A-mag - Amsterdam Magazine - Vol. 5, No. 1 - Jan/Feb 2017 by amsterdam&partners

AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE

SIGHTS & SOUNDS COMPLETE LISTINGS DANCING & DINING ART & FASHION JAN & FEB 2017

THE FASHION ISSUE AMSTERDAM’S HOT COUTURE

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AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE

VOL 5 N0 1 JAN & FEB 2017

FASHION

CONTENTS P.06 WHAT’S NEW? City confidential: exciting new Amsterdam initiatives, events and venues – including your Top 5 must-do things this issue.

P.10 UP CLOSE The Amsterdam Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week shows off the avant-guarde talents of a new crop of Dutch designers, giving Paris and Milan a run(way) for their money.

P.19 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Right in time for Valentine’s, our guide to dating Amsterdam-style; plus Ed Van der Elksen’s arresting street photography and IMPRO Amsterdam – and much, much more.

For years after the Second World War, from 1947 to the beginning of the 1960’s, Amsterdam held a Fashion Week each November and May. But as Dutch wages rose steadily, fashion production slowly moved away to lower-income countries and the industry collapsed. Since 2004 Fashion Week is back in full swing, now the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam, both in January and June. The illustration on our cover – by Leendert Masselink – is a modern take on this striking classic poster by Reyn Dirksen of the 1950 edition: The differences between the 50’s and now are huge. Back then designers’ names did not matter a great deal: they mainly reproduced Paris fashion and added a Dutch twist. Today it’s the other way around. Designers and their designs are central to Fashion Week. The event is all about talent and innovation. With a giant U-turn spanning 70 years, the fashion industry has returned to Amsterdam. No longer focused on copying and producing, it is now all about experimenting and innovation. As citizens of the world’s reputedly most liberal city, Amsterdammers cannot care less about decorum and consequently dress really informal. As Jason ‘the Jeanmaker’ Denham says: ‘The Dutch wear jeans all day everyday, they eat jeans for breakfast, lunch and dinner.’ That, or they dress outrageously, such as ‘fashion philosopher’ Aynouk Tan (see page 12) or designer Bas Kosters, famous for his penisprint leggings. As a testing ground for your most risqué outfit, do as the fashion designers do, and try Amsterdam first. Bart van Oosterhout editor-in-chief, A-mag a-mag@iamsterdam.com

P.33 EAT, DRINK & CHIC

P.62 CLOSING Get out of town with our excursion tips; Then & Now in Amsterdam; top tips from visitors on the way out.

P.49 THE A-LIST Agendas at the ready: from clubbing to gallery hopping, The A-List is your one-stop, at-a-glance guide to the city’s very best music, theatre (language no problem!), sporting, family and gay & lesbian events and venues.

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

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

Neighbourhood Watch checks in with Zuidas’ exciting future developments, plus the hottest new shops & food trends and our selection of the best restaurants and cafés.

jan & feb 2017

OPENING

What’s new? (in town)

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

‘AMSTERDAM IS LIKE THE RINGS OF A TREE: IT GETS OLDER AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE CENTRE’. THERE’S NO FAULT IN AUTHOR JOHN GREEN’S ASSERTION.

text Mark Smith

EXIT CLAWS

BALANCING ACT Robert Ripley was a famous humanist and explorer who travelled around the globe in search of fascinating curiosities. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Amsterdam displays an unbelievable collection of bizarre items from ancient cultures, from real Amazonian shrunken heads to a sevenmetre-tall megarobot made of car parts. When visiting this great collection of oddities from around the world, visitors are now taken for a spin in the second floor’s Space Tunnel, a dark, psychedelic vortex that simulates the illusion of rotating in a black hole. A churning challenge for the senses, this balance-defying ride is one of the highlights of the attraction. Dam 21 www.ripleys.com/amsterdam

We are sorry to report that Amsterdam’s most notorious feline outlaw is no more. At the end of November, newspapers across The Netherlands were united in reporting the demise of Hannes, a black-and-white cat who became famous because of his owners’ refusal to remove him from their renowned delicatessen. Johannes prowled the floors of De Pasteibakkereij in Amsterdam-Zuid before repeated visits from the food and drug administration demanded his removal. Owners Diny Schouten and Floris Brester fought back, claiming the moggy’s presence was necessary in order to keep their charcuterie shop free from rodents, and there was even a documentary film about the standoff. The cat was hit by a car after retiring to Groningen. www.pasteibakkerij.tumblr.com

PINK PENSIONERS Now Amsterdam’s LGBT elders can choose to live out their autumn years in a specialist nursing home in the city’s leafy Weesperbuurt. According to a report in Het Parool newspaper, the elderly care organisation Amsta has opened the eight-bedroom facility – Rose Island – so that residents do not have to feel the pressure to justify their way of life to less-than-understanding neighbours or carers.

IMMERSIVE FICTION Good news if you’re looking for an Amsterdam-based page-turner to kick off the literary year. The Harbour Master is a darkly atmospheric thriller by Englishman Daniel Pembrey that follows the consequences for a near-retirement policeman when he spots a body floating in the city’s harbour. The Sunday Times has called it ‘a splendid debut’ and its sequel – Night Market – hits e-readers in late January. www.danielpembrey.co.uk

AMSTERDAM POLICE AFTER THEY STOP HIM FOR RIDING A DIRT BIKE WITHOUT LICENCE PLATES.

THE LATE TERRY PRATCHETT FANTASISES ABOUT WREAKING REVENGE ON THE CITY’S CYCLISTS.

ROOM SERVICE

LAP OF LUXURY A municipal swimming pool in Amsterdam Noord has won a Miss World-style contest for beautiful bodies of water. At the recent Piscine Global Europe event in Lyon, France, the Noorderparkbad was voted the most attractive public pool. Comments in the jury’s report read as follows: ‘Thanks to its bright, airy architecture, Noorderpark municipal swimming pool fits in perfectly with its surroundings. The wooden structure eases the transition between outside and inside, inviting visitors to enter this softly curved pavilion nesting at the heart of a park.’ The pool, which opened in 2015, was designed by Amsterdam-based firm De Architekten Cie and has already made a big splash at home, winning both the jury and public prizes at the annual Amsterdam Architecture awards. www.noorderparkbad.nl

The festival that’s hell-bent on persuading Amsterdammers to be tourists in their own city is back for a fifth indulgent edition. The brainchild of Vincent van Dijk – a PR man and blogger who’s so hotel-obsessed he once spent every night of the year in a different Amsterdam hostelry – Amsterdam Hotel Night offers low rates in more than 30 participating venues around the city, but ticket-holders are welcome at an array of festivities to boot. Events at previous editions have included a roller-skate party at the hipand-healthy Conscious Hotel Vondelpark, a silent disco at the chic Canal House and Alice in Wonderland-themed shenanigans at the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht. That ‘Do not disturb’ sign won’t be a-swinging for too long, then. 14 & 15 January Various locations www.hotelnacht.nl

‘I ACTUALLY LIKE THE POLICE OUT HERE. THEY’RE COOL AS SHIT. FOR REAL.’ CHRIS BROWN RATES THE

‘MY DREAM HOLIDAY WOULD BE A) A TICKET TO AMSTERDAM, B) IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION, C) A BASEBALL BAT.’

CLUB SANDWICH Dance music authority MixMag has credited a trio of Amsterdam club openings with a renaissance in the city’s nightlife. According to an article entitled ‘Amsterdam 2.0: Europe’s New Club Capital’, the arrival of De School, Claire and Shelter means ‘one of the world’s party hotspots has just got even better’. The magazine also praises Night Mayor Mirik Milan for championing a new 24-hour license for venues.

ALL-SEEING EYE New technology being trialled in Departure Hall 3 of Schiphol Airport could spell the end of restrictive rules regarding the contents of hand luggage – specifically the need to remove laptops and liquids. The software in the new scanning devices makes it possible for security staff to view the contents of hand baggage from all angles and inspect it up close for prohibited items. www.schiphol.nl

jan & feb 2017

OPENING WHAT’S NEW?

‘FEELING COMMITTED, AFTER A WEEK IN AMSTERDAM, TO FIGHTING FOR THOSE MOST DISENFRANCHISED OVER NEXT FOUR YEARS AND TO MOBILIZING OTHERS IN EFFORT.’

‘I FOUND SMALL CAFÉS WHOSE DUTCH OWNERS HAD WRITTEN ON THEIR FRONT DOORS THE WORDS: “REFUGEES WELCOME”.’

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MULTI-AWARD WINNING MIDDLE-EAST CORRESPONDENT ROBERT FISK REPORTS FROM AMSTERDAM.

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DONALD TRUMP’S FORMER GHOSTWRITER HAS AN AMSTERDAM AWAKENING.

TOP 5 to do

Visitors to Amsterdam queuing to have their photograph taken with the wax model of hot-tempered Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber at Madame Tussauds on Dam Square could well get a glimpse of the real thing this year. Rumour has it that the Biebs has splashed out on a fabulously well-appointed apartment just across the street. Valued at a cool €24.5m, the three-storey Dam Square penthouse boasts four bathrooms and as many bedrooms – so there’d be ample room to accommodate home-grown DJ Martin Garrix, with whom Justin has been conducting a fine bromance of late. Justin has a speckled history with this city. It’s nearly four years since he speculated in the vistors’ book of the Anne Frank House as to whether Anne would have been a Belieber.

JUSTIN TIME

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

From 4 February Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 www.stedelijk.nl

Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 www.stedelijk.nl

3 IMPRO AMSTERDAM

1 FASHION WEEK

A chance to discover incredible acting talents – and take chances on your own acting chops.

5 AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL

Established and upcoming Dutch couture talents strut their stuff.

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26-29 January Various locations www.fashionweek.nl

21-28 January Compagnietheatre, Kloveniersburgwal 50 www.impro-amsterdam.nl

2 ED VAN DER ELSKEN

4 JORDAN WOLFSON

The Stedeljik Museum honours Ed van der Elsken, the Dutch icon of street photography, with a major retrospective on his photo and film work.

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The second chapter in the exhibition of this contemporary intallation artist who plays with animatronics and the digital world. Until 23 April

Catch the last few weeks of this year’s enchanting festival, which puts the beautiful city centre and its canals in the limelight with dozens of illuminated artworks and light installations – to admire on foot or with special tour boats. Until 22 January Various locations www.amsterdamlightfestival.nl

‘THERE ARE SPEED BUMPS EVERYWHERE. BUT IT IS MOSTLY ABOUT MAKING THE DECISION THAT CARS DO NOT BELONG.’

CYCLING EXPERT RUTH OLDENZIEL DESCRIBES THE AMSTERDAM APPROACH TO TRANSIT IN HER NEW BOOK, CYCLING CITIES.

FAT CHANCE

DIFFERENT STROKES Ever wondered where those Museumplein replicas of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers come from? A fascinating new documentary, China’s Van Goghs, traces these oil paintings back to the village of Dafen in rural China, where hundreds of peasants-turned-oil painters have learned to mimic Vincent’s brushwork in order to satisfy demand from tourist stalls in Amsterdam. Directors Haibo and Kiki Tianqi Yu follow one of the painters, Xiaoyong Zhao, who feels a deep affinity with Van Gogh and decided to travel to Amsterdam to see the original works at the Van Gogh Museum. He also comes face to face with one of his best clients. This debut film is a fascinating, but by no means picturesque, insight into the different ways in which artists pursue their dreams, but also have them shattered. www.cinemadelicatessen.nl

BARGING IN If the floating hotel that’s just opened for business in London’s Royal Victoria Dock looks familiar, that’s because it started life in the waters of the IJ as The Good Hotel Amsterdam. During the vessel’s virgin year in our waterways, it successfully trained and reintegrated 70 long-term unemployed locals back into the workplace. Now it aims to continue its altruistic work in the UK.

