the routes listed on the public transport guide of the Amsterdam region. Tickets can be purchased at the I amsterdam Visitor Centres and I amsterdam Store in Amsterdam and ticket counters of the participating public transport companies.

CLASS 2

2018 til 31-12with Valid un required and out Check in

1DAY

AM AMSTEREDGION R & TRAVELT TICKE

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GET THE MOST OUT OF AMSTERDAM! GET A SUBSCRIPTION! ONE YEAR/ 6 ISSUES FOR ONLY €19.95

WILLEM PAUW

Man of the year 1676 PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE GOLDEN AGE IN THE HERMITAGE AMSTERDAM How to subscribe to A-mag Contact subscriptions by email at a-magservice@iamsterdam.com

www.amsterdamportraits.com

Untitled-1 1

international performing arts amsterdam

3 – 25 juni 2017 full programme hollandfestival.nl

2016/12/16 14:58

MANIFESTO JULIAN ROSEFELDT, CATE BLANCHETT

Film installation by Julian Rosefeldt shows the relevance of historic art manifestos in thirteen short films with actress Cate Blanchett.

Documentary theatre about Great Britain after Brexit.

7 – 8 June, Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam

Adv Holland Festival - A-Mag.indd 1

© Sarah Lee

20 – 22 June, Carré

JONAS KAUFMANN SPECIAL GUEST: EVA-MARIA WESTBROEK

Superstar tenor sings Verdi and Wagner in his Dutch solo debut.

4 June, Het Concertgebouw

© Julian Rosefeldt - VG Köln

MY COUNTRY; A WORK IN PROGRESS NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREAT BRITAIN

4 – 25 June, Casco Amsterdam

Platel and his dancers focus on the intense emotions and confusion in the early years of the 20th century, with music by Mahler.

© Chris Van der Burght

© Sarah Lee

NICHT SCHLAFEN ALAIN PLATEL, LES BALLETS C DE LA B

12-4-2017 14:20:52

CLOSING

THEN AND NOW

63

then & now

THE A’DAM LOOKOUT

Documenting the city, one image at a time. text Marie-Charlotte Pezé photo Marc Faasse

TOURISTS IN AMSTERDAM

MARIETJE ZEEGERS BY JAN ZEEGERS CA 1912

Commissioned by the City of Amsterdam, photographer Marc Faasse stepped into a tourist’s shoes to explore our streets with his custommade nine-metre selfie stick (fashioned from a windowcleaning contraption!). This unique point of view gives us a fresh outlook on many hotspots favoured by visitors, such as the Iamsterdam sign on Museumplein or the polders in Waterland.

This incredible view of the A’DAM Lookout shows how the photographer works by assembling many different shots into one big mosaic.

Built last year on top of the A’DAM Tower, which was the Shell headquarters until 2009, this observation deck features a 360º panoramic view over the entire city, and boasts a pair of Europe’s highest swings – which will balance you right over the edge for a thrilling (if not cheap) ride.

FROM 19 MAY Amsterdam City Archives Vijzelstraat 32 amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief

64

beyond amsterdam

CLOSING

BEYOND

‘CUBAN EYES OFTEN LOOK CLOSE TO TEARS. TEARS NEVER SEEM FAR AWAY BECAUSE BOTH THEIR PAIN AND THEIR JOY ARE ALWAYS SO CLOSE TO THE SURFACES.’

A’DAM

Get out of town for these don’t-miss attractions beyond the city limits.

BRIN-JONATHAN BUTLER

© GEERT BROERTJES

text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

FOTOFESTIVAL NAARDEN For 27 years, this major biennial photo festival has taken a closer look at the upcoming talents of independent photography, with a stronger focus on Dutch photographers in recent years.

2017‘s theme is ‘Right Here, Right Now’, an excuse to look at topical current events in our fast-changing world. The artists on show were not only selected for their capacity at digging at contemporary subjects such as the refugee crisis and diversity, but also for their talent at showing the beauty of living in the moment. They also explore our hopes and dreams, those we foster today about our futures, intimately or for the world.

20 MAY-18 JUNE Various locations in Naarden fotofestivalnaarden.nl

GETTING THERE: There are several trains running to Naarden-Bussum (direction Utrecht) every hour from Central Station.

Travel Time: 30 minutes

DUTCH DOUBLE BASS FESTIVAL For the first time this year, Den Haag will host the Dutch Double Bass Festival, with dozens of fabulous international bass acts.

Initiator and bassist James Oesi has created an impressive line-up: one of the best and most influential bass players of the 20th and 21st century, Gary Karr is travelling to the Netherlands especially for the festival. Jazz bassist John Patitucci, who became famous as bassist to pianist Chick Corea, will give a solo performance at the Electric Factory. A very special first time.

19-21 MAY De Electriciteitsfabriek De Constant Rebecqueplein 20, Den Haag ddbf.nl

GETTING THERE: Catch an Intercity train from Central Station to Den Haag, then transfer to tram 11 and get off at the Weimarstraat stop.

Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

CASTLES AND GARDENS: THE ULTIMATE MAP The countryside of Noord-Holland was always a popular region for the rich merchants of the Golden Age: each summer they would leave their primary residence in the heart of Amsterdam and retreat to extravagant castles with acres of beautifully manicured gardens. This is the perfect season to tour these historical estates and their picturesque neighbouring villages.

