AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE
SIGHTS & SOUNDS ART & FASHION DANCING & DINING COMPLETE LISTINGS SEP & OCT 2013
THE CITY REINVENTED
BURSTING WITH CREATIVE ENTERPRISES, CULTURAL BREEDING GROUNDS ARE REINVIGORATING FORMERLY INDUSTRIAL PARTS OF TOWN.
NO 5 €2.95
Choose from a variety of international cuisine At KLM, we go out of our way to meet everyone’s tastes. So if you fancy something other than the delicious Economy Class meals we normally provide, there are five other tantalising international dishes to choose from with à la carte. Visit klm.com for more information.
World of
Brands The best luxury shopping in the Netherlands
De Bijenkorf is the leading shopping destination in Amsterdam. The luxury department store offers the worlds most exclusive brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Gucci. Visit our flagship store in Amsterdam on Dam Square or deBijenkorf.nl/english
department strore
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AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE
N0 5 SEP & OCT 2013
A!
AMSTERDAM’S EDGES
‘PYTHON BRIDGE’, DESIGNED BY WEST 8. PHOTO:EMILIO BRIZZI
If you’re a first-timer in Amsterdam, we can pretty much figure out what your schedule will be. You’ll go to the Rijksmuseum and maybe the Van Gogh or the Stedelijk (all three conveniently located on Museumplein). Then you’ll probably slip into the nearby Vondelpark for a walk among the joggers and picknickers. You may brave the lengthy queues in front of the Anne Frank House, and afterwards head to the Nine Streets for some serious shopping. And that’s all fine with us, of course. But you will miss out on some of the city’s most interesting places if that’s all you do. Take the Westergasterrein, for instance. It’s a former gasworks; now a cultural park. A far-sighted city council decided to clean the area up and construct a park back in the Nineties, while saving the beautiful red-brick buildings and opening them up for cultural entrepreneurs. These came in such numbers that Westergasterrein is now one of the most exciting cultural zones of the city. Besides a host of restaurants with large sunny terraces, the park is home to an art-house cinema, a theatre, the North Sea Jazz Club, TV studios and several galleries. The large drum-shaped former gasholder hosts famous events such as photo fair Unseen (2629 September), Amsterdam Fashion Week, the Awakenings dance festival, the Holland Festival and more. In the surrounding park, meadows, playgrounds, sports courts and lakes attract the locals, while Radiohead and Nelly Furtado, REM and John Legend are among the giants who have performed concerts here. And Westergasterrein is just one of the breeding grounds at Amsterdam’s edges that give it, well, an edge. Get off the beaten track and follow our hints on pages 10-16. Bart van Oosterhout editor-in-chief A-mag.
STAY IN TOUCH: iamsterdam.com facebook.com/iamsterdam twitter.com/iamsterdam youtube.com/videoiamsterdam
CONTENTS P.06 WHAT’S NEW?
City confidential: exciting new Amsterdam initiatives, events and venues – including your Top 5 must-do things this issue, plus 3D printed shoes, treasures old and new come to Amsterdam and some illuminating news
P.10 UP CLOSE The city in focus: the cultural breeding grounds that are transforming the city, giving creatives a network and a very cool place to be. Plus, get physical with the latest urban sports; and our expat columnist on the quirky habits of Amsterdammers
P.21 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Concertgebouw at 125; our critics’ picks of the best exhibitions, concerts and events; a few of self-professed ‘disco dinosaur’ Joost van Bellen’s favourite things
P.33 EAT, DRINK & CHIC Neighbourhood watch: heading to the ‘other side’: Amsterdam-Noord. Plus the hottest new shops, the tastiest food trends and our selection of the best restaurants and cafés – old and new – for every taste
P.64 CLOSING Amsterdam ABC, your city need-to-know; once upon a time in the Summer of Love; top tips from visitors on the way out
P.47 THE A-LIST Agendas at the ready: 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. Plus: get out of town with our excursion tips
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sep & oct 2013
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 in 2013.
‘IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BOOK A FLIGHT TO AMSTERDAM RIGHT NOW, YOU DON’T HAVE A PULSE.’ SOUTH AFRICAN TRAVEL MAG GETAWAY TELLS IT HOW IT IS.
text Toby Main
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR It’s one of Amsterdam’s leastknown green spaces – a refuge away from the city centre where there are no water features, ball games or cafés. Regardless, it can’t be denied that there’s a certain buzz about the Bijenpark. That’s because this bucolic destination, just off the Sloterweg in the south-westerly suburbs, is Amsterdam’s ‘bee park’, cared for and run by a society that was set up exactly 100 years ago to care for the city’s black-and-yellow community. On account of the long cold spring, it’s been a particularly bad jubilee year for the park’s honey-making inhabitants, but according to veteran keeper Rob Saal, 75, the society that runs the bee park has more members than ever. No sting in this particular tale, then. www.bijenpark.nl
FINDING FAULT With its potential for canalside romance and blistering boat-chase sequences, our fair city has long been top draw for filmmakers seeking visual impact. So it came as no surprise when the director of the movie adaptation of bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars confirmed what we already knew to be true: that there’s no substitute for Amsterdam. Josh Boone, previously of well-regarded comedy drama Stuck in Love, confirmed via Twitter that key sequences of the story – about teenaged cancer patients who come to Amsterdam for an audience with their favourite author – will be shot on location. So keep your eyes peeled for the crew as you roam the city this autumn, particularly if you’re near the Anne Frank House or Oud-West’s Hotel de Filosoof.
FOREIGN SERVICE One of the most successful and innovative Dutch stage shows ever is potentially to be recreated internationally. Soldaat van Oranje (‘Soldier of Orange’), like Paul Verhoeven’s 1977 film of the same name, is based on the autobiography of Dutch wartime RAF pilot and spy Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, and has been praised for its spectacularly immersive set. A translated version of the sold-out musical, currently playing in a 1,100-seat auditorium in a converted airport hangar near Leiden, is scheduled to open in London next year. www.soldaatvanoranje.nl
7 ‘IT’S WHAT FASHION KILLAZ WEAR IN AMSTERDAM #HIGH FASHION #SILVERSPOON ATTIRE.’
‘NOTHING ON EARTH OFFERS THE APPEARANCE OF SUCH EXTRAVAGANT PROSPERITY.’
18TH-CENTURY FRENCH PHILOSOPHER DENIS DIDEROT ON THE HARBOUR OF AMSTERDAM.
RIHANNA TWEETS HER HOLIDAY STYLE TIPS.
BUM DEAL ILLUMINATING NEWS
NO MEAN FEET A double Dutch fashion collaboration has resulted in a range of shoes which, although they don’t exactly look like daywear, will at least withstand the odd city rain shower. As part of her fifth haute couture collection, designer Iris van Herpen worked with architectural footwear brand United Nude to create these astonishing heels. Though apparently inspired by the organic forms of the banyan tree, the shoes are in fact 3D printed. United Nude co-founder Rem D Koolhaas says: ‘The hardest part was the figuring out of the materials and 3D printing techniques to be used. Fashion is always a race against time and 3D printing allows you to move fast. The promise for the future of this technology is very powerful.’ www.irisvanherpen.com www.unitednude.com
Famous Spanish porcelain house Lladró has created an Amsterdam-inspired tea light holder exclusively for the Dutch national carrier KLM. Part of the porcelain Lighting Collection, the fetching Amsterdam ‘lithophane’ (yes, that’s the term you’ve been waiting to use in Ikea) will be available for purchase on KLM flights from 1 September. The piece is handmade in the workshops in Valencia. www.lladro.com
SPIRITUAL RETREAT Booze brand Licor 43 has opened a ritzy bar at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome. Situated on the first floor of the behemoth arena that’s played host to Pearl Jam and One Direction, Licor 43 Lounge is the first cocktail bar inside the arena. Cheap seat holders needn’t apply, though. The bar is intended for guests with a place in the first and second rings only. www.ziggodome.nl
A game of museum musical chairs lasting eight years ends in Amsterdam this autumn, with the arrival at the Stedelijk Museum of the world’s very first 3D printed chair. Acquired as part of the museum’s permanent collection, which already boasts works by Warhol and Van Gogh, the chair was created back in 2004 by French boffin-slashdesigner Patrick Jouin. Although recently 3D printing has captured the public imagination as a fast and often environmentally favourable way of creating everything from prosthetic limbs to houses, the chair was a major leap forward at the time, in that it was the first large-scale object to be rendered using the technique. Given its importance to design history, we’re pretty sure visitors won’t be invited to sit on the thing. www.stedelijk.nl/en
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sep & oct 2013
OPENING WHAT’S NEW?
‘THERE IS NO BETTER EVIDENCE THAN AMSTERDAM, THAT A FABRIC OF MISTAKES CAN FORM A MOVING AND ATTRACTIVE WHOLE.’
‘Y’ALL DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE AMSTERDAM. Y’ALL REALLY REALLY DON’T.’
THE USUALLY POTTY-MOUTHED RAPPER AZEALIA BANKS PROVIDES THAT RARE THING: A TWEET WE CAN REPEAT.
POLITICIAN ROEL VAN DUIJN PAYS THE CITY A BACKHANDED COMPLIMENT.
CONCRETE
KOEN PETERS
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TOP 5 to do
FULL OF BEANS Central Amsterdam can now boast its very own coffee-roasting factory and tasting room. Located near the Brouwerij ’t IJ beer brewery which is said to have inspired it, the plant will provide the 22 Amsterdam branches of the Coffee Company with locally-roasted beans, as well as selling bags via its web shop. That’s one Amsterdam addiction that can be fed long after you leave the Netherlands. www.coffeecompany.nl
If you only do one thing in Amsterdam, make it one of our top picks of must-do events, exhibitions, museums, music and more this issue.
1 UNSEEN PHOTO FESTIVAL Returning after a wildly successful inaugural edition last year, some 50 international galleries return to Westerpark for the Unseen Photo Fair, offering an extremely rare opportunity to buy – or simply to admire – works by big- name photographers as well as emerging talents. The clue’s in the title here: all works are being shown for the first time.
26-29 September Westergasfabriek www.unseenamsterdam.com
2 FRINGE FESTIVAL
4 CITY SWIM
Now in its eighth riotous year, Amsterdam Fringe Festival brings a glut of charming and challenging performances from the Netherlands and beyond to Amsterdam’s best venues and vistas – much of it accessible to non-Dutch speakers.
The boats make way for more than 1,600 brave swimmers as the Amsterdam City Swim comes to town. Head out and support the oh-so-brave as they swim the 2,013-metre course through the city’s canals, raising money for charity.
5-15 September various locations www.amsterdamfringefestival.nl
3 AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT The gateway to the international electronic music scene; the world’s biggest club festival and Europe’s leading electronic music conference: ADE is a true dance lovers’ Mecca. 16-20 October various locations www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl
8 September city centre waterways www.amsterdamcityswim.nl
5 CINEKID The Cinekid Festival transforms the Westergasterrein into a celluloid and digital wonderland for the four-14 crowd: scores of films, director meet-and-greets and the ‘biggest interactive playground’ in Europe. 16-25 October Westergasterrein www.cinekid.nl
‘LA CAGE DOREE’, CAROLLE BENITAH 2012. COURTESY GALERIE ESTHER WOERDEHOFF
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‘EATING HEALTHY IN WISCONSIN MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS GOING TO REHAB IN AMSTERDAM.’
GEERT VAN DER WIJK
STAND-UP COMEDIAN JIM GAFFIGAN HINTS AT THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS BOOK, DAD IS FAT.
TREASURE CHEST
SMALL FRY LEAVE YOUR BAGGAGE BEHIND Here’s a problem we’re all familiar with. It’s the last day of your holiday. The hotel wants you to check out by eleven, but your flight doesn’t leave until 7pm. Sure, you can leave your luggage in the broom closet, but then you have to head back to the hotel and pick it up at the end of the day, wasting precious time – not to mention your money – on that extra taxi ride. But not any more. A new company, aptly called Leave Your Luggage, allows you – for a small fee and upon request at your hotel reception desk – to leave those heavy suitcases in your room. It then brings them to the luggage depot at Schiphol, from where you can roll ’em right on to the baggage belt. Amsterdam is the first city to have this service, albeit in the shape of a pilot programme in which four hotels are participating: Piet Hein Hotel , Park Hotel , Sir Albert Hotel and Westcord Fashion hotel . www.leaveyourluggage.com
Hopefully, by the time you read this, the chips will no longer be down. But all summer a debate has been raging about the proportions of Amsterdam’s favourite street snack, the patatje speciaal. According to broadcaster RTL, the cold, wet spring led to smaller-than-usual spuds, with the average French fry losing a centimetre in length over the summer. Thickness and taste were unaffected.
A 1.5 metre-long decorative box, purchased for the sum of just £100 (€116) in 1970, which had been used over the years as a TV stand and a drinks cabinet, has made its owners fabulously rich now that the Rijkmuseum has acquired it for 63,000 times that price. So sought-after was the chest, made in Kyoto by 17th-century master craftsman Kaomi Nagashige on commission for the Dutch East India Company, that London’s Victoria and Albert Museum had been searching the world for it since 1941, when it was last sighted. Ironically, the chest – one of just ten in the world – sat undetected at a house in South Kensington, London, just one kilometre from that museum, until 1986, when its owner, a French engineer, moved home. www.rijksmuseum.nl
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good breeding
GOOD BREEDING Explore the cultural breeding grounds that are transforming Amsterdam. UNSEEN PHOTO FAIR Returning after a wildly successful inaugural edition last year, some 50 international galleries – including London big-hitter Flowers, New York’s Danziger and M97 from Shanghai – return to Westerpark for the Unseen Photo Fair this September. The USP of this hip young upstart addition to the traditionally stuffy art world is that it offers an extremely rare opportunity to buy – or simply to admire – unseen works by big name photographers as well as emerging talents in a decidedly unstuffy atmosphere, none of the works on display having been exhibited before. As if that weren’t enough, the special Unseen Collection consists entirely of works priced under €1,000, opening up the world of photography to a whole new audience. Especially exciting this edition is the art project INSIDE OUT (pictured), by French artist JR. Visitors will be invited to have their portrait taken – joining the more than 150,000 people from over 100 countries worldwide who have already participated – and become part of the artwork. 26-29 September Westergasfabriek www.unseenamsterdam.com
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Stuffed with creative young things, ‘broedplaatsen’ are reinvigorating previously unloved parts of town. text Mark Smith & Megan Roberts illustration Owen Gately
ACTION AT TIMES SQUARE, NYC, 2013 © JR JR-ART.NET
T
AMSTERDAM, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
he blustery expanses, austere tower blocks and rusty warehouses north of the IJ are hardly the idyll that postcards are made of. But that’s precisely the area’s appeal for the new generation of creatives and entrepreneurs who, over the course of the last decade, have made Amsterdam-Noord hot property. Where once there was wind-whipped, post-industrial decline, now there are two-bedroom penthouse apartments in developments that overlook a gleaming, relocated EYE Film Museum , and they’re currently changing hands for upwards of €400,000. Not bad for an area that – accessible via the free, bike-friendly ferry behind Central Station – used to be the very definition of ‘wrong side of the tracks’. It was art pioneer Eva de Klerk who spied the 21st-century potential of Noord – specifically, the cavernous shipbuilding hangars at NDSM-werf – as a place that arty types could colonise. More than a decade ago, she worked with local government and a band of volunteers to build Kunststad (‘art city’), a rough-and-ready network of workshops in which 250 creatives could thrive, untroubled by the prohibitive rents and spatial constraints of the city centre.
Kunststad was among the first ‘broedplaatsen’ (literally, ‘breeding grounds’), now an umbrella term for a dazzlingly diverse collection of council-supported developments around the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area that seek to give start-ups and graduates a leg-up, a network and somewhere to be. One of the most successful – and prominent – is the Westergasterrein , a former gasworks in the west of the city now home to cultural initiatives from restaurants to galleries and theatres. Arguably the modern-day successors to the famous Amsterdam squatting movement of the 1980s and ’90s, broedplaatsen also solve the problem of what to do with large, vacant properties and – in theory, at least – they rejuvenate neglected areas and generate cultural cachet, eventually catching the eye of private-sector investors. If NDSM is anything to go by, the broedplaats theory works. Commercial gallerists, then larger businesses, have followed the hip young things across the waters of the IJ, with MTV deeming the neighbourhood so desirable it too snapped up a ship-building hangar for its European HQ. The original set builders, sculptors and graphic designers remain at Kunststad amidst this burgeo-
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PART I UP CLOSE
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NEIGHBOURFOOD MARKET
NOORDWAARTS 7 Don’t expect stuffy, static exhibitions from an art event at a broedplaats: instead, think lively interactions with artists, fashion designers, fabricators, photographers, upholsterers and those who continue to try to keep creativity alive. For two days, the artists of Creatief Noord open their workshops in the former slipway in Amsterdam-Noord – where you’ll find all this and more. 28 & 29 September various locations http://creatief-noord.nl
‘RED TREES’ 140 X 190, CAROLIEN WISSING, ATELIER ZAMENHOFSTRAAT
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Young or old, fresh or hungover, everyone who’s fond of good food and good company comes together at the monthly NeighbourFood Market at the Westergasfabriek, where organic farmers, baristas, bakers, butchers, food trucks and more tout their delicious wares. Bring your own crockery and pull up a chair to one of the communal tables for immediate gratification or take your treats further into the park for your picnicking pleasure. 15 September Westergasfabriek http://neighbourfoodmarket.nl
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PROEF AMSTERDAM
ning business activity – many have found new clients amid the new arrivals – and visitors to the area can still admire the organised chaos of their workshops and the adjacent skate park, before enjoying a latte alongside the media types of the slick IJ-kantine or the stunning view from the manmade beach at trendy new hangout PLLEK – see page 38. From belly-dance instructors to architects, there are an estimated 3,000 people working from broedplaatsen across Amsterdam, according to the Bureau Broedplaatsen, the organisation that fronts the capital to get them off the ground. Director Jaap Schoufour explains the ethos: ‘We have between 500 and 700 young creatives graduating from the academies of the Netherlands every year. It’s a two-way street. They need affordable premises, and by providing them we prevent the pioneers of the future from leaving Amsterdam. When an organisation applies to start a new broedplaats, we always ask, “How will you be adding value to your neighbourhood?”’
Someone who has answered that question to the Bureau’s satisfaction is Marcus Fernhout, whose latest broedplaats, A-Lab , opened last spring in the former Shell laboratory across the water from Central Station: ‘The focus here is on tech and app start-ups,’ he says of the gargantuan 45,000 square metre space, home to some 350 work stations. ‘We’re working on getting 3D printers and a green-screen studio installed in the basement, and we host hackathons, debates and workshops. Our café is from the team that just won Esquire magazine’s “Best Coffee Bar in the Netherlands” award and there’s already such a buzz here, in what used to be a dead area of town. Clients are walking in with briefs, inviting our people to pitch on the spot.’ Over at Global DanceLab just behind the Kinkerstraat in Oud-West , it’s high kicks and kizomba moves, rather than briefs and bidding wars, that get the blood pumping. This broedplaats is home to an army of independent choreographers and dance instruc-
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‘DANCELAB HAS BROUGHT A LOT OF LIFE AND COLOUR TO THE STREET.’
Eating is an art form at Proef, snuggled in the heart of the Westergasterrein. The food has been ‘designed’ by chef Marije Vogelzang, who oversees everything from the appearance of the food on the plate to the interior design and of course the menu itself, created using only organic and seasonal produce. The beautiful, industrial space with its long wooden tables and homespun aesthetic, encourages lingering – as does the lovely terrace and killer ‘rabarbarella’ cocktails.
Gosschalklaan 12 www.proefamsterdam.com
good breeding
PART I UP CLOSE
THE GARGANTUAN IJHALLEN FLEA MARKET IS EUROPE’S LARGEST.
© TOLHUISTUIN
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tors, who have their offices here and open their studios to provide affordable lessons to locals. Tihana Trputec lives in the adjacent block of flats and couldn’t be happier with her neighbours: ‘It’s brought a lot of life and colour to the street, with people of all ages coming for dance lessons.’ For many Amsterdammers, the archetypal broedplaats is the one created by Urban Resort, a collective of former squatters, when it filled the vacant Wibautstraat premises of the relocated national newspaper Volkskrant with freelance journalists, theatre makers, designers – even a ‘dreadlock technician’ at one point . The teeming broedplaats – with its popular seventh-floor nightclub Canvas – has been such a success, it’s just had its lease renewed for another five years and is undergoing extensive renovation to accommodate professional recording studios – and a hotel. In the meantime there’s a hot new club called DOKA in the basement, where anyone can come to party Thursday through Sunday. Mirthe Blussé, an illustrator and designer who’s worked from the building since 2007, says: ‘It’s such a fabulous and inspiring place to work. A conversation in the elevator may lead to a creative collaboration with someone else in the building. I live locally, and it’s amazing what it’s done to the area. It was so sad when the newspapers left. Now people want to come and stay the night here.’
IJ-KANTINE The IJ-Kantine is more than just a canteen on the IJ. This striking and transparent brasserie with its fabulous terrace on the NDSM harbour has just about everything: in the morning you can go there for coffee, during the day you can have a royal lunch, in the evening enjoy a cocktail next to the fireplace in the lounge and at dinner time, eat dishes such as wild sea bass, potato cannelloni and grilled lobster. MT Ondinaweg 15-17 www.ijkantine.nl
> IJHALLEN A bargain-hunter’s dream, the gargantuan IJhallen flea market is Europe’s largest, with everything from vinyl to vintage threads, furniture to food. Trash and treasure sit side-by-side, and if you’re prepared to look for it, you’re almost guaranteed to find whatever your heart desires – and an awful lot more. The nominal entry fee (€4.50) will secure you an entire day of entertainment. 21 & 22 September 12 & 13 October NDSM-werf www.ijhallen.nl
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‘RED TREES’ 140 X 190, CAROLIEN WISSING, ATELIER ZAMENHOFSTRAAT
READ MY WORLD LITERARY FESTIVAL A new addition to Amsterdam’s international literary scene, the inaugural edition of Read My World promises recitals, interviews, spokenword performances, satire and more, all aimed at challenging Dutch and international authors to explore the boundaries between literature and (research) journalism. The platform will focus on a different region of the world each year, inviting local curators to introduce writers and poets who tell the stories behind the cursory headlines with which the news is generally presented to us. This edition, Egyptian writers including Ghayath Almadhoun, Eman Abdel Rahim, Yasser Abdel Latif and Tarik Hamdan discuss the effects of the revolution on culture at the Tolhuistuin. 13-15 September Tolhuistuin www.readmyworld.org
SKATEPARK AMSTERDAM The vast industrial space of the former NDSM shipping yard perfectly lends itself to that most urban of sports: skateboarding. Covering a whopping 1,750 square metres on a platform about seven metres high, expect to see plenty of cool kids – from the actually young to the young-at-heart. It’s hours of entertainment just watching, but if you fancy a go, you can rent all the gear onsite.
TT Neveritaweg 15a www.skateparkamsterdam.com
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PART I
good breeding
UP CLOSE
FRESH OR HUNG-OVER, EVERYONE WHO’S FOND OF GOOD FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY COMES TOGETHER.
(NeighbourFood Market)
NOORDERLICHT
The crystalline ‘Northern Light’ café is certainly a shining beacon on the northern shores of the IJ, with the ultimate sun-bathed waterside terrace, twinkling fairy lights, campfire and delicious organic food. It remains something of a hippie enclave tucked away behind the industrial old NDSM building, and when illuminated by night the glass building is less polytunnel and more post-apocalyptic, Waterworld-esque safe haven. In a good way, that is.
TT Neveritaweg 33 www.noorderlichtcafe.nl
CHEZ BERNADETTE
TROUW
Broedplaats ACTA used to be a university for dentists, but since 2012 Urban Resort has run a creative cluster on the ground and first floor (with the remaining space housing some 460 students). In 2014 there will be a restaurant and café, but until then an old school bus-turned-food truck, called Chez Bernadette, is parked in front of the building. Each Wednesday and Thursday Chez Bernadette offers simple meals, drinks and cosiness.
One of Wibautstraat’s trendy trifecta of artists’ cooperatives, which also include hipster magnets Baut and Canvas (temporarily closed for refurbishment). Presented by the people who brought Amsterdam the legendary Club 11, Trouw is an industrial space – a former newspaper building – where the DJ line-up always makes headlines. Independent cultural platform De Verdieping, located in the cellar, has a 24-hour licence and is making news with a unique art, music and cinema programme.
Louwesweg www.facebook.com/chez. bernadette
Wibautstraat 127 www.trouwamsterdam.nl
PART I
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sports
UP CLOSE
Urban sports seize the city Every bench and every step, every canal or bridge can be a piece of fitness equipment. Amsterdam is one big workout… text Kim van der Meulen photos Martijn van de Griendt
Your urban sports dictionary SLACKLINING Ever wondered what those people on the Museumplein or Westerpark are doing, balancing on a synthetic strap? They’re not circus artists on a tight rope; they’re practising a new urban sport called slacklining. Born in Yosemite Park in the US, slacklining has built up quite a following in Vondelpark as well. slacktivity.nl
TRICKING A combination of martial arts, gymnastics, capoeira and breakdancing, tricking is best practised on a trampoline, but experienced tricksters have taken their sport to the streets, parks and shopping malls where they treat passers-by to spectacular summersaults, backflips and twists.
SPEEDMINTON
trainer Maan Klomp – ‘mainly because of the success of Dutch women in professional cycling.’ Across town, meanwhile, BMX-ERS perform tricks on the halfpipe on Museumplein, the Marnix Bowl or at the Olympiaplein skatepark. SKATEBOARDERS – there are about 1,500 in Amsterdam – are often found in the same places as the BMX crowd. The latest trend is ‘longboarding’: a longer board used to ‘surf’ the city. In the same vein, but more old-school, are inlineand roller-skating. At the centre is the 20km Friday Night Skate, which has been around for 15 years. The same trend that gave rise to new urban sports is also forcing traditional urban sport clubs to adapt. One rowing club on the Amstel now offers lessons for non-members, and even rents boats out. At the same time, new urban sports keep emerging. SUPPING (stand-up paddling), whereby you paddle through the canals upright on a surfboard, ‘is a complete workout’ says Morene Dekker of Holland’s first sup-school, M&M SUP in Blijburg. The latest sport must be STAIRCASE RUNNING: during the ‘Race to the Top’ event, participants run up and down the staircase of the 19 floors of the Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre. It sure beats that lonely workout on a StairMaster in your gym.
www.nsbf.nl
SUP-YOGA Yoga in the park is so oldschool. The newest thing is sup-yoga, practised on the water on a so-called ‘bogaboard’, an extra-stable supboard over three metres in length with an extra-soft surface comparable to a yoga mat. Balanace takes the workout to the next level.
