Top-shelf music in Amsterdam.
Concerts at the Concertgebouw (with Jaap van Zweden), Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, and tickets to the Liegti Festival. Who could ask for anything more?
Boltanski Installation at Oude Kerk
So there we were, just wandering by the Oude Kerk.
“Hey, there’s another old church — wanna take a look?”
“Sure, why not!”
And wouldn’t you know it? An art installation had taken over…
Upon entering the building we were greeted by HUGE shrouded structures that created a dark, maze. Which way to go?
It felt like a house for giants … except that we occasionally would find headless abstract mannequins that spoke as we approached.
They would say things like, “Tell me, did you see a light?” and “Tell me, were you alone?”
Once we managed to find our way into the middle of the church, here’s what we found…
There are 2,500+ people buried under the floor — including the guy who wrote this. Their names were being whispered quietly from the empty choir seats.
Once in the sanctuary, we were encouraged to go on…
And behind the sanctuary we found an endless white field filled with bells — lightly ringing in the breeze.
Exploring further, we discovered a semi-hidden place where the public could record their own whispered readings to be included in the work.
And of course, there was so much more to this incredible church.
- The Oude Kerk covers an area of 36,000 sq ft.
- Its roof is the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe.
- The Estonian planks that make up this incredible roof date back to 1390.
- The Oude Kerk boasts some of the best acoustics in the world.
- Today, its primary function is to host art, musical concerts, and other culturally valuable things…
Yup. Only in America Europe.
Nicolaaskerk
Amsterdam Museums
Secret Church
Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder is a Catholic Church was built on the top three floors of a canal house during the 1660s. At that time, it was prohibited to celebrate mass, so churches like this had to remain a secret.
To do this, they cut a large hole in the top three floors and supported the gap with iron bars.
While a bit strange, the invention and beauty found in the details are quite astounding.