A plan to put an enormous ball of fat into the waters of Amsterdam’s harbour has run aground because it failed to reach its €25,000 target on Kickstarter. Designer Mike Thompson and artist Arne Hendriks worked for two years on their plan to build a giant floating fatberg at NDSM from which they planned to investigate the potential fat’s possible applications in the fields of ecology and energy generation. www.fatberg.nl

www.goodhotellondon.com

SMART MOVE Any host who’s been annoyed by the wandering eyes of a smartphone-toting dinner guest can take heart from an Amsterdam invention that seeks to prioritise sociability above social media. The reinforced digital box, which fits up to four phones at a time, is locked using a code and will only open once the allotted time has expired. You might strike up a conversation…or finally write that novel. www.kickstarter.com

PART I UP CLOSE

hot couture

FABRIC OF SOCIETY

As Amsterdam Fashion Week swaggers into view, discover why the city is a high-concept hotbed of technical expertise, cheery subversion and really, really nice jeans. TECH SAVVY Iris Van Herpen trained under Alexander McQueen, and the influence is immediately obvious. Her designs are futuristic, intricate, sculptural and exciting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; disregarding the deeply entrenched Dutch pragmatism for an unconventional aesthetic that has captivated imaginations around the world. From a small atelier in Amsterdam, Van Herpen conjures up the most exquisite visions, which range from glass-like transparent lace to tiny feathers of organza resembling moss on a tree. No matter how unusual the materials and techniques, her designs have an inherent elegance. The silhouettes flatter the female form and designs always hinge on the whimsical side of eccentric. The couture collections are heavy on origami folds, laser-cut filigrees, 3D printing and molecular structure. Van Herpen thrives on unexpected materials, textures and making fabrics do things they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally do. www.irisvanherpen.com

In recent years, Amsterdam’s crop of young, unique, innovative designers have proven that they don’t need to ride on Paris or Milan’s coattails to charm the pants off the most discerning fashionistas. text Mark Smith

HOT COUTURE

hances are, if you can name one fashion designer from the Netherlands, you can name two. The Dutch duo Viktor&Rolf are so widely admired, they’re currently the subject of a 23-year retrospective on the other side of the planet from their European base. Tickets to Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists, which runs until late February at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, are selling like hot cakes, if that’s not too gluttonous an analogy to use in conjunction with the rarefied world of haute couture. As the title of their show implies, it would be underselling Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren to refer to them merely as fashion designers. Their imaginative, theatrical creations are not – let’s be clear – what you’d call ‘wearable’. A collection from spring-summer 2015 entitled ’Van Gogh Girls’ consisted of voluminous A-line dresses in intense, painterly hues, accessorised with hats made from bales of straw that were as wide as the models were tall. Not ideal elevator-wear. Although they continue to make money from their popular fragrance line, the duo ceased production of their ready-towear output back in 2015, telling Wom-

enswear Daily, ‘By letting go of it, we gain more time and freedom.’ Indeed, the restrictive – arguably exploitative – nature of the fashion industry is a recurring theme throughout the pair’s work. One exhibit in Melbourne consists of a giant cuckoo clock, out of which pops a mechanised doll that struts in time to the music. ‘It’s like the fashion system,’ Horsting has said of the piece. ‘When the clock strikes, she has to perform.’ ‘Along with the Belgian and Japanese designers, the Dutch are the philosophers of fashion,’ says Aynouk Tan, style journalist and one of Amsterdam’s most distinctive dressers (she used to don a different, typically quite bonkers, outfit for her column in the newspaper NRC). ‘Viktor&Rolf are quintessentially Dutch,’ she says, ‘in that they’re good at asking the fundamental questions about our relationship with clothing and what it means in a broader sense.’ Tan thinks that Dutch designers will increasingly come to the fore as anxieties about the industry’s take on concepts such as gender, race, technology and its environmental impact intensify. But where will they be coming from, exactly? The Netherlands has no shortage of renowned fashion schools providing a

hot couture

PART I UP CLOSE

AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK Strutting into town twice a year, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam has fashionistas on the edge of their seats at the characterful Westergasfabriek for a sneak peek of the trends we’ll all be wearing in the future...possibly. Back in its 25th edition in January, Amsterdam’s fashion week will feature couture from the subtle to the bizarre, the sublime to the, frankly, ridiculous. The collections presented include veterans such as Spijkers & Spijkers and Said Marouf, but also many fresh talents such as Alexandra Frida and her signature feather prints, Max Max-wardrobe-worthy Hardeman’s de-structured denim creations and Ala Blanka’s flowing, soft-coloured pants. 26-29 JANUARY Various locations

Aynouk Tan

HEMA Fabulous arm candy is the stock in trade of the HEMA, a department store of sorts, which sells only own-brand products and is ubiquitous on the Dutch high street – but that doesn’t mean it’s pedestrian in any way. The clothing and cosmetics in particular offer remarkable quality and a distinctive simple, fresh and modern design. In true Amsterdam style, the brand’s overriding ethos is inclusive and progressive. Back in 2011, HEMA used transgender model Andreja Pejic to model its push-up bras. Certain stores also stock hijabs in cheerful colours. It’s not hard to see why the chain has a special place in most Amsterdammers’ hearts – and their wardrobes. Various locations including Jodenbreestraat 11 www.hema.nl

13 technical rigour that’s second to none, but – in the absence of a large domestic market for high-end fashion – graduates are often lured abroad by luxury conglomerates. The departed include Lucas Ossendrijver, who was recruited to head up Lanvin’s menswear division in 2005 and hasn’t looked back. Granted, there are plenty of other important Dutch designers – among them Alexander van Slobbe with his pared-down Orson & Bodil, trippy neon hippy Bas Kosters and Queen Maxima’s favourite dressmaker Jan Taminiau – but none have the kind of international profile that Viktor&Rolf have achieved. BURSTING AT THE SEAMS AIris Ruisch, the former fashion recruiter who became creative director of Amsterdam Fashion Week in 2015, wants to change this. In striving to create the household names of tomorrow, she says she first had to be honest about the challenges facing young Dutch designers today. The first is that they’re poor, of course. Whereas it used to be the unwritten rule of Amsterdam Fashion Week that anyone with enough cash could cough up for a slot on the show schedule (resulting, Ruisch says tactfully, ‘in inconsistency of focus’), these days the selection is made purely on the grounds of a designer’s potential. ‘We ask applicants

EYES PEELED Inspired by the silk road and born on the cosmopolitan streets of Amsterdam, BANANATIME is the fruit of a shared labour of love. ‘Sometimes you have to create something because it doesn’t exist,’ says Naoyo Kawaguchi of the unisex label she co-founded in 2014 with best friend Julia Mah. Seasoned globetrotters and vintage obsessives with decades of fashion and textile expertise between them, Naoyo and Julia are united in a mission to supply garments durable enough for the demands of everyday life but stylish enough to turn heads when night falls. For these style magpies, travel-readiness must come as standard. Comprising a refined seasonal edit of comfortable silk separates in vibrant, vintage-inspired prints, BANANATIME has fast become the brand for in-the-know men and women who believe that life is too short – and too spontaneous – for luxury to be limited by occasion. Or gender. Easy, elegant separates such as the Grandad Shirt have become the staples of BANANATIME collections. Available from stores including De Bijenkorf, garments are cut from hardwearing silk that’s entirely machine washable, thanks to the easy-care mesh bag supplied with each and every piece. www.bananatime.com

to commit to presentations in three consecutive editions of Amsterdam Fashion Week,’ says Ruisch. The fee for the first showing is waived entirely, the second is discounted and the third is ‘full price’ (though still cheaper than showing in, say, Milan by a factor of ten). The idea is that, by their third edition, the designers will have grown in confidence, experience and renown. Whereas Fashion Week’s website used to acquire tumbleweed between editions, at Ruisch’s behest the site is becoming what she calls ‘a Wikipedia of Dutch and Belgian fashion talent’. Every designer who’s ever shown at Amsterdam Fashion Week will be on there, from Moroccan-born Rietveld graduate Karim Adduchi to Tess van Zalinge, whose lingerie designs bridge the space between under and outerwear. A glance at the show schedule for January’s edition demonstrates that fashion’s budding philosophers are out in force. Opening night puts the spotlight on the ‘Future Generation’ with a stunning main show, ‘The Painting’, introducing nine of the year’s most promising fashion prodigies, preceded by the launch of new Dutch label MARTAN and a presentation by Das Leben am Haverkamp. This collective of four young designers unites in their conviction that ‘fashion is a paradox: it suggests a forward-thinking ap-

PART I UP CLOSE

hot couture

IN THE JEANS Fact: the average Amsterdammer owns six pairs of jeans and wears them four to five times a week. The city’s active lifestyle plays no small part in this scenario. With more bikes than people and weather that is temperamental at best, it makes sense that Amsterdam has embraced that indigo-coloured cotton with such devotion. Amsterdam locals have ‘smart casual’ down to an art form, and you will be instantly impressed by the ease of their outfits; sneakers go with everything and makeup is a simple sweep of a brow pencil. It could also be attributed to Amsterdam’s density of creative industries where corporate dress codes are more relaxed, if in place at all. Interestingly, the world’s highest concentration of denim brands exist in this small city, and many of the biggest global labels have chosen to base their headquarters here. Tommy Hilfiger, a brand founded on its Americanness, has just moved to the harbour area, and jeans inventor Levi Strauss & Co has also been relocated to the heart of the city. The denim capital of the world doesn’t only attract jean designers but breeds them too. G-Star RAW, the specialist in raw denim with flagship stores in more than a dozen countries (and, fun fact, now co-owned by Pharrel Williams) was actually founded in Amsterdam in 1989; and if British designer Jason Denham originally reluctantly followed his former employer Pepe to our side of the sea, he stuck around when he created his own, now world-renowned brand Denham the Jeanmaker. In addition to these giants of the blue industry, Amsterdam is also home to enough smaller brands to fill up a walk-in closet, many with their unique signature, style or message – such as Kuyichi, who puts a big emphasis on designing its fabulous pairs with rigorous sustainable practices. www.tommy.com www.levi.com www.g-star.com www.denhamthejeanmaker.com www.kuyichi.com

THE X-FACTOR Claiming to be the ‘epicentre of Dutch design’ with ‘the most comprehensive collection of Dutch fashion, art, and design in the world’, the 700m2 concept store at the W Amsterdam hotel certainly houses an impressive line-up of 180 local labels: from upcoming artists to premium fashion brands and influential furniture designers. Think Roderick Vos homeware, Lola & Lou lingerie, Ink Inklusive denim and Daphny Raes leather. There’s also a gallery with art exhibitions and workshops. Spuistraat 172 www.xbank.amsterdam

FASHIONABLY LATE It’s certainly a far cry from the old days. Before the 1960s, a Dutch fashion designer’s lot was simply to adapt the fashions coming out of Paris to suit the climate (actual and psychological) of the Netherlands.

Plunging necklines, flimsy fabrics and frivolity were always out. Clean lines, hard-wearing cloths and a modest aesthetic were perpetually in. In her essay ’Don’t Dress to Impress: The Dutch Fashion Mentality’, fashion theorist Maaike Feitsma notes that Dutch fashion magazines from the first half of the 20th century, in describing these alterations, frequently use the words ‘sober’, ‘functional’ and ‘rational’. According to Aynouk Tan, the result of this historical aversion to embellishment for embellishment’s sake has left contemporary designers holding something of a clean slate – something that should hold them in good stead in an industry that’s constantly rewriting its rulebook. ‘Unlike the Parisians and the Italians, whose Catholic tradition creates a very stubborn aesthetic fuelled by glamour and decoration, Dutch designers have relatively few hang-ups,’ says Aynouk Tan. Let’s see where it takes them.

proach. But by constantly trying to predict the future, as it were, in no time that future is already history.’ The hand-plucked feathers that Alexandra Frida uses in her collections are apparently emblematic of female empowerment. There is much talk, across the board, of shaking up the fashion system and subverting traditional hierarchies. Kelly Sue’s label SUE makes stylish clothes for wheelchair users, who have particular needs in terms of cut. Interdisciplinary is a watchword, too, with several designers – including Sophie Hardeman, the rising star of conceptual, unisex denim – presenting collections via the medium of film, which tends to travel farther than conventional show footage.