EVENTS
in september
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handful of youngsters are stretching in the park, drenched in sweat. Their trainer, Nicole van der Plas of fitness company Urbanics, shouts ‘encouragement’ like an army instructor. Welcome to BOOT CAMP, the latest urban exercise trend. ‘I come up with a different exercise at every bench or step. The variation is what makes it interesting,’ says Van der Plas. Seeing them at work makes you wonder why people still pay to go to a cramped and smelly gym. The appeal of urban sports isn’t just that they’re (almost) free, but that it’s just more fun and motivating to be outside. The city has warmed to the urban sports trend in the last couple of years, and installed fitness equipment in public spaces including Erasmuspark and Sarphatipark. Rick Verbree, running coach and sports programmer for the City, says that popular commercial races such as the Men’s Health Urbanathlon and new, targeted running groups – for women only, for minorities or the elderly – have drawn many more Amsterdammers to the sport of late. On the more creative side, FREERUNNERS and PARKOUR practitioners jump between objects on their improvised race course: the city itself. Over the last two years SPEED CYCLING has surged up popularity rankings, says
Born in in Germany in 2000 out of parents squash, badminton and tennis, speedminton requires no court or net but just two players with rackets and a ‘speeder’: a smaller and heavier version of the badminton shuttlecock, which can reach speeds of up to 160 miles an hour.
7: RACE TO THE TOP 8: AMSTERDAM CITY SWIM 14: BOSBAAN SWIM 17: GERRIE KNETEMANN CLASSIC 22: DAM TOT DAM CYCLING CLASSIC 22: DAM TO DAM WALK
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ADVERTORIAL
I AMSTERDAM CITY CARD
sep & oct 2013
In 2013, Amsterdam celebrates the city’s iconic institutions in style. See them all – for free or with a discount – with the I amsterdam City Card.
VAN GOGH MUSEUM
RIJKSMUSEUM OPEN
The Van Gogh Museum is one of the major milestones of the Amsterdam 2013 celebrations. This year marks 40 years since the institution first opened on Museumplein, as well as the 160th anniversary of Vincent van Gogh’s birth. In celebration, the museum presents the extensive exhibition Van Gogh at Work. Featuring 200 paintings, drawings and letters, it brings to life his artistic development and marks the culmination of nearly a decade of research into his methods and development.
After a decade of unprecedented renovation, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, home to a host of Rembrandts and Vermeers, finally showed off its new (and old) look in April 2013. Inspired by venerable French museums like the Louvre, the Rijksmuseum (meaning: ‘state museum’) had been founded in The Hague in 1800 to house treasures from the Golden Age, and was moved to Amsterdam at the behest of King Louis Bonaparte in 1808. It eventually moved into the grand PJH Cuypers-designed
VAN GOGH AT WORK
A GOLDEN AGE TREASURE TROVE
FREE admission with the I amsterdam City Card
Museumplein building. With an entirely refreshed layout, fully renovated building, new public facilities, newly landscaped garden and Rembrandt’s iconic ‘The Night Watch’ returning to its original gallery, 80 halls now display 8,000 pieces of art and history – more than even the most fervent museum visitor can digest in one day. Get a €2.50 DISCOUNT on presentation of the special voucher you receive with the I amsterdam City Card
MUSEUM VAN LOON
HIGHLIGHTS WITH YOUR I AMSTERDAM CITY CARD:
KAZIMIR MALEVICH AND THE RUSSIAN AVANT-GARDE, STEDELIJK MUSEUM
A major survey exhibition of work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, one of the founding fathers of abstract art. The exhibition uses oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculptures to illustrate the rich variety of styles and disciplines in his oeuvre. FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card (from 19 October)
AMSTERDAM’S HIDDEN CANAL HOUSE MUSEUMS Pay a visit to one of Amsterdam’s canal house museums to experience first-hand the grandeur of a 17th-century canal-side residence. Highlights include: Museum van Loon, Museum Geelvinck and the Willet-Holthuysen Museum, a treasure trove of antique collectables.
FREE admission with the I amsterdam City Card
REMBRANDTHUIS
The Netherlands' most renowned artist painted his masterpieces here in Amsterdam. Visit the house Rembrandt bought in 1639 at the height of his fame, faithfully reconstructed from the inventory of his bankruptcy in 1656. The historic interior has been restored to its former glory. FREE admission with the I amsterdam City Card
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The history of art is written with Dutch names. A visit to some of Amsterdam’s world-class museums demonstrates why.
NAVE, NAVE MOE (MIRACULOUS SOURCE) 1894; HERMITAGE MUSEUM, ST. PETERSBURG
GAUGUIN, BONNARD, DENIS HERMITAGE AMSTERDAM
Subtitled ‘A Russian Taste for French Art’, the Hermitage Amsterdam turns its attention to three major late 19th and early 20th-century artists: Gauguin, Bonnard and Denis. United under the title Les Nabis, from the Hebrew word for ‘prophet’, these artists emphasised colour, feeling, symbolism and imagination. With their ‘flat’ style, the Nabis arguably helped open the door to modern art.
A lot of Amsterdam
This sweeping exhibition will display the work of the Nabis artists alongside paintings and drawings by their predecessors, contemporaries and immediate successors. It also includes a small selection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Auguste Maillol and Paul Auguste Bartholomé. FREE admission with the I amsterdam City Card (from 14 September)
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EXPLORE EVERYTHING AMSTERDAM HAS TO OFFER WITH THE I AMSTERDAM CITY CARD. Visit world-class museums, take a cruise through the charming canals and sample the local delicacies – all for free or with a significant discount. • Free entrance to over 40 museums • Free public transport • Free canal cruise • 25 per cent discount on attractions • 25 per cent discount on food & drink …and more
Discover Amsterdam at a discount. See right for details.
I amsterdam City Card for 24 hours – €42 I amsterdam City Card for 48 hours – €52 I amsterdam City Card for 72 hours – €62
The I amsterdam City Card is available at Visitor Information Centres, hotels, canal cruise companies and GVB Tickets & Info offices. For more information, see www.iamsterdamcitycard.com
Experience the best acoustics in the world
sep & oct 2013
PART II 22 24 29 30
ENTERTAINMENT
THE BIGGEST SHOWCASE FESTIVAL, THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTRONIC MUSIC CONFERENCE AND THE BEST CLUBBING IN THE WORLD: THE AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT IS IN TOWN.
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CONCERTGEBOUW AT 125 HIGHLIGHTS 13 QUESTIONS FILM
THE REDISCOVERY OF THE WORLD In a crowd-sourced, imagedominated age where everybody with a smartphone is a photographer, what artistic value does the medium hold? Young Dutch photographers address this question with works directed at the very nature of photography itself, rediscovering the world as they do so. This inaugural exhibition at the newly expanded Huis Marseille photography gallery features new works by, among others, Hellen van Meene and Viviane Sassen. 7 SEPTEMBER-8 DECEMBER HUIS MARSEILLE Keizersgracht 401 www.huismarseille.nl
16-25 OCTOBER VARIOUS LOCATIONS www.amsterdam-danceevent.nl
‘AMSTERDAM IS STILL ONE THE MOST TOLERANT CITIES IN THE WORLD, AND PEOPLE STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER WHEN THEY GET DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. AT LEAST, THAT’S WHAT I HOPE THEY’LL STILL DO.’
HELLEN VAN MEENE, FOUR ELEMENTS
'Disco dinosaur' Joost van Bellen on what makes Amsterdam tick
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a concerted effort
PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A concerted effort
As one of the world’s most cherished performance venues celebrates 125 years, a look back at the extraordinary events that brought the Concertgebouw into being.
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onsidered by his own family to be somewhat lacking in musical talent, things weren’t looking good for architect Dolf van Gendt when, in 1883 he accepted his biggest challenge to date: to provide late 19th-century Amsterdam with a music venue to match the grand scale of its cultural aspirations. ‘All self-respecting cities abroad have made sure their cities are graced with good concert halls,’ an editorial in the De Amsterdammer newspaper had complained
just months before. It was a consortium of six wellheeled citizens who rose to the challenge. ‘The Concertgebouw was never a project funded by the government or the city; it was an initiative undertaken by civilians,’ says Simon Reinink, director of the Concertgebouw, as it celebrates its 125th jubilee this year. ‘That’s very much in the spirit of Amsterdam.’ Following a consultation with Pierre Cuypers – whose own not unambitious project the Rijks Museum was
LEANDER LAMMERTINK
JANNES LINDERS
text Toby Main
taking shape at the time – a plot just outside the city was selected, and Van Gendt was enlisted to turn a swampy marsh into neoclassical splendour. Van Gendt didn’t know much about acoustics so, like many a composer, he ‘borrowed’ from those who had gone before. When it had its official opening in 1888, the Concertgebouw’s Main Hall bore an uncanny resemblance to the large hall of the Neue Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany. No one cried foul, however,
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join the 2013 party HERITAGE DAYS
Heritage Days
24H West
In-Water Boat Show
Granting special access to some of the city’s most dazzling – but usually hidden – gems, Amsterdam Heritage Days 2013 is an open-door extravaganza celebrating the 400th jubilee of the stately Canal Ring that brought the city such prosperity during the Golden Age. The theme for this fourth and final edition is ‘Power & Glory’, and there’s a packed and varied programme including walks through the city’s hidden spaces, lectures on the history of slavery and a children’s programme complete with youth guides and theatre performances. Best of all, it’s all completely free. 14 & 15 September, various locations www.amsterdam.nl/ openmonumentendag
when they experienced the pristine quality of the sound, which, 125 years on, continues to attract first-class performers from around the world, from chamber orchestras to Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club. To celebrate its big birthday, the Concertgebouw is hosting a series of special big-name performances featuring some of its closest friends. They include, of course, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which takes time out of its
FRED GEORGE
JOHN LEWIS MARSHALL
24H WEST & NOORD
world tour to perform works by Vleggaar, Sibelius and Xenakis in October. November sees the return of conductor Bernard Haitink, who memorably described the Concertgebouw as ‘the best instrument of the orchestra it houses’. He wll lead the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in an evening of Brahms. Reinink is especially excited about December’s youth performances of West Side Story: ‘It’s the culmination of a project that has allowed up-and-coming amateur
talent, from choreographers to costume designers, to work with the best veterans in the business.’ However its programme changes with the times, Reinink is keen to stress that, from the light bulbs to the carpets, even the tiniest change to the Concertgebouw building is scrutinised to ensure it won’t affect the acoustics for which it is famed: ‘That quality of sound is our biggest asset, and we will never forget that.’ www.concertgebouw.nl
Calling all culture vultures and night owls: stay up all night for an action-packed 24-hour neighbourhood adventure. For the West edition, don’t miss the behind-the-scenes tour of the Amsterdam Waste and Energy Company. It may not be your typical tourist attraction but it is an essential and recognisable icon (thanks to its looming twin smoke stacks near the River IJ). Other highlights include a cycling tour of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. While the agenda hasn’t been confirmed for the Noord edition, see pages 34-38 for a sneak peak at this up-and-coming borough. West: 7 & September Noord: 26 & 27 October www.iamsterdam.com
AMSTERDAM IN-WATER BOAT SHOW 2013 For six days, the banks of the River IJ around the NDSM-werf will be lined with more than 300 shiny new yachts and sailing vessels. Aside from the vast array of new nautical products, clothing and accessories on display, there’s also plenty of action on and around the water – from stand-up paddling clinics to races, lectures, presentations and workshops for and by watersports enthusiasts. Whether you’re actually in the market for a new yacht or not, there’s plenty of fun for all the family. 3-8 September, NDSM-werf www.hiswatewater.nl
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highlights
PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fringe benefits
Now in its eighth riotous year, Amsterdam Fringe Festival brings a glut of charming and challenging performances from the Netherlands and beyond to Amsterdam’s venues and vistas. text Toby Main
U
nless you need a haircut, mention of the Fringe probably brings to mind the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Established two years after the end of World War II as a less stuffy alternative to the classical Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has snowballed into the world’s largest performing arts festival. It’s cherished and reviled for bringing a month-long mass influx of stand-up comedy, experimental theatre and creative chaos. Despite the name, the Fringe is far from marginalised and has long dwarfed the International Festival that spawned it. Parasite has become host. Good ideas will travel, and there are now more than 30 Fringe Festivals worldwide, of which Amsterdam’s, established 2005, is among the most celebrated. Running for ten days in September, Amsterdam Fringe has been described in the press as ‘Edinburgh’s cooler, edgier younger sibling’, an assessment that pleases Anneke Jansen, Amsterdam Fringe Festival’s programme director: ‘Amsterdam distinguishes itself via a strong emphasis on innovation,’ she says. ‘We attract theatre-makers and performers from home and abroad, who push limits, try new things and devote their energy to the audience.’ Case in point? Amsterdam’s own Orange Tea Theatre Company presents I am I, a breakneck play that takes in everything from love poetry to sexual politics to just how much is okay to spend on dinner. Amsterdam Fringe has comparable ‘satellite’ status to the Edinburgh mother ship, running
POLLE B WILLEMSEN
LANGUAGE NO PROBLEM At this year’s Fringe, pioneering Dutch performances will be presented in English. Sure to offer food for thought is The Beloved (14 & 15 September at De Nieuwe Anita , which has courted controversy with its investigation of paedophilia. Daddy Day (8, 9, 13 & 14 September), ostensibly a man’s holiday slideshow, left audiences reeling when it was first performed at the Fringe in 2009. Like The Beloved, it has been translated into English and is presented at the Betty Asfalt Complex as part of ‘Best of Fringe’.
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don’t miss these
INSIDE DESIGN
alongside the Dutch Theatre Festival that takes place in the Stadsschouwburg (city theatre), all velvet seating and 19th-century pomp. By contrast, Fringe HQ is a bohemian tent, where booze flows and ‘sneak’ performances give a free taste of the programme. Unlike Edinburgh, where a serious debate rages about the dominance of comedy, Amsterdam Fringe doesn’t host stand-ups. There’s no shortage of hilarity, though. Michael McQuilken, aka Amanda Palmer’s drummer, presents Machine Makes Man, a musical performance in which the estranged wife of a mechanic tries to negotiate a ‘refund’ following his disappearance at the hands of an experimental teaching technology. As you do. It’s the ‘mixed bag’ aspect that makes Fringe such fun – you never know what you’re going to get. That said, as the Fringe phenomenon grows in scope and renown, there has been an effort to signpost performances with a proven track record. Under the ‘Best of Fringe’ banner, eight members of a World Fringe Alliance present exchange productions across the world. Since 2009, Amsterdam has exchanged shows with New York, Prague, Dublin and Grahamstown. This year, half of the programme is accessible to non-Dutch speakers. Venues are as weird and wonderful as the performances, ranging from a Leidseplein whisky bar to a boxing centre. Maartje Weijers, who performed at the Fringe in 2011, says: ‘It’s not often I discover new places in my hometown but the Fringe team are pioneers in this field. I can’t wait to see where this year’s edition will take me.’ 5-15 SEPTEMBER various locations www.amsterdamfringefestival.nl
Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Inside Design brings to life the pages of the Netherlands’ most lusted-after interiors magazine, Elle Decoration, in a three-day taste-making extravaganza. Get your Elle Decoration City Guide from festival HQ at The Lobster House on Frederiksplein and trip through some of central Amsterdam’s most delightful districts (including the well-heeled Museum Quarter and mulicultural De Pijp) and trendy locations (including Hotel Droog , pictured) for exclusive installations from up-and-coming talent as well as the big national and international players.
27-29 SEPTEMBER, VARIOUS LOCATIONS www.elle.nl/insidedesign
FOAM MAGAZINE TALENTS A travelling billboard exhibition from the city’s pre-eminent photography museum celebrating future talents featuring works by 16 international up-and-coming photographers, all under the age of 35. Catch the winning images around town for free: on pontoons on the waters of Keizersgracht (3-22 September) and then at Unseen, the international photography fair at the Westergasfabriek (26-29 September; see page 10). The exhibition marks a triple celebration: 400 years of Amsterdam’s canals; 150 years since the Fodor Museum was established (in the canal house which Foam now occupies), and the talents themselves.
LINDA VOORWINDE, FROM SERIES A GLIMPSE OF A WORLD THAT EXISTS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF MY EVERYDAY LIFE
3-29 SEPTEMBER, KEIZERSGRACHT WESTERGASFABRIEK www.foam.org
DISCOVERY FESTIVAL This vibrant coming-together of science, art, music and dance takes place simultaneously in three cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven) and celebrates the thrill of new discovery. Programmed by Transnatural, an organisation that stages events ‘in which technology plays by the rules of nature’, the capital’s chapter features an art element that promises live, interactive sculptures and cutting-edge scientific experiments that happen right under your nose. Last year there was a ‘Man vs Machine Lab’, so who knows what kind of artificial intelligence will be on show in 2013. If you’ve seen Terminator, you may want to stand well back…
JULIE HRUDROVA
27 SEPTEMBER, DE VERDIEPING & TROUW AMSTERDAM www.discoveryfestival.nl
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PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
highlights
White night in the Red Light
Nuit Blanche, Amsterdam’s all-night binge of art and culture, storms the capital’s most notorious ’hood.
text Toby Main
T
he annual sunset-to-sunrise arts party may be a French import – nightlife entrepreneurs Josine Neyman and Kristel Mutsters brought Nuit Blanche from Paris back in 2009 – but this year’s edition is being held in an unmistakably ‘Amsterdam’ setting: the Red Light District – De Wallen to locals. ‘De Wallen has a pretty messed-up image,’ says Nuit Blanche’s programme manager Saba Babas-Zadeh. ‘People think of hookers rather than art and history – which is a shame, as it’s the oldest and most fascinating part of town. This year we’re using the festival to show people the wonderful hidden places there.’ Festival HQ for the night is the magnifi-
cent Oude Kerk . Slap bang in the middle of the Red Light District, this stone church is the oldest building in the entire city and has seen plenty of action since it was built around 1300 – but nothing quite like this. Babas-Zadeh explains: ‘Inside the Oude Kerk, 15 artists have been selected to embrace what we’ve called “the shadow of their own being”, which means they’ll be working in a discipline other than the one they’re know for. It’s going to be a six-hour, theatre-in-the-round extravaganza.’ There are nine venues taking part, including the Bethaniënklooster , a former 15th-century monastery that’s been repurposed as a striking concert hall,
and the nearby Industrieele Groote Club , the illustrious members’ club on Dam square that’s usually closed to the hoi polloi. Having moved from June to September this year, it will get dark relatively early. ‘I’m really curious to see how that will affect the atmosphere,’ says Josine Neyman, who served alongside Mutsters as Amsterdam’s elected representatives of Amsterdam’s nightlife community in 2008. ‘I’ve always thought of Amsterdam’s Nuit Blanche as the rebellious younger sister of the other editions.’ 28 SEPTEMBER, VARIOUS LOCATIONS www.nuitblancheamsterdam.nl
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featured artist
don’t miss these LIVING LEGENDS
ANNE FISHBEIN
‘Even if what I’m recording is of no consequence, I’ve got to put it down on paper.’
After the customary summertime slump, during which the world’s musical talent abandons the concert halls in favour of muddy meadows and far-flung festivals, Amsterdam’s live music scene gets back on track. And, for fans of classic rock’n’roll, it doesn’t get much better than this autumn double whammy. On 20 September, Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, famed for his hauntingly bleak ‘Hallelujah’, takes to the state-of-the-art Ziggo Dome . Then, on the last two days of October, Heineken Music Hall welcomes Bob ‘The Bard’ Dylan, whose impact on popular music needs no introduction.
VARIOUS DATES & LOCATIONS www.ziggodome.nl www.heineken-music-hall.nl
AFFORDABLE ART FAIR
Born: 26 December 1956 (age 56) Talent(s): best-selling author (7 million books sold), folk hero, New Yorker contributor Performs: 30 September, Royal Theater Carré ‘[Since moving to France] I’ve gone from avoiding dentists and periodontists to practically stalking them, not in some quest for a Hollywood smile but because I enjoy their company. I’m happy in their waiting rooms, the coffee tables heaped with Gala and Madame Figaro. I like their mumbled French, spoken from behind Tyvek masks. None of them ever call me David, no matter how often I invite them to. Rather, I’m Monsieur Sedaris, not my father but the smaller, Continental model. Monsieur Sedaris with the four lower implants. Monsieur Sedaris with the good-time teeth, sweating so fiercely he leaves the office two kilos lighter.’
31 OCTOBER-3 NOVEMBER Kromhouthal 26 http://affordableartfair.com/amsterdam
MING: EMPERORS, ARTISTS & MERCHANTS IN ANCIENT CHINA In collaboration with China’s Nanjing Museum, De Nieuwekerk takes visitors on an odyssey into China’s distant past with this exhibition dedicated to one of the country’s most illustrious dynasties. Using period artefacts – including calligraphies, porcelain crafts and luxury items originally designed for the Imperial Court – the exhibition charts the Ming dynasty’s trajectory from its foundation in 1368, and examines its legacy, which continues to influence China’s national identity in the 21st century. Highlights include lifesize portraits once used to welcome guests at court.
FROM THE ALBUM OF WANG SHENG, LATE MING DYNASTY © F BARTHOLET COLLECTION, AMSTERDAM
DAVID SEDARIS, AUTHOR
For those who’d like to see the spoils of Amsterdam’s contemporary-art renaissance displayed in the comfort of their own living room – or just check out the latest talent on the city’s creative scene – the Affordable Art Fair is an exciting prospect. Selling work with a price tag of up to €5,000, its stated aim is to open up Amsterdam’s art scene by providing first-time buyers with an unintimidating starting point. For four days, the city’s most respected galleries will leave the slick white spaces of their daily premises for the bustling Kromhouthal in the Noord district, accessible via free ferry from behind Central Station.
5 OCTOBER-2 FEBRUARY Nieuwekerk, Dam www.nieuwekerk.nl
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highlights
PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Cinekid film festival
It’s that time of year again: the Cinekid festival turns the Westergasterrein into a celluloid and digital wonderland for kids.
Amsterdam Dance Event
Five days, 2,000 artists, 450 events, 200,000 clubbing fans: ADE is the world’s biggest and best dance party. text Christiaan de Wit
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all it one of the biggest showcase festivals in the world; know it’s the largest one to be held in clubs; count it among the most important international electronic music conferences – but most of all, be aware that ADE is the best five solid days of clubbing anywhere in the world (see our top picks on page 48). ADE boasts more than 2,000 artists – including Carl Craig, Funkineven, Carl Cox and Xosar – who attend panels, teach workshops and of course perform. First held in 1996 as a modest three-day affair in three venues, 18 years down the line ADE events now take place in over 100 venues within three official components: the festival itself, an industry conference and the playground, a series of interactive daytime activities open to the general club-music-loving public. Antal Heitlager, an Amsterdam-based DJ and owner of label, distribution company and record store Rush Hour,
sees ADE as a chance to reach a wider audience: ‘With 200,000 dance music fans coming to Amsterdam, we present ourselves to the world.’ As much as the big-name DJs, it’s ADE’s daytime events that are the draw for many attendees, offering the layman the opportunity to understand the world of electronic music better. The ADE card – available for €10 from the ADE website – provides access to beatmaking workshops, interactive presentations, film screenings and exclusive shows across 20 venues in town. It’s a good opportunity for those considering a career in the industry to get involved, reckons Heitlager: ‘There are panels on every aspect of the industry you can think of – from music sales to digital distribution and music publishing.’ Forget the cheese, flowers and clogs: these days, dance music is the Netherlands’ most important export. 16-25 OCTOBER various locations www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl
JOHAN VIVIE
text Lauren Comiteau
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ow in its 27th year, Cinekid is more than just a film, documentary and TV festival for kids (one which includes an industry-wide marketplace). To be sure, there’s always an impressive movie line-up including old favourites like Pippi Longstocking to newer classics like the Japanese animated Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea to last year’s best international children’s film winner, Ernest & Celestine. But in addition to the films and director meet-and-greets, the festival boosts the ‘biggest interactive playground’ in Europe. Last year my daughters lost themselves for hours inserting their faces into animated storybooks and doing a science-like experiment involving bananas. This year, kids will be able – among dozens of other activities – to change the weather with a snap of their fingers and paint video landscapes on the walls. ‘The impact of digital resources on our environment, including children, is increasing,’ says Paulien Dresscher,
head of MediaLab Cinekid. ‘We want to inform children, parents and teachers about the possibilities and show how they can use new media to express themselves and develop.’ An estimated 35,000 children visit Cinekid annually, including 11-year old Amsterdammer Lenka Simisic, who has been attending the festival for the past three years. Her highlights include the ‘cool games’, movies and even recording a newscast and then watching herself as presenter on video. But her all-time ‘best moment’ was when she got to meet one of her idols up close and personal. ‘They organised a meeting with Dutch author Francine Oomen, one of my favourite writers, and we could ask her questions,’ recalls Simisic. ‘It was also the premiere of her new TV series.’ The kids may be out of school, but who says autumn break can’t be educational? 16-25 OCTOBER Westergasterrein www.cinekid.nl/festival
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13 questions DENNIS BOUMAN
Ahead of his outdoor electro party Valtifest, self-professed ‘disco dinosaur’ Joost van Bellen gives his take on the city. text Megan Roberts
‘One of the world’s most tolerant cities’ 1. WHAT’S YOUR FIRST AMSTERDAM MEMORY? Going clothes shopping at age 15, ending up with a water pipe and a Persian carpet: no clothes.
4. MODE OF TRANSPORT? Bicycle of course! It’s fast, you see the city, meet people you know on the streets and get a workout.
2. WHAT SHOULD SOMEONE DO WITH A SINGLE DAY IN AMSTERDAM? Get a little stoned and visit the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum , and after go to one of the many great restaurants and clubs we have.