Iamsterdam has created a handy guide with a map, so that you can easily pick which of these architectural marvels you want to visit: fairy tale-like castles such as Muiden and Breukelen, or imposing fortresses such as Naarden‘s snowflakeshaped fort, or iconic medieval Muiderslot with its towers and moat. For an extra dose of romance, Castle De Haar

by Utrecht has been in existence since the 14th century but got its current turrets-and-towers look in the 19th century, at the hands of famous Rijksmuseum architect Pierre Cuypers.

FIND THE MAP in the Iamsterdam store in Central Station, or on our website at iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/areas/ city-escapes/castles-and-gardens

65

‘IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO BE INTELLIGENT, READ THEM FAIRY TALES. IF YOU WANT THEM TO BE MORE INTELLIGENT, READ THEM MORE FAIRY TALES.‘

‘BOOKS ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM GOATS! THEY ENJOY AN AFTERNOON OUT ON THE LAWN.‘ KATE BERNHEIMER

ALBERT EINSTEIN

© ALEJANDRO CAMPINS

GOAT FARM

CUBAN ART NOW ALKMAAR GAY PRIDE Alkmaar shows its support for the LGBT community by celebrating Pink Week, with a slew of rainbow activities from a pink church service, sing-alongs, and musical and theatrical performances, to a flamboyant canal parade with decorated boats on the last day.

25-27 MAY Various locations in Alkmaar alkmaarpride.nl

GETTING THERE: There are trains to Alkmaar from Amsterdam Central every 15 minutes.

Travel Time: 35 minutes

Cuban Art Now offers a surprising look at the vibrant contemporary Cuban art world, through the extensive collection on loan from a Dutch couple who has lived in Havana since the 1990s.

Established and upcoming artists are represented, such as Alejandro Campins, Michel Pérez ’Pollo‘, Flavio Garcandio, JEFF and K‘cho.

23 MAY-24 SEPTEMBER Museum Singer Laren Oude Drift 1, Laren singerlaren.nl

GETTING THERE: From Amsterdam Central, take the train to Hilversum and transfer to bus 108 to the stop Brink in Laren.

Travel Time: 40-60 minutes

Kinderboerderijen (children’s farms) are a big thing in the Netherlands; even in big cities you‘ll find these adorable green abodes teeming with friendly farm animals, from ducks and chickens to baby goats and even ponies. Goat Farm Ridammerhoeve, in the enchanting setting of the Amsterdamse Bos, is one of the largest and most activityfilled farms in Amsterdam.

With more than 100 goats and 60 lambs, and chickens, pigs, cows, horses and calves, you’ll have your hands full all day. They also give a full tour of their organic farm, and workshops on how to make succulent goat‘s cheese. Their café serves breakfast, high teas, ice cream and has group barbecue packages.

Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve Nieuwe Meerlaan 4, Amstelveen geitenboerderij.nl

GETTING THERE: From Schiphol Airport, hop on bus 193 and get off at Brugstraat, then it’s a 20-minute walk.

Travel Time: 50 minutes

66

CLOSING

ON THE WAY

OUT

We asked people leaving Schiphol Airport for their Amsterdam advice.

text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé

on the way out

JENNIFER DUCOMMUN, 27, STUDENT FROM CHATEL (SWITZERLAND) ‘Rent a bike! You see everything so much better, especially all those little places out of the way that you would otherwise miss. You can go further than on foot, and you get a much more authentic feeling for the life of the city than with public transportation.’

ALEX MANCIU, 31, RECEPTIONIST FROM DUBLIN (IRELAND) ‘Amsterdam’s specialty is definitely its summer festivals. There are so many of them, with different themes from food to music – and they are all amazingly organised, with a really great, fun atmosphere.’

SINDY GOMEZ, 21, AND JESSICA GOMEZ CALVO, 19, SALES, FROM LAUSANNE ‘The Ice Bar is so much fun, and so unique. It’s got an igloo!

Everything is made of ice, even the furniture and the cocktail glasses. It’s -10 degrees in there, so they give you a jacket and gloves.’

KATIE EVANS, 24, STUDENT FROM PERTH (AUSTRALIA) ‘The Red Light District is not the seedy area that you imagine. It’s beautiful, romantic even – and it’s filled with a rich history that is worth seeing.’

ANE AMENABARRO, 24, STUDENT FROM THE PAYS BASQUE ‘Of all the beautiful things in Amsterdam, there’s nothing quite like the canal belt. Just walk around, especially around the Jordaan, and you’ll get a real feel for the city while seeing the beautiful houses and getting plenty of shopping opportunities.’

editor-in-chief Bart van Oosterhout art director & basic design Loes Koomen designer Het Zomerpaleis: Saskia Franken, Martijn Blokland deputy editor Marie-Charlotte Pezé proofreader Julia Gorodecky contributors Lauren Comiteau, Karin Engelbrecht, Lily Heaton, Catalina Iorga, Barbara van den Berg/Saltystock, Bregtje Schudel, Mark Smith, Imke Walenberg listings EdenFrost (Tamar Bosschaart, Steven McCarron, Sarah Gehrke, Alison McGarry & Rhys Elliott), Christiaan de Wit cover illustration Andrea de Santis

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