BORROWED TIME Choose it, wear it, return it. The revolutionary concept of Lena Fashion Library is so simple and effective, it’s amazing no-one thought of it sooner. Just like your typical library, you can pick out pieces that strike your fancy, wear them and bring them back before you’re bored with them. Monthly subscriptions begin at €40, so you can enjoy the thrill of the new all year around. Borrowing clothes comes with the added benefit of freeing ourselves from the questions we routinely agonise over: how often you will you wear it? How quickly will it date? Is it truly ‘me’? With Lena Fashion Library, it’s grab that gold lamé jumpsuit first, ask questions later. Westerstraat 174H www.lena-library.com

MODEL BEHAVIOUR Psst. If you happen to be taking a stroll down the Kalverstraat, the arterial shopping street of central Amsterdam, you might want to dial your strut up a notch or two – the street is a prime hunting ground for the city’s legion of model bookers. Romee Strijd, who recently became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and has walked for the likes of Louis Vuitton in Paris and Marc Jacobs in New York, was spotted here at the tender age of 13. Strijd rejected the idea out of hand. ‘I had no idea about fashion and I didn’t think it was for me,’ she recalls. So the scout’s business card languished in a drawer for a year or so, until a TV show about modelling piqued Strijd’s interest and a career was born. Thanks, Tyra!

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hot couture

RAYNSIE Let’s face facts: if any city was going to gift the world the waterproof onesie, it was bound to be Amsterdam. The brainchild of one of the city’s most successful international advertising agencies, 72 and Sunny, Raynsie is a spanking new range of technical, bike-friendly rainwear inspired by the everpresent threat of a Dutch downpour. Several soggy years of development have given birth to a chic, lightweight garment whose light-reflective design references the iconic hagelslag breakfast (think chocolate sprinkles on toast) without the E-number-fuelled consequences. The Raynsie onesie is woven from breathable nylon and its integrated hood can be adjusted to accommodate a helmet. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, the whole shebang can be zipped into a matching bag. Après moi, le déluge? Too right! www.raynsie.com

FILLING PIECES Practical enough for the demands of biking yet stylish enough to impress, the Amsterdam-based footwear label Filling Pieces was established in 2009 by designer Guillaume Philibert. While studying architecture, Philibert was frustrated by the scarcity of premium-quality sneakers at a reasonable price. Recognising both a challenge and an opportunity, he started to design, following his vision of creating a unique shoe that would bridge the gap between streetwear and high-end fashion. Manufactured in Portugal, the brand’s high-tops are popular with the editors of Dutch Vogue, no less. Available at F-O-U-R PC Hooftstraat 127 www.f-o-u-r.com

'Unlike the Parisians and the Italians, Dutch designers have relatively few hang-ups.' SCHOOLS FOR COOL Lots of shops claim to be ‘concept stores’ but By AMFI really goes the extra mile, with entire fashion dreamscapes designed and installed by an interdisciplinary team of second-year students from the renowned Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Literally AMFI’s shop window in the heart of the city, the space offers a pristine platform in which to showcase the extraordinary work made by students, teachers and alumni including the up-and-coming Alexandra Frida. If denim’s more your thing, check out the gorgeous space in De Hallen's covered market that claims to be the world’s first ever jeans school. The academy exclusively for denimheads teaches the entire process, from design to pattern-making through to sampling, production and sales. BY AMFI Spui 23 www.amfi.nl/byamfi HOUSE OF DENIM & DENIM CITY Hannie Dankbaarpassage 47 www.jeanschool.com

RVDK Like Iris van Herpen, Amsterdam-based designer Ronald van der Kemp refers to himself as a demi-couturier. Back in town after a storeyed career designing for the likes of Céline in Paris, Van der Kemp has cultivated a local supply network of pattern cutters, leather workers and tailors in order to keep up with the demand for his punkishly elegant creations. Celebrities from Kendall Jenner to Mary J. Blige have worn his RVDK label, which is stocked at De Bijenkorf, and Amsterdam homeowner Justin Bieber was seen wearing a pair of Van der Kemp’s bespoke denim-and-khaki combat trousers on a recent trip to Albert Heijn. Fancy! www.ronaldvanderkemp.com

VISITOR INFORMATION

Find u s @ iamst erda .com m

VISITOR INFORMATION

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

LAST MINUTE TICKETS Enjoy discounted theatre tickets on the day of a performance. The pick of the day can be a choice of theatre, ballet, opera, concerts or international comedy. Check the Last Minute Ticket Shop after 10 AM and buy tickets at: www.lastminuteticketshop.nl

I AMSTERDAM STORE Discover the best of Amsterdam here. Real Amsterdam products and the best tips on everything you want to know about the city. Come and take a look! In the IJ Hall (inside Central Station) Open Mon-Wed 8:00-19:00, Thur-Sat 8:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-18:00 www.iamsterdam.com/store #iamsterdamstore

I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRES For information and to book excursions, visit one of the I amsterdam Visitor Centres in Amsterdam: Tel: +31 (0)20 702 6000 (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00) info@iamsterdam.com www.iamsterdam.com www.twitter.com/Iamsterdam I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRE STATIONSPLEIN (across from Central Station) Open daily (check opening times on: iamsterdam.com/visitorcentres) I AMSTERDAM VISITOR CENTRE SCHIPHOL AIRPORT Arrivals 2 at Schiphol Plaza Open daily 7:00-22:00

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

2018 til 31-12with Valid un required and out Check in r on every trip each carrie

YM A D 1 A D R MSTE

N & REGIO L TRAVE T E K IC T

jan & feb 2017

PART II 20 23 24 26 30 31

ENTERTAINMENT

'THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN AMSTERDAM WITH SERIOUS CREATIVE TALENT ON ALL LEVELS'. Jason Denham, the jeans maker, on how the city breeds innovative ideas

ED VAN DER ELSKEN THE NEW AMSTERDAMMERS VALENTINE'S DAY IMPRO AMSTERDAM FILM NIGHTLIFE ESSENTIALS

ICE SCULPTURE FESTIVAL The theme for this year’s spectacular IJsbeelden Festival is ‘Music Inspires’. For almost two months, the ArenA Park transforms into an icy wonderland, with incredible ice artwork made by the best ice-sculpture artists from around the world, taking visitors on a musical journey that honours famous musicians (like recently departed Prince and David Bowie) but also immerse visitors in tunes through the ages, from Mozart and the Roaring Twenties through punk music all the way to electro and hip-hop. The impressive, dazzling installations even include John Travolta dancing to Saturday Night Fever and Michael Jackson goading his zombies. The festival also boasts many other fun winter activities and games – and food! UNTIL 5 FEBRUARY ArenA Park

ICE-SKATING Ice-skating aficionados rejoice! In Oost, the Jaap Eden complex, home to the Amstel Tigers hockey team, has an indoor rink and a giant, 400metre outdoor rink that's open from October to March. Their Saturday disco nights are the perfect excuse to finally don that sequined costume. Until 5 February, Ice* Amsterdam on Museumplein is a lot of fun for the whole family, usually open until 22:00 – and what a treat with the Rijksmuseum in the background. www.jaapeden.nl, www.iceamsterdam.nl

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ed Van der Elsken

Eye Love Mankind

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The Stedelijk Museum is turning the spotlight on famous Dutch street photographer Ed van der Elsken, hunter of images and human connections. text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

eople – their lips, their legs, their embraces; walking down the street, riding their bikes or waiting for the subway – people were what Ed van der Elsken loved to capture, his eyes riveted to his Rolleiflex or pocket camera’s viewfinders, but never losing sight of the humanity revolving around him. From lovers in Paris to pedestrians in Tokyo and beatniks in Amsterdam, his photographic legacy may be the most resounding demonstration of mankind’s endless variety. CONNECTION-HUNTER If his style remained un-

deterred – the depth of his black and whites, the feeling of life and movement – his eye roved over his subjects without regard for origin, social class, age or sex. Throughout his oeuvre, the theme remains a constant: connection. Not only the connection between the people he photographed, of the couples kissing, the groups of girls laughing, the bent elderly men feeding pigeons, or even his nude self-portraits with his wife – but all the tiny tangible ties we weave day in and day out. What really sets him apart from his contemporaries is the obvious connection that

he personally sought with them while aiming his camera at their faces and bodies. ‘He turned his sights on people he liked or who looked particular to him, and he challenged them with his eyes, with a quip, a gesture. Contact was an essential condition for him to make an image,’ says Hripsimé Visser, the curator of the major Van der Elsken retrospective, ’Camera in Love’, opening at the Stedelijk Museum on 4 February. CAMERA IN LOVE The Stedelijk owns the largest collection of Van der Elsken’s work in the world,

highlights

HUSBANDS AND WIVES

PARADISO CHOIR DAYS

ED VAN DER ELSKEN, COUPLE MAKING LOVE (1980-1987) © ED VAN DER ELSKEN / NEDERLANDS FOTOMUSEUM

MONO JAPAN

_© JAN VERSWEYVELD

MONO JAPAN

having kept an eye on his talent since his very beginnings. In the early 1950s, the Amsterdam-born photographer worked as a printer for Magnum in Paris and caught the eye of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who was impressed by the peculiar personality of his street photography. What really launched his career was the publication of his first photographic novel, Love on the West Bank, a foretaste of his storytelling abilities, which would later take him on large detours into filmmaking. As Visser says, through his life in Europe and his many travels through Af-

rica, Japan and China, he ‘also created dramatic, witty and poignant stories: books, films and slide shows’, many of which are part of the materials exhibited during this monumental retrospective. HISTORY AND INTIMACY Storyteller and photojournalist – it’s a fascinating conflict of interest that turned into a very particular signature; as they mingled, both qualities only enriched each other, rendering his work, often politically and socially involved, timeless: ‘A child of his times: bleak in the ‘50s, rebellious in the ‘60s, liberated in the ‘70s, and re-

flective in the ‘80's’, as Visser describes it. ‘He was a romantic who recognised his own despair in his peers and saw his own spirits reflected in the people around him.’ Ed van der Elsken’s lifework is full of empathy, of intimacy, of love; and even after his death in 1990, documented in his last film, Bye, the beauty and relevance of his oeuvre haven’t aged a bit.

FROM 4 FEBRUARY Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 www.stedelijk.nl

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The Japanese word mono translates into English as ‘object or product‘, but the concept goes beyond the tangible to describe the relationship that we have with things rather then simply owning them. Creating and living with objects is the theme of Mono Japan 2017, which brings stories of products grounded in tradition and challenged by contemporary thinking, skills that have been passed through generations, and objects that travelled the world to inspire great European makers. From ceramics and textiles to furniture, and of course teas and sake, the exhibition of this admirable selection of designer objects is accompanied by lectures and workshops on Japanese crafts and their philosophy. 2-5 February Lloyd Hotel, Oostelijke Handelskade 34 www.monojapan.nl

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PARADISO CHOIR DAYS It may be a modern-day pop temple, but Amsterdam’s Paradiso was originally a church, so it seems fitting that every year the entire venue lends its stage to 140 different choirs for its Koren Dagen. Amateur singers of all ages and from all over the country have 15 minutes to share their passion with the public, in a huge variety of sets and genres: from swinging pop songs to Renaissance music, world music and jazz. It’s a very special, goosebump-raising event. 14-15 January Paradiso, Weteringschans 6-8 www.paradiso.nl

HUSBANDS AND WIVES Adapted for the stage from Woody Allen’s movie, famously written before the dissolution of his own marriage to Mia Farrow, Husbands and Wives dissects the concept of divorce through the eyes of a couple who has decided to separate ‘amicably’ and the friends they’ve just given the news. Shaking the silt of everyone’s subconscious doubts about their own relationship, the play explores the dilemma between the urge for freedom and the need for security, the fear of the unknown and loneliness, and self-awareness – as well as, of course, that minute, decisive moment you realize that love is over. With surtitled performances on 26 January & 2 February Stadsschouwburg, Leidseplein 26 www.tga.nl

highlights

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sonic Acts A multi-sensory immersion in light, sound and science

Good Hope A powerful look back on the Dutch-South African relationship text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

t’s a shipwreck that, in 1647, started the long history that ties the Netherlands with South Africa: when two sailors from the Dutch East India Company floundered on the continent’s coast, they were welcomed warmly by the locals who helped them with food and water. When the pair returned to Holland and reported on the fertile soils that could help stock up the ships on their way to other colonies, the Company’s interest was piqued, and a replenishing station was opened at the Cape of Good Hope – which would later become Cape Town. But what started as a heartwarmingstoryofintercontinental cooperation quickly turned sour. As the settlers spread inland, conflicts arose with the local Xhosa people, turning into a long series of wars. Other empires fought to assert their power over the colony too, especially after the discovery of gold and diamonds, and the territory changed hands several times, creating fragmented local and colonial factions and more internal clashes – most famously with the Zulu in the 19th century. Little by little, the racial and colonial wars forged an informal segregation, which took root until it became institutionalised in the mid-20th

century. Violent dissent ripped the country apart, and independence wasn’t won without a long, hard fight. It wasn’t until the 1990s – a mere 25 years ago – and Nelson Mandela’s liberation from prison that the Apartheid laws were repealed and South Africa finally became a self-governing nation. The relationship between the two countries is as rich and complex as it is bloody, and organising a historical exhibition to analyse four centuries of mutual influences is a feat that only the Rijksmuseum could achieve. Their selection is composed of 300 objects that look back on the evolution of the Afrikaans language, the Dutch impact on South African culture and architecture, and the heritage that Apartheid has left behind. If the name of the retrospective recalls where it all started, it’s also a well-meaning message fraught with wishes and aspirations for the future: ‘Good Hope’.