5. FAVOURITE STATUE? Though it’s not very pretty, I like the monument on Dam square a lot . There’s lots of history involved, it’s about remembering all who died for our freedom and a statue filled with hope. It’s about resurrection, and resurrection has the word ‘erection’ in it and yes, it looks like a penis.
3. FAVOURITE AMSTERDAM WORK OF ART? I love everything by Leonard van Munster, especially the fox on a raft floating in the Vondelpark , called ‘De Overgave van Reinaert de Vos’. It was a present to the city but sadly it was taken out of the water and destroyed by the municipal cleaners. Van Munster found it in a garbage can, restored it and put it back into the pond but the police confiscated it.
6. TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE CITY WE DON’T ALREADY KNOW. The European division of the Church of Satan was based here. It was founded by hippies who lived dark, ‘immoral’ lives full of fun: having sex and being hedonistic and dressing up in black, red and silver. It got shut down in the Eighties, I believe, after a disagreement about taxes…
7. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEND THE NIGHT? I would take a time machine to the end of March 1969 and crawl in between John Lennon and Yoko Ono in room 702 of the Hilton Hotel , when they did their bed peace protest. 8. WHERE‘S THE BEST VIEW OF AMSTERDAM? Top floor of the Okura Hotel (www.okura.nl). 9. AMSTERDAM DELICACY? Bitterballen [deep-fried balls of meat ragout] or a broodje ossenworst [raw beef sausage sandwich], both with lots of mustard. 10. TOP RESTAURANT? I love Restaurant As, an old church built somewhere in the second half on the 20th century. The place looks super, the food is absolutely great: organic, ecofriendly, etc (www.restaurantas. nl) . I also love Le Hollandais (www.lehollandais.nl) .
11. FAVOURITE PUBLIC BUILDING? The new EYE Film Museum (www.eyefilm.nl) . It looks like something between a spaceship and a ski-jumping ramp. Inside is great too, their exhibitions are nice; the movies they show are cool. I truly loved the Stanley Kubrick expo they had last year, I’m such a fan of his work. 12. WHAT’S THE BEST CHARACTERISTIC OF YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS? It’s still one the most tolerant cities in the world, and people stand up for each other when they get discriminated against. At least, that’s what I hope they’ll still do. 13. WHAT’S THE WORST? They are a little arrogant and rude. Valtifest, NDSM-terrein , www.valtifest.nl. 7 September, 12.00, €45.
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film
PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Kriterion’s just cause Amsterdam’s student-run cinema unites good programming with a good cause. And the bar isn’t half bad, either…
BRIAN WATTS
text Bregtje Schudel
O FILMTHEATER KRITERION Roetersstraat 170 www.kriterion.nl
f all the movie theatres in Amsterdam, the Kriterion on the Roetersstraat may have the best USP. Established in 1945 to help students earn their keep, it is still run solely by scholars. Over the years it has added a baby-sitting service, a gas station at IJburglaan (since 1960) and, more recently, a diner (’SKEK on the Zeedijk ) plus a second cinema, Studio K (Timorplein ) with restaurant. But enough about organisational politics. You’ll want to know about the films. The programming is a mixture of European and American movies, from art-house to more main-
stream fare. Every Monday there’s a screening of a ‘Modern Classic’; every Tuesday there’s a Sneak Preview (€5; they won’t reveal the title, but they will disclose the language) and every Wednesday a film and a pizza costs less than €14. Kriterion frequently teams up with Cinekid (the international children’s film festival – see page 28) and IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival, which takes place in November) for special screenings. Our top pick this issue is the screening of Room 237, a documentary about the numerous theories of hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
(Spoiler alert: apparently, it’s not about a homicidal maniac in a haunted hotel.) One conspiracy theorist even claims it offers proof that the moon landing was faked. Make up your own mind on 15 September. Last, but certainly not least, there is the bar, a favourite hang-out for students and free spirits – including Dutch writer Ronald Giphart, who even wrote a short story about it. Every second Sunday of the month there’s live music but you don’t need the music to feel young here: the laid-back vibe and beer-stained tables will make you feel like you never left college.
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highlight
go see these
Our must-see film pick in Kriterion this issue…
PIXAR: 25 YEARS OF ANIMATION Actually, it’s 27 years of animation – but hey, who’s counting? We’re just so happy the Pixar exhibition finally made it to Amsterdam, with a collection of over 500 original artefacts, including a lifesize Mike and Sulley (Monsters, Inc.) and Pixar’s fabulous Zoetrope.
Camera Japan
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Amsterdam Expo Gustav Mahlerlaan 24 www.amsterdamexpo.nl Until 27 October
ow in its eighth edition, Camera Japan, the biggest Japanese cultural event of the Benelux, is still going strong. The central theme this year is conTRADITION, the bewildering coexistence of the traditional and the modern in Japanese society. Everyone who has ever had to squat at a traditional toilet in a hypermodern Japanese bullet train will know the feeling. There are the usual suspects on the programme: recent movies by Japanese masters such as Takeshi Kitano (Outrage: Beyond, where even the yakuza have become corporate) and Takashi Miike (Shield of Straw, in which a dedicated cop stands between a child murderer and a billion-yen bounty). But there’s also more controversial fare. Take A Woman and War, for example, the directorial debut of screenwriter Inoue Junichi, about the sex crimes committed (and permitted) by the Japanese army during the Second World War. Or the documentary A2-B-C, which tackles the aftermath of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima. John Williams (the director, not the composer), a Welshman living in Tokyo, was inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest to make Arashi, in which a rock band gets spirited away to Sado Island. But the most weirdly intriguing film of them all is probably Uzumasa Jacopetti, whose premise is even more bizarre than its title: an inventor, who lives in a house held together by magnets, becomes an assassin for hire. All movies have English subtitles, but we can’t guarantee that will shed much light on this particular movie!
FELLINI: THE EXHIBITION There’s still time! Don’t miss this glorious exhibition about the Italian maestro, who used his obsessions and fantasies to make brilliant pictures. The exhibition includes an impressive selection of drawings, adverts and Fellini’s ‘dream books’. EYE, IJpromenade 1 Until 22 September
MORE EYE CANDY Fashionistas, get set! In September EYE devotes a whole programme to the fashion icons of 20th-century pop culture. Screenings include À bout de souffle, Clueless and A Single Man, the Oscar-nominated directorial debut of Gucci head honcho Tom Ford. Fabulous. Film, Fashion, Fabulous EYE, IJpromenade 1 7-15 September
WESTBEACH FILM FESTIVAL Who says summer is over? Every Thursday through Saturday during September catch a movie in the open air at Het Sloterparkbad. On 7 September catch the complete Lord of the Rings trilogy in one sitting. Be sure to dress warm. Or as a wizard.
Outside Sloterparkbad www.westbeachfilmfestival.nl Until 28 September
YOND
STORIES WE TELL
OUTR AGE: BE
4-6 October Kriterion, Roetersstraat 170 www.camerajapan.nl
Every family has its secrets, but not every secret is worth making a documentary about. Sarah Polley, fortunately, has a family story worth telling... Direction: Sarah Polley Release: 5 September
THE WORLD’S END They survived a zombie apocalypse in Shaun of the Dead and a bloodthirsty Timothy Dalton in Hot Fuzz, but now the world really seems to be nearing its end. On the other hand, with director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, you never really know. Direction: Edgar Wright Release: 19 September
DON JON If you don’t get the challenging roles you long for, you’ll just have to direct them yourself. Joseph GordonLevitt stars in his directorial feature film debut as a guy who has trouble separating his love live from the porn with which he is obsessed. Scarlett Johansson co-stars.
Direction: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Release: 3 October
GRAVITY It sounds like a very highprofile (and high-budget) version of Open Water. George Clooney and Sandra Bullock get stranded in space. Can director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) save them from blockbuster oblivion? Direction: Alfonso Cuarón Release: 3 October
ABOUT TIME Will three times be the charm? After directing Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked, screenwriter Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) tries his hand at a supernatural romcom about a cute, bumbling, Hugh Grantish chap who can travel through time. Direction: Richard Curtis Release: 10 October
WHAT MAISIE KNEW Can you transplant a story from a century ago to contemporary New York? In the case of Henry James’s What Maisie Knew, about a young girl who’s being used as cannon fodder after her parents’ divorce, the answer, sadly, is ‘Yes.’ With Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander Skarsgård.
Direction: Scott McGehee & David Siegel Release: 24 October
The world’s best shopping streets, tax free Save up to 16% at over 270,000 shops with Global Blue Tax Free Shopping. The world’s best shopping, better. www.globalblue.com
sep & oct 2013
EAT DRINK CHIC 'I LOVE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AROUND FLORAPARK. I WALK HERE EVERY DAY, I TAKE PICTURES, IT’S GOOD FOR MY HEALTH, GOOD FOR MY SPIRIT.’ photographer Wim de Groot on the appeal of Noord
POL’S POTTEN, located in an old coffee warehouse on the docks of KNSM, has been supplying design and decoration to chic Amsterdammers for a few decades now. Pol’s ceramics and glassware collections are sold around the world, but the flagship store offers other innovative and quirky products as well: furniture, lighting, accessories and even bespoke kitchens. KNSM-laan 39 www.polspotten.nl
34 40 42 43 44 46
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NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: NOORD EATING OUT ON THE MENU DAILY BREAD PRETTY THINGS WHAT’S IN STORE
SPIEGELKWARTIER Amsterdam’s antiques quarter is just a stone’s throw from the Rijksmuseum – indeed, a number of pieces in the State Museum’s collection were purchased just across the Stadhouderskade, beginning 100 years ago. From antiques to modern, ethnographic and Asian art, a walk through this charming quarter is like a trip through Dutch art history. Don’t miss the weekend of special events planned for the official opening of the new cultural season, 28 & 29 September, with more than 30 galleries hosting special exhibitions. www.spiegelkwartier.nl
BLUE AND WHITE FLOWER VASE, DELFT, CIRCA 1710-’20. PHOTO: ARONSON ANTIQUES, NIEUWE SPIEGELSTRAAT 39
PART III
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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
Neighbourhood watch
NOORD JILDAU HARTZEMA, 25
on a date with Sander de Wijs, 31 ‘It’s nice that you have to take the boat to come to Noord, like you’re taking a day trip – but close and quick. You can enjoy the beautiful views on the river.’
neighbourhood watch
35
Long dismissed as de overkant, or ‘the other side’ (of the River IJ, that is), there are now plenty of reasons to jump on a ferry and head due north. text Karin Engelbrecht photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé
The other side
W
hat we know as Amsterdam-Noord today used to serve mainly as an area for peat extraction. Once it joined Amsterdam in 1393, it functioned as a gallows pit and tolling station for passing ships. By the late 19th century, the city’s heavy industry had found a home in Noord. And, because these industries’ (guest) workers had to be housed, working-class homes were built in the borough. This was followed by pre-war woonscholen (‘living schools’) to reform the city’s so-called ‘antisocial’ families, and a glut of social housing. CREATIVE HUB In recent years, since heavy industry largely vacated the area, Noord has become a creative hub, with artists’ cooperatives and youth brands such as MTV, IDTV and Red Bull attracted by the converted factory buildings and hangars. A smorgasbord of new restaurants, bars, hotels and shops has followed, sitting pretty on the sunny side of the IJ-facing waterfront. The latest wave includes popular steak restaurant Loetje ,
which opened its latest branch at the Amsterdam Marina in August, and Brooklyn Hotel , a boutique hostelry currently under construction at NDSM-werf . Lovers of industrial heritage simply must visit this former shipyard, now home to over 300 creative companies and cultural summer festivals, such as the Over ’t IJ Festival, Voltt and Valtifest (see page 29). The wharf’s iconic crane, a listed monument, is now being refurbished as Kraan 13 , an exclusive design hotel with only three suites, to open in November. Don’t miss the cultural cocoon that is café-restaurant Noorderlicht , city-beach Pllek or restaurant-café De IJkantine , situated in the former NDSM shipyard dockworkers’ canteen. When we asked Adri Doorneveld, tourist & promotion officer of City District Amsterdam-Noord, what the neighbourhood’s unique selling point is, he was unambiguous: ‘The most beautiful tuindorpen (“garden villages”).’ Established in the first quarter of the 20th century, Noord’s garden villages were inspired by the
>
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neighbourhood watch
PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
From edgy industrial monuments to a wealth of greenery, Noord has it all. HOTEL DE GOUDFAZANT Hotel de Goudfazant – which isn’t a hotel, but a vast warehouse-turned-restaurant tucked away in the former Stork industrial complex – continues to deliver the good, honest food it’s built its reputation on. Its hard-tofind status seems to add to the hip eatery’s allure, making it feel like a hidden gem. Head here to enjoy the perfect poussin (whole rotisserie-roasted baby chicken served with rhubarb-apple compote, Roseval potatoes and green beans), and a Med-led menu with classics such as steak tartare, risotto nero and molten chocolate cake. Just be sure to take a map with you…
Aambeeldstraat 10h www.hoteldegoudfazant.nl
NEEF LOUIS With 2000m2 of vintage and retro furniture, industrial lamps, modern design pieces and the odd eccentric choice, Neef Louis (which translates as ‘Cousin Louis’) has long been a favourite among the city’s in-the-know stylists. Cleanse your conscience with lemon goji berry tea at Waar Genoegen next door. Or head to Van Dijk & Ko for fabulously affordable flea-market finds. Papaverweg46-48 www.neeflouis.nl
37
‘garden city’ ideals of British urban planner Ebenezer Howard, who believed in combining the best of city and country to create sound public housing. ‘We were looking for an area that would be the perfect place for our two small boys to grow up,’ says architect Marcel Wijnen (44), a resident of the Nieuwendam neighbourhood for two years. Tuindorp Nieuwendam is widely considered as the clearest expression of the garden city ideal: low-rise housing with front and back gardens, communal courtyards and a building style that marries classic Amsterdam School architecture with typical Waterland features. The young Wijnen family is part of a new wave moving into the area, which formerly consisted mainly of an ageing population living in social housing. RUB OF THE GREEN Many people don’t know that AmsterdamNoord is the greenest district of the capital. In fact, it’s the only quarter with an extensive agrarian area where little has changed over the last 400 years. ‘The best way to experience what rural Noord has to offer is to rent a bicycle,’ suggests area expert Doorneveld. Take the ferry to the IJ-plein, where you will find a Visitor Information Point with a bicycle map at the Al Ponte newspaper stand along Meeuwenlaan. We recommend the 15km ‘red route’, which will take you from the Nieuwendammerdijk to historic dyke villages such as the former Zuider Zee harbour and fishing village of Durgerdam. You’ll cycle through typical Waterland villages with their historic wooden houses and picturesque church steeples and see traditional Dutch stolp farmhouses with their characteristic cheese dome-shaped roofs, tranquilly located in vast meadows with grazing livestock. With so much to offer, we couldn’t think of a better way to spend a day.
WIM DE GROOT, 67
photographer, has lived in Noord for ten years
‘I love the neighbourhood around Florapark. It’s a much quieter park than those in the centre. I walk here every day, I take pictures, it’s good for my health, good for my spirit.’
LILY-MARGARET HEATON, 27 editor and blogger
‘Noord has been growing a lot in the past few years, it’s become the bastion of a really interesting alternative, trendy scene in the arts and culture.’
> EYE FILM MUSEUM
LANDMARKT
Some say that the EYE Film Museum’s new building, which hovers above the waterfront like an origami apparition, is set to become a new Amsterdam icon. Central to the design is the 700m2 terraced bar-restaurant with its wrap-around waterside terrace, but EYE also has four film theatres, an exhibition space and a museum shop that is certainly worth exploring.
Connecting Noord’s rural side to the city, this ‘covered marketplace’, succeeds in combining the best of city and country, with regular supermarket A-brands sitting alongside farmer’s market products, such as local cheese, meat and fish, and artisan baked goods – many of which are sourced straight from the producers, with the result that prices are surprisingly reasonable.
IJpromenade 1 www.eyefilm.nl
Schellingwouderdijk 339 www.landmarkt.nl
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neighbourhood watch
PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
‘The best way to experience what rural Noord has to offer is to rent a bicycle.’ PLLEK With panoramic views stretching from the Cruise Terminal to Silodam and beyond, Pllek boasts a view that produces a rush of pride from even the most jaded Amsterdammer, so we can only imagine its effect on visitors. You’ll spot bouncy bikini-clad beauties, young families and golden oldies at this self-titled ‘creative hang-out’. TT Neveritaweg 59 www.pllek.nl
CAFÉ MODERN
NOORDERPARKBAR The hip coffee bar-slash-cultural-café is situated in the heart of the city’s newest park. Apparently, the boxy black building, designed by Bureau Sla and Overtreders W, is the first in the Netherlands to be built using only recycled building materials sourced from Marktplaats (the local answer to eBay), from the lorry used to transport the materials down to the very last screw.
Floraparkweg 1 www.noorderparkbar.nl
STORK Ship spotters ahoy! Amsterdam’s largest seafood restaurant is the ultimate spot to while away the time watching passing river traffic on the IJ, with its mix of pleasure craft, ferries, barges, tugboats and massive cruise ships, while tucking into some pretty decent fish ’n’ chips. Situated in the former Stork marine engine factory, opposite the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, the building has retained much of its original industrial features and the décor includes many marine touches. Added bonus: there’s free parking around the corner and a stunning south-facing terrace jutting out over the water. Gedempt Hamerkanaal t.o. 96 www.restaurantstork.nlen.nl
This restaurant’s location in a former bank in a still-gritty part of upand-coming Van der Pekbuurt, next to a bleak block of flats, is pioneering, to say the least. Confusingly, the latest venture from the founders of Hotel de Goudfazant (that restaurant which isn’t a hotel) is not a café, but a restaurant with rooms upstairs. And, with its pale mustard palette, baby’s breath bouquets and Fifties’ Formica, the décor may be more retro than modern, but the food is of the moment. On a recent visit, the typical hot-sour flavours of tom yam soup were sweetly balanced with plump prawns and a delicate coconut-milk froth. We also enjoyed a lime-buttermilk panna cotta with raspberry reduction and summer berries, part of the fivecourse set menu (€40) brought to our table by bearded chef Sander van Melick himself.
Meidoornweg 2 www.modernamsterdam.nl
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EAT, DRINK & CHIC
When in Amsterdam…
After 16 years here, native New Yorker Lauren Comiteau is still working out how to ‘go Dutch’.
ILLUSTRATION ARJEN VAN DEN HOUTEN
PEE FREELY I 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.
f there’s one Dutch custom I’ve never got used to, it has to be the paying-for-peeing practice, common everywhere from restaurants to parks to department stores. I mean, I’m okay with paying to use a well-tended public bathroom, where the €0.40 I have to cough up is well-deserved money for the, well, crappy job of the bathroom attendant. But if I’ve eaten or shopped or danced in an establishment where I’ve spent my hardearned cash, the right to relieve myself should be just that: a right, non-paying and non-negotiable. When I was pregnant several years ago, the cost of relieving my over-taxed bladder at the North Sea Jazz Festival set me back enough cash to practically pay for another €70 ticket. So imagine my surprise the other day when I was lunching on the top floor of the Bijenkorf department store, a place I’d often taken my daughters to pee when they were out of diapers but not yet in full control of their bladders. I walked up to the bathroom, change grudgingly in hand, and there it was in bold letters: ‘We are pleased to offer our toilets free of charge for our Bijenkorf customers.’ ‘We did it because it’s appropriate and suitable for the premium service we want to offer,’ said de Bijenkorf ’s PR manager Suzanne van de Velde of the shop’s new open-bathroom-
door policy. Um, make that revolving door. ‘It’s an opportunity to have people in the store and offer them things they want to buy.’ If you don’t want to take the risk of walking out with €40 worth of MAC lipsticks when all you’re looking for is a toilet, download the Where to Wee app (www.wheretoweeapp. com), which uses your coordinates to find the loo nearest to you. Just follow the little toilet seat icons on the map. If you’re a man, forgo the temptation to pee into the canals or in the bushes of the Vondelpark: the fine alone (not to mention the embarrassment) could set you back a healthy night’s worth of entertainment. Follow your nose instead to one of the city’s dozens of public urinals, or pissoirs, from the 19th-century green metallic krullen (meaning ‘curled’ on account of their shape) to the more modern plastic variety. And if you’re anatomically not designed to use a urinal (ie, like me, and more than half the population), check out 2theloo (www.2theloo. com), a ‘restroom shop’ on the busy Kalverstraat and in other locations around the city. With more than 80 of them now up and flushing throughout Europe, 2theloo may be poised to become the Netherlands’ next great export product. Warning: have your wallet on hand. <
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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
EATING OUT
Our top dining options, from firm favourites to precocious newcomers.
text Zin (Famke & Floor van Praag)
SOCIÉTÉ WUNDERBAR
T
Enge Kapelsteeg 3 www.societewunderbar.com
NEW IN TOWN
>
ucked away in an alley between Kalverstraat and Rokin, Société Wunderbar feels special, a real treasure hidden in the souterrain of the Scandi-hip Weekdays fashion store. The owners – no strangers to the local bar scene since they started both Café Bedier and VakZuid well over a decade ago – wanted to create an understated and intimate place. Société Wunderbar really is a place without any fuss (except maybe for the intriguing wall art made from tape): old-fashioned bar stools, simple wooden tables and a dark leather bar create a cosy feel. The real surprise here is the menu: instead of traditional pub food they offer fresh, healthy snacks and dishes made from sustainable produce. Try some tortilla with organic pulled pork and mustard sauce, delicious roasted leeks with romesco salsa and pecorino cheese or an artichoke salad with walnuts, Parmesan cheese and a poached egg. Dutch new herring is on the menu as well – a modern take, that is, with roasted beetroot, horseradish cream and homemade gherkins. Delicious and a feast for the eye – as most plates are at this bar: in a former life, the chef was a fashion photographer. Fortunately, all dishes are entrée-sized and priced accordingly (between €4 and €15), so you don’t have to choose between grey mullet with langoustine nage and clams, and sweet pea and mint ravioli: you simply order them both while you have your drinks with friends. Wunderbar indeed.
eating out
41 trendy SLA SLA (literally ‘lettuce’ in Dutch) is the salvation of the no-carb crew. This lovely new restaurant and takeaway in De Pijp offers delicious, highly nutritious salads at reasonable prices (€6 to €8). You either choose one of SLA’s suggestions or you assemble your fave salad yourself. Choose from Swiss chard, spinach, avocado, quinoa, lentils, nuts, seeds, mackerel and salmon (MSC certified, of course) to name just a few of the very healthy – and tasty – organic ingredients. SLA really is the ultimate salad bar. You can either take your salad out or have it on the plant-laden entresol with a complimentary glass of cucumber-infused water.
Ceintuurbaan 149 http://ilovesla.com
critics’ choice YAMAZATO
J
apanese restaurant Yamazato, located in the Okura Hotel in De Pijp, is truly one of a kind. The only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Europe, it’s a welcome change from the boring, low-quality sushi restaurants that have flooded Amsterdam over the past few years. Of course, Yamazato is priced accordingly, but this restaurant is really worth saving for. In a sober yet elegant interior you eat traditional kaiseki, the haute cuisine of Japan. Every bite is a work of art constructed patiently with ingredients flown in from Tokyo and the rest of the world. This food should be savoured without any distractions, except maybe the relaxing views of the Japanese garden. Last-minute reservations are usually easy to make since they have to accommodate hotel guests as well.
Ferdinand Bolstraat 333 www.yamazato.nl
classic DUENDE
quick & simple HET HOUTEN HUISJE An organic snack bar housed in an adorable wooden building, famous for its burgers and homemade fries. Be warned, though: this isn’t always a quick option, as the whole terrace is catered for from the tiny kitchen – but that’s probably part of the charm of this family-run eatery. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 289 www.hethoutenhuisje.com
Charming Duende is one of the oldest – and best – tapas restaurants in town. Located in the Jordaan area, it’s a bustling place with tables close together and lots of noise and chatter, definitely not suitable for a romantic evening for two; instead you chat with your neighbours, listen to flamenco music and order a jug of sangria. The semi-openplan kitchen delivers consistently good Catalan classics: patatas bravas (spicy fried potatoes), ibérico ham, gambas pil pil (shrimp in hot olive oil with garlic), albondigas (meatballs) and delicious croquettes with spinach and cheese.
Lindengracht 62 www.cafe-duende.nl
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on the menu
PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
ON THE MENU
Three of a kind to suit every palate. text Zin (Famke & Floor van Praag)
streetfood
VYNE
STUBBE’S HARING
best bars
TOKO MC
alfresco dining
RIVA
VYNE
STUBBE’S HARING
Housed in a modern building on the banks of the River Amstel, Riva has a great floating terrace where you can enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks. Eating inside isn’t bad either if the weather or crowds get in the way; the glass walls ensure views of passing river traffic. On the menu: Gillardeau oysters and tournedos with sageparmesan crust.
Designed by famous architect agency Concrete, Vyne offers a nice new take on the traditional wine bar. In the narrow canal house over 20 wines can be ordered by the glass and hundreds by the bottle. In the latter case finger food (brought in from delicatessen/bar Envy, owned by the same company) is a must.
Family-run since 1903, Stubbe’s fish stall is famous for its good quality Hollandse Nieuwe: Dutch raw herring. This healthy delicacy is eaten with chopped onion or pickles, but true herring aficionados prefer the salty fish without any adornment. But be warned: dangling them by the tail into your mouth is considered poor manners!
Amstelboulevard 1 www.caferestaurantriva.nl
Prinsengracht 411 www.vyne.nl
Haarlemmersluis no website
TOKO MC
SKY LOUNGE
VLEMINCKX
The restaurant/bar of MC Theater (a venue for urban arts) on Westergasterrein is known for its tropical cocktails and modern take on soul food and Caribbean cuisine. Sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the laidback crowd and great music (from modern soul through jazz to R&B).
Cocktail bar Sky Lounge (on the top floor of the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel) offers spectacular views of Amsterdam and beyond, through the glass walls inside or – even better – standing on the roof terrace. Be prepared to pay a little extra for your drinks, but the view is included.