FROM 17 FEBRUARY Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1 www.rijksmuseum.nl

rtists, scientists and writers come together to create a multifaceted line-up of unconventional audio-visual entertainment during the 2017 Sonic Acts Festival at the end of February. Since debuting in 1994, Sonic Acts has offered visitors a complete sensory experience, exploring past and present on the cusp of where music, art, technology and science converge. Following the theme ‘The Noise of Being’, the 2017 programme includes concerts, international films, performances and art installations focused on what makes us human – aiming to further explore the meaningful signals of what we do, think and feel. In other words, ‘Our responsibility is to rethink the current ‘‘human’‘ position. To try and understand the scale of all things (to come) and be aware of how different processes – natural, technological or cultural – affect each other,’ as explained by Bas van den Broeke, the festival’s Marketing Communications Manager.

Curated to entice the senses, conferences, workshops and masterclasses give participants the chance to learn and exchange ideas throughout the four-day festival. While the final line-up won’t be unveiled until late January, visitors can expect the 2017 agenda to be consistent with evocative prior editions, including events for non-Dutch speakers. Bas van den Broeke offers a sneak peek of ‘an exciting programme full of many interesting thinkers, producers and artists performing at variouslocationsthroughoutthe city' – locations as diverse as the festival's core concept: Paradiso, Muziekgebouwaan'tIJ,Bimhuis, theStedelijkMuseum,deBrakke Grond and OT301. From 1 to 26 February, running alongside the four-day programme is a special exhibition at ArtietAmicitiae,ahistoricvenue for artists and art enthusiasts dating back to 1893.

23-26 FEBRUARY Various locations www.sonicacts.com

PIETER HUGO

text Lily Heaton

THE NEW AMSTERDAMMERS

Hailing from London, Jason Denham has tailored for himself a place among the denim greats with Amsterdam-born brand Denham the Jeanmaker. text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

‘The Dutch wear jeans all day everyday’ 1. HOW DID YOU FIRST COME TO AMSTERDAM? I dragged my feet from London to Amsterdam 20 years ago, for work. To me, London was the centre of the universe, and I’d planned to just ‘see how it goes’ for six months. But I fell in love with the city very quickly, and blink! It’s 20 years later. Time flies when you’re having fun. 2. IS IT REALLY THE DENIM CAPITAL OF THE WORLD? Absolutely yes, I’ve been saying it for a long time. Amsterdam is blue – London, Paris and Milan are not. It suits the lifestyle: the Dutch wear jeans all day everyday; they eat jeans for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This city has a great denim culture, and it’s very supportive of the denim industry, with shows, education and a lot of great brands and stores. Big and small – the mix is perfect. 3. WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT WORKING HERE? Amsterdam fosters creative partnerships. It’s a very innovative city – I think the international

energy breeds ideas. There are many global creative companies and people in Amsterdam, with serious creative talent on all levels. And last but not least, because Amsterdam is a small city, we are all well connected. 4. WHAT ABOUT LIVING HERE IN GENERAL? I’ve watched Amsterdam grow over the last 20 years, and for me its gets better and better all the time. On all levels. There is a great balance between the new and the old – high-level hotels, restaurants. Today Amsterdam genuinely competes with big international cities like London or Paris. 5. WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FRIEND ON A SHOPPING SPREE? The Nine Streets – it‘s amazing how this area has evolved over the last five years. It’s a great social and retail destination. 6. WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE DUTCH BRANDS? PKLM & Heineken…they both get me where I need to be.

7. HA! AND WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT? I love the bar in the Hoxton Hotel, a recent Amsterdam hotspot. As for food, Foodware on the Looiersgracht is great with their fresh organic fare, and I’m very fond of Blue Boy in the centre – it’s unassuming but delicious and always unique. Moon in the newly opened A’DAM Tower is also a great place, with a fabulous view.

sengracht and created a studio with a small team, and then we opened our first store. Today we sell in 22 countries and have 37 international stores, and are growing our market presence through our international offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and Dusseldorf. But Amsterdam is the brand’s home base.

8. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT AMSTERDAM? How easily accessible the city is; it’s very open, tolerant, international and beautiful.

11. AND TO YOU – AMSTERDAM IS HOME TO YOU NOW? It's more than home – I’m lucky I get to travel the world with my work – I visit a lot of cool places, but I can safely say that Amsterdam is the best city in the world.

9. AND WHAT DO YOU REALLY, REALLY NOT LIKE? FEBO, bleuhhh!

www.denhamthejeanmaker.com

10. WHERE TO FROM HERE FOR DENHAM? We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing: ‘the truth is in the details’ is our motto. The Denham brand was born nine years ago. Mrs Denham and I took over an art gallery on the Prin-

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Happy Valentine's

The Dating (App) Game What you can learn from one woman’s adventures in Amsterdam dating, one app and one location at a time. text Elysia Brenner photo Marie-Charlotte Pezé

CUT THROAT Beursplein 5  www.cutthroatbarber.nl DÉLIRIUM Piet Heinkade 4-6-8  deliriumcafeamsterdam.nl GLOUGLOU Tweede van der Helststraat 3 www.glouglou.nl HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY EAST Oostelijke Handelskade 4  www.happyhappyjoyjoy.asia/en VYNE Prinsengracht 411 www.vyne.nl/en

he Central Bureau of Statistics says 62% of Amsterdam is living single. Certainly dating opportunities (app-ortunities?) abound, but which sites will help you hunt down a hot date for Valentine’s Day? Turns out, that depends on what exactly you’re looking for… TINDER TIME Tinder seemed an obvious place to start. As the most popular dating app in the city (and the world) it didn’t take more than a few swipes to find a match. Days later I found myself sitting across

a high-top table from Daniel*, a cute Catalonian who had neglected to mention his lack of vino love when I chose by-the-glass wine bar Vyne – a top date spot (and 270 menu options) wasted. He was hoping to quickly move the party to a more private setting, anyway: the Tinder reputation remains intact. GoTinder.com IT COULD HAPPN TO YOU Happn helps people of all sexual orientations find matches amongst those they pass by every day. You’ll see a lot of your neighbours in your hunt – which

made choosing a location for my meetup with Greek developer Georgios* ultra-convenient. We sat in the garden of Happyhappyjoyjoy East, supping on street-food-inspired fine foodery washed down with a decent selection from the bar. A magical setting for a magical connection – for that night, anyway. Happn.com BUMBLE-ING ALONG The gimmick of this Tinder-like app is that, once there’s a match, only the women can strike up a conversation,

Valentine’s music

within 24 hours, after which the man has 24 hours to respond. I landed a date with Andrew*, an American tourist from Florida who looks like the 11th Doctor and with whom I was happy to share a couple of the hundreds of offerings at my favourite Belgian-born beer bar, Délirium – plus some stolen kisses. Bumble.com ACCESSING THE INNER CIRCLE This Dutch dating startup employs a recommendation system to get access, presumably to ‘keep out the riff-raff ’ – and the attitudes of many on the site reflect that. One of the first people to contact me there? Daniel, from Tinder, looking for a second try. I went instead with Kees*, a Dutch developer who actually shared my thirst for wine. At his suggestion we met at GlouGlou, which specialises in the ‘vin naturel’ variety of the grape stuff, where you play Russian roulette with bottles of ultra-organics. It was the perfect place to pass a pleasant evening of tipsy conversation…after which neither of us bothered to contact the other again. TheInnerCircle.co STRUCK BY OK CUPID I had been avoiding OK Cupid, despite previous long-term successes, because it tends to be a time suck. Dozens of uninteresting messages after reopening my account, I finally struck the right chord with local boat builder Jan*, with whom I spent a long and lazy afternoon of cocktails and comfort food at hipster-friendly brunch bar and barbershop Cut Throat before realising that his intentions might be more serious than my own (for now). OKCupid.com No Valentine’s Day date yet…but I’ve been hearing good things about Ohello (Ohello.com), a new app that will set up a spontaneous date for you on the spot. In Amsterdam, there's always another place to swipe right! *Names have been changed to protect the (not so) innocent.

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VALENTINE CLASSICS AT THE MOVIES Impress your Valentine’s Day date with an outing that puts the ‘class’ in classical. This annual event is part of a larger series of hugely popular concerts that bring film score favourites to life via one of Europe’s top orchestras plus songstress Fay Claassen in a venue generally touted as having some of the best acoustics in the world. In this romance-themed edition, listen up for snippets from scores you know and love from films like Titanic, Sleeping Beauty, When Harry Met Sally and West Side Story between the Gershwin hits and Mendelssohn classics. An intermission glass of Prosecco, on the house, adds some extra fizzy fun. Or make a whole night of it with the VIP package, which includes a pre-dinner and luxe intermission snacks.

Royal Concertgebouw Concertgebouwplein 10 www.concertgebouw.nl

VALENTINE’S DAY WITH SAZZ LEONORE Dutch vocalist Sazz Leonore is well-known in Amsterdam and beyond for flawlessly fusing her soulful jazz singing with touches of pop and soul. ‘My biggest influence is Ella Fitzgerald,‘ Leonore has said, ‘but also that old-jazz feeling you hear in the music of Billy Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, that repressed feeling that comes from the gut, that's what touches me so.’ While previous outings have seen her both debuting her own tunes and paying tribute to Michael Bublé, her Valentine’s Day concert will be chock full of, you guessed it, love songs.

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North Sea Jazz Club Pazzanistraat 1 www.northseajazzclub.com

SLEIGH BELLS @ PARADISO NOORD Looking for an edgier musical experience this Valentine’s Day? New York duo Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller, better known as Sleigh Bells, will be tearing the roof off the Tolhuistuin that night as well. They’re coming to town to promote their new album Jessica Rabbit, a taste of hardcore punk at its finest. Thrilling, jarring explosions of slamming drums, searing synths and fierce feminist lyrics will get your heart pumping and thumping without that usual side of Valentine’s Day cheese.