For thick, crispy (Belgian) fries try Vleminckx, a tiny hole in the wall near Spui – don’t let the queue scare you: it moves quite fast. The Dutch prefer fries with mayonnaise, but toppings such as ketchup, curry or peanut sauce with raw onions are popular as well.
Polonceaukade 5 www.mconline.nl
Oosterdoksstraat 4 http://doubletree3.hilton.com
Voetboogstraat 31 http://vleminckxdesaus meester.nl
BRASSERIE OCCO
CAFÉ CHRIS
MAOZ
Luxury boutique hotel The Dylan offers Michelin-star dining at Vinkeles Restaurant but there is a simple, brasserie-style option as well. At Occo you can enjoy the same calibre of service while munching on a classic Caesar salad or a great burger – if you’re lucky, while sitting in the beautiful courtyard of this 17th-century building.
This typically Dutch ‘brown bar’ opened its doors in 1624 and is said to have been frequented by Rembrandt when he lived just around the corner. Chris is still a good place to have a beer or jenever while you enjoy the setting (dark wooden panels, beer taps hanging from the ceiling) and watch all kinds of folk drop by.
Vegetarian fast food staple falafel is both nutritious and delicious. Maoz, with several falafel bars in town, is the place to go since they make good salads and (spicy) sauces with lots of herbs to accompany their chickpea/ fava bean balls. They’re openlate, too, making Maoz a perfect post-bar option for the health conscious.
Keizersgracht 384 www.dylanamsterdam.com
Bloemstraat 42 www.cafechris.nl
Muntplein 1, Leidsestraat 85, Damrak 40 www.maozusa.com
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DAILY BREAD
The staple goes specialised.
T
he days when bread was just a staple that filled your stomach or a necessary accompaniment to other – more highly regarded – ingredients are long gone. Everywhere in town gourmet, high-quality bread without chemical additives or bread enhancers is being (re)discovered. The Hartog family have been baking bread for two centuries already – loafs of organic whole wheat bread, that is; no white bread is baked in their ovens (even muffins and oliebollen [Dutch doughnuts] are whole wheat). In 2007, Sébastien Roturier was the first Frenchman to open a traditional French bakery in Holland: Le Fournil in the south of
Amsterdam offers great authentic bread. In the city centre, Gebroeders Niemeijer proves that you don’t have to be French to bake delicious baguettes and boules. Niemeijer makes artisan breads that even the trendy carb- and gluten-free pack simply can’t resist once in a while. HARTOG’S Ruyschstraat 56 www.volkorenbrood.nl LE FOURNIL DE SÉBASTIEN Olympiaplein 119 www.lefournil.nl GEBROEDERS NIEMEIJER Nieuwendijk 35 www.gebroedersniemeijer.nl
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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 Zin (Famke & Floor van Praag)
ANECDOTE
>
NEW IN TOWN
WHAT: Amsterdam-based luxe-basics brand Anecdote just opened a store in the city’s chicest shopping area, the Nine Streets. The brand, created four years ago by designer Jet van Beuningen (30), offers quality staples for discerning women. After steadily building up a following through wholesale and the web shop, the time was right for an official Anecdote brand store. INTERIOR: Open and light, this mid-sized shop has a romantic feel: wooden floor, green-tiled pay
desk, brass picture frames proudly displaying Anecdote accessories and linen tepee-style dressing rooms. The walls feature optimistic anecdotes about life. MUST HAVE: A large part of the collection is made of natural, breathable materials: think cotton and wool with leather bags and belts. Don’t expect thrills, frills or striking patterns: Van B euningen likes to keep it simple. Must-haves are the basics that feel luxurious: V-neck T-shirts (€39) and voluminous, supersoft cardigans (€149) made from high quality wool – an
absolute necessity for winter in Amsterdam. CONCLUSION: For women and girls who are fed up with high-street shopping chains and want better quality at reasonable prices. No high fashion, but straightforward clothes that you can wear every day (most garments don’t mind the washing machine nor the dryer).
Wolvenstraat 15 www.anecdote.nl
45 beauty store C COSMETICS & CARE ‘If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.’ That’s the basic philosophy of C Cosmetics & Care. Caroline, owner of this beautiful shop with spa treatment rooms in the Jordaan area, is convinced our skin benefits from all-natural, organic products. Parabens, phthalates and SLS are not allowed in her store; only top-notch ingredients from the plant kingdom. Brands include Dr Alkaitis, Pure Altitude, Dr Baumann and superb haircare products by Less is More.
one-stop shop
Herenstraat 30a www.cosmeticsandcare.com
HUTSPOT Like the Dutch dish that bares the same name, Hutspot in De Pijp throws everything in the mix: art, clothing (for guys and girls), books, furniture, accessories and even a barber’s chair for grooming. The giant (800m2) concept store offers up-and-coming artists and designers a platform to show their stuff, but also stocks established brands such as APC, Deus and Ontour. Upstairs, Hutspot’s café offers Bocca coffee, fresh juices, (toasted) sandwiches and the occasional yoga lesson or workshop.
Van Woustraat 4 www.hutspotamsterdam.com
classic POL’S POTTEN Located in an old coffee warehouse on the docks of KNSM, Pol’s Potten has been supplying design and decoration to chic Amsterdammers for a few decades now. Pol’s ceramics and glassware collections are sold around the world, but the flagship store offers other innovative and quirky products as well: furniture, lighting, accessories and even tailor-made kitchens.
KNSM-laan 39 www.polspotten.nl
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PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC
what’s in store
WHAT’S IN STORE These fashion-forward style emporiums will have you (m/f) turning heads.
text Zin (Famke & Floor van Praag)
PINA (F)
CLOSED (F/M)
Located on the corner of Keizersgracht and Hartenstraat, PINA is the boutique of choice for women in need of the perfect party dress. The small shop stocks fashionable brands such as Patrizia Pepe, Marie Sixtine and Paul & Joe Sister. Think classic styles made from luxurious fabrics and often designed with a surprising twist or fun detail.
Good old Italian fashion brand Closed (founded 1978) has a nice flagship store the Nine Streets. The place is stocked with upmarket casual wear, from tops and elegant blouses to never-out-of-style jeans – with the Closed branding on the zipper, of course.
Keizersgracht 233 www.pina-amsterdam.nl
TENUE DE NÎMES (M/F)
BENDORFF (M) The store of choice for men with a boyish sense of fun. With three shops in town, Bendorff blends modern tailored pieces with classic outdoor wear and a large selection of denim. Brands range from fashionable Won Hundred and Cold Method to the traditional English styles of Barbour and Woolrich.
Haarlemmerstraat 104 , & Utrechtsestraat 99 Wolvenstraat 10 www.bendorff.nl
Wolvenstraat 17 www.closed.com
The favoured denim store of local creatives, Tenue de Nîmes boasts exceptional service and denim by iconic brands such as Levi’s Vintage, Rag & Bone, Momotaro, Edwin and Big John. The store also stocks a nicely curated selection of non-denim by Acne, APC and Woolrich, amongst others.
Elandsgracht 60 & Haarlemmerstraat 92-94 www.tenuedenimes.com
PRJCT AMS (M)
COTTONCAKE (F)
The Dutch male fashion pack flocks to PRJCT AMS in the Nine Streets. Collaborations between designers and entrepreneurs result in lean, quality garments with a cutting-edge look. Think: jogging pants with leather details and futuristic jackets, but also perfect basics like extra-long T-shirts.
For their shop in De Pijp, the two Cottoncake owners have assembled their ultimate wardrobe, featuring French and Scandinavian basics and edgy Australian festival dresses by Teaspoon. Climb the stairs to sample their favourite salad or organic coffee with cake.
Gasthuismolensteeg 18 www.prjctams.com
JACOB (M)
OPEN (F) Near Dam square, Open is managed by young, upcoming designers. The place is stocked with their own – decently priced – designs and complementary accessories. Shop at Open for colourful dresses with a flattering fit, oversized T-shirts, girly skirts and animal-print leggings. Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 291 www.openshop-webshop.nl
Eerste van der Helststraat 76 http://cottoncake.nl
Jacob Lesman designs exclusive, one-ofa-kind shoes for men. Material of choice: extraordinary leather and skins, such as (farmed) alligator, lizard, ray or deer. Each pair is carefully crafted and truly unique. Over the past few years Jacob has created a fan base of free spirits and entrepreneurs, from rock stars to doctors. Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 27 www.jacoblesman.com
PART IV
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CLUBBING/MUSIC/ EXHIBITIONS/STAGE/ KIDS/FESTIVALS/ GAY & LESBIAN/SPORTS
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For complete listings, see www.iamsterdam.com
AMSTERDAM HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL Amsterdam Spook, the city’s Halloween authority, returns with six days of bloody good Halloween antics at the end of October. Highlights include an all-night horror movie marathon, zombie run, Fright Night Skate, a boat party, Halloween dinner, kids’ activities and of course the infamous costume party with this year’s ‘Scary Tales’ theme.
SANDDER
FRI 25-THUR 31 OCTOBER various locations www.halloweenamsterdam.com
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CLUBBING/NIGHTLIFE PLEINVREES WEEKENDER 1 This minimal tech and deephouse fest tends to draw a youngTROUW OP ZONDAG ish party crowd – over-25 ravers Marcus Worgull (Innervisions) may feel a bit out of place. With loves playing house and techno Guy Berber, Mystery Guest (live), ‘because this constantly going Alex Q (live), Gabriel Ananda bass drum develops its own mag(live) and many more. ic and energy’. Be prepared for Amsterdam Studio’s, Fri 20 Sep, that. Support comes from Trouw 19.00-05.00, €22.50 CEO Olaf Boswijk. VOYAGE DIRECT & AUDIO Trouw, Sun 1 Sep, 18.00, CULTURE €15, €8 before 22.00 Voyage Direct is the brainchild of SONIC BOOM @ CABLE Amsterdam’s rising disco-fuelled Melkweg’s bass night regularly house producer and DJ Tom programmes smaller but inTrago. It’s both a label and a club teresting international names. night with a focus on local talent. Silkie (of the Deep Medi label) Tonight’s line-up is a high quality sits right between dubstep and one as usual: Audio Culture, grime, and Germany’s Gaz is the Bicep, Elias Mazian, William man behind many dubstep-in- Kouam Djoko and Trago himself. formed house and disco tunes. Trouw, Fri 20 Sep, 23.00, €17, Melkweg, Thur 5 Sep, 23.30, €5 €8 before midnight
CLUBBING
COLORS Trouw’s bass, funky and house night takes it easy with Panorama Bar resident Steffi and Colors’ main man Cinnaman. Trouw, Fri 6 Sep, 23.00, €17, €8 before midnight VALTIFEST: KAK! One of the most anticipated electro fests of the year, Valtifest is as much about silly behaviour as it is about the music. Expect techno and electro (Boys Noize, Serge, Green Velvet), Italo disco (Interr-ference), disco (Horse Meat Disco), pop (Baskerville), house (Dennis Ferrer, Cajmere) and nutty music (Wannabeastar, 2 Man 1 Paardenkop). See page 29. NDSM-werf, www.valtifest.nl. Sat 7 Sep, 12.00-23.00, €45
PLEINVREES WEEKENDER 2 DJs Oliver Koletski, Nicone & Sascha Bremer, Claptone et al. Amsterdam Studio’s, Sat 21 Sep, 19.00-05.00, €22.50 TROUW OP ZONDAG Seth Troxler is set to play a mix of techno, electro and house. Trouw, Sun 22 Sep, 23.00, €17, €8 before midnight TROUW OP ZONDAG A very decent space disco/ krautrock/house line-up with Scotch-sipping experimental Balearic producer Prince Thomas always playing an educating set, plus Germany’s Gerd Janson taking a more beat-heavy, bass-driven approach. Trouw, Sun 29 Sep, 23.00, €17, €8 before midnight
Choice clubbing
LOCKDOWN FESTIVAL If London is the undisputed capital of innovative bass music, Amsterdam is that one outskirt in mainland Europe where people dance in the shadow of the Big Smoke’s subwoofers. The line-up of the second edition of this daytime fest contains many Brits including master of UK hard-core Goldie, Addison Groove, EZ, Kromestar and local peeps Cinnaman plus King Shiloh Soundsystem. The most surprising and biggest dude on the bill is Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the man who made dub music poppy from the 1970s onwards. NDSMwerf, www.lockdownfestival.nl. Sun 1 Sep, 15.00, €32.50
LEISURE SYSTEM @ KLINCH DIMITRI ALL NIGHT LONG A futuristic mix of Dutch bass RUDIMENTAL After being out of commission music, forward-thinking UK for a while due to a toe amputaNo doubt about it, England’s tion (!), the biggest Dutch DJ of Rudimental is one of the biggest electronica and Kraftwerkian the 1990s and beyond is back. names in uplifting, poppy drum electro from Detroit. On the Exceptional for a house and ’n’ bass. After the show, keen kids bill are Dave Huismans, aka techno DJ, Mr Dimitri Kneppers may want to hang around for the 2562; Brian Eno collaborator seems to love melodies more Major League event featuring Jon Hopkins, likely playing than beats and they’re ready to DJ sets by Aussie D&B hotshots from 2013 album Immunity; be blended by this man who once Pendulum, Friction, Rockwell, and Gerald Donald, partially ruled over the RoXY club. Proxima and Pam & Harsh. You Trouw, Sat 7 Sep, 23.00, €15, €8 may have to exit and pay again. responsible for some of the before midnight Melkweg, Fri 4 Oct, 21.00most radical and beautiful 23.00, €17 electronic music ever reNEXT MONDAY’S leased in the Motor City. HANGOVER FESTIVAL ADE: AWAKENINGS – CARL Trouw, Sun 14 Jul, 21.00, €20 CRAIG AND LUCIANO It seems odd to measure the PRESENT PLANET E AND greatness of a party by how bad CADENZA you feel the next day. This party techno, but this second Awakwill only be amazing if you like The nightkicks off with sets by enings event during ADE is for your techno minimal though: Valentino Kanzyani from Slovethe die-hard ravers: there is no many of the scene’s hotshots are nia and Detroit’s Stacey Pullen, standing still when Carl Cox present on this bill: John Tejawhile Carl Craig B2B Luciano stands behind the decks. He’ll da (live), Arjuna Schiks (live), play the last slot, from 5am until play a three-hour set before MarRobag Wruhme and more. the Gashouder shuts at 8am. co Bailey finally takes over. Dok 2013, Sun 8 Sep, 13.00Gashouder, Wed 16 Oct, Gashouder, Thur 17 Oct, 23.00, €25 22.00, €32.50 22.00, €37.50 JORIS VOORN ALL ADE: COLORS BURAKA SOM SISTEMA NIGHT LONG A great night of UK house with One of the biggest names in AnOne of the biggest names in London’s Funkineven (Apron, golian Kudoro music plays this Dutch techno in a marathon sesh. NTS Radio) playing anything small venue. Kudoro is mad, hecTrouw, Fri 13 Sep, 23.00, €15, from sexy stuff to downright tic and fun, check out Buraka’s €8 before midnight dirty acid music, while Julio Bashmore’s post-dubstep house is video ‘Kalemba (Wegue Wegue)’ BRAINBURST before you head there. driven by heavy bass lines. BashBitterzoet, Fri 18 Oct, 20.00, €16 You’ve got to be a pretty hardmore brings fellow Bristolian core clubber not to have your Kowton. Colors resident CinADE: AWAKENINGS – RICHIE brain damaged by Apac, Enforcnaman reigns in the basement. HAWTIN PRESENTS er, The Destroyer (live) and Niro Trouw, Wed 16 Oct, 22.00, €18 ENTER.M.NUS playing a mix of Frenchore, early ADE: AWAKENINGS – CARL This third Awakenings night sees hardcore and tekno – that’s 4/4 COX PRESENTS INTEC the Canadian techno veteran beats at a speed of 150 BPM. showcasing his Minus label. Pand 14, Sat 14 Sep, Last night may have been one for With Joran van Pol, Hobo (live), 23.00-06.00, €15 the fans of softer, Detroit-style
ADE OFFICIAL OPENING PARTY: MARY GO WILD Mary Go Wild, a written history of 25 years of electronic dance music in the Netherlands will be presented at the opening party of ADE. Don’t worry if you can’t read Dutch: the soundtrack is be provided by old fellas: Joost van Bellen, Secret Cinema, 2000 and One, Fierce Ruling Diva, Quazar and Edwin Oosterwal. Melkweg, Wed 16 Oct, 20.30-06.00, €13 Matador (live), Paco Osuna, Gaiser (live) and Hawtin himself playing a three-hour set. Gashouder, Fri 18 Oct, 22.00, €47.50
ADE: AWAKENINGS – ADAM BEYER PRESENTS DRUMCODE This fourth and last in the ADE Awakenings series is a classic one with Swedish techno don Adam Beyer presenting his uncompromising loopy and hammering sound. Also on the bill are Joel Mull, Len Faki and others. Gashouder, Sat 19 Oct, 22.00, €47.50 ADE: RESIDENT ADVISOR SPECIAL The leading website on electronic music drops a night at Trouw with Moodymann-influenced German producer Motor City Drum Ensemble headlining and a mix of Dutch and German DJs including Young Marco, Sandrien, Peter van Hoesen and DJ Sprinkles spinning additional house and techno beats. Trouw, Sat 19 Oct, 22.00, €22 ADE: OWAP OWAP started throwing retro warehouse raves not so long after the actual ones stopped being held: don’t expect the real thing but a commercialised version which shouldn’t necessarily be less fun. The line-up isn’t their biggest ever but includes decent names nevertheless: Dimitri, Todd Terry, Terry Hunter and Kid Sublime among others. Het Sieraad, Sat 19 Oct, 23.0005.00, €29.29 OI! THE FINAL EDITION The capital’s heaviest wobble night is calling it a day after tonight. Club night head honcho Gomes plans to focus more on the label he runs under the same name. London bass heads Dygital Mystikz headline with support coming from Germany’s Bukez Finezt, N-Type (UK), Vader (UK) and Gomes himself. MC Drew takes care of the toasting. Paradiso, Fri 25 Oct, 23.00, €18 SCARY TALES HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY Take a trip down the rabbit hole for Amsterdam Spooks’ 13th annual halloween spook-tacular. Creative costumes, décor, artists and performers are all specially selected, for an exceptional night. Felix Meritis, Keizersgracht 324, www.amsterdamspook.com. Sat 26 Oct, 22.00, €22 presale
ADDRESSES Amsterdam Studio’s HJE Wenckebachweg 171 www.amsterdamstudios.nl Bitterzoet ADE: CLONE X DELSIN Spuistraat 2, www.bitterzoet.com X RUSH HOUR Dok 2013 A major showcase for three of Danzigerkade 8 the best Dutch electronic music http://dok-drinkeneten.nl labels. The catalogue of RotterGashouder dam’s Clone Records focuses Polonceaukade 27 on techno, house, electro and www.westergasfabriek.nl boogie, while Amsterdam’s Rush Het Sieraad Hour is big on house and disco Postjesweg 1, www.het-sieraad.nl reissues. Delsin (also AmsterMelkweg dam) excels in Detroit-inspired Lijnbaansgracht 234a techno. The line-up: Antal (Rush www.melkweg.nl Hour), Xosar (live, Rush Hour), Pand 14 Serge (Clone), Tom Trago (live, Muntbergweg 14, www.p14.nl Rush Hour), Gerd (Clone), KiNK Paradiso (live, Rush Hour), Delta FunkWeteringschans 6 tionen (Delsin), Alden Tyrell www.paradiso.nl (live, Clone), Conforce (Clone, Trouw Delsin) and many more. Wibautstraat 131 Trouw, Fri 18 Oct, 22.00, €20 www.trouwamsterdam.nl
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MUSIC /POPULAR & JAZZ POPULAR & JAZZ DUTCH IMPRO ACADEMY The Dutch Impro Academy is an international summer school for musical improvisation. Following a week of workshops led by Han Bennink, Ernst Glerum, Oscar Jan Hoogland, Carl Ludwig Hübsch and Felicity Provan, both students and tutors will perform together in various line-ups. Bimhuis, Sun 1 Sep, 20.30, free NIGHT OF THE UNEXPECTED This annual festival is devoted to a wide array of musical styles ranging from quiet chamber music to head-pounding techno – and explores how to bridge the gaps between with exciting collaborations. The 2013 lineup will feature performances by American recording artist Julianna Barwick, Russia’s freewheeling Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble and, local favourites, The Bram Stadhouders Trio with the Dutch Chamber Choir. Paradiso, Fri 6 Sep, 20.30, €18
of their trademark brand of Brit rock along with a twist of Interpol-worthy emo gloom. Paradiso, Fri 13 Sep, 20.30, €15
Choice pop & jazz
NORTH SEA SURF FESTIVAL Enjoy some surf right on Amsterdam’s home turf. Bambi Molesters and Los Coronas, along with six more bands from the Netherlands and abroad, will catch some tasty waves at this festival, the first of its kind in Amsterdam. Along with live music, the fest also features screenings of new and classic surf movies. Melkweg, http://about.me/north seasurf. Sat 14 Sep, 16.30, €17.50 ED KOWALCZYK Cunningly titled his ‘I Alone – Acoustic Tour’, the frontman of ’90s alt-rockers Live revisits some of the group’s biggest hits (funnily enough, such as ‘I alone’) amidst the grandeur of one of the world’s most popular concert halls. Concertgebouw, Mon 16 Sep, 20.15, €22-€29
LEONARD COHEN Canadian troubadour Leonard Cohen actually turns 79 years TUMULT old the day after this perforEXTRAVAGANZA mance, yet he’s hardly showing signs of slowing down. Following The four bands in this forsold-out shows at Amsterdam’s ward-thinking programme Olympic Stadium and the rerepresent the youngest generation of improvising musicians lease of his 12th album Old Ideas in 2012 – some 44 years after in Amsterdam, blending noise, releasing his debut – he’ll once electronics and inklings of more again show younger performers traditional jazz. Featuring The how to make performing in a Ambush Party; Eke; Pumporcavern feel like an intimate expegan; Knalpot. rience as he revisits classics like Bimhuis, Fri 6 Sep, 20.30, €16 ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Bird on the Wire’ SOUNDGARDEN and ‘Suzanne’. The Seattle grunge gods are back Ziggo Dome, Fri 20 Sep, 19.30, €80-€120 together following more than a decade – and a few side projects MAYDAY and occasional career missteps Part power metal, part Beat– apart. Expect some ferocious les-esque power pop, and also blasts from across the years, a huge part teen dream boy from their Black Sabbath metal band, this Taiwanese group roots to the slower, darker dirges are astronomically huge in the of the mid-’90s. East – and seemingly wherever Heineken Music Hall, Wed 11 else they travel. Expect them Sep, 20.00, €59 to bring along much of their JOHNNY CASH – dazzling multimedia and stage 1932-2003 tricks as part of their ‘Nowhere World Tour’. Get ready to walk the line. Ziggo Dome, Sun 22 Sep, Douwe Bob, The Bluegrass 20.00, €50-€85 Boogiemen, Yuri Honing, Blaudzun, Tineke Schoemaker, Def CANDY DULFER Americans and more will tackle Jazz runs deep in the Dulfer some timeless tunes during this family. Her dad, Hans, is still tribute to The Man in Black. Just a renowned sax player in Ambe sure to leave your dirty old sterdam, and Candy followed egg-sucking dog at home. his musical lead, finding fame Paradiso, Thur 12 Sep, guesting with Prince, Van Mor20.30, €12.50 rison, Beyoncé and many more THE PLOCTONES over the years. This evening she’ll showcase her new funky These locals create jazz with a band and songs. raw rock’n’roll feel, full of blisParadiso, Sun 22 Sep, tering grooves and irresistible 20.30, €23.50 rhythms. They’re led by guitarist Anton Goudsmit and feature SVEN RATZKE saxophonist Efraïm Trujillo, German-Dutch cabaret artist bassist Jeroen Vierdag and Sven Ratzke is renowned for his drummer Martijn Vink. themed performances and Bimhuis, Thur 12 Sep, collaborations with special 20.30, €18 guests. This time, however, it’s THE BOXER REBELLION all about Ratzke in a one-off live performance based on his new This London-based indie CD, Songs in a Cabaret. Songs by quartet adopted a more hi-fi divas such as Marlene Dietrich, approach while recording their Ingrid Caven and Hildegard latest album Promises. NeverKnef will sit alongside new matheless, expect a hearty helpin’
CHVRCHES Rare proof that hype does occasionally pay, this femalefronted Scottish electro-pop trio spent their first six months together drip-feeding ultra-catchy mp3s to an ever growing web audience. Big on ’80s-synth stylings and melody-heavy pop, they’ve been selling out shows from San Francisco to Sydney before even releasing their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe (finally out in September). So far they’ve failed to waste a note. Melkweg, Tue 22 Oct, 20.00, €14
SEXMOB PLAYS FELLINI Led by Steven Bernstein’s slide trumpet, this New Yorkbased jazz band has tackled the catalogues of Prince, Abba and Nirvana – never taking life too seriously as they dissemble and reassemble. Now they’ve got Fellini, one of the world’s most lauded filmmakers, and Nino Rota, his musical collaborator, in their sights. Expect an explosive evening that, appropriately enough, kicks off at half past eight. Bimhuis, Sat 19 Oct, 20.30, €TBC terial written especially for him. Bimhuis, Wed 25 Sep, 20.30, €TBC DAYNA KURTZ This singer-songwriter has spent the past several years seeking inspiration from a variety of blues, country and R&B acts. The free-spirited Jersey girl released her 11th album, Secret Canon Vol. 2, last summer. Expect an evening of enchanting tunes that cross multiple county lines of American musical history. Paradiso, Fri 27 Sep, 20.30, €16.50 OMAR BASHIR This Iraqi-Hungarian musician is a master of the oud, blending traditional Arabic and Persian traditions with jazz and improvisation. Renowned throughout the world for his virtuoso performances, the two performances
PARQUET COURTS Straight out of Brooklyn, this post-punk outfit stormed the shores of music blogs and magazines all across America with the release of their 2012 full-length debut album Light Up Gold. Their songs are all about life in the Big Apple and the vocals of frontman Andrew Savage have been described as a mad combo of Television’s Tom Verlaine and David Byrne. Sounds pretty good to us. Melkweg, Tue 15 Oct, 19.30, €14
homeland. With his ‘M’-inspired haircuts, quirky dance routines to rival ‘Gangnam Style’, nods to glam rock and, of course, his pure pop songwriting, he’s now taking the fight to the rest of Europe. Melkweg, Tue 1 Oct, 20.00, €17.50 JOSEPH ARTHUR This multitalented songwriter was first discovered by Peter Gabriel, who signed him to his record label in 1997. Sixteen years and ten albums later, Arthur is still touring the world with his unique brand of experimental folk music that incorporates loop pedals and non-traditional instruments. Paradiso, Sun 6 Oct, 16.00, €12 JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET Redman graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1991 and has been regaling audiences with his saxophone skills ever since. The jazz composer released Walking Shadows, his 13th album as a bandleader, earlier this year. Musicians Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers and Gregory Hutchinson join him to round out the quartet. Bimhuis, Thur 10 & Fri 11 Oct, 20.30, €TBC FELABRATION 3 The third installment of this mini festival celebrating the life and musical legacy of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Special guests include Ghana guitar hero Ebo Taylor, Jungle By Night and local DJs creating a global party vibe. Paradiso, Fri 11 Oct, 20.30, €12.50 HEINEKEN STARCLUB: TIËSTO & CALVIN HARRIS In what’s surely the largest production that the Amsterdam Dance Event has even seen, Dutch DJ titan Tiësto teams up with British dance producer and remixer Calvin Harris for a long night of dance music extravagance. Ziggo Dome, Fri 18 Oct, 22.00, €52.50
AGNES OBEL This Danish pianist released in Amstelkerk will remember her latest album, Aventine, in the music of his father, Munir September. She’s been heralded Bashir, still regarded as the by critics for her lush vocals supreme master of the Arabic and mesmerising work on the maqamat. keys. At the 2011 Danish Music Amstelkerk, Fri 27 & Sat 28 Sep, Awards, she won five prizes, 20.30, €27 including those for Best Album of the Year and Best Songwriter COLOR TANGO of the Year. Roberto Alvarez helms this night Paradiso, Sat 19 Oct, 20.00, €26 of spicy dance music. Along with UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF his orchestra, Color Tango, the GREAT BRITAIN bandleader has spearheaded performances all over the globe What began as a silly joke in the during his decades-spanning mid-’80s grew into a successcareer. He also plays a mean ful touring orchestra that has bandoneón. There’s a workshop recorded eight studio albums before the main show with a tan- and has performed in renowned go salon to follow. venues like Carnegie Hall and Paradiso, Sun 29 Sep, 21.00, €25 the Sydney Opera House. Expect tongue-in-cheek pluckings –M– of tunes originally penned by Guitarist and singer –M– may everybody from Kate Bush to seem an unlikely star of the Ennio Morricone. French pop and rock scene but Paradiso, Sun 20 Oct, he’s absolutely massive in his 15.30, €18.50
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MUSIC/POPULAR & JAZZ GOLDFRAPP Since launching in 1999, this genre-hopping British duo has plumbed the depths of electronica, glam rock, synthpop and even folk. They recently returned to their ambient roots for 2013’s Tales of Us, their sixth studio album. Paradiso, Mon 21 Oct, 20.30, €29
ADDRESSES Amstelkerk Amstelveld 10 www.stadsherstel.nl Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3 http://bimhuis.nl Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 10 www.concertgebouw.nl Heineken Music Hall ArenA Boulevard 590 www.heineken-music-hall.nl Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234a www.melkweg.nl Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ Piet Heinkade 1 www.muziekgebouw.nl Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8 www.paradiso.nl Ziggo Dome ArenA boulevard 61 www.ziggodome.nl