Paradiso North (Tolhuistuin) IJpromenade 2 www.paradiso.nl

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

impro amsterdam

Caught in the act Improv actors strut their stuff upon the stage for the 22nd edition of Impro Amsterdam, proving Macbeth wrong: talent continues to be heard. text Catalina Iorga

urope’s largest festival dedicated to improvisational theatre is feeling 22, as Taylor Swift would say. Founded by TVA Impro, the oldest and largest improv group in the Netherlands, Impro Amsterdam has been taking its audience on spontaneous emotional rollercoasters that loop through drama-filled scenes and laugh-out-loud moments. Hopping on stage for this year’s week-long extravaganza will be renowned ensembles such as the Boston-based Big Bang troupe (whose philosophy is to ‘follow the funny’ with rapid-fire scenes and hilarious callbacks) and Folie à Deux (an inventive British duo that riffs on a single word from the audience with fast-paced, dark humour), but also seasoned individual performers like Patti Stiles, a multitalented Aussie improv heroine who’s tried on all the hats: actor, improviser, playwright, director and teacher. Expect shows ranging from those that make light of Millennial problems to surreal meditations on storytelling. An example of the former is the aptly titled ‘Big Issues’ performed by Swedish group GBGImpro, which tackles firstworld dilemmas such as having no cash when shops don’t take credit, while the latter includes ‘Speechless Picnic’, in which Canadian DJ Mama Cutsworth and Columbian actors Felipe Ortiz and Daniel Orrantia improvise using only music and their own bodies. If you’re smitten with the skills of your favourite performers, join one of the five workshops open to beginners. Among these is ‘Play Your Partner’, which is taught by Anders Fors, former Artistic Director of the Gothenburg Improv Theatre. You’ll practice doing away with your ego and focusing on the needs of your stage partner. In fact, ‘make your partner look good’ is one of the golden rules of improv and, well, life. Speaking of the world as a stage, ‘Characters’, a workshop led by National Bucharest Theatre cast member Axel Moustache, will encourage you to pick your own character and envision their quirks, from the way they walk to their deepest desires. To celebrate a week of belly laughs, selfdiscovery and talent in its most impetuous form, Impro Amsterdam will close with a huge party on Saturday 27 January. Save your festival ticket stubs, as they’ll grant your free access to the big bash. 21-28 JANUARY Compagnietheatre Amsterdam, Kloveniersburgwal 50 www.impro-amsterdam.nl

featured artist

don’t miss these

text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

CHINESE NEW YEAR

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Born: : 22 July 1973 in Rhinebeck, New York Talent: American-Canadian singer-songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright has a talent that only a life as chaotic and controversial as his would inspire. His early teenage years were marked by two defining revelations: his homosexuality, and his love for opera music. It took a long time to affirm the first, but the latter was immediately a driving force towards a musical career. His lyrical pop melodies started winning awards when he was only 15 years old, and the seven albums he has released since have all been received with critical acclaim. His rollercoaster of a personal life could have put the brakes on his rise to fame, but he won a GLAAD Media Award for his second album ‘Poses‘ and toured with such big names as Sting, Ben Folds and Tori Amos while battling a furious addiction to crystal meth in the early 2000s. His unbridled passion for opera music led him to compose his own in 2007-2008, Prima Donna, which won a Dora Mavor Moor Award in 2011. Of the experience, he confided: ‘I feel like I made the right choices in terms of my music – opera kind of supersedes all that and fulfills me completely on every level.’ His second opera, Hadrian, is scheduled to open in Toronto in 2018. 5 JANUARY Royal Concertgebouw with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta www.concertgebouw.nl

26 JANUARY, 2 FEBRUARY Various locations

FLAMENCO BIENNALE The sixth edition of the Flamenco Biennale brings the vanguard of contemporary flamenco to the Netherlands, with three days at the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam, from 27 to 29 January. The festival features maverick makers, big stars and upcoming talent, including a new crop of flamenco makers who explore the boundaries of the ancient flamenco art by experimenting with passionate marriages of tradition with jazz, contemporary dance and music, baroque music, Indian and oriental music. The 40+ dance performances and concerts are accompanied by an extensive programme of masterclasses, workshops, lectures, films and documentaries; flamenco dinners; shows for children and after-parties.

‘Music was my religion, my saviour, my resting place.’

2017 is the Year of the Rooster. Amsterdam's Chinese New Year celebrations take place on the Dam Square and around Nieuwmarkt (Amsterdam's Chinatown area), with dragon and lion dances as well as fireworks. De Bijenkorf department store also traditionally organises special activities such as dragon dances, calligraphy workshops, music performances and tea ceremonies. If you’re looking for something more intimate, retreat to the Fo Guang Shan He Hua, a real Buddhist temple that usually has a special programme. Alternatively, grab yourself a meal at the Sea Palace (Europe’s first floating Chinese restaurant) or at one of the many Chinese restaurants along the Stormsteeg and Geldersekade.

27 – 29 JANUARY Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ , Piet Heinkade 1 www.flamencobiennale.nl

NATIONAL TULIP DAY Only the Dutch would grow hundreds of thousands of flowers completely out of season, and then transform the Dam Square into a festive fairytale garden from which anyone can come pick their own multicoloured bouquet. For the official launch of tulip season, the growers also organise surprises, special events and promotions. While the event starts at 13:00, it’s a lot of fun to show up early to see the elaborate garden being set up, as early as 8:00. The best part? It’s all free!

21 JANUARY Dam Square

PART IV

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

GETTY IMAGES

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card:

STEDELIJK MUSEUM JEAN TINGUELY Until 5 March

25 years after his death, the Stedelijk Museum is presenting a major retrospective on Jean Tinguely's edgy and playful machines. From his early wire sculptures to the closing piece of the exhibition, the monumental, dark and destructive 'Mengele-Totentanz', the master's experimental, kinetic oeuvre set the art world in motion. FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

MUSEUM OF BAGS & PURSES ROYAL BAGS Until 26 February

Nothing makes a purse as iconic as being seen in a queen's hand: think Princess Grace's Kelly bag by Hermès. Empress Eugenie of France also propelled Louis Vuitton to stardom by ordering their luggage. This exhibiton features a gorgeous collection of the most famous royal bags, including those carried by Dutch Queens through the ages. FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card (€1.50 surcharge for this exhibition)

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

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

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card

FRANS HALS MUSEUM OLD DUTCH MASTERS FROM BUDAPEST Until 12 February

This winter the Frans Hals Museum, famous for its expansive collection of Dutch paintings owned by the city of Haarlem, is exhibiting a very special collection from the Szépmüvészeti Múzeum in Budapest. More than 80 rarely seen works by Dutch Masters hailing from the renowned Hungarian Museum are on display, including two portraits by Frans Hals, paintings by such greats as Hendrick Avercamp and Jan Lievens and drawings by Rembrandt.

FRANS PIETERSZ DE GREBBER – PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WOMAN, 1632 SZÉPMÜVÉSZETI MÚZEUM, BUDAPEST

FOTO: CHRISTIAN BAUR, C/O PICTORIGHT AMSTERDAM, 2016

ZAANSE SCHANS

FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card (€3 surcharge for this exhibition)

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

CLASS 2

8 il 31-12-201 with Valid unt required and out Check in er on every trip each carri

1DAY

ERDAM AMSTR N & EGIO L TRAVE TICKET

Danse macabre Enfant terrible Jordan Wolfson brings his spectacular toy box to the Stedelijk museum for a show that’s anything but child’s play text Mark Smith

In politics, the UK’s sniffling Brexit referendum result came a whole four months before Donald Trump’s explosive US election victory. Likewise, in the realm of blockbuster art, Banksy’s parodic Dismaland – a deliberately underwhelming theme park that was highly unsuitable for children – preceded the sinister, star-spangled razzmatazz of Jordan Wolfson’s ‘Colored Sculpture’ at New York’s David Zwirner gallery by a good nine months. ‘Colored Sculpture’ is what might happen if one of Banksy’s Dismaland creations were brought to life by an evil scientist. Now the monster has made its way to Amsterdam, and it’s the single most captivating work of art you’re going to see this year. Looking like the outcome of a drug-fuelled tryst between Jessie the cowgirl from the Toy Story films, and Chuckie, the murderous doll from ’80s video-nasty Child’s Play, ‘Colored Sculpture’ is a giant, marionette-like figure of a boy suspended from a rig by massive, clanking chains. His predestined routine of sometimes erratic, sometimes graceful movements is controlled by computer, and face-recognition software means he may well make eye contact with you before crashing lifelessly to the floor or reciting some eerie lines about sex and affection in the voice of his creator, the American artist Jordan Wolfson. A New Yorker who moved to Los Angeles in order to be closer to the animatronics scene that servic-

es Hollywood, Wolfson is often referred to as the Millennial successor to Jeff Koons. The Stedelijk show features some of Wolfson’s formative works, including a 2004 film called ‘The Crisis’, a selfie confessional in which he ponders his place in the art world whilst walking around a cathedral that’s thronging with tourists and subject to bracing blasts of loud music – much like his own exhibitions are nowadays. Come the end of January, ‘Colored Sculpture’, part of the ‘MANIC/LOVE’ show at the Stedelijk Museum, will be replaced by another animatronic masterpiece from Wolfson’s toy box for the second part of the exhibition, ‘TRUTH/LOVE’, opening mid-February. ‘Female Figure’ (footage of which first went viral in 2014) is a computer-controlled, hypersexualised blonde robot who gyrates in an outfit that would made Britney blush, accessorised with one of those Venetian masks with a grotesque, distended nose. Again, she speaks in Wolfson’s voice and fixes the gaze of the observer. What can it all mean? Well, while Wolfson says his work ‘isn’t about making a message or teaching a lesson…’ it’s hard not to see a kaleidoscope of contemporary preoccupations – from mechanisation to self-objectification – in his dark fantasia. It’s as if The Joker has hijacked Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, and it’ll be a lot of fun, while it lasts.

MANIC/LOVE UNTIL 20 JANUARY TRUTH/LOVE FROM 18 FEBRUARY Stedelijk Museum www.stedelijk.nl

JORDAN WOLFSON, COLORED SCULPTURE, 2016, COLLECTION LUMA FOUNDATION, COURTESY THE ARTIST, SADIE COLES HQ LONDON AND DAVID ZWIRNER, NY. PHOTO: DAN BRADICA

f recent events have debunked a single idea pedalled by the dastardly mainstream media, it must surely be the truism that, when America sneezes, Europe catches a cold.

PART II ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

film

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

Pathé Specials

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Bringing stage to screen text Bregtje Schudel

ome go to the movies to enjoy the latest blockbuster; some relish foreign films, indie flicks or oldies but goldies. Cinemas like Pathé Tuschinski aim to help audiences take it one step further. ‘It’s all about the viewing experience,’ Doron Kurz, Director of Commerce at Pathé Nederland, stresses. An experience that isn’t limited to only movies. ‘Our foundation will always be film, but we also want to broaden our, and our audience’s, horizon.’ And thus the Specials were born, which enable audiences to go to theatre, ballet and opera from around the world in their own local cinema. Kurz: ‘From New York we have the latest works by the Metropolitan Opera. From Moscow we show ballets by the worldrenowned Bolshoi Ballet. And from London we get theatre straight from the West End.’

Since last year, Pathé has also found a new partner in The Comédie Française, the French national theatre. ‘The live screenings are without subtitles, so you’ll have to brush up on your French, but it really draws people in.’ The Encore screenings come with English subtitles. A lot of sports, music and gaming enthusiasts are also starting to find their way to the Pathé cinemas. ‘You can listen to live concerts from the Berliner Philharmonic but also from the Rolling Stones and Kiss; you can watch the Dutch national soccer team qualify for the World Cup and you can even attend big gaming events.’ What’s the draw? ‘It’s easily accessible and affordable. You don’t have to travel. You can ‘‘get into’’ shows that have been sold out months in advance.’ And even if you did get tickets to the actual show, and had

the best seats in the theatre, you’d still never be able to see the show the way it shines at the cinema. Says Kurz: ‘It’s like you’re there, with the performers, right on stage.’ January and February are jampacked with classical goodness, from opera (Roméo et Juliette, 21 and 29 January) and ballet (Sleeping Beauty, 22 January, and Swan Lake, 5 February) to theatre (The Entertainer, 12 January; Amadeus, 2 February; Le Misanthrope, 9 February; and Saint Joan, 16 February). And if things go according to plan, there’s still more to come. ‘We would love to do more with television series,’ says Kurz, ‘and we’re also in talks to get some high-end musicals to our Dutch cinemas. We’re definitely not done yet.’

en.pathe.nl/specials-en-events

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

Oscars 2017. No excuses.

ast year, for the second time in a row, only white actors and actresses received nominations in the four acting categories at the Academy Awards, which prompted host Chris Rock to dub the Oscar ceremony ‘the White People’s Choice Awards’. Of course, until the votes are in, anything can happen, but seeing the number of great African-American-centred movies that are out there, there are no excuses. Hidden Figures (released 26 January) is the true story of three mathematicians who worked at NASA, but never really got the credit they deserved, because they were women, and black. As played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, you’re not likely to follow into history’s footsteps and forget them any time soon. Loving (released 23 February) is a beautiful portrait of the enduring love of an interracial couple, Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga), living in 1960s Virginia who got arrested just because they were married. Denzel Washington may win his third Oscar for his cranky lead performance in Fences (released 16 February), which he also directed. One movie you really shouldn’t miss is Moonlight (released 26 January), directed by Barry Jenkins, an often harsh yet also tender story that follows the struggles of a young black man from childhood into adulthood. On the one hand it’s the very specific tale of a young African-American boy who’s forced to grow up too fast in a rough Miami neighborhood, but at the same time it touches a nerve in all of us who’ve ever felt that they just didn’t belong. The casting is superb allround, but special mention goes to Naomie Harris as the young boy’s deadbeat, crack-addicted mother and Mahershala Ali (the bad guy from Luke Cage) as Juan, the father he never had. 26 FEBRUARY Visit www.pathe.nl for more information on Oscar Weekend at Pathé

nightlife essentials formance of one of her favourite – and most popular – roles in An eight(!)-hour set by legend- La Cenerentola, Rossini’s verary RoXY resident Dimitri. Ex- sion of Cinderella, which is comical and dramatic at the same pect his signature ‘high-tech soul’ sound: a beautiful blend time. of melodic house and techno. 15 February Royal Concertgebouw, ConcertListen to one of the volumes gebouwplein 10 in his ‘Static Tracks’ and ‘Spiritual Tracks’ series to get www.concertgebouw.nl in the mood. AMSTERDAM LIGHT 14 January FESTIVAL RADION, Louwesweg 1  The Amsterdam Light Festival www.radionamsterdam.nl returns to Amsterdam this festive season, (literally) putting CARTEL the beautiful city centre and its One of the best nights so far in this new club inside the Am- canals in the limelight. As well as the illuminated artworks sterdam Tower north of the around the city's canals, look river IJ. New York’s king of out for an extensive side produbby techno Levon Vincent headlines while head honcho gramme that will see a host of of Rotterdam’s Clone Records activities and events take place at museums, theatres, restauSerge Verschuur is expected rants, shops and other locations to play a mix of the various styles he sells in the shop: US in Amsterdam. and Dutch electro, Italo disco 1 December-22 January plus a wide range of American Various locations www.amsterdamlightfestival.com house and techno. Also spinning is Red Light Radio’s Mino FIBER X Abadier. THE REST IS NOISE 3 February The people behind the FIBER Shelter, Overhoeksplein 3  Festival are collaborating with www.clubshelter.com the Rest is Noise programmers for an all-encompassing auLE SACRE DU dio-visual event. The line-up PRINTEMPS sees ambient producer Paul Chief conductor of the RCO Jebanasam team up with Dutch Daniele Gatti leads his orartist Tarik Barra to present chestra through three works ’Continuum’. The second duo of that are not only connected the night is Scott Monteith by a nature theme, but that (Deadbeat) with visual artist also are exemplary for the great musical transformations Rainer Kohlberger, together of the fin de siècle: Debussy’s presenting the new album ’Qawwali Quatsch’. ’Prélude à l’après-midi d’un 6 January faune’ and ’La mer’, and Stravinsky’s ’Le sacre du prin- Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Piet Heinkade 1 temps’. www.muziekgebouw.nl 11-12 January Royal Concertgebouw, ConcertJESUS CHRIST gebouwplein 10 SUPERSTAR www.concertgebouw.nl Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1970 CECILIA BARTOLI IN LA rock opera has entertained generations of musical fans over CENERENTOLA the decades. Texan rock 'n' roll This season marks 20 years performer Ted Neeley, who since Celine Bartoli first performed at the Royal Concert- played the role of Jesus in the original 1973 film, is returning gebouw in Amsterdam. This Italian mezzosoprano recitalist to the stage at the age of 73 to is a huge voice and giant per- tour this international rock opera through the Netherlands sonality in the opera world, balancing her own talent with one last time. Being performed a star-studded cast of vocalists in English, expect this rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar to and musicians (on this occahold great appeal to broader sion that includes Les Muinternational audiences. siciens du Prince and Chœur 31 January-5 February de l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo). She celebrates her Concertge- RAI Theater, Europaplein bouw anniversary with a per- www.jesuschristmusical.nl

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EAT DRINK CHIC 'BEING RAISED IN THE CITY CENTRE, WITH ALL THE GREAT CULTURE, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS, REALLY SPOILED ME.' Mischa Heymans, feeling lucky to be an Amsterdammer

34 40 42 44 46 47

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: ZUIDAS & BUITENVELDERT EATING OUT ON THE MENU PRETTY THINGS WHAT’S IN STORE COLUMN

AMSTERDAM SALON: HUSBANDS AND WIVES Spurred by the desire to involve internationals with the city’s famous and vibrant cultural scene, the Amsterdam Salon is engaged with the best cultural institutions of the region, organising special events for the community of professional internationals who live in the area. Members can enjoy art, theatre and music topped off by fun networking drinks and other perks. On 2 February, Salon invites you to enjoy a hilarious and moving performance of the adaptation of Woody Allen’s hit movie Husbands and Wives, brought to the stage of the Stadsschouwburg by Toneelgroep Amsterdam (see page 21). The show will be followed by an exclusive backstage tour and drinks with the actors. The performance is in Dutch, but shown with English surtitles on this date. For tickets, please apply for membership at www.amsterdamsalon.org

PART III

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

Neighbourhood watch

neighbourhood watch

ZUIDAS & BUITENVELDERT

AMBER HUIZINGA, 29 real-estate developer

‘The public spaces are starting to be very well managed, and the future developments are really looking to cater to the community.’

The business centre of Amsterdam is getting a facelift, sprucing up its striking modern architecture with more ecoconscious, green public spaces. text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé map Monique Wijbrands/SaltyStock

Open for business

ook around you in the centre of Amsterdam: you’ll be hard pressed to find a building that’s taller than four stories, and not angling like an old man from the weight of its years. It’s no secret that Amsterdam is no Manhattan, but, where are the skyscrapers, you ask? There have to be a few! There are, just a few tram stops – and soon to be a quick subway ride – away, in Zuidas (the ‘Southern Axis’). Home of the World Trade Center (and many national and international corporations such as ABN AMRO, Deloitte and even Google), Zuidas is Amsterdam’s business central. A major new development zone, it’s sprouting vertical architecture faster than you can chomp on a HEMA hotdog – which you’ll find at the street level of the Zuid train station, along with many other outlets such as Starbucks and Sissy Boy. Zuid Station is actually slated to become a big-league international transportation hub in the coming years, thanks to the rapid commute it offers to Schiphol Airport (seven minutes) and the soon-to-be-completed North-South metro line, all part of the ambitious project that’s rethought and redesigned the business district. However the city isn’t only focusing on real-estate development for financial

high-rollers, but has, in the true Amsterdam spirit, a real plan for pleasant urban living that marries business and residential needs…without, of course, forgetting leisure. ‘Being raised in the city centre spoiled me,’ jokes Mischa Heymans, who works for the local government. ‘So, to me, this area isn’t human enough; it feels a bit lost with all these roads and highways. I think it’s really worthwhile to transform it into a real livable environment.’ GREEN LIVING The city is well conscious of that need and has lofty goals for the area. ‘It may be the legal and financial district, which gives it an interesting buzz because there’s no other place like it in Amsterdam. But the public spaces are starting to be very well managed too, and the future developments are really looking to cater to the community,’ says Amber Huizinga, a real-estate developer who has her offices in the area. First, the A10 highway ring and its myriad cars are going underground, as well as a big percentage of the rail infrastructures, in a concept nicknamed ‘the Dok’, which aims not only at cleaning the air and easing up traffic, but also opening up space for pedestrian areas, squares and communal gardens. Nobody cares about their trees and

neighbourhood watch

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

The spirit of urban renewal with a conscience is a big trend in Amsterdam gardens quite as much as Amsterdammers, as evidenced by Beatrixpark, which, a few hundred metres away from the World Trade Center, rivals the Vondelpark in enchanting greenery, with the added bonus of tranquility.

RAI Amsterdam’s convention centre is a giant complex overtaking Europaplein with its arresting array of architectural styles, ranging from the original Paleis Voor Volksvlijt of 1895 to the modern, shiny steel-and-glass behemoths that are Europahaal and the Elicium building. One of the busiest trade fair and conference centres in the world, it hosts a huge variety of events, such as the fashion trade event Modefabriek (2223 Jan), the internationally acclaimed horse show Jumping Amsterdam (26-29 Jan), the famous rock-opera Jesus Christ Superstar (31 Jan-5 Feb) and a couple of homemaker fairs in February. Europaplein www.rai.nl

CONSCIOUS URBAN PLANNING On the southwest side of the neighbourhood, the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam and other educational institutions not only bring younger generations’ minds to the area, but also their socio-cultural needs and endeavours. Sports and recreation spaces, parks and gardens and circular economy initiatives abound along the Boelelaan, such as the Green Living Lab, a non-profit where scientists, social entrepreneurs and pioneers in sustainability research healthy urban living options. Many restaurants in the area try to provide more than a hearty table: they grown their own food, expand onto gardens and terraces and organise cultural events, often with an eco-conscious vibe. This spirit of urban renewal with a conscience is a big trend in Amsterdam; urban planners have heard the Millennial generation a-knocking and are looking towards tomorrow. ‘A sustainable and successful urban environment of international allure, but with traditional Amsterdam qualities,’ promotes the official Zuidas ‘vision’ brochure. It translates into a plan that pays particular attention to CO2 emissions, sustainable building materials, waste management and an ecological urban landscape. Last but not least, it also focuses on the well-being of its community, encouraging diversity, civic involvement and social responsibility. ‘The city checks in with us and with the residents regularly, to make sure they’re catering to everybody’s needs,’ says Xavier Giesen of restaurant Bolenius. The disposable income of the neighbourhood’s

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THE ROAST ROOM The Roast Room is a meatlover’s paradise. The aging cabinet, located on the ground floor, lets you salivate while watching the butchers expertly cut through huge slabs of appetising meat before they get grilled (and is now a take-home butcher's shop, too). The no-reservation communal tables on that brasserie floor are convivial but there's the Rotisserie on the first floor if you want a more formal dining experience.

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Europaplein 2 www.theroastroom.nl

STRANDZUID Zuidas has its own urban beach, with a bit of an exclusive flair: on the edge of Amstelpark, Strandzuid overlooks the beautiful outdoor ZuidPool, which is closed during the winter but still hosts a variety of parties while we wait for sunnier days and a chance to roam their sandy beach. Strandzuid is currently undergoing a huge renovation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; come back in spring 2017 for many surprises. Europaplein 22 www.strand-zuid.nl

BOLENIUS RESTAURANT Bolenius prides itself in growing a lot of its own food in its communal garden, serving up a menu of modern Dutch food that includes their homegrown seasonal vegetables, North Sea crab, oysters and game in hearty sauce. Service is impeccable yet friendly, and the decor luxurious enough for an important business meal or a romantic dinner. George Gershwinlaan 30 www.bolenius-restaurant.nl

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

neighbourhood watch

BOELETUIN Even in the winter this little unassuming hole in the wall in the heart of the university quarters of Zuidas is a delight, with its hanging string lights and picnic tables. Located on the edge of their extensive garden, where they grow a lot of the food they serve (including a mushroom farm), the bohemian-looking place has a quick menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and daily specials that are plain delicious, and at incredibly low prices. Gustav Mahlerlaan 3005 www.boeletuin.nl

SAL MEYER Sal Meyer is a kosher staple just like Katz’ Delicatessen, but in semi-suburban Amsterdam instead of Manhattan. Even Ed van der Elsken (see our feature in Arts & Entertainment) immortalised the shop back when it was still on the Jodenbreestraat in the early '60s. Deli meats, corned beef, salami, fish cakes and pickles – plus more – are all on the menu at this little Amsterdam institution with fast, no-nonsense service. Buitenveldertselaan 114 www.sal-meijer.com

DANK GROCERY If you have a hankering for Strawberry KitKat bars, there’s few other places in town that carry them, as well as all the other bizarre candy and cookies that only the Japanese can come up with. But Dank isn’t all novelty, as it also offers a full range of fresh, canned and frozen foods as well as household products from Japan and other Asian countries, to the delight of the community that calls the neighbourhood home. Kastelenstraat 264

RESTAURANT HALVEMAAN John Halvemaan and his wife Esther had this restaurant built in the shape of a half moon ('halve maan') in 1989 and with their experimental dishes reigned as the stars of nouvelle cuisine for 27 years, setting the standard for a whole generation of chefs/entrepreneurs and building a cult-like following of foodies. Since the couple announced its retirement from the culinary world, this may be your last chance to dine at this legendary Michelin-starred place, enchantingly set in the middle of the Amstelpark, right on the water, with a lovely terrace. Van Leijenberghlaan 320 www.restauranthalvemaan.nl

KYUNGHEE LEE, 50 hairdresser

'I’ve lived here for 15 years and I love it; it’s a very convenient neighbourhood where you can find many Asian products. It’s also very safe, and we have a wonderful relationship with the Jewish community.’