ing classical works that shock. by a collective of 15 renowned Alongside three short world musicians and composers. premieres there’s excerpts Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sat 14 from Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Sep, 20.15, €27 Bartók’s scandalous The MiracOLGA PERETYATKO ulous Mandarin. Concertgebouw, Thur 12 & Fri Russian soprano Olga Pere13 Sep, 21.15, €22.50-€40 tyatko is a rising international star and has also made a grand MADE IN impression in performances AMSTERDAM with De Nederlandse Opera. This festive weekend of perAccompanied by pianist MatEDITORS formances forms an ‘ode to the thias Samuil, the theme this city’. Featuring top musicians evening is ‘Bird Song’, performThis British indie guitar band such as Mathilde Santing and ing diverse works by the likes were initially underdogs when Jan Kuhlman, it explores the of Strauss, Stravinsky, Glinka they first emerged in 2005, boundaries of classical music and Tchaikovsky that have their taut rhythms and the rich with intense compositions a feathered influence, from baritone of Tom Smith lighting by the likes of Wiebe Gotink, nightingales to cuckoos. the imagination of rising a Rijndert van Woudenberg and Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sun 15 Britpop scene alongside peers Bonno Lange, plus visuals creSep, 20.15, €38 like Bloc Party. In subsequent ated by local artists. releases they’ve attempted to ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW De Duif, Fri 13-Sun 15 Sep, flex their songwriting muscles, ORCHESTRA various times, €22.50 incorporating piano and elecConductor Mariss Jansons gets tronics, as well as even stripping VERDI’S Amsterdam audiences in good away the noise at times. IL TROVATORE shape for ‘Strauss Year 2014’ Ziggo Dome, Thur 24 Oct, The Radio Philharmonic with a grand performance of 20.00, €39 Orchestra kicks off the new the symphonic poem Ein HelCLASSICAL HALF MOON RUN Saturday Matinee season and denleben. The orchestra will ANNA FEDOROVA & ‘Verdi Year’ with a performance also be joined by masterpianist Canadian indie-rock band Half THE RUSSIANS of his 1853 opera Il Trovatore Emanuel Ax for Beethoven’s Moon Run has been shaking Third Piano Concerto. off comparisons to Fleet Foxes Ukrainian pianist Fedorova is (‘The Troubadour’). Piero Pretti since releasing Dark Eyes, their enjoying more and more inter- (tenor) and Maria Agresta (so- Concertgbeouw, Wed 18 & Thur prano) lead the vocal cast. 19 Sep, 20.15, €30-€120 2012 debut album. They opened national acclaim, with interConcertgbeouw, Sat 14 Sep, for Mumford & Sons at the pretations of composers such OPERA PER TUTTI 13.30, €48-€55 huge Ziggo Dome last spring as Beethoven and RachmaniRegular opera sessions in the and now they’re coming back noff forming the backbone of METROPOLE beautiful Vondelkerk. Each to Amsterdam with their diher repertoire. This evening ORCHESTRA performance typically includes verse mix of atmospheric songs it’s Rachmaninoff and another that echo Radiohead and Jeff Russian icon: Stravinsky. She’ll The internationally renowned five or six operatic fragments or Metropole Orchestra are arias – some you’ll know inside Buckley. perform with the Nordwestalways game for a grand spec- out, others may be new to you. Melkweg, Sun 27 Oct, deutsche Philharmonie. tacle and this evening they’ll Vondelkerk, Thur 19 Sep & 17 20.00, €14 Concertgebouw, Sun 1 Sep, share the stage with the French Oct, 20.15, €10-€20 11.00, €19-€25 DIANNE REEVES science fiction drama L’inhuQUATUOR DIOTIMA MIRUSIA maine (1924). The original The vocals of this four-time soundtrack for this futuristic The focal point of this perforGrammy Award-winner reAustralian-Dutch soprano fantasy is unfortunately long mance by the acclaimed French call those of legends like Ella Murusia has picked up a lost, but tonight’s screening contemporary quartet is two Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. host of international prizes sees the premiere of a new string quartets by Alberto Reeves has been dubbed one of and recorded and performed soundtrack featuring music Posadas (Liturgia Fractal 1 & the greatest jazz singers of the live with André Rieu. In this modern era and her music was crowd-pleasing (second) homeprominently featured on the coming she’ll be performing soundtrack of the 2005 George instantly recognisable operatic Clooney film Good Night, and faves with the help of top interGood Luck. national guests. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Mon Concertgebouw, Thur 5 Sep, 28 Oct, 20.15, €33 20.15, €45
Choice classical
JAY-Z The real King of New York? It’s fair to say that ol’ dirty Jay-Z is the world’s biggest hip hop star – at least in terms of showbiz glam and scale of production (and successful wife). Here he’s supporting his newest album, Magna Carta… Holy Grail, but with plenty of big beats of old and some classics with new twists. Tickets are surprisingly affordable for such a big name. Ziggo Dome, Tue 29 Oct, 20.00, €40-€79
CAPPELLA AMSTERDAM Take a purifying trip back in time and forget about all the trappings of modern living. In this performance, the talented choral ensemble will revisit the Netherlands’ greatest renaissance composer: Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Conducted by Daniel Reuss. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sun 8 Sep, 15.00, €27
ZIMMERMANN & PACE PLAY BACH BOB DYLAN Pianist Enrico Pace and violinOver the course of his halfist Frank Peter Zimmermann century long career, this living need little introduction to legend has served as a voice for Amsterdam audiences: they’ve his generation. He’s been an performed with the world’s actor, a poet, a writer, an artist best orchestras and even and, most importantly, one of hosted their own festivals. In the most famous and influential this intimate concert they’ll songwriters of all time. Last treat the audience to six Bach year, he was honoured with the sonatas. Presidential Medal of Freedom Concertgebouw, Thur 12 Sep, by Barack Obama, and also 20.15, €34-€54 released new album Tempest AAA: SUSPENSE – which we presume he’ll be playing from tonight. The Royal Concertgebouw OrHeineken Music Hall, Wed 30 chestra embraces an evening of & Thur 31 Oct, 20.00, €65 horror and suspense, perform-
ZAPP 4 This creative contemporary string quartet has no fears, be it abstract classical music or pop-music greats. In this programme they provide an unconventional and humorous classical twist to renowned pop songs with the help of singer Vera van der Poel and African percussionist Afra Mussawisade (pictured). Along the way look out for works by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Radiohead and Joni Mitchell. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Fri 20 Sep, 20.15, €21
THE CLASSICAL PROMS Classical music meets popular culture in The Classical PROMS. The Bach Choir and Orchestra of the Netherlands is joined by a host of top soloists (such as pianist Cor Bakker; pictured) and vocalists to revisit some of the grandest and popular classical moments, from ‘Ave Maria’ and Händel’s ‘Hallelujah’ through to well-known film soundtrack and pop moments. Concertgebouw, Sat 26, 20.15 & Sun 27 Oct, 19.30, €50-€75
4), which take inspiration from the science of nature. These are sandwiched between Ligeti’s String Quartet No.2 and Beethoven’s String Quartet No.13. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sat 21 Sep, 20.15, €33 RESIDENTIE ORKEST Jan Willem de Vriend conducts this orchestra from the Hague for performances of three Beethoven works, including the Fifth Piano Concerto with guest pianist Alexander Melnikov. Concertgebouw, Sat 21 Sep, 20.15, €32-€40 MATANGI QUARTET This young string quartet has grown into one of the Netherlands’ most reliable ensembles over the past decade, and performed around the world. This afternoon features works by Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven. Amstelkerk, Sun 22 Sep, 15.30, €16 NEDERLANDS KAMERKOOR In this programme the chamber choir presents some of the prettiest examples from the 20th-century French choral repertoire – as well as a couple of world premieres from Philippe Gouttenoire and Toivo Tulev. Choral faves include works by Debussy, Ravel, SaintSäens and Poulenc. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sun 22 Sep, 20.15, €27 ANGELA GHEORGHIU In the 1960s and ’70s it was common to see the world’s biggest vocal stars appearing at the Concertgebouw. Now with this historic venue celebrating its 125th jubilee, Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu – called the new Maria Callas by some – will step onstage to perform excerpts and arias from the classical world’s most romantic operatic moments. Concertgebouw, Tue 24 Sep, 20.15, €49-€130 ASKO|SCHÖNBERG A double celebration: not only does this performance kick off a new season of cutting-edge classical music on Thursday nights, it marks the 75th birthday of renowned Dutch composer/pianist Reinbert de Leeuw. The great man himself will be on hand to conduct. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Thur 26 Sep, 19.30, €33 SLOW MUSIC FOR HECTIC TIMES The Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra and harpist Ellen Versney slow the pace and clear the audience’s minds with a host of relaxing works by Debussy, Elgar, Mahler and more. Concertgebouw, Thur 26 Sep, 20.15, €60 AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA Celebrating 25 years of the local string ensemble, the group is hosting a festive programme that touches on
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MUSIC/CLASSICAL highlights from the past 25 years, as well as a few more surprises. As always, violinist Candida Thompson leads, with the ensemble taking the opportunity to launch its new Shostakovich CD amidst the music and champagne. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sat 28 Sep, 20.15, €44 NETHERLANDS PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA A grand opening to the orchestra’s new season with conductor Marc Albrecht, violinist Isabelle Faust and two classical titans: Brahms (Violin Concerto in D) and Bruckner (Seventh Symphony). Concertgebouw, Sat 28 & Mon 30 Sep, 20.15, €18-€48 NOORDERKERK CONCERTS From Septemer through May, Amsterdam’s Noorderkerk hosts a one-hour classical concert every Saturday afternoon. Situated in one of the oldest and most charming parts of the city, the Noorderkerk is an idyllic setting for a matinee classical concert. On 12 October there’s an especially festive performance in celebration of 400 years of Amsterdam’s canals. Noorderkerk, Weekly from 28 September, 14.00, TBC ASKO|SCHÖNBERG – THE NUTCRACKERS Joined by Ensemble Klang, Lunapark and mezzosoprano Antje Lohse, this jubilee concert pays tribute to a musical uprising on 17 November 1969, when young Dutch musicians and composers disrupted a performance of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to protest against the old musical guard and lack of change. The event proved to be a springboard for the Dutch contemporary music scene. Concertgebouw, Sun 29 Sep, 20.15, €45 ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA This programme, conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend, features works that the RCO has not performed in a very long time, if ever. It includes Bach’s Piano Concerto in D (reworked by De Vriend), Rosetti’s Symphony in G and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.1. With pianist Alexandre Tharaud. Concertgebouw, Wed 2, Thur 3 & Fri 4 Oct, 20.15, €22.50-€75 THE NEWS, A REALITY OPERA This multimedia operetta performed by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble was written by Dutch composer Jacob ter Veldhuis and had its premiere in Chicago last year. Incorporating fragments from international news programmes, it touches on themes such as freedom, democracy, religion, politics, the economy and the environment. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Thur 3 Oct, 20.15, €35
NETHERLANDS Concertgebouw, Thur 10 & Fri PHILHARMONIC 11 Oct, 21.15, €22.50-€40 ORCHESTRA NETHERLANDS A night of Tchaikovsky firsts PHILHARMONIC with conductor Alexander ORCHESTRA: SACRE@100 Vedernikov and pianist Nelson Marc Albrecht leads this Goerner. It begins with the Russian’s First Piano Concerto concert featuring three grand masters: Ligeti – (Atmoand concludes with this First sphères); Prokofiev (Piano Symphony (‘Winter Dreams’). Concertgebouw, Sat 5, Mon 7 & Concerto in C); and Stravinsky (Le sacre du printemps, tabTue 8 Oct, 20.15, €18-€48 leaux de la Russie païenne en DANIIL TRIFONOV deux parties). Internationally acclaimed pianist Behzod Regarded as one of the most Abduraimov guests. exciting young pianists on Concertgebouw, Sat 12, 20.15, the classical circuit, this & Sun 13 Oct, 14.15, €18-€48 Russian’s stop in Amsterdam sees him performing as part ASKO|SCHÖNBERG of the renowned Master Continuing its ‘retro’ voyage Pianists series. Tackling music into the Fifties and the sonic by Debussy, Chopin, and R revolution, the modern music Schumann, the baby-faced specialists present work by 22-year-old not only has the Stravinsky, Maderna, Jolivet technical skills but the heart to and an ode to Elvis (‘Dead wow even the hardiest of souls. Elvis’) by Daugherty. Concertgebouw, Sun 6 Oct, Concertgebouw, Sat 12 Oct, 20.15, €31.50-€39.50 21.00, €23-€36 NEDERLANDSE RADIO BACHVERENIGING PHILHARMONIC Part of the ambitious project ORCHESTRA ‘All of Bach’, in which the ensemble will cover the full oeu- Latvian violinist Baiba Skride joins in for this Sunday vre of Johann Sebastian Bach, morning performance this performance sees them that includes Prokofiev’s revisiting some of his powerful Second Violin Concerto and and popular cantatas, plus music by Johann Krieger and Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony. Concertgebouw, Sun 13 Oct, Johann Schein. 11.00, €19-€25 Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Sun 6 Oct, 15.00, €38 ORCHESTRA OF THE 18TH CENTURY GEELVINCK PIANOFORTE FESTIVAL A jubilee performance that sees this world-renowned This third annual celebration symphony orchestra of the fortepiano invites Dutch celebrating the rich history of and international artists to its traditional concerts with showcase this historic instruanother visit to the Royal ment. There’s also workshops and kids’ activities throughout Concertgebouw. Aided by the fantastic vocalists of Capella the week. Amsterdam, they’ll host a Geelvinck Hinlopen House thrilling rendition of Mozart’s & various locations, http:// Così fan tutte. geelvinck.nl. Tue 8-Mon 14 Oct, Concertgebouw, Tue 15 Oct, various times & prices 19.30, €25-€65 ASKO|SCHÖNBERG CLOSE-UP RCO The Dutch contemporary Performances by the 125ensemble takes the audience on a riotous and radical path year-old Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra are one of the through Europe in the 1950s most dazzling experiences in – a time of cultural response, classical music, but here you renewal and experimentation. can see three of the orchestra’s The programme focuses stars in a much more intimate on Germany and Flanders, setting. looking at composers such as Concertgebouw, Tue 15 Oct, Karlheinz Stockhausen and 20.15, €32 Karel Goeyvaerts. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Wed 9 ROYAL CONCERTGEBOW Oct, 20.15, €27 ORCHESTRA THE FIFTIES WITH Of all the Romantic EDWARD GARDNER composers, Schumann was one of the most forward-looking; In the concert hall of the his work forms a bridge 1950s, a cold war loomed between the older composers between Bach and the modern composers of the late 19th of the post-war reconstruction and early 20th centuries. In era and the younger generation this programme, Schumann’s who wanted to break with all forms of tradition. This concert Symphony No. 2 and Webern’s Sechs Stücke für Orchester revisits those divisions via flank Strauss’s famous Vier the radical composers Nono, letzte Lieder. Boulez and Stockhausen. At Concertgebouw, Wed 16 & the time, Amsterdam had remained conservative and it Thur 17 Oct, 20.15, €22.50-€85 took a wait of ten years before AMSTERDAM Bernard Haitink conducted SINFONIETTA & Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto LAVINIA MEIJER for Orchestra in 1960 – another work revisited tonight Harpist Lavinia Meijer is a renowned player, achieving even by the Royal Concertgebouw more status with her album Orchestra.
Choice classical
COMBATTIMENTO CONSORT AMSTERDAM Part of the Royal Concertgebouw’s 125th jubilee celebrations, this month the focus is on the renovations which took place during the 1980s. The venue remained open throughout the work and was always looking for new ways to present music and inspire. One of the key developments of the period was the ‘authentic performance’, and the Combattimento Consort was one such pioneer of old music performed on authentic instruments. Tonight they’ll transport the audience back through time with music by Vivaldi, Rebel, Telemann and CPhE Bach. Concertgebouw, Sun 13 Oct, 20.15, €45 of Philip Glass works. Here ner’s Fifth Symphony. The she performs her fave Glass acclaimed maestro led the moment: The Hours. Alongside RCO in a performance of the this, she’ll perform music by Third Symphony back in 1994 Ravel and Debussy with the and of the Fourth in 1997. The ensemble, before they also Austrian conductor is particutackle Stravinsky’s ballet music larly known for his historically for Apollon Musagete. informed performances. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Thur Concertgebouw, Fri 25, 20.15, 17 Oct, 20.15, €35 & Sun 27 Oct, 14.15, €22.50-€95 NETHERLANDS BLAZERS ENSEMBLE MOZART & ORFF Mozart’s Serenade No.10 Two contrasting classics in (‘Gran Partita’) is a well-known one programme: pianist Anna piece, originally scored for Fedorova guests for Mozart’s 12 winds and a bass. Perhaps elegant Piano Concerto No.21; unsurprisingly, the work is a while the Carl Orff Concert firm favourite with this vibrant Choir of Japan supply the wind ensemble. swirling drama of Orff ’s Concertgebouw, Sat 19 Oct, Carmina Burana. 20.15, €27.50 Concertgebouw, Mon 28 Oct, 20.15, €40-€50 LIZA FERSCHTMAN, MOZART AND DVODÁK LAVINIA MEIJER + ATTACCA ENSEMBLE Star violinist Ferschtman performs this morning with the The talented harpist showcases Belgische Kamerfilharmonie. her interpretations of music The programme includes Moby Philip Glass, including the zart’s Violin Concerto in D and chamber opera piece Hydrogen DvoÐák’s Serenade in E. Jukebox. Concertgebouw, Sun 20 Oct, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Wed 11.00, €19-€25 30 Oct, 20.15, €21 ALEXANDER MELNIKOV This season Russian pianist Melnikov takes up an artist-in-residence position at the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, seeing him perform six concerts. In this first he shines the light on Russian peers such as Prokofiev (Sonata No.6) and Scriabin (Fantasie op.28), as well as displaying his passion for German romanticism. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Fri 25 Oct, 20.15, €22 ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA Honorary guest conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt returns to the orchestra for Bruck-
ADRESSES Amstelkerk Amstelveld 10 www.stadsherstel.nl De Duif Prinsengracht 756 deduif.home.xs4all.nl Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ Piet Heinkade 1, www.muziekgebouw.nl Nooderkerk Noordermarkt 44 www.noorderkerkconcerten.nl Royal Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 10, www.concertgebouw.nl Vondelkerk Vondelstraat 120 www.vondelkerk.nl
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EXHIBITIONS TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS EDWARD STEICHEN: IN HIGH FASHION, THE CONDÉ NAST YEARS, 1923–1937 Featuring more than 200 unique photographs, this exhibition delves into the celebrated years of this American photographer and artist’s career: a period which saw him work regularly for influential magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. Foam, until 6 Sep
Beveridge. Each of her delicate, handcrafted carryalls investigates notions of time, identity and memory, allowing viewers a look at the personal possessions of a series of Europeans. Museum of Bags & Purses, until 22 Sep PRIDE PHOTO AWARD Showcasing the results of the annual international photography competition focused on sexual and gender diversity. This year’s theme is ‘Extremely Normal’. Also look out for a selection of the winning photographs on major squares in each of the seven city districts. Oude Kerk, until 22 Sep
TIM HETHERINGTON – INFIDEL Powerful exhibition of works by photographer Tim Hetherington from his time ARTZUID spent embedded with American troops stationed in Afghanistan The popular international sculpture route brings the streets of in 2007/2008. the Zuid district of Amsterdam Foam, until 7 Jul to life with a range of amazing OTTO KAAN – WORKS contemporary sculptures. Follow a walking route around the Recent graduates from The outdoor exhibition or simply Hague Royal Academy of wander the streets and uncover Visual Arts, Berend Otto and their surprises. Guus Kaandorp combine District of Zuid, their creative talents to until 22 Sep produce a new series entitled Photographic Furniture: a IMAGINING SLAVERY playful examination of their Maps, books, prints and other studio and the abundance objects drawn from the UvA of photographic apparatus Special Collections archives contained within. explore the history of slavery Foam, until 11 Sep in the 17th, 18th and 19th PETER THE GREAT centuries within Dutch culture A highlight of the Netherlands- and the former Dutch colony of Suriname. Russia 2013 celebrations, this UvA Special Collections, exhibition features a huge until 22 Sep selection of art and priceless exhibits linked to Peter the LUCY MCKENZIE – Great as well as an array of the SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO Tsar’s personal effects. LIVE WITH Hermitage Amsterdam, Works by Scottish artist Lucy until 13 Sep McKenzie, acclaimed for PHOTOSYNTHESIS – A NEW her trompe l’oeil painting LIGHT ON PLANTS technique which straddles the boundaries of (decorative) art The Palm Greenhouse at the and craftwork. Amsterdam Botanical Gardens hosts a summer photography Stedelijk Museum, until 22 Sep and film exhibition showcasing WALKER EVANS – DECADE images of plant life captured BY DECADE using unusual – often scientific – techniques including infrared, Devoted to the entire body of work by influential American X-ray and microscope lenses. photographer Walker Evans, Hortus Botanicus, featuring a wide selection of until 15 Sep images that have never before SCHOOL BAGS been on public display. Huis Marseille, until 22 Sep School bags conjure up memories of teachers, playtime FELLINI – THE EXHIBITION and old friends and those in A major exhibition using this exhibition reflect changes projected film fragments, in the Dutch education system photographs, records, and society in general over the letters and posters to delve centuries. Intriguing. into the life, work and Museum of Bags & Purses, boundless imagination of until 15 Sep pioneering Italian post-war SWEETS – cinematographer Federico ARCHITECTURAL GEMS Fellini: the man behind films including La Strada, La Dolce Exhibition examining the Vita and 8½. architectural, cultural and EYE Film Museum, until 29 Sep functional aspects of bridge control buildings throughout SCULPTURES BY HENRY Amsterdam and investigating MOORE how small-scale vacant The Rijksmuseum celebrates buildings could be repurposed the official opening of the in the future. redeveloped museum gardens ARCAM, until 21 Sep with a free outdoor exhibition GLASS PURSES featuring a selection of major works by the English sculptor. An intriguing art and fashion Rijks Museum gardens, exhibition featuring works until 29 Sep by British artist Philippa
SLAVERY ON THE AMSTERDAM CANALS 2013 sees Amsterdam reflect upon the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colonies of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles 150 years ago. This exhibition examines the historical impact of slavery on the city’s Canal District, looking at how the story of slavery is reflected in the changing lifestyles of upper-class families living in the prosperous Canal Ring Geelvinck-Hinlopen House, until 30 Sep
PIXAR: 25 YEARS OF VAN GOGH AT WORK ANIMATION This far-reaching exhibition is Calling animation lovers young the culmination of seven years and old: Amsterdam Expo of fastidious research into takes visitors on an intriguing Vincent Van Gogh’s oeuvre and backstage tour deep into the development as an artist. More world of Pixar, showcasing than 200 paintings, works on more than 500 original paper, sketchbooks and letters artworks flown in from the by Van Gogh and his peers Pixar Animation Studios in offer new insights into the California. fascinating creative processes Amsterdam Expo, until 27 Oct behind the artist’s paintings and drawings. PHILIP MECHANICUS Van Gogh Museum, The first major retrospective until 13 Jan of work by Amsterdam born THE DARK CHAPTER Family-oriented exhibition looking at the history of the slave trade from a maritime perspective, focusing on the dramatic story of a slave ship called the Leusden – a boat which sank without a trace in Suriname in 1738 with many slaves trapped on board. Het Scheepvaartmuseum, until 31 Aug
Choice exhibits
EDDO HARTMANN, BEDROM FATHER WITH DRAWING ON WALL, 2012
THE REDISCOVERY OF THE WORLD The recently extended photography museum hosts an exhibition devoted to exploring the artistic value of photography in the modern age. In a world where anyone can snap a photo with their phone and distribute it globally via social media, The Rediscovery of the World examines the value of more traditional forms of the medium. This exhibition is the first to utilise the museum’s new extension. Huis Marseille, 7 Sep-8 Dec BOWIE BY DUFFY and bred photographer and – PHOTOGRAPHS publicist Philip Mechanicus 72 –’80 (1936-2005), best known An exclusive selection of images for his strikingly sober yet of David Bowie, photographed penetrating black-and-white by the late, great fashion portraits of authors, poets and photographer Brian Duffy. artists. The exhibition paints a Duffy worked with Bowie on poignant portrait of the people five photographic projects and places that typified Jewish between 1972 and 1980, Amsterdam. including on three of the artist’s Jewish Historical Museum, most famous album covers. You until 27 Oct do not want to miss this. ESCHER MEETS ISLAMIC ART &Foam, until 6 Oct Examining the more obscure MARNIX GOOSSENS – influences on Dutch artist YONDER MC Escher. Even some of his This series of new work biggest fans may be surprised sees Dutch snapper Marnix to learn that works of several Goossens concentrate on nature Islamic painters helped inspire in run-down interiors. Escher during his muchFoam, until 6 Oct celebrated career. Tropenmuseum, until 13 Nov PETER VOS – METAMORPHOSEN REMBRANDT: ALL HIS PAINTINGS More than 100 figurative drawings, sketches and This major exhibition brings prints inspired by Greek all 325 of Rembrandt’s mythology – especially Ovid’s paintings together in one Metamorphoses – as well as the place for the first time, as artist’s ‘personal mythology’. high-quality reproductions. Rembrandthuis, Using the latest techniques, until 6 Oct every single work attributed to Rembrandt has been digitally ARTIFICIAL AMSTERDAM reproduced to scale with Guest curators combine new accompanying explanations work with historic pieces to providing an unrivalled insight examine the idea of Amsterdam into Rembrandt’s artistic as a man-made city. development. De Appel Arts Centre, Magna Plaza, until until 13 Oct 31 Dec
CRISTINA DE MIDDEL – THE AFRONAUTS The failed African attempt to join the space race in the 1960s was the inspiration for this 2012 project by Cristina de Middel. The Spanish photographer recreates the story using staged photographs, copies of letters, reproductions of vintage photographs and a healthy dose of her own imagination. Foam, 13 Sep-10 Nov LEE FRIEDLANDER – AMERICA BY CAR Photography exhibition devoted to the automobile – as synonymous with the States as apple pie and Johnny Depp. America By Car features works by photographer Lee Friedlander drawn from two earlier projects; each explores the evolution of the US’s ongoing love affair with the car in images that range from the grim to the humorously ironic. Foam, 13 Sep-11 Dec PETER PUKLUS – HANDBOOK TO THE STARS The work of this Hungarian documentary photographer reveals the importance and beauty locked away inside everyday objects. Foam, 13 Sep-13 Dec MEMYMOM – THE UMBILICAL VEIN Photographer Marilène Coolens presents an intimate exhibition of works chronicling her relationship with her daughter, Lisa De Boeck. Coolens began photographing Lisa at the age of five in their home in Brussels and accumulated a huge series of portraits tracking Lisa’s childhood and young adulthood, offering a glimpse into her life. De Brakke Grond, 20 Sep-3 Nov LAWRENCE WEINER – WRITTEN ON THE WIND A sweeping exhibition of work by American artist Lawrence Weiner – best known for his contributions to the world of conceptual art in the 1960s.
C HAM BRE S DE S CAN AUX
THE TOLERANT HOME 1 - 17 november 2013 35 CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS 20 CLASSIC CANAL HOUSES
IAMSTERDAM.COM/CHAMBRES
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PART IV THE A-LIST.
EXHIBITIONS Featuring 300 drawings completed by Weiner over the course of 50 years, Written on the Wind takes visitors on a trip through Weiner’s career, offering them a glimpse at the gradual evolution of his style. Stedelijk Museum, 21 Sep-5 Jan PAULINA OŁOWSKA – AU BONHEUR DES DAMES Featuring boundary-defying pieces that combine collages, drawings, media and even neon lights, this is the first exhibition by Polish artist Paulina Ołowska to be organised in the Netherlands. Ołowska is considered by many to be one of the most fascinating artists of her generation. Her works borrow images from Eastern European and American pop culture in order to explore the concepts of feminism, consumerism and design. Stedelijk Museum, 21 Sep-27 Jan
EYE Film Museum, 5 Oct-3 Nov FRAMED IN PRINT – 40 YEARS OF DUTCH MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY Ambitious exhibition offering an overview of the best photographs featured in major Dutch periodicals over the past four decades. A variety of shots invites viewers on a trip down memory lane, providing an insight into how magazine pictorials in the Netherlands have changed since the 1970s. Foam, 10 Oct-11 Dec MONDRIAAN IN AMSTERDAM, 1892-1912 Piet Mondriaan, one of the earliest members of the Dutch ‘De Stijl’ movement, returns home to Amsterdam. Featuring more than 60 works, this exhibition showcases some of the Dutch artist’s lesserknown paintings, prints and drawings, produced during his time in Amsterdam between 1892 and 1912. Amsterdam Museum, 11 Oct-5 Jan
UNSEEN PHOTO FAIR Entering its second year, this KAZIMIR MALEVICH AND international photography THE RUSSIAN AVANT-GARDE fair focuses on works by under-recognised talents A major survey exhibition of and never-before-seen work by Russian artist Kazimir images captured by more Malevich, one of the founding established photographers. fathers of abstract art. Fifty international galleries Stedelijk Museum, are participating in this year’s 19 Oct-2 Feb edition and you can expect photos covering genres ranging from music and architecture PERMANENT to portraits and politics. See EXHIBITIONS page 10. ANNE FRANK HOUSE Westergasfabriek, www.unseenamsterdam.com. Prinsengracht 263 is where 26-29 Sep Anne Frank lived in hiding with her family for more than PARIS! PARIS! two years during World War II. Quirky exhibition devoted Now converted into a museum, to wonderfully-designed it contains a sobering exhibiadvertising fans from the City tion about the persecution of of Light. Created between 1900 the Jews and persecution in a and 1940, the fans were once wider context. used to promote Parisian cafes, EYE FILM MUSEUM casinos and an assortment of luxury brands. Cinematography museum Museum of Bags and Purses, home to an internationally 1 Oct-2 Mar renowned collection of films covering the whole history of SUSPENDED HISTORIES cinema, from the very first Modern art exhibition silent movies to the latest conexploring the relationship temporary digital productions. between the Dutch East India GEELVINCK HINLOPEN Company and the Van Loon HOUSE family across the 17th and 18th centuries. Featured artists all A decadent canal-side mansion hail from the exotic locales showcasing 17th-century the Netherlands traded with patrician wealth, located on the centuries ago. Each work shines Golden Bend of the grandest a light on the history of Dutch canal of all, the Herengracht. trading and the Van Loons’ Highlights include ornamental legacy while also reflecting gardens as well as sumptuous their creators’ backgrounds and themed salons. nations of origin. HET GRACHTENHUIS Museum Van Loon, (MUSEUM OF THE CANALS) 5 Oct-20 Jan A tribute to the Canal District, STILLS BY JOYCE ENNIK with multimedia exhibitions Running alongside a film proshowing how the engineering gramme featuring works from marvel was built on swampland the enormous Ennik family during the city’s 17th-century film collection, EYE presents expansion. eight large stills in the museum MUSEUM VAN LOON foyer. The daughter of the family, Joyce Ennik, created these The Van Loons belonged to images from her father’s film the city’s governing elite, and collection using a 19th-century were among the founders of photographic printing process the mighty Dutch East India called gum dichromate. Company back in 1602. With
Choice exhibits
NAVE, NAVE MOE, 1894. HERMITAGE ST PETERSBURG
ETERNAL EGYPT EXPERIENCE More than just an exhibition, this is a multimedia journey of discovery into the vast history of Ancient Egypt. At the heart is Culturama, an impressive multimedia show featuring nine one-metre-high screens offering a 180° panoramic view of proceedings. Major exhibits from the museum’s own Egyptian collection will be on display including a mummy, beautifully painted sarcophagi, reliefs and sophisticated bronzes. Allard Pierson Museum, until 5 Jan
much of its original interior intact, the museum collection comprises paintings, antique furnishings and objects d’art. ONS’ LIEVE HEER OP SOLDER (OUR LORD IN THE ATTIC) This clandestine church in a 17th-century canal house attic dates back to the Reformation, when Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith in public. REMBRANDTHUIS The house that Rembrandt called home for nearly 20 years boasts an impressive collection of drawings and paintings by the Old Master himself as well as by his contemporaries. The Rembrandthuis is also home to 290 of Rembrandt’s etchings – a near complete collection – and an alternating selection is on permanent display. RIJKSMUSEUM After a decade of unprecedented renovation, the Rijksmuseum finally showed off its new (and old) look in April 2013. Visit the state museum and embark on a journey through Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages and Renaissance right up until the 20th century. Not to be missed. HET SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM (NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM) The National Maritime Museum comprises a series of small exhibitions exploring various elements of maritime life through history. Moored outside is the Amsterdam, an exact replica of a famous Dutch
GAUGUIN, BONNARD, DENIS: A RUSSIAN TASTE FOR FRENCH ART Featuring three major late 19th- and early 20th-century artists. Following on from the impressionistic period, Gauguin, Bonnard and Denis each began exploring new artistic paths. This sweeping exhibition displays the work of the Nabis artists (named for the Hebrew word for ‘prophet’) alongside paintings and drawings by their predecessors, contemporaries and immediate successors. Hermitage Amsterdam, 4 Sep-28 Feb
East India Company ship. STEDELIJK MUSEUM The museum’s permanent collection is now on display in the beautifully restored historical building, with fixed spots for highlights such as ‘The Beanery’ by Edward Kienholz and works by Willem de Kooning and Andy Warhol. Half of the ground floor is reserved for the best pieces from the design collection. TROPENMUSEUM The ‘Museum of the Tropics’ has eight geographically themed permanent exhibitions and an ongoing series of temporary presentations, including both modern and traditional visual arts and photographic work. WILLET-HOLTHUYSEN MUSEUM The only completely period furnished canal-side house in Amsterdam open daily to the public, with a remarkable collection of Golden Age art and silverware. ADDRESSES Allard Pierson Museum Oude Turfmarkt 127 www.allardpiersonmuseum.nl Amsterdam City Archives Vijzelstraat 32 http://stadsarchief. amsterdam.nl Amsterdam Expo Gustav Mahlerlaan 24 www.amsterdamexpo.nl Amsterdam Museum Kalverstraat 92 http://amsterdammuseum.nl Anne Frank House Prinsengracht 263-267
www.annefrank.org De Appel Arts Centre Prins Hendrikkade 142 www.deappel.nl ARCAM Prins Hendrikkade 600 www.arcam.nl Museum of Bags & Purses Herengracht 573 www.tassenmuseum.nl Brakke Grond Nes 45 www.brakkegrond.nl Cobra Museum Sandbergplein 1 Amstelveen www.cobra-museum.nl EYE Film Institute IJpromenade 1 www.eyefilm.nl Foam Keizersgracht 609 http://foam.org &Foam Vijzelstraat 78 http://foam.org/andfoam Geelvinck Hinlopen House Keizersgracht 633 http://geelvinck.nl Het Grachtenhuis (Museum of the Canals) Herengracht 386 http://hetgrachtenhuis.nl Hermitage Amsterdam Amstel 51 www.hermitage.nl Hortus Botanicus Plantage Middenlaan 2a http://dehortus.nl Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401 www.huismarseille.nl Museum Jan van der Togt Dorpsstraat 50 Amstelveen www.jvdtogt.nl Jewish Historical Museum Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1 www.jhm.nl De Kromhouthal Gedempt Hamerkanaal 87 www.kromhouthal.com De Nieuwe Kerk Dam square www.nieuwekerk.nl Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40 www.opsolder.nl Rembrandthuis Jodenbreestraat 4 www.rembrandthuis.nl Rijks Museum Jan Luijkenstraat 1 www.rijksmuseum.nl Royal Palace Dam square www.paleisamsterdam.nl Het Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Musuem) Kattenburgerplein 1 www.hetscheepvaart museum.nl Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 http://stedelijk.nl Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2 www.tropenmuseum.nl UvA Special Collections Oude Turfmarkt 129 www.bijzonderecollecties. uva.nl Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7 www.vangoghmuseum.nl Museum Van Loon Keizersgracht 672 www.museumvanloon.nl Willet-Holthuysen Museum Herengracht 605 www.willetholthuysen.nl
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sep & oct 2013
STAGE THEATRE, DANCE & COMEDY COMEDY: BOOM CHICAGO Amsterdam’s long-established English-language chortle meisters present a packed daily programme – from improv-based shows including Baby I Like it Raw! and Shot of Improv to the sketch-based The Seven Deadly Dutch Sins. Whichever you opt for, you’re guaranteed a great night out. As they note: ‘We’ve been living and working here, observing, interpreting and gathering material for 20 years. Now we get into the national psyche and make fun of things you never noticed.’ Boom Chicago, various dates, times & prices
THEATRE: DUTCH THEATRE disoriented, dishevelled and... FESTIVAL 2013 with another woman? That's This annual celebration of Dutch the basic premise of this piece theatre presents the ten best by Via Berlin, the theatre performances of the 2012/’13 company of actress Dagmar season, selected by a jury of acSlagmolen and musician Rose claimed Dutch theatre experts. Arnold, presented by All performances are in Dutch ORKATER. but selected programmes have Compagnietheater, Mon 9 Sep, English surtitles. The festival 12.00, €15 also showcases several other DANCE: CORPS performances that were the public’s favourites plus a number of A classical ballet company canyouth theatre performances. not function without a corps de Various locations, www.tf.nl. ballet. No matter how impresThur 5-Sun 15 Sep, various sively the principals perform, if times & prices the dancers surrounding them
Highlight theatre
COMEDY: EASYLAUGHS The international comedy group performs a hilarious, hi-octane, completely improvised show at the recently renovated Crea Café every Friday night. There’s also an early-bird show, guest performers from around the world, various formats and open podiums. Crea Café, every Fri, 20.00, €5 & 21.00, €10 PERFORMANCE: CIRQUE STILETTO 2 Amsterdam’s own theatrical diva Ellen ten Damme revisits her Cirque Stiletto concept to present an exotic variety performance that recalls the originality and atmosphere of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. The seven deadly sins form the basis of the theme, with a multitude of performers driving the cabaret vibe. Most acts are ‘language no problem’. Royal Theatre Carré, Sun 1-Sun 29 Sep, various times & prices
HOUSE Acclaimed Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal (L-E-V) teams up with Gai Behar, an innovative underground art and electronic music producer. House is an intense, physical and sensual work for eight dancers in ‘naked’ bodysuits, bolstered by an eclectic soundtrack by live musicians and DJ Ori Lichtik. Stadsschouwburg, Mon 14 Oct, 20.00, €12.50-€27.50
MULTIDISCIPLINARY: are substandard, the magic is BER-AMS-BXL lost. Unsurprisingly, many choWhat makes an artistic city? reographers have been inspired During this three-day conferby such power of the group, ence and festival, an internasometimes even giving the OPERA: SIEGFRIED tional alliance of performance leading role to the corps de balWith 2013 marking the 200th venues, production houses and let. This programme showcases three impressive examples of anniversary of the birth of Wag- theatre schools will go in search ner, De Nederlandse Opera is of the preconditions for a flour- such works by Michel Fokine, Hans van Manen and Emio revisiting its legendary stagings ishing artistic scene. In particGreco & Pieter C Scholten. of The Ring of the Nibelung for ular, it examines why more and the last time – first individually more artists are swapping Am- Het Muziektheater, Wed 11, Sat sterdam for Berlin or Brussels. 14, Sun 15, Thur 19, Fri 20, Fri and then as the entire cycle. 27, Sat 28 & Sun 29 Sep, Siegfried is the third of the four, De Brakke Grond & Het Veem Theater, Thur 5-Sat 7 Sep, various times, €15-€48 with American tenor Stephen various times & prices Gould making his DNO debut PERFORMANCE: in one of the opera world’s most DANCE: GALA RADIO MODERN challenging title roles. Radio Modern presents swingHet Muziektheater, Wed 4, Sun In recent years the Dutch Naing retro parties with rocking 8, Thur 12, Tue 17 & Sat 21 Sep, tional Ballet has hosted some spectacular gala events – both live bands, swishing petticoats, various times, €15-€150 in celebration of its 50th annibeautifully dressed rockers MULTIDISCIPLINARY: versary and for the 80th birthand crammed dance floors. AMSTERDAM FRINGE day of choreographer Hans van In addition to the theatrical FESTIVAL Manen. These events proved so swing band, there will be dance popular the company has made lessons and retro-inspired DJs Staging a huge array of proa new tradition of it. The theme – so put on your best vintage ductions by cutting-edge this time around remains a outfit and polish your dancing home-grown and international shoes. producers and artists at over 25 surprise, but given that it comprises some of the best ballet De Brakke Grond, Sat 14 Sep, locations across the city, the Amdancers from home and abroad, 20.30, €16 sterdam Fringe Festival turns it should be spectacular. the entire city into a stage. From THEATRE: LONG DAY’S theatres to clubs, the streets and Het Muziektheater, Sat 7 Sep, JOURNEY INTO NIGHT 19.00, €49-€99 even living rooms, the eccenEugene O’Neill has been detricity that is the Fringe comes THEATRE: A MOUTH FULL scribed by acclaimed Dutch alive in bizarre, brooding and OF SAND director Ivo van Hove as brilliant productions including What if you were to come ‘America’s Shakespeare’, so as live art, theatre, musical theatre, across your husband – a war Toneelgroep Amsterdam turns comedy and dance. See page 24. correspondent who had disapits attention to O’Neill’s masVarious locations, www.am sterdamfringefestival.nl. Thur peared without a trace – in the terwork, audiences can rely on middle of a desert, emaciated, a top-notch interpretation. Per5-Sun 15 Sep
formances are in Dutch but on this date it will be performed with English surtitles. Stadsschouwburg, Thur 19 Sep & 17 Oct, 20.00, €10-€35.50 COMEDY: AMSTERDAM ENGLISH COMEDY NIGHTS This new monthly feature presented by the Boom Chicago crew brings the best international stand-up comics to the city. Each show will include four or five sets and be entirely in English. Boom Chicago, Fri 20 Sep & Thur 17 Oct, 21.45, €12/€15 DANCE: THIS IS CONCRETE Between dark shadows and dazzling dance beats, two men perform their intimate duet: slow, smooth, intense and out of focus. Performance by Jefta van Dinther and Thiago Granato. Frascati, Fri 20 Sep, 20.30, €15
dazzling and energetic dance performance expresses large and small wars that affect us all. Four Dutch and four Senegalese dancers with a hip hop background dance as if their lives depend on it, reflecting the painful but beautiful contrasts between life as a hip hop dancer in Amsterdam and Dakar. Stadsschouwburg, Mon 30 Sep, 20.30, €12.50-€30 COMEDY: DA BOUNCE COMEDY NIGHTS GALA The renowned Da Bounce Comedy Nights crew get their nice clothes out of the closet and set up for a night of comic razzamatazz in Carré to celebrate their 18th anniversary and kick off the new season. Four big-name American TV comics form the core of the programme, plus music, DJs and interludes from Da Bounce regulars. Royal Theater Carré, Sat 5 Oct, 20.00, €15-€35
BOOKS: AN EVENING WITH DONNA TARTT OPERA: ARMIDE There’s much anticipation for The Goldfinch, the newest offerDe Nederlandse Opera visits ing from bestselling American Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Arnovelist Donna Tartt – after mide, a work premiered in Paris all, more than ten years have in 1777 and which stood upon passed since she published The the shoulders of Jean-Baptiste Little Friend, and ten years Lully’s original version with libefore that for her debut, The bretto by Philippe Quinault. In Secret History. This book is reworking an already popular actually receiving its world pre‘classic’, Gluck challenged the miere in the Netherlands as the foundations of French opera. country and a painting by Carel Australian director Barrie Fabritius play a pivotal role. As Kosky, renowned for his poetic well as a reading, Tartt will be productions, is guesting with interviewed. DNO for the first time. Stadsschouwburg, Sun 22 Sep, Het Muziektheater, Sun 6, Tue 20.30, €TBC 8, Thur 10, Mon 14, Thur 17, Sun 20, Thur 24 & Sun 27 Oct, PERFORMANCE: FELIX various times, €15-€120 DENNIS DANCE: GHOST TRACK Felix Dennis has established himself as one of the most popIn this unique encounter beular and critically acclaimed tween European and Asian poets of recent times and his dance and music, musicians poetry tours have entertained and dancers from Indonesia thousands of poetry lovers on are brought together with both sides of the Atlantic. Totheir Western counterparts. night he brings his ‘Cut-Throat Sometimes their styles mesh; Tour’ to Amsterdam. sometimes they clash. The Comedy Theatre, Tue 24 Sep, dancers are accompanied by 20.00, €20 the Indonesian composer Iwan Gunawan and his gamelan enBOOKS: DAVID semble, blending the serene and SEDARIS hypnotic Indonesian music with Author David Sedaris is one of unconventional instruments, the United States’ most famous electronics and Western music humourists and his books have styles such as jazz sold millions of copies worldand ambient. wide. Perhaps best known for Stadsschouwburg, Tue 8 Oct, his 2000 collection of autobi20.00, €12.50-€27.50 ographical essays Me Talk PretCOMEDY: GREG SHAPIRO ty One Day, his live readings PRESENTS… draw large audiences wherever he travels. In Amsterdam he’ll Renowned ‘American read from his latest tome, Let’s Nederlander’ Greg Shapiro Explore Diabetes With Owls, is back on tour and this time and will also sign copies after around, he’s got comedic the show. See page 27. company from Brendon Burns, Royal Theater Carré, Mon 30 a boisterous (and occasionally Sep, 20.00, €17-€42 scandalous) Australian who’s served his comic time DANCE: WAR & PEACE: in the UK. FROM DAKAR TO Meervaart, Wed 9 Oct, 20.30, AMSTERDAM €11.50-€16.50 This coproduction between THEATRE: THE SEAGULL Dutch dance group Don’t Hit Mama and the Senegalese The Seagull is Chekhov’s most L’École des Sables of acclaimed well-known and best-loved play, choreographer Germaine with the work exhibiting all Acogny results in a vibrant of the qualities that helped to combination of hip hop and cement the Russian playwright African dance traditions. The in the hearts and minds of the-
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PART IV THE A-LIST
STAGE atre-goers around the world. This summer reprisal by the acclaimed Toneelgroep Amsterdam is performed in Dutch but with English surtitles during the named performance. Stadsschouwburg, Thur 10 Oct, 20.00, €20-€32.50 THEATRE: THE STONE BRIDAL BED With his masterpiece The Stone Bridal Bed (titled Het stenen bruidsbed in its original Dutch), author Harry Mulisch wrote a timeless novel about culprits and victims in wartime.