MISCHA HEYMANS, 42 works for the local government

‘Most people come here for business or the RAI convention centre, so it’s really worthwhile to transform the area into a real livable environment.’

GELDERLANDPLEIN Amsterdam’s biggest mall is smack in the middle of this unassuming neighbourhood, with a vast array of luxury shopping and dining options. Fashion boutiques abound, from ESPRIT to Sissy Boy, as well as shoes, jewellery, beauty products, home décor and highend grocery stores, from Asian specialties to eco-conscious MARQT and the the biggest Albert Heijn in the country (recently shook up by a visit from Justin Bieber shopping with his BFF and local DJ Martin Garrix). Restaurants range from Italian (Gusto di Casto) to Japanese (Takumi Burgers and Steak), with many cafés to catch a break and indulge in a well-deserved snack when that pile of shopping bags becomes too heavy. Gelderlandplein www.gelderlandplein.nl

150,000 dwellers is one of the highest in the city, and it’s not such a big surprise when you realise what an enviable location Zuidas really is: a stone’s throw away from the cultural centre of Oud-Zuid and Museumplein, it’s also in close proximity to more semi-rural areas of Amsterdam where quality of life is held sacred. THE SUBURBAN LIFE Zuidas fades into Buitenveldert, the gateway to the Amsterdamse Bos – 2,500 acres of lush nature, with recreational areas, sporting clubs and facilities, boat rentals and even a spot for naturists. It boasts a colossal programme of cultural events, such as musical and culinary festivals, which are often free. Buitenveldert itself, which was just a big polder 70 years ago, has benefited immensely from the development of Zuidas. At the outer edge of the city, the borough remains mainly residential, but it also possesses quite a few gems for its visitors and for its residents, and not only because it’s blessed by its fair share of nature with the Bos on one side and Amstelpark on the other. Home to big Asian brands such as Nikon, Buitenveldert has a vast Japanese community, with many local stores whose offerings you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the Netherlands – grocery shops with specialty products or hairdressers who know

their way around thick, chopstick-straight hair. Funnily enough, it’s also home to a large Jewish community, so if you’re in town from New York and sorely miss Katz’s deli, you can fulfill your hankering for authentic pastrami sandwiches at little shops like Sal Meyer. But Buitenveldert isn’t all small local businesses. Smack in the middle of this very quiet, safe and neighbourly almost-suburb stands one of the Netherlands’ most monumental malls: Gelderlandplein, with its hundreds of boutiques from luxury fashion outlets like PAUW and Esprit to exclusive shops such as Huize van Wely chocolatiers. The department store’s claim to fame is its warehouse-sized Albert Heijn, the largest in the country, where Justin Bieber and BFF Martin Garrix infamously purchased some food and beers a few months ago, causing a joyous riot among shoppers and propelling this quiet little neighbourhood into stardom. Not that we think it’s the best reason to visit, as animal lovers will get an even bigger kick than Beliebers: Amstelpark is the only park in Amsterdam that has squirrels, and it’s also home to large-horned Galloway cows, sheep, goats and…kangaroos (what?); but best of all, it even has a batcave. Now that’s cool.

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

EATING OUT

Our top dining options, from firm favourites to precocious newcomers

text Karin Engelbrecht

This fresh face on storied Zeedijk – said to be the oldest Chinatown on the European continent, with a history dating from 1911 – stands out from all the old-school Asian restaurants, shops and tourist traps nearby, with its modern décor of curved wooden benches, brick walls and hanging plants (see Trend), as well as its relaxed, local vibe and pan-Asian menu. The brainchild of the boys behind HotMamaHot, which you may know from festivals such as De Rollende Keukens and De Parade, is one of the few places on Zeedijk where you can get a decent cocktail by day (from €8.00). Lunch here has the typical kaas tosti (grilled cheese sandwich) updated with kimchi (€6.00) and replaces the Dutch broodje with pork belly bahn mi steeped in tamarind caramel (highly recommended, €8.00). There’s also soto ayam, a subtly spiced Indonesian chicken soup served with rice and crispyfried onions. Nighttime brings beats and a more extensive menu, with sticky chicken wings, shiitake bao buns, fries with beef rendang sauce, various housemade dumplings, and oysters with ponzu ‘pearls’. Also look out for house-brand booze, such as Panda beer, Willy Wodka vodka and 40 Winks gin.

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Zeedijk 37 www.dumdum.nl

DUM DUM PALACE

NEW

eating out

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41 trendy BROOKS Attention all parents: the Wing sisters’ new concept means that you can now enjoy a ‘boozy brunch’ and bring the kids along, too. You’ll find all the usual suspects, such as eggs Florentine (€8.00), American pancake stacks with banana, bacon and maple syrup (€7.50), ham-and-cheese croissants and French toast, and morning-friendly cocktails (no judgement!). There’s a kids’ activity table complete with nannies and child-friendly foods, such as decorate-it-yourself pancakes and sandwiches. We’ll say cheers to that!

Every last Sunday of the month, from 11:00-15:00 (reservations advised). Beethovenstraat 43 www.brooksamsterdam.nl

critic’s choice TAIKO

nspired by contemporary concepts like Nobu and Zuma, chef Schilo van Coevorden ‘plays with Asian ingredients, unrestrained by traditional boundaries’. His typically delicate treatment of the restaurant’s ‘Ingredient of the Year’ – wasabi – shows off the unexpected versatility of the fiery plant (classically used only as a condiment in Japanese cuisine) in daring dishes such as wasabi-spiked pannacotta with uni and caviar, hamachi sashimi with wasabi sorbet and miso-marinated black cod with wasabi hollandaise. Wasabi also takes a turn in various fruity cocktails and adds punch to yoghurt in a dessert with silky soy ice cream, bracing blackberry crisps and smoked maple syrup (from €85.00 for a four-course chef ’s menu).

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Van Baerlestraat 27 (Conservatorium Hotel) www.conservatoriumhotel.com/taikorestaurant

classic KAAGMAN & KORTEKAAS

quick & simple FOU FOW RAMEN We can’t think of a better way to warm up after a shopping run on the renowned 9 straatjes than with fresh Japanese ramen soup: a generous bowlful with slippery noodles, sliced meat (or tofu), soft-set boiled egg, crunchy seaweed and Asian greens in a fragrant chicken, pork or vegetarian broth (from €10.50). Elandsgracht 2A www.foufow.nl

With a combined CV that includes revered restaurants such as Bordewijk, Visaandeschelde, Rijsel and Toscanini, Amsterdam epicures have been happily placing themselves in the practiced hands of chef Giel Kaagman and sommelier Bram Kortekaas for well over a year. Down a slim alley near Dam square, you’ll find a multi-level restaurant with distressed walls and a simple décor set around a recessed kitchen, providing plenty of opportunity to gawk at the gastro bistro action. While the creative fivecourse chef’s menu (€52.50) changes regularly, there’s always a harmonious medley of surprising ingredients and traditional techniques, with house-made charcuterie, seafood, venison and veal regularly featuring. Sint Nicolaasstraat 43 www.kaagmanenkortekaas.nl

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

ON THE MENU

Three of a kind to suit every taste text Karin Engelbrecht

french cuisine

appetiser platters

WHISKY WEEKEND AMSTERDAM

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

HET WARENHUIS

Whiff up a world of whisky culture in a 19th-century neo-Gothic church, where you’ll find over 30 stands, workshops and tastings on 20-21 January. If the ticket price (€37.50) is a little hard to swallow, remember it includes a welcome drink, a sampling glass and a bottle of water, plus plenty of free samplings inside.

Set in an atmospheric 17th-century landmark, this restaurant has all the charm of French cuisine without that famous heft. The kitchen is led by two former sous-chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants Bord’Eau and Bridges, which shows in witty amuses and decadent-yet-delicately executed renditions of classics, such as veal cheeks with gremolata and pomme dauphinoise cream (€17.00).

food festivals

Posthoornkerk, Haarlemmerstraat 124-126 www.whiskyamsterdam.nl

HARTOG’S FOOD SOUL FESTIVAL Feed your love of (soul) music and food trucks at this fun, free(!) indoor festival held at a handsome former factory in edgy Noord. At press time not much was known about the line-up (or exact dates), but if previous years are anything to go by, there’ll be plenty to please everyone. De Kromhouthal, Gedempt Hamerkanaal 231 www.foodsoulfestival.nl

Singel 460 www.tfcrestaurant.nl

BISTROT DES ALPES Cast off the cold with soul-soothing Savoyard winter fare – from alpine charcuterie to cheesy fondue and rich tartiflette (potato gratin with reblochon cheese, bacon and onion, €17.90) – served in a quirky ski-lodge setting, complete with a vintage ski-lift and chequered table cloths. Utrechtsedwarsstraat 141 www.bistrot-des-alpes.nl

CHOCOA FESTIVAL

AUBERGE JEAN & MARIE

Amsterdam boasts the world’s largest cocoa port, so it's unsurprising that there’s a chocolate-themed festival (25-26 February), too. A ticket (from €8.00) lets you meet celebrated chocolate makers and sample some of their finest wares, discover how chocolate is made, learn how location affects flavour and how to pair chocolate with wine, coffee and craft beer.

Pick from over 1,000 bottles in the climate-controlled in-house wine cellar and let Jean and Marie take you on a culinary stroll down memory lane with their old-school French classics: think frog’s legs in creamy garlic sauce, rustic chestnut and pistachio paté and rib-eye with rich Roquefort sauce and pommes gratin (from €34.50 for three courses).

Beurs van Berlage, Damrak 243 www.chocoa.nl

Albert Cuypstraat 58-60 www.aubergeamsterdam.nl

The comfy seating and large shop windows of this former department store is ideal for post-shopping peoplewatching with a cocktail. For the perfect touch, add a ‘Haarlemmerstraat borrel platter’, a selection of fine foods from purveyors on the jam-packed Jordaan street, such as Spanish tapas from Hollandaluz, delicatessen fare from Caulils and bread from Vlaamsch Broodhuys. Haarlemmerstraat 65 www.hetwarenhuis.amsterdam

WORST WIJNCAFÉ Charcuterie and artisan sausage (or worst, in Dutch) hog the spotlight at this warm Westerpark wine bar, with plenty of winning wines by the glass and small plates brimming with porcine delight – think paté, pieds de cochon (trotters) and heaps of ham – but also lobster sausage and Cecina de León (Spanish cured beef). Barentszstraat 171 www.deworst.nl

PARK Settle by the fireplace or the stunning terrace that juts into leafy Oosterpark at the recently renovated Hotel Arena, and choose from four appetiser platters (cheese, vegetarian, charcuterie and fish, from €12.50) or simply opt for beer and bitterballen (those delightfully Dutch bite-sized croquettes, €6.50). ‘s-Gravesandestraat 55 www.parkcafe-restaurant.nl

on the menu

URBAN JUNGLE Wild for botanicals

he tropical trend that saw Prada devotees donning vibrant hibiscus-print tops and floral art dresses has seeded a proliferation of jungle-inspired décor. At Bar Botanique Café Tropique, the colour scheme is jovial jungle-green, from its concrete floor to the velvet benches, marble table tops and soaring ceilings, with a spectacular tropical tiled bar and plenty of plants. The horticultural theme – often in the form of living walls or hanging baskets – can also be seen at recently opened PARK (see page 42), Brooks (see page 41) and Benji’s. ‘It’s a way of bringing nature inside to create an urban oasis,’ explains David Markx, Manager at Benji’s, an all-day breakfast café where ferns cascade

down a central staircase and flowers are found on every table. Or take the tropics home with jungle-patterned porcelain plates and palm-printed cushions courtesy of Dutch décor brand HKliving. PRADA P.C. Hooftstraat 63HS www.prada.com BAR BOTANIQUE Eerste van Swindenstraat 581 www.barbotanique.nl BENJI’S Wibautstraat 196 www.benjis.amsterdam HK LIVING Various locations www.hkliving.nl