KIDS & FAMILY Nightmare on Rozengracht, a pop-up bar and a terrifying walk-through experience. Travel back to the glamorous 1930s and experience the secrets of the Asta Theater on the night of a terrible October tragedy. Boom Chicago, Thur Oct 17-Sat 2 Nov, €10-€23 MUSICAL THEATRE: I’M A SOUL MAN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BLUES BROTHERS Unsurprisingly, this is a blast through the pasts of Jake and Elwood Blues, the comic
Highlight comedy
JEFF DUNHAM He’s the third highest-paid comedian in the United States, his DVDs have sold millions of copies around the world and his clips have drawn half a billion views on YouTube. With the help of his entourage of wacky dummies, Dunham rose from showbiz obscurity to become the world’s most beloved ventriloquist in the early 2000s. Now he tours the globe with signature characters like Walter the cantankerous retiree, Peanut the wild fur ball and the bumbling Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Expect a full evening of politically incorrect hijinks and hilarity. Ziggo Dome, Wed 18 Sep, 20.00, €27-€45 In this classic tragedy, the US fighter pilot Norman Corinth, who took part in the bombing of Dresden, returns to the devastated city years later. Performances are in Dutch but on this date it will be performed with English surtitles. Stadsschouwburg, Fri 11 Oct, 20.30, €15-€35 DANCE: DON QUICHOT One of the Dutch National Ballet’s biggest recent successes is its vibrant interpretation of Don Quichotte, presented in 2010 by Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, the former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet. As with all of his productions, it shows great respect for tradition; however, he added his own elements and new choreography, and directed the whole piece with unbridled passion and precision. The performance returns this season by popular demand. Het Muziektheater, Sat 12-Tue 29 Oct, various dates & times, €15-€77 PERFORMANCE: NIGHTMARE ON THE ROZENGRACHT Boom Chicago restores the old Asta Cinema to create
DANCE: THE GREAT BEAN The Great Bean is the latest production from the fantastic Scapino Ballet, one of the Netherlands’ leading contemporary dance companies. It features a trio of choreographies with the theme ‘illusion’, taking inspiration from the magic of the circus podium, the escapology of Houdini and other renowned illusions. Stadsschouwburg, Tue 29 Oct & Wed 30 Oct, 20.30, €15-€35 PERFORMANCE: A THING OF BEAUTY Inspired by the story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, A Thing of Beauty by silent performer Øystein Johansen, unfolds as a production about obsession and loneliness and how these relate to one another. What happens when someone becomes so focused on certain details that these details become the whole world? De Brakke Grond, Tue 29 & Wed 30 Oct, 20.30, €12 DANCE: WHITE Diego Gil is an Argentinean choreographer based in Amsterdam. With White he is working with the magic ritual of ‘invocation’ as a technique to bring something into existence that is individually desired yet also relevant for the world we collectively live in. Het Veem Theater, Wed 30 & Thur 31 Oct, 20.30, €12
ADDRESSES Boom Chicago Rozentheater, Rozengracht 117 020 423 0101 www.boomchicago.nl Compagnietheater Kloveniersburgwal 50 020 520 5310 www.compagnietheater.nl De Brakke Grond duo played originally by John Nes 45, 020 622 9014 Belushi and Dan Akroyd. This www.brakkegrond.nl comedy show recreates the Comedy Theater in de Nes style of the cult films, blasting Nes 110, 020 422 2777, through all of the renowned www.comedytheater.nl soul and R&B numbers in Crea Café the process. Nieuwe Achtergracht 170 RAI Theater, Fri 18, 20.00; Sat 020 5251 400, www.crea.uva.nl 19, 15.00, 20.00; Sun 20 Oct, Frascati 19.00, €47.50-€59.50 Nes 63, 020 626 6866 www.theaterfrascati.nl OPERA: TOSCA Meervaart Puccini’s Tosca (premiered Meer en Vaart 300, 020 410 7777 Rome, 1900) remains an www.meervaart.nl international favourite and Het Muziektheater even newcomers to opera Amstel 3, 020 625 5455 will likely recognise many of www.het-muziektheater.nl its major arias thanks to the RAI Theater recordings of popular tenors Europaplein such as Pavarotti and Andrea 020 549 1212 Bocelli. This rendition is www.raitheater.nl performed by the State Opera Royal Theater Carré of Tatarstan. Amstel 115, 0900 2525 255 Meervaart, Sun 20 Oct, 14.30, www.carre.nl €34.50-€39.50 Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26 DANCE: TAM KAI 020 624 2311 Thai choreographer Pichet www.stadsschouwburg Klunchun and his Pichet amsterdam.nl Klunchun Dance Company Het Veem Theater present a work inspired by the Van Diemenstraat 410 traditional Eastern folk story: 020 626 01 Ramayana: Phra Lor. Here http://hetveemtheater.nl they blend classical Thai dance Ziggo Dome and music with modernity. De Passage 100 Stadsschouwburg, M 0900 235 3663 on 21 Oct, 20.30, www.ziggodome.nl €12.50-€32.50
ATTRACTIONS AMSTERDAM DUNGEON The Amsterdam Dungeon brings 500 years of dark history to life with 11 shows, seven actors and one terrifying experience. The tour takes 80 minutes. Rokin 78, www.the-dungeons. nl. Open daily 11.00-17.00; €21, ages 5-17 €12.50
KLANKSPEELTUIN (SOUND GARDEN) The Klankspeeltuin is unlike any other playground. Children between the ages of seven and 12 learn how to compose their very own music using all sorts of sound installations and computers during this interactive workshop. Parents/caretakers are not present during the workshop, but get to hear the compositions at the end. Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Piet Heinkade 1, www.muziek gebouw.nl. Wed & Sun, 15.00-16.30; €8.50
AMSTERDAMSE BOS (AMSTERDAM FOREST) Amsterdam’s largest park and recreational area is home to a goat farm (with a petting zoo), MADAME TUSSAUDS a Pancake House, a ‘Fun AMSTERDAM Forest’ climbing park, a vintage tram, a botanical garden Step into the amazing world and a rowing lake. Bicycle, of Madame Tussauds and rub canoe, kayak and pedal boat shoulders with the rich and rental are available. famous, as well as figures from www.amsterdamsebos.nl history. The collection of wax figures include the gorgeous ANNE FRANK HOUSE Brad Pitt, the outrageous This is the hiding place where Lady Gaga and the brilliant Anne Frank wrote her diary Einstein. Pose for photos with during World War II. Quothe likes of David Beckham, tations from the diary, phoJustin Bieber and Beyoncé, as tographs, films and original well as Dutch celebs. objects – including Anne’s diDam 20, www.madame ary – all serve to illustrate the tussauds.nl. Open daily events which occurred here. 10.00-18.30; €22, ages Suitable for children over ten. 5-15 €17 Prinsengracht 267, www.anne ONDEKHOEK frank.org. Open Mon-Fri, Sun (DISCOVERY CORNER) 09.00-19.00, Sat 09.00-21.00; €9, ages 10-17 €4.50 Capture the imagination at this truly unique science ARTIS ROYAL ZOO centre. Kids can choose from Artis celebrates its 175th more than 30 experiments inbirthday this year. Admire the cluding how to develop photos tropical fish in the Aquarium in a darkroom, make crisps and travel through time in from a potato, construct a the Planetarium. See giraffes sailing boat and make scented galloping amongst the zebras, soap. The entry fee covers the springboks, oryx and wildeentire day and you can take beests. Surround yourself home whatever you create. with hundreds of fluttering Suitable for children aged butterflies in the Butterfly four to 14 . Pavilion or stroll through the Burgemeester Röellstraat 145, historical park with its centuwww.ontdekhoek.nl. Tue & ries-old trees and a multitude Thur by appointment only; of plants. Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun 10.00Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 17.00; €8, children €10 www.artis.nl. Open daily PANCAKE BOAT 09.00-17.00; €18.95, ages 3-9 €15.50 A cosy boat, all-you-can-eat pancakes and a view of HORTUS BOTANICUS Amsterdam’s canals make the At 375, Hortus Botanicus is Pancake Boat a great activity one of the oldest botanical for all ages. Choose from a gardens in the world. This ref- number of cruises every week uge from the bustle of the city and, for a set price, everyone features a palm and a butterfly can eat as many pancakes as greenhouse, four bee hives, they like with a wide variety of temporary exhibitions and a tasty toppings. café. Ask about the children’s Ms van Riemsdijkweg t/o 38, programme which includes a www.pannenkoekenboot.nl. special biodiversity catalogue. Various times and prices Plantage Middenlaan 2a, SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM www.hortusbotanicus.nl. (NATIONAL MARITIME Open daily 10.00-19.00; MUSEUM) €8.50, ages 5-14 €4.50 Het Scheepvaartmuseum has KINDERKOOKKAFE a variety of maritime-themed (KIDS COOK CAFE) exhibitions just for kids. Sal The ‘Kids Cook Café’ is a & Lori and the Circus at Sea delightful and unique restau- is an underwater fairy tale for rant located near the Vondelthe youngest visitors, while park. Here children (ages five older children will enjoy The to 12) do absolutely everything Tale of the Whale or multito help run the restaurant, media adventure See You in including cooking, serving, the Golden Age. Moored just bar-tending, tidying up and outside, the Dutch East India running the cash register. Par- Company ship Amsterdam is ents can sit back and relax. a hit with visitors of all ages. Vondelpark 6b, www.kind It has been faithfully reconer kookkafe.nl. Open daily structed after the 18th10.00-17.00; various prices century original.
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Kattenburgerplein 1, www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl. Open daily 09.00-17.00; €15, ages 5-17 €7.5 SCIENCE CENTER NEMO A truly hands-on science museum, NEMO introduces young and old to the world of science and technology. Five floors are filled with exhibitions, theatre performances, films, workshops and demonstrations in Dutch and English, which kids can get involved with. Smell, hear, feel and see how the world works.
lines and jungle gyms for the older kids, and crafting and painting for the future Van Goghs. Mr Visserplein 7, www.tunfun. nl. Open daily 10.00-18.00; adults free, ages 1-12 €8.50
audience interaction and improvised silliness – but without any of the rude words. Boom Chicago, www.boom chicago.nl. Sun 8 & 13 Oct, 15.00, €15 (€10 for children; €25 for family ticket)
WOESTE WESTEN PLAYGROUND At the Woeste Westen playground, kids can dig, climb, play in the sand, wade through the streams and check out the frogs and bugs that call the park home. Most days a supervisor is present,
KERMIS (FAIRGROUND) Whether you’re one for being flung around high above the city, racing around in the dodgems, being spooked in the haunted house or simply sightseeing from the top of a Ferris wheel, the fairground is guaranteed good fun at any age. www.iamsterdam.com, Buiksloot Fri 13-Sun 22 Sep; Osdorp Sat 5-Sun 13 Oct; Dam square Wed 16- Sun 27 Oct; Meer en Vaart (Osdorp) Sat 19-Sun 27 Oct
Highlight kids
CINEKID The annual film and new media festival that has kids at its heart. From films for under-fives through to the teen market, each year Cinekid presents a fine selection of new movies and classic hits. Of course, the organisers understand that sitting down for too long doesn’t impress its core audience, so there’s also an enticing selection of interactive installations and workshops in the MediaLab. And the festival gets extra spooky in a brief reprise for its Halloween festivities. Westergasfabriek, www.cinekid.nl. Wed 16-Fri 25 Oct, plus Sat 26 Oct, various times & prices With everything interactive, NEMO really lives up to the tag line ‘Please DO touch.’ Oosterdok 2, www.e-nemo. nl. Open daily 10.00-17.00; €13.50
meaning kids can play freely while parents kick back on the terrace. The playground is always open, even when the supervisor is not there. Westerpark, playground supervisor is present Mon & Tue 12.00-18.00; Wed-Sun 11.00-18.00
CASTLE IN THE AIR This opéra-comique tells the story of Jeannot and Jeannette, two beautifully detailed marionettes on their way to Paris. They earn money through song and dance, until one day Jeannot buys a lottery ticket – and wins. Jacques Offenbach wrote Castle in the Air in 1856, yet the theme of money and how it can change people is just as relevant today. Amsterdam Marionette Theatre, www.marionetten theater.nl. Sat 14 & Sun 15 Sep, 13.00-16.30, free (Amsterdam Heritage Days); Opera Lunch, Sun 29 Sep €29.50, children €17.50; Sun 6, Sun 20 & Sun 27 Oct, 15.00, adults €15, under-14s €6 DISNEY LIVE! It’s Disney-meets-Holland’s Got Talent when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy hit the road in Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show. Hilarity ensues as Tigger bounces, Cinderella sings her high ‘C’ and the boys from Toy Story put on a Western-themed show. Dutch is spoken but, given the storyline, music and dancing, language is likely not all that relevant. Amsterdam RAI, www.rai.nl/ en. Fri 11 Oct 16.00; Sat 12 Oct 10.30, 13.30 & 16.30; Sun 13 Oct 10.30 & 13.30, €15-€37.50
TROPENMUSEUM JUNIOR Tropenmuseum Junior was created especially for children from ages six to 13 and is focused on non-Western culEVENTS tures. The interactive exhibits OPENING OF NOORDERPARK FESTIVAL introduce children to new VERZETSMUSEUM cultures in a playful way that This all-day park party in AmJUNIOR sparks their curiosity. In 2012, sterdam-Noord is renowned the Tropenmuseum Junior re- for its diverse entertainment The Dutch Resistance Muceived the Children’s Museum – and especially its family fun. seum, known to locals as the Award, recognising it as one Verzetsmuseum, details the This year it includes a vibrant of the best children’s museums history of the Dutch resistance circus programme, street in the world. It doesn’t take in World War II during the theatre, interactive games, long to realise why. country’s occupation by Gerlive music and children’s art Linnaeusstraat 2, www.tro many from May 1940 to May projects. penmuseum.nl. Open Tue-Sun 1945. Always popular with Noorderpark, www.noord. 10.00-17.00; various prices amsterdam.nl/vrije-tijd/noor- Dutch families and educational school trips, the museum derparkfestival. Sun 8 Sep, TUNFUN will open a new dedicated 11.00-23.00, free TunFun is an indoor paradise Junior building, showing SUNDAY MATINEE for children under 12. Under young visitors (ages nine-14) adult supervision, kids can how four peers lived during English-language comedy enjoy hours of active, creative wartime. troupe Boom Chicago is and adventurous fun in a huge reaching out to a new, younger Verzetsmuseum, www. 4000m2 indoor playground. verzetsmuseum.org. Open audience. With its monthly There’s something for every Mon, Sat & Sun 11.00-17.00; Sunday Matinee, the entire age and interest: from soft Tue-Fri 10.00-17.00. Adults family can head along to their slides and mini ball pools for €8, ages 7-15 €4.50, Rozentheater home to enjoy babies and infants, trampounder-sixs free a comedy show with blasts of
NATIONAAL ARCHIEF / SPAARNESTAD FOTO UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER
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4 11 18 25 rtis Royal Zoo is and has always been a huge favourite among children of all ages. With do 29 5 12 19 four popular children’s playgrounds, a26pancake house and a petting zoo plus pushcarts for vr 30 13 20 27 toddlers, Artis6 is one of the most child friendly places in the city. For adolescents, the Artis teachers ° za 31 21° department 28° and volunteers7° from the14educational organise lectures and guided tours. ° 1° 15° 22° boys and 29° Inzo this photo 8from the early 1950s, girls walk in lines past the main entrance of Artis under the close watch of their teacher. During *° the post-war restoration period there was a great thirst for knowledge, information and diversion. Artis became widely known on national TV in these years through an educational programme called Who Wants To See My Groundhog? For the children from Amsterdam, Artis was, and still is, their first acquaintance with real, living animals. wo
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elke eerste dinsdag van de maand is er een lezing in het Artis Planetarium elke zaterdag en zondag zijn er om 11.00 uur open rondleidingen
ANNIVERSARY EVENTS PARK IN BLOOM For the whole of the year, Artis will be ablaze with the most colourful and fragrant Dutch flowers, 176,875 of them in total, as well as 36,000 plants ANNIVERSARY TOUR Join the free tour and discover the history of the zoo. Every Saturday & Sunday, departs Monkey Island, 11.00
CUDDLING SMALL ANIMALS Get up close and personal with small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and stick insects. Every Sunday, Classroom The Kuil, 13.30-14.15 & 14.45-15.30
ZOOKEEPER EXPLAINS Every day from 11.00 onwards and at half-hour intervals, zookeepers talk about their favourite animals in their own quarters. Look for the daily programme in the park or at artis.nl Artis Royal Zoo, Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 www.artis.nl
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS DUTCH THEATRE FESTIVAL into the Valtifest spirit. See page 29. An annual celebration of the NDSM-werf, www.valtifest.nl. best theatre productions of BERLAGE DESIGN Sat 7 Sep, 12.00, €45 the season, this festival revisits MONTH those hailed as must-sees by NEW FOOD FAIR 2013 September is design month in critics and audiences alike. The this beautiful former commoThis foodie’s delight is an ten best productions (chosen diities exchange. Don’t miss absolute treat that closes the by a professional jury) return the special exhibition/shop bustling Haarlemmerstraat to stages across the city and space curated by Dutch design to ensure non-Dutch speakers and Haarlemmerstraat to Year or the exhibition from aren’t left in the dark, a selec- traffic, transforming them into Victor le Noble, Retro/Perspeca vibrant market and dining tion of performances feature tive 10 years Tuttobene. spot. Served by the local cafés, English surtitles. Beurs van Berlage, Beursplein restaurants and other guest Various locations, www.tf.nl. 1, www.beursvanberlage.nl. suppliers, there’s memorable Thur 5-Sun 15 Sep, various Until 30 Sep eats and drinks for all. In the times & prices
FESTIVALS
LOCKDOWN FESTIVAL At the tail end of the festival season, this outdoor bass music and sound-system cultural gathering dishes up a hearty helping of ‘low-end’ that will help drive those post-summer blues right out of your brain. NDSM-werf, www.lockdownfestival.nl. Sun 1 Sep, 13.00, €30 AMSTERDAM IN-WATER BOAT SHOW 2013 This off-shoot of the Amsterdam Boat Show returns for its second edition at the NDSMwerf, allowing seafaring folks and water-sports fans to get up close and personal with sailing ships, boats and lots of other nautical paraphernalia. There’s plenty of action on and around the water, plus lectures, presentations and workshops for and by boating enthusiasts. See page 23. NDSM-werf, www.hiswate water.nl. Tue 3-Sun 8 Sep, 11.00-19.00, €8-€18.50
Highlight festivals
WOONBEURS If your pad is something of a style wasteland, get all the inspiration you need for a classy facelift at this annual fair – literally, ‘furniture fair’. The ideal place to get up to date on the latest in home interiors, outdoor furnishings, art, concept design and lifestyle trends, come and be inspired by hundreds of interior design experts, all under one roof. Watch out for emerging design forces in the Via Milano exhibition. Amsterdam RAI, www. woonbeurs.nl. Tue 1-Sun 6 Oct, 10.00, €15
WEST BEACH FILM PIANO DUO FESTIVAL FESTIVAL The Nieuw-West District gets One of the most promising in on the outdoor cinema piano duos of their generation, action, screening a selection of Lestari Scholtes and Gwylim top films in the open air next Janssens celebrate ten years to the Sloterplasbad swimming in the business with their very pool – for free. Grab a drink own festival. and a snack and settle in for Bethaniënklooster, www.piano some movie magic, whether it duofestival.nl. Thur 5-Sun 8 be a silver-screen classic or a Sep, various times & prices blockbusting new release. Sloterplas, www.westbeachfilm START BUYING ART festival.nl. Fri 6-Sun 28 Sep New to the Amsterdam art (Fri, Sat & Sun only), 20.00, free scene, the inaugural edition of AMSTERDAM MAKER this exhibition/fair sees more FESTIVAL than 40 major galleries present work by 100 of today’s leading This new festival celebrates artists. Organisers We Like the ever-important role of Art are dedicated to bringing artisans and craftspeople in high-quality art to a wider modern life. With themes such audience and as such, all works as Technique, Food, Art and at this event are on sale for a Fashion, the festival promises maximum of €1,500. workshops, demonstrations Westergasfabriek (Machineand tastings alongside an gebouw), www.welikeart.nl. introduction to innovative Thur 5-Sun 8 Sep, 11.00, €5 installations and projects. De Overkant, www.amsterdam AMSTERDAM FRINGE makerfestival.wordpress.com. FESTIVAL Fri 6 & Sat 7 Sep, times & Running alongside the Dutch prices TBC Theatre Festival, the Fringe VALTIFEST ensures that avant-garde theatre isn’t left behind. Staging The wild child of Amsterdam’s a huge array of productions summer festival programme by cutting-edge home-grown returns with a heavyweight and international producers line-up of DJs playing a range and artists at over 25 locations of music as eclectic as the dress across Amsterdam, this festicode. The brainchild of selfval turns the entire city into a professed disco dinosaur Joost stage. See page 24. van Bellen, the festival changes Various locations, www.amster theme every year and this time damfringefestival.nl. Thur around, the it’s ‘Kak’ (literally: 5-Sun 15 Sep, various times poop). Don’t be shy, let your & prices imagination run riot and get
evening there’s even room enough for hundreds to enjoy a tasty street meal. Haarlemmerstraat/Haarlemmerdijk, www.caulils.com/ newfoodfair. Sat 7 Sep, 12.00, various prices for food & drink 24H WEST The fourth edition of this unique event stops off in the district of West, presenting all that the area has to offer in a blistering 24-hour period. Be you an old Amsterdammer, new to the city or a passing tourist, the area’s theatres, museums, clubs, shops and many other famous Amsterdam institutions will open their doors and organise a host of special surprises. See page 23. Various locations, www.iamsterdam.com/24h. Sat 7 & Sun 8 Sep, various times & prices JORDAAN FESTIVAL An honest celebration of the Amsterdam folk music tradition, the Jordaan Festival highlights the neighbourhood’s colourful history with openair performances by Dutch singers at the festival grounds by the bus station near the Elandsgracht. The programme is always lively, featuring drum bands, children’s games, opera, cabaret and mass singalongs. It’s all in Dutch, but the atmosphere is friendly inclusive. Elandsgracht/Marnixstraat, www.jordaanfestival.nl. Fri 13Sun 15 Sep, times & prices TBC
READ MY WORLD FESTIVAL This new international literature festival challenges Dutch and international authors to explore the boundaries between literature and journalism, focusing on a new region each year. Egypt and Palestine form the core of this edition, with special performances and presentations by authors, bloggers, poets, musicians and other global talents. See page 15. Tolhuistuin, www.readmy world.org. Fri 13-Sun 15 Sep, various times, €17-€29
adventures at Science Center NEMO and other venues across the city. Various locations, http:// worldsciencefestival.com/ about_wsfa. Fri 4-Sun 6 Oct, times & prices tbc CAMERA JAPAN The largest multidisciplinary Japanese cultural festival in the Benelux, Camera Japan offers a heady mix of film, art, music, dance, fashion and food. See page 31. Kriterion, www.camerajapan. nl. Fri 4-Sun 6 Oct, various times & prices
BUITENVERBLIJF SEVEN BRIDGES FESTIVAL The dance music events orThe second edition of this ganised by Het Dagverblijf festival brings four days of (‘The Daycare’) all take place romantic chamber music to during the afternoon and early the beautiful ‘Seven Bridges’ evening so partygoers can get neighbourhood of Amsterto bed at a reasonable hour dam’s world-famous Canal and wake up well-rested the District. The name of the following morning. Dok 2013, www.hetdagverblijf. festival is derived from the remarkable view of seven bridges nl. Sat 14 Sep, 14.00, €20 that can be seen along the AMSTERDAM Reguliersgracht. Festival perHERITAGE DAYS formances will be held at four historic locations: Museum Based on the national theme Geelvinck-Hinlopen House, of ‘Power and Glory’, this event Museum Van Loon, the City celebrates Amsterdam’s rich Archives and the Amstelkerk. history by sharing the secrets Various locations, of Amsterdam’s changing www.zevenbruggenfestival. architecture and lifestyles. nl. Tue 10-Fri 13 Oct, various During this special weekend, times & prices more than 50 important buildings, monuments and private AMSTERDAM homes will cast open their DANCE EVENT doors to the public, all free of The definitive gateway to the charge. See page 23. international electronic music Various locations, www.open scene and a true dance lovers’ monumentendag.nl. Sat 14 & Mecca, ADE is the world’s Sun 15 Sep, 10.00, free biggest club festival and EuDISCOVERY FESTIVAL rope’s leading electronic music conference. The festival never An annual fixture in Amsterfails to bring in the crowds dam, Eindhoven and Rotterwith world-famous established dam, this festival is a party with an interactive, scientific names on the line-up alongside an enormous list of rising stars twist where it’s all about the kick of discovering new things. spinning tunes from a suitably diverse range of genres. See See page 25. page 28. Trouw/De Verdieping, Various locations, www.discoveryfestival.nl. Fri www.amsterdam-dance-event. 27 Sep, 21.00, €17 nl. Wed 16-Sun 20 Oct, various ELLE INSIDE DESIGN times & prices Tastemaker ELLE Decoration PINT BOKBIER hosts this tenth annual festival FESTIVAL of interior design, spread over The largest of its kind in the 98 hotspots all across the city. Netherlands, this beer festival See page 25. descends on the city centre for ELLE Decoration Studio (Frederiksplein), www.elle.nl/ three full days of beery delight every year. With over 50 types insidedesign. Fri 27-Sun 29 of glorious ‘bok’ beer on tap, it’s Sep, 10.00, €15 a haven for connoisseurs and NUIT BLANCHE enthusiasts alike. Be warned: you get a glass upon entry and Get some extra hours of sleep in while you can because this this is yours for the entire visit, so take good care of it! nocturnal cultural festival will Beurs van Berlage, demand your full attention www.pint.nl. Fri 25-Sun 27 from 19.00 in the evening Oct, various times, €10 until 07.00 the next morning. Expect obscure art, creative ex24H NOORD periments and plenty of weird The fifth and final edition of and wonderful fun at surpris24H Amsterdam will showing locations throughout the case all the pearls north of the city. See page 26. River IJ, from hotspots like the Various locations, www.nuit blancheamsterdam.nl. Sat 28 NDSM-werf and the EYE Film Museum through to indepenSep, 19.00, €16 (early bird) dent galleries and shops. Hop WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL on the ferry and explore all the AMSTERDAM city has to offer. See page 23. Amsterdam-Noord, Ahead of the main event in www.iamsterdam.com/24h. 2014, this special preview edition features a packed weekend Sat 26 & Sun 27 Oct, various times & prices of educational, interactive
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PART IV THE A-LIST
GAY & LESBIAN GAY & LESBIAN TUESDAY BLUESDAY Club night with a special focus on blues and soul music. Same Place, every Tue, 21.00 NAKED SWIMMING The Marnixbad pools contain much less chlorine than most – which is good news since you’ll be exposing your sensitive bits. Marnixbad, every Tue, 21.00, various prices
SPORTS
MSMA MONTHLY MEET-UP That’s Motor Sport Club Amsterdam, one of the oldest fetish and motorcycle clubs in Europe. De Schreierstoren, Sun 1 Sep; & 6 Oct, 22.00
erbears, the slightly less stocky bear men (according to their website). The Queen’s Head, www.neth erbears.nl. Sun 22 Sep; & 27 Oct, 19.00
GAY MOVIE NIGHT Enjoy a screening of the gems of gay cinema. Pathé de Munt, Wed 4 Sep; & 2 Oct, 21.00, €10
BEAR NECESSITY – RUGBY EDITION Popular party for bears, hairy hunks, beefy boys, cubs, otters and their lovers known for its relaxed atmosphere. Odeon, Sat 5 Oct, 23.00, €15
VALTIFEST The wild child of Amsterdam’s DANSERETTE AT ODEON summer festival programme is DRINK & COCKTAIL Popular and happy gay party super gay-friendly. It returns EVENING with classic hits and tunes with a heavyweight line-up of (think Donna Summer and Get a taste of Sugi’s Mojito, DJs playing a range of music Lady Gaga). Old and new disco May’s Mango or Electra’s Sunas eclectic as the dress code. rise at drag bar Lellebel… And The brainchild of self-professed hits, danceable kitsch and pop. yes, those are cocktails. disco dinosaur Joost van Bellen, Dance, sparkle, shine and flirt as never before. Lellebel, every Thur, 20.00 the festival changes theme every Odeon, www.danserette.nl. Sat year and this time around, it’s BLUE 12 Oct, 20.00, €12.50 ‘Kak’ (literally: poop). Don’t be Kooky clubbing with Amstershy, let your imagination run GET RUFF! LEATHER PRIDE dam’s drag supremo Jennifer riot and get into the Valtifest WEEKEND AT AMSTERDAM Hopelezz. Drinks are just €2.50. spirit. See page 29. LEATHER PRIDE Church, every Thur, 22.00, €5 NDSM-werf, www.valtifest.nl. Leather and fetish men from Sat 7 Sep, 12.00, €45 THE PONY CLUB all over Europe will take to the ATLANTIS SAILORS’ city for this annual fetish event. Quit horsing around and get PARTY With special fetish parties at the serious about starting the weekend on Thursday. Three floors Rapido Events & Atlantis pres- leather bars, in club Church and of DJs spin an energetic mix of ent a hot summer sailor party. the main party Ruff Mega Party. Get out your chaps and polish pop, disco, house and electro. No word if Master Bates, SeaClub NYX, every Thur, 23.00, man Stains and Roger the cabin your Pleather: it's going to be a bumpy ride. €5, free before midnight boy will be there. Chortle. Various locations, Hotel Arena, Sat 7 Sep, ZONDERBROEK http://get-ruff.com. Fri 25-Sun 22.00, €15 27 Oct, various times & prices Drop your trousers and lose GAY PUB CRAWL your pretences at this underADDRESSES wear party. The dress code is Does exactly what it says in the Amstel Fifty Four strictly enforced: briefs and tin, taking in ‘Gay Street’s finest Amstel 54 jocks are welcome; board drinking establishments. www.amstelfiftyfour.nl shorts, and ‘street wear’ Departs Taboo, Sat 14 Sep, Church prohibited. 20.00 Kerkstraat 52 Church, every Fri & every Sun + OIL PARTY www.clubchurch.nl Sat 7 Sep; & Sat 5 Oct, various Club Fuxxx times, €10 Hundred of guys, a pool filled Warmoesstraat 96 with warm oil and a naked IT’S SHOWTIME FOLKS www.clubfuxxx.com dress code. Men only. Hotel Arena It’s show time almost every Church, Sat 14, 22.00, €17.50 'S-Gravesandestraat 51 night at Lellebel, the most outF*NG POP QUEERS www.hotelarena.nl rageous drag show bar in town, Jimmy Woo but Saturdays are especially fab- The tag line – ‘It’s Fun! It’s Pop! Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18 ulous, with the bar’s most glam- And it’s sooo Gay!’ – says it all. www.jimmywoo.com orous stars coming together for Jimmy Woo, Sat 14 Sep; & 12 Lellebel a supernova of cabaret fun. Oct, 23.00, free Utrechtsestraat 4 Lellebel, every Sat, 20.00 HORSEMEN & KNIGHTS www.lellebel.nl DOUBLE HAPPY HOUR Marnixbad Big willy gay sex party. Dress Marnixplein1 Because why wouldn’t you want code: naked or underwear. www.hetmarnix.nl to start the working week with Drop ’em and if you measure Club NYX a hang-over? Taboo doesn’t up, entrance is free. Reguliersdwarsstraat 42 serve boring old beer or wimpy The Warehouse, Sun 15 Sep: ^ http://clubnyx.nl wines, either, so line up for bar20 Oct, 15.00, €8 Odeon gain-priced cocktails and shots. FURBALL MEETS Singel 460 Taboo, every Sun, 18.00 BEARSERK www.odeonamsterdam.nl LADY GALORE’S Panama Furball Amsterdam invites CoDRAG NIGHT Oostelijke Handelskade 4 penhagen's Bearserk. Last year www.panama.nl Come and join Lady Galore and they came, saw and conquered Pathé de Munt her wonderful assistant Annie with resident DJ John Eltong. Vijzelstraat 15 Alcohol along with some guest And this year they plan to do it www.pathe.nl performers and surprises. all over again. The Queen’s Head Amstel Fifty Four, Sat 1, 20.00 Church, Sat 21 Sep, 22.00, €10 Zeedijk 20, SUNDAY CAROUSEL FLIRTATION www.queenshead.nl Same Place Be transported to exotic climes Flirtation is a trendy womNassaukade 120 with Arabian and Turkish music en-only party. More than 1,250 www.sameplace.nl courtesy of old and new divas. open-minded women from De Schreierstoren Lellebel, every Sun, 22.00 different cultures, a beautiful Prins Hendrikkade 94/95 club, female top DJs and the FIGHT CLUB www.schreierstoren.nl best entertainment make this a Taboo For guys into wrestling, (kick) unique girls’ night out. Reguliersdwarsstraat 45 boxing, fighting, trampling Panama, www.flirtation.nl. Sat www.taboobar.nl & other contact sports. Dress 21 Sep, 23.00, €17.50 The Warehouse code: wrestling or boxing gear, NETHERBEARS AT THE Warmoesstraat 96 sportswear, jocks, underwear or QUEEN’S HEAD www.warehousenaked. Men only. amsterdam.com Church, Sun 1, 16.00, €10 Bi-weekly get-together by Neth-
EVENTS FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE Get in line for the weekly Friday Night Skate, an Amsterdam institution. And look out for the Fright Night Skate on 25 October (20.15) – a Halloween costumed version of the event with spooky tunes playing while you skate. Vondelpark Pavilion, www.fridaynightskate.com. Every Fri, 20.30, free AMSTERDAM CITY SWIM The canal cruise boats and pedaloes make way for more than 1,600 brave swimmers covering the 2,013-metre course to raise money for charity. City centre waterways, www. amsterdamcityswim.nl. Sun 8 Sep, 12.30, free for spectators
AMSTERDAM V GO AHEAD EAGLES Returning to the Eredivisie this season after 17 years, the Go Ahead Eagles from Deventer will be looking to prove that they can handle the pace. Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam Boulevard, www.amsterdam arena.nl. Sat 28 Sep, 20.45, various prices STREET STYLE DANCE FESTIVAL This annual event is packed with battles, masterclasses and showcases for a day of urban dance. De Meervaart, www.studiowest. nl. Sun 6 Oct, 11.00, €10 SLOTERPLASLOOP Part of the ‘Rondje Mokum’ series of running events, this 10km race is centred on the Sloterplas in the Nieuw-West district of the city. The action moves to the east of Amsterdam on 27 October. AAC, Willinklaan 7, www. sloterplasloop.nl. Sun 6 Oct, 11.00, various prices
FRIDAY NIGHT RUN Every second Friday of the month this free group running event is open to both recreational and more serious sportsters. NETHERLANDS V HUNGARY Olympic Stadium, www.phanos.org. Fri 13 Sep & The Dutch national football team 11 Oct, 19.30, free will be looking to hold on to their unbeaten record in the World AJAX V PEC ZWOLLE Cup 2014 qualifiers. Amsterdam’s footballing heroes Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam take on PEC Zwolle in their third Boulevard, www.amsterdam home match of the season. After arena.nl. Fri 11 Oct, 20.30, being promoted to the top flight various prices last season, Zwolle put in a solid MEN’S HEALTH performance and even managed URBANATHLON wins against PSV and Feyenoord. Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam Set in and around the AmsterBoulevard, www.amsterdam dam ArenA, the Urbanathlon inarena.nl. Sat 14 Sep, 18.45, volves a gruelling obstacle course various prices covering between 10 and 12kms. Amsterdam Zuidoost, www. CANOEING & DRAGON urbanathlon.nl. Sun 13 Oct, BOAT RACING time TBC, €50 A trio of national championships BEN BRIL MEMORIAL with competitors battling it out BOXING GALA in the disciplines of Flatwater Canoeing, Dragon Boat and SUP The old tradition of a boxing gala (stand-up paddling). in a former circus ring is reinstatBosbaan, Amstelveen, www. ed at this event, named after one watersportverbond.nl. Sat 21 & of the Netherlands’ most famous Sun 22 Sep, various times, free pre-WWII boxers. Royal Theatre Carré, DAM TOT DAMLOOP www.carre.nl. Mon 14 Oct, The Dam tot Dam weekend 19.30, €25-€75 sprints into town, bringing with TCS AMSTERDAM it not only thousands of sporting MARATHON enthusiasts but also numerous live performances to urge on the Drawing elite runners and amparticipants and keep the crowds ateurs from around the world, entertained. in 2013, the International AssoStarts from Prins Hendrikkade, ciation of Athletics Federations www.damloop.nl. Sun 22 Sep, (IAAF) recognised awarded th from 11.00, free for spectators Amsterdam marathon the Gold Label for Road Races. KNVB CUP: AMSTERDAM Olympic Stadium, www.tcsam V FC VOLENDAM sterdammarathon.nl. Sun 20 Jupiler League club FC VolenOct, from 09.30, various prices, dam take on Ajax in the second free for spectators round of the Dutch League ZESDAAGSE VAN (KNVB) Cup. AMSTERDAM Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam Boulevard, www.amsterdamAmsterdam’s premier track cyarena.nl. Wed 25 Sep, 20.45, cling event returns to town. various prices Velodrome Amsterdam, www. zesdaagseamsterdam.nl. Mon 21SOCIAL SQUASH NITE Sat 26 Oct, times & prices TBC Every last Friday of the month, an evening of squash and social- RUN2DAY HALLOWEEN RUN ising open to all. Meet new faces, Part of the Amsterdam Halwork up a sweat on the court and loween Festival, this ghoulishly cool down with a drink in the bar good event invites runners to get after the action. fancy dressed for the occasion. Squash City, Ketelmakerstraat Run2Day Overtoom, www.face 6, www.squashcity.com. Fri 27 book.com/run2daynederland, Sep & 25 Oct, 18.00, €12.50 Thu 31 Oct, 22.00, free
in September & October
Film Fashion Fabulous Battleship Potemkin Live music Machinefabriek Jane Campion in EYE A Story of Children and Film Dutch Movies English Subtitles
EYE_AD_AMAG_15-08-2013_DEF.indd 1
20-08-13 16:55
Van Gogh 01.05.2013_12.01.2014 at work www.vangoghmuseum.com/vangoghatwork
Vincent van Gogh, Zelfportret als schilder / Self-portrait as a painter, 1887,Parijs / Paris, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, (Vincent van Gogh Stichting / Foundation)
Info & tickets: www.eyeďŹ lm.nl
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beyond amsterdam
THE A-LIST
BEYOND
A’DAM
‘THE PROCESS OF PUTTING HAARLEM BEHIND HIM RESEMBLED THE CHANGES A MAN GOES THROUGH WHEN HE DIVORCES.’
Get out of town for these don’t-miss attractions beyond the city limits.
JEROEN VAN DER WIELEN
LIVING STATUES FESTIVAL You’ve probably walked past them a hundred times – and probably done a double-take once or twice: living statues, those performance artists who turn standing still for hours on end into an art form. Each year, some 150 living statues gather in Arnhem and compete for the title of world’s best. It’s all good fun, surprisingly cultured and – equally important – free. 28 & 29 September, Arnhem www.worldstatues.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to Arnhem take around 1hr.
AUTHOR HARRY MULISCH TALKS UP HAARLEM’S CHARMS. DISCOVER THEM FOR YOURSELF AT STAD ALS PODIUM.
DUTCH DESIGN WEEK
STAD ALS PODIUM This petite festival in justdown-the-road historic Haarlem offers a nice opportunity to see the city’s cultural institutions in a different light. Diverse musical acts are staged in unconventional locations, turning the city into a stage. There’s also events for kids, a silent disco and plenty more. 14 &15 September various locations in Haarlem http://023uur.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to Haarlem take around 15min.
While most countries host a design week to showcase home-grown talent, the Dutch version is one of the few that can boast a widely identifiable and unifying aesthetic that goes beyond mere geography. Fans of Dutch design in all its minimalist, experimental, innovative and quirky glory will find much to love at this, the 12th edition of the annual non-commercial fair, held in Eindhoven. Catch the latest trends and insights into the future from both established and up-andcoming designers, who display their wares at some 80 locations across town. Graduation shows, product presentations and demonstrations, lectures and workshops round things out. 19-27 October, around Eindhoven www.dutchdesignweek.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to Eindhoven take around 80min.
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‘FOR ME, IT’S ABOUT QUALITY AND CREATING A LOOK THAT IS TIMELESS RATHER THAN A DESIGN THAT IS FASHIONABLE.’
‘BEWARE LEST A STATUE SLAY YOU.’ A WARNING FROM GERMAN PHILOSOPHER FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE TO THOSE ATTENDING THE LIVING STATUES FESTIVAL, PERHAPS…
SEE IF THE NEW BATCH OF DUTCH DESIGNERS LIVE UP TO THE HIGH STANDARDS OF DUTCH DESIGN WEEK AMBASSADOR, PIET HEIN EEK.
THE HAGUE SCULPTURE
DE KEUZE FESTIVAL During the 13th edition of ‘The Choice’ theatre festival, catch (inter)national performances. Don’t miss Toshiki Okada’s Ground and Floor, which utilises his characteristic blend of stylised movement and repetition to create a kind of contemporary Noh theatre, and to tackle his country’s social malaise. De Keuze will also host the world premiere of visual artist Alexandre Singh’s new Greek tragedy-inspired work, Humans. Set before the creation of Earth, it weaves fact and fiction, mythologies and flights of fancy. 19-23 September Rotterdamse Schouwburg Schouwburgplein 25 www.dekeuze.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to Rotterdam take around 35min.
Presenting contemporary Russian sculpture in the open-air and at the Museum Beelden aan Zee, for its third edition The Hague Sculpture consists of some 100 works by 37 established and up-and-coming artists – including collective AES+F, whose works are displayed in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow; world-renowned architect Alexander Brodsky; and leading Moscow Conceptualist Vadim Zakharov. Part of the Netherlands-Russia celebration year, which reinforces the rich bilateral relationship between the two countries, The Hague Sculpture also explores the place of sculpture in contemporary Russia, where its ideological and social aspects are under renewed scrutiny. Until 27 October around The Hague www.denhaagsculptuur.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to The Hague take around 50min.
HERRE VERMEER
AES + F, ENGELEN EN DEMONEN. PHOTO: PIET GISPEN
GAUDEAMUS MUSIC WEEK An annual celebration of new music and young composers, Gaudeamus Music Week presents the latest developments in the global contemporary music scene and features new, exclusive music by young composers (all under-30) competing for the prestigious Gaudeamus Prize. With 30 concerts, ten workshops and seminars and various sound installations, Gaudeamus highlights the diversity of the next generation of composers, both local and international. Oh – and past winners include Michel van der Aa, so expect the calibre to be high. 1-8 September, Utrecht http://muziekweek.nl GETTING THERE: From Central Station, trains to Utrecht take around 30min.
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need to know
CLOSING
NEED TO
KNOW
Transport to tipping, your ABC of navigating Amsterdam.
illustration Qamar van Leeuwen
THE AMSTERDAM & REGION DAY TICKET This ticket entitles you to unlimited travel in Amsterdam and the surrounding region – day and night – on bus, tram and metro for 24 hours. Included within the region are great tourist attractions including historic Haarlem, industrial heritage highlight Zaanse Schans, North Sea beaches and the bulb region around Flora Holland auction centre – and of course, your journey to and from Schiphol Airport. A ticket costs just €13.50 and can be purchased from Visitor Information Centres, GVB, EBS and Conexxion ticket points.
TAXIS To keep traffic flowing at peak efficiency, there are REGULATED TAXI RANKS across the city – including outside Central Station and on Leidseplein. REGULATED FARES have also been introduced. These are listed below for a regular, fourpassenger taxi.
USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS In an emergency (police, ambulance, fire) CALL 112 To report theft or other petty crimes, CALL 0900 8844 For non-urgent medical advice CALL 020 427 5011
CANAL CRUISES There’s nothing like seeing Amsterdam from the water, and canal cruises are among the city’s most popular attractions. There are a host of companies with departure points across town and commentary in a multitude of languages, providing everything from hop-on, hop-off services mooring at all the key attractions to romantic dinner and evening cruises. www.iamsterdam.com
Maximum start price: €2.83 Maximum price per kilometre: €2.08 Maximum price per minute: €0.34 For more information, see www.taxi.amsterdam.nl
TIPPING Service is always included in your bill (de rekening). It is, however, customary to tip between 5 AND 10 PER CENT in restaurants, bars and taxis.
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT An extensive network of trams, trains, metro and boats connects Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods. Disposable OV-CHIPKAARTEN, which have an inbuilt chip, can be used on all forms of transport and may be purchased or topped up with credit at locations across the city – just don’t forget to check in and check out or your card may be invalidated. TRAMS and BUSES are the most common form of public transport within the centre, while TRAINS and the METRO are efficient for travelling longer distances. Behind Central Station, FERRIES transport passengers across the River IJ to the north of Amsterdam – completely free of charge.
VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES For information and to book excursions, visit one of the Visitor Information Centres in Amsterdam:
Tel: +31 (0)20 702 6000 Open Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00 info@iamsterdam.com www.iamsterdam.com http://twitter.com/Iamsterdam VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE CENTRAL STATION* Stationsplein 10 (across from Central Station) Open Mon-Wed, Sun 09.00-17.00; Thur-Sat 09.00-18.00. VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE SCHIPHOL AIRPORT Schiphol Airport, Arrivals 2 at Schiphol Plaza Open daily 07.00-22.00 VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE LEIDSEPLEIN* Leidseplein 26 Open daily 10.00-17.00 *Last Minute Ticket Shop
COFFEESHOPS Coffeeshops are permitted to sell UP TO FIVE GRAMS OF CANNABIS TO ANY PATRON OVER THE AGE OF 18. All hard drugs and the sale/purchase of soft drugs on the street are strictly illegal and punishable by law. Note that smoking regular tobacco in a coffeeshop is illegal.
BIKES Most locals swear by their bikes as the best – and often their only – means of transport. With 400 kilometres of dedicated bicycle paths, it’s not hard to see why. Bike rental companies are located across the city. Just follow these simple rules to remain safe: STAY IN LANE: use the right-hand bicycle lane FOLLOW THE RULES: adhere to all traffic signs and lights INDICATE: always signal before turning LIGHT AT NIGHT: it is illegal to cycle without lights in the dark WATCH OUT FOR TRAM TRACKS: cross them at a sharp angle LOCK UP: bike theft is prevalent; always chain up to a bike stand DON’T IMITATE THE DUTCH: Amsterdammers are notorious for breaking the rules. Don’t follow their example!
TAX-FREE SHOPPING Non-EU residents are eligible for Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds on purchases made within the European Union. In the Netherlands, VAT is 21% and the minimum spend is €50. There are three ways to reclaim your VAT: • Shop only at retailers affiliated with Global Blue, ask for a tax-free cheque and then reclaim the VAT at their desk at Schiphol Airport: WWW. GLOBAL-BLUE.COM • Shop wherever you like, save your receipt and reclaim the VAT online or at the VAT Free service desk at Schiphol Airport: WWW.VATFREE.COM • Visit Customs before leaving the EU to get your receipts stamped, then send them back to the shop for a full VAT refund
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CLOSING THE SUMMER OF LOVE
THEN AND NOW
then & now
SUMMER OF LOVE, 1967 Dutch photography’s ‘enfant terrible’ Ed van der Elsken captured the spirit of the Summer of Love in the south of the city.
NEXT ISSUE
NOV & DEC 2013
In the midst of the Summer of Love of 1967, ‘enfant terrible’ Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) captured the zeitgeist of the moment in his hometown with his now-iconic photo, ‘Beethovenstraat, Amsterdam 1967’. On a sunny day, Van der Elsken saw three young women crossing Beethovenstraat and took the picture that for many has become the image of Amsterdam in the Sixties – both literally and figuratively. Today, see Van der Elsken’s work in the Stedelijk Museum permanent collection – including images of the young Cobra artists and the series that made his name, A Love Story in Saint Germain des Prés. www.edvanderelsken.nl
MUSEUMNACHT 2012
17 November: find out who’s been naughty or nice: Sinterklaas arrives! 20 November-1 December: the world’s biggest documentary film festival, IDFA, comes to town 24-28 November: the controversial Cannabis Cup enters its 26th hazy edition 6 December-19 January: Amsterdam Light Festival puts the city in the spotlight
JANET ECHELMAN
BEETHOVENSTRAAT, AMSTERDAM (1967) © ED VAN DER ELSKEN / NEDERLANDS FOTOMUSEUM, COURTESY ANNET GELINK GALLERY
2 November: stay up late when nightlife meets culture, at Museum Night
68
CLOSING
ON THE WAY
OUT
We asked people leaving Schiphol Airport for their Amsterdam advice.
on the way out
TATIANA SHEVERDA, 35, FASHION DESIGNER, FROM SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA ‘Every time we visit, we go to the Pancake Corner near Leidseplein to feast on their delicious, € 9.99 all-you-can-eat BBQ ribs.’
text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé
SJAAK VROOMAN, 45, WORKS IN IT, GOING TO MANCHESTER ‘To me, no visit to Amsterdam is complete without a day at the Rijksmuseum. It is the temple to Dutch Culture.’
MARIA HENRIQUES, BENEDITA CARVALHO & MARIA NORTON – ALL 19, ALL STUDENTS, FROM LISBON, PORTUGAL ‘The best thing to do in Amsterdam is rent a bike and ride around the city – so much movement, so many colours. It’s really vibrant.’
SERGEJ EIDEL, 26, JUST GRADUATED, & NICOLE KUMAR, 23, WORKS IN HR, FROM BREMEN, GERMANY ‘It’s fun to go to Madame Tussauds. The wax figures are very realistic so it feels like you’re meeting all these celebrities.’
editor-in-chief Bart van Oosterhout art director & basic design Loes Koomen designer Zlatka Siljdedic cover illustration Owen Gately copy editor Megan Roberts contributors Lauren Comiteau, Karin Engelbrecht, Martijn van de Griendt, Qamar van Leeuwen, Toby Main, Kim van der Meulen, Marie-Charlotte Pezé, Bregtje Schudel, Mark Smith, Christiaan de Wit, Zin (Famke & Floor van Praag) listings Tamar Bosschaart, Eden Frost, Steven McCarron, Dave Nice sales 020 702 6100 / sales@iamsterdam.com
EVANS NGONGO, 42, COMPUTER TECHNICIAN, & DAUGHTER STARA, 9, FROM VICTORIA, CANADA ‘CitizenM is not what you expect from a hotel: it’s very unique and we loved the way it was designed.’
VAN GOGH MUSEUM 40 YEARS: ANNIVERSARY PACKAGE
33% DISCOUNT ON DIAMOND MUSEUM AMSTERDAM
30% DISCOUNT ON COSTER WATCHES
HET SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM 20% DISCOUNT
UNSEEN PHOTO FAIR & FESTIVAL 25% DISCOUNT
Van Gogh Museum, 40 years: anniversary package
For the full programme of Amsterdam 2013 check www.iamsterdam.com/2013
Terms and conditions: • valid from September 1 through October 31, 2013 • a maximum of 2 people per voucher • not valid in combination with other promotions • only valid on presentation of this voucher at the ticket counter of Het Scheepvaartmuseum • Amsterdam Marketing and Het Scheepvaartmuseum cannot be held accountable for printing or handling errors
2013 marks 150 years since slavery was abolished in the Dutch colonies. With the exhibition The Dark Chapter, the National Maritime Museum focuses her attention on the slave trade, a dark chapter in maritime history. The exhibit introduces you to various people on board the ship – including the captain of the ship, but also a prisoner taken as a slave. Their stories will become apparent as they are shared with you. Come and discover 500 years of maritime history and visit our new exhibit with a 20% discount.
20% discount on admission to Het Scheepvaartmuseum
33% discount on Diamond Museum Amsterdam & 30% discount on Coster Diamonds watches
For the full programme of Amsterdam 2013 check www.iamsterdam.com/2013
Terms of this promotion: • valid until the 29th of September • online only • one voucher per person • not valid in combination with other promotions • Amsterdam Marketing and Unseen cannot be held accountable for printing mistakes or handling errors
Valid until the 29th of September and applies to a total of 5,000 tickets. Purchase your ticket online: unseenamsterdam.com. Discount code: AMAG2013
25% discount for a day ticket or passe partout to Unseen
Terms of this promotion: • valid from September 1 through October 31, 2013 • not valid in combination with other discounts • offer only valid on presentation of this voucher at the cash register of Coster Diamonds • Amsterdam Marketing and Coster Diamonds cannot be held accountable for printing or handling errors
At the box office you pay on presentation of this voucher, only €20 (instead of €25) per person, for entrance plus the publication Van Gogh at Work - Highlights. The anniversary exhibition shows how Vincent evolved into a unique artist with an impressive portfolio. After your visit to the collection you can exchange the voucher in the Museum Shop for the book.
Terms of this promotion: • valid till December 31, 2013 • valid for up to two people • not valid in combination with other discounts • only valid on presentation of this voucher at the cash register of the Van Gogh Museum • promotion is subject to availability • Amsterdam Marketing and the Van Gogh Museum cannot be held accountable for printing or handling errors
For the full programme of Amsterdam 2013 check www.iamsterdam.com/2013
The Diamond Museum Amsterdam takes you on a journey that began 3 billion years ago, 200 kilometres under the surface of the earth, and which ends in the ring on your finger or in the pendant around your neck. Normal entry fee €7.50, now only €5. In addition Coster Diamonds offers 30% discount on Coster watches. Purchase over €500 and you will get a Coster watch of your choice for free!
For the full programme of Amsterdam 2013 check www.iamsterdam.com/2013
D I A M O N D S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; J E W E L L E R Y â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WATC H E S Coster Diamonds Paulus Potterstraat 2-6 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel. +31 20 305 55 55 costerdiamonds.com Opening hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm daily, including weekends
Craftsmanship for over 60 years Gassan Diamonds Nwe. Uilenburgerstraat 173 - 175 1011 LN Amsterdam T: +31 (0)20 622 5333
Gassan Dam Square Rokin 1-5 (Dam) 1012 KK Amsterdam T: +31 (0)20 624 5787
www.gassan.com
Gassan Schiphol Dep. Lounges 1,2,3,4 & Arrivalhall 3 1118 AV Schiphol The Netherlands T: +31 (0)20 4059920