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

pretty things

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

text Imke Walenberg

DISTRICT 10/71

NEW IN TOWN

ut with the old, in with the new – this 93-year-old trendsetter of the Museum Quarter has recently entirely revamped not only its interior, but also its concept. Their wide (and discerning) selection of articles includes beautiful gifts such as Senz’s funkily shaped umbrellas and contemporary Royal Delft ceramics with puristic lines and

brillant dashes of that staple blue. On the fashion side, they carry hot, unique labels like No Man’s Land, and the gorgeous knitwear by heartwarming initiative Granny’s Finest, which pairs young designers and elderly ladies with magic fingers. Last but not least in this cold, wet season, they also feature the chic collection of raingear-purveyors Rains and colourful scarves made by trendy nordic brand Becksondergaard. Since shopping is a

tiresome endeavour, you can also prop your feet up and enjoy one (or several, no judgment) of the many delicous cakes they serve from Petit Gâteau’s bakery. Van Baerlestraat 50 www.district1071.nl



foot fetish UNITED NUDE

beauty on the inside

DREAMBOAT DESIGN STUDIO & STORE As the name suggests, Dreamboat aims to bring beauty to the world. It was set up in 2015 with the belief that beauty leads to happiness – which leads to nicer people. These words alone are worth the trip to this store, located on the lovely Czaar Peterstraat. All the items you'll find here (curated by owner Aernoud Bourdres) are also made by people who share this motto, from paint in dazzling colours by Ijm to stylish socks by Royalties Paris. Czaar Peterstraat 145 www.dreamboat.nu

Real Dutch design for your feet! This footwear brand launched in 2003 with the ‘Möbius’ shoe. Since then, United Nude has developed and established itself as an iconic brand at the intersection between design and fashion. They even won the Best Footwear Designer Brand of the Year award in 2015. Fun fact: creative director and co-founder of United Nude is Rem D Koolhaas. Not to be confused with his uncle Rem Koolhaas, the world-famous architect... Molsteeg 10 www.unitednude.com

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open sesame SUMSUM & CO The new food hotspot in town is Sumsum & Co, where you can find the most delicious delicacies from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. All of the foods are made with the highest quality sesame seeds, which is one of the oldest cultivated and most exquisite crops in the world, infused with healthy minerals, proteins and vitamins. Summum & Co created more than 40 different flavours of halvah (a silky sweet snack) and 10 unique flavors of tahini. Tahini is traditionally often used as a dressing for meat and other dishes, but you can also use it for sandwiches and other treats. If you want to satisfy your taste buds you are at the right spot here. Nice bonus: the products are all non-toxic and animal friendly, and therefore also suitable for vegans. Heiligeweg 7

www.essentiel-antwerp.com

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

PART III EAT, DRINK & CHIC

what's in store

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



text Imke Walenberg

 TIFFANY'S AT DE BIJENKORF Girls' best friends galore: the brand with the iconic blue box and white ribbon has opened up a new boutique in luxury department store De Bijenkorf. Find the world’s most famous and beautiful jewellery designs on the renovated ground floor. For a very special Valentine's Day surprise, you'll find a wide collection of timeless engagement rings, but also stunning bracelets, earrings and the famous key pendants to show your love that they own the key to your heart.

NUVO NICHE Don't accidentally miss this shop when you're wandering around the Nine Streets shopping district. This cute, petite department store offers a variety of gifts, décor and their own women’s clothing and décor label called Resident by Nuvo Niche. If you're looking for interior inspiration, it's a great place too. The shop changes all the time! Prinsengracht 232 www.nuvo-niche.com

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Dam 1 nl.tiffany.com, www.debijenkorf.nl

HOME IS...

ROBINS HOOD

Located a quick five-minute walk from the Musemplein, this concept store aims to bring the most interesting and creative designers together under one roof. So you can find a nice mix of women's fashion (brands like Baum und Pferdgarten and Libertine-Libertine), accessories, design furniture and lifestyle accessories. Not in a shopping mood? You can simply stop by for a cappuccino in The Kitchen.

Quite a noble name for a shop, but it can definitely bear it. Robins Hood is all about the little things in life. Think of a shawl, vase, bag or any other small item that has a story to tell. All of them are vintage, fair-trade or Dutch design. And above all, hand-picked by the owner of this shop full of hidden gems.

Van Baerlestraat 89 www.homeis.nl

Tweede Tuindwarsstraat 7 www.robinshood.nl

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STUDIO JUX

&KLEVERING

The word ‘JUX’ means ‘fun’ or ‘having a laugh’ in German. Not without a reason, the founders of Studio Jux believe fashion should be fun and enjoyable for everyone. In their store at Ceintuurbaan 252, a refurbished garage, you can find the refreshing, handmade collection of Studio JUX. Fancy a dress made of vegan silk? You're at the right address here!

In need of some gift inspiration? Go to one of the three &Klevering shops. No doubt you will walk out of this store with a present that will suit the receiver perfectly. From Snurk bedding to the beautiful toys by Janod and Nicolas Vahe’s food products... You will find it at this gift walhalla.

Ceintuurbaan 252 www.studiojux.com

BIGGLES AMSTERDAM The Middenweg in Amsterdam East is a rising star if you're talking about hip and happening shopping streets. One of the nice contributions on this street is Biggles. There you can shop beautiful basic fashion items but also the latest must-haves. Ruby Tuesday, BeckSöndergaard and Alix the Label are just some of the brands you can stumble upon here. Middenweg 55a www.bigglesamsterdam.nll

Jacob Obrechtstraat 19a Middenweg 38 Haarlemmerstraat 8 www.klevering.com

GASSAN Gassan Dam Square is located in the heart of Amsterdam and, being the largest jewellery store in Holland, sells an elaborate selection of loose polished diamonds, exclusive jewellery and watches from 65 different brands like Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Chopard, Breguet, Audemars Piguet and many others. A highly trained staff provides customers with personal, expert advice to ensure that you can find the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

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Rokin 1-5 www.gassan.com

When in Amsterdam…

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

KEEP AMSTERDAM GREAT

L 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.

ast time I checked in, it was the eve of the US presidential elections and I was still keeping hope alive for a kinder, gentler home nation. Donald Trump is now presidentelect, and as the Dutch get ready to go to the polls in March, far-right, anti-immigrationist Geert Wilders, who just faced his second hatespeech trial, is leading in the polls. Throw in France, Italy and Brexit, and the world is once again resting on one of its right-leaning axis, where all ‘others’ are suspicious and ‘multiculturalism’ is a bad word. The Netherlands has always been renown for its tolerance. And while the idea has taken a hit on the national stage over the years, beginning with Wilders’ populist predecessor Pim Fortuyn, tolerance – in acts both big and small – still exists down in Amsterdam’s streets. Here’s a small reminder of where you can find it: After last year’s Paris attacks, my daughter’s Hebrew school at the wonderfully progressive and historic Uilenburger Synagogue held a class in the equally progressive Al-Kabir Mosque on the Weesperzijde. The children focused on their similarities – you say Shalom, we say Salaam – and many were dressed in Zwarte Piet’s trademark pantaloons waiting for St. Nicholas to sail down the Amstel that very same day. Starting them young pays off: my daughter’s worldview expanded more that day than a lifetime of classroom lessons could ever hope to achieve.

While the debate still rages about the appropriateness of Sint’s black-faced helpers in the 21st century, 2016 saw some significant changes to Zwarte Piet: Amsterdam was one of only two cities where blackface Piets were banned from official celebrations; broadcaster RTL also abandoned its blackface Piets in favour of ’Chimney Piets’; and even the country’s big retailers got on board,withHEMA,forone,usingsoot-facedPiets in some of its products. ‘Sinterklaas is a festival for everyone,’ Amsterdam’s mayor maintains. Salaam-Shalom promotes interfaith friendship by organising activities throughout the city. Check out their Facebook page for mixed meals, music and movies. Should you decide to celebrate Valentine’s Day by tying the knot just for a day at Amsterdam’s Wed and Walk, you can marry whomever you love in this country that was the first in the world to legalize gay marriage – fifteen years ago. On 27 February, join the Rave for Humanity, a dance benefit that helps raise money for a slew of refugee initiatives, including www.takecarebnb.com. The site matches asylum seekers with local families, offering newcomers the warm welcome that, despite current trends, is Amsterdam’s historical legacy.

NOW Available in the I amsterdam Store Amsterdam CS, IJ-zijde

BEST OF AMSTER DAM

PART IV

THE

jan & feb 2017

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

For complete listings, see www.iamsterdam.com

BLACK BOX

UNTIL 8 MARCH FOAM www.foam.org

Japanese-American photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, an adept of traditional techniques, prefers the use of his 8x10 large-format camera to the new digital equipment. His black-and-white long exposures give his work an eerie, reflective quality, which serves his artistic focus: exploring the transience of life and the conflict between life and death. This retrospective at FOAM presents a selection of 34 of the virtuoso photographer’s most beautiful shots, spanning 40 years of work and delving into his most famous series: ‘Theatres‘, ‘Lightning Fields‘, ‘Dioramas‘, ‘Portraits‘ and ‘Seascapes‘. Widely considered an authority because of his level of craftsmanship and his intellectual take on the medium (inspired by the Dadaist and Surrealist movements), Sugimoto’s work is a visually stunning and intricate conduit for philosophical reflection, creating what he calls ‘expressions of time exposed’.

PART IV THE A-LIST.

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUMS

25 YEARS OF MUSEUM JAN VAN DER TOGT Museum Jan van der Togt celebrates 25 years of showcasing modern art with two special exhibitions and the opening of a new wing. In particular, the exhibition '25 years of Jan' is a tribute to the relationship between founder and art collector, Jan van der Togt, and Jan Verschoor, the museum director. The new wing, called The Treasure Chamber, showcases the gallery’s most prominent works, including an extensive glass sculpture collection. Museum Jan van der Togt, until 8 Jan FRANS POST: ANIMALS IN BRAZIL In 1636, as the Dutch cleared their new corner of Brazil for sugar plantations, they brought with them young Haarlem painter Frans Post to record the landscape and its people, flora and fauna. Post was inspired by what he’d seen long after he returned home, and his Brazilian landscapes were a big hit with Dutch customers. Rijksmuseum, until 8 Jan THE ART OF BANKSY This exhibition brings together some 100 iconic artworks that tell the story of the (in)famous British street artist. Curated by his agent Steve Lazarides, the items on display include original canvasses, paintings and sculptures. Beurs van Berlage, until 8 Jan HERCULES SEGERS The idiosyncratic paintings and prints by Golden Age artist Hercules Segers were

SOFIA BORGES Brazilian photographer Sofia Borges presents a new exhibition. Her compelling images featuring cave drawings, oil paintings and historical myths, examine how photography brings us closer to history. Foam, until 22 Jan ROOM 1010 | 010 An installation displayed at the Lloyd Hotel. Two rooms are used to express a futuristic scenario in which visitors can interact with each other virtually. The exhibition is inspired by the concept of technology and the increasing digitisation of society and whether it promotes intimacy or loneliness. Lloyd Hotel, 12-26 Jan DAUBIGNY, MONET, VAN GOGH Enter the world of Charles-Francois Daubigny, a 19th-century painter who influenced Van Gogh and the other famous Impressionists. This major exhibition not only seeks to better understand his method and vision, but also to provide a clearer picture of the interconnections with Van Gogh's work, as well as that of his peers. Van Gogh Museum, until 29 Jan THE BUDDHA The Buddha is one of the world’s most inspiring figures and his image is ubiquitous, even in the Netherlands. 100 Buddha statues feature in this exhibition, along with archive material and art telling the Buddha’s life story. The exhibition collection features key international loans from top museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and Asian museums in Berlin and Singapore. Tropenmuseum, until 31 Jan MARIA AUSTRIA & CARLA VAN DE PUTTELAAR This exhibition is an intrigu-

It invites visitors to experience Marilyn through her private objects, including famous articles of clothing, accessories and personal documents.

Choice exhibit

MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY - MARTIN GERLACH Martin Gerlach’s unusual compositions of plants, animals and objects achieved something of a cult following in the 1890s. See how the photographer's peculiar images from his book of examples continues to fascinate audiences today. This exhibition shows more than 140 of these intriguing images, which have inspired generations of photographers. Rijksmuseum, until 8 Jan

CATHERINE, THE GREATEST A collection of more than 300 paintings, sculptures and personal objects of Catherine the Great make their way from St. Petersburg to Amsterdam, inviting spectators into her world. This exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the life of Europe’s longest-reigning empress. Many of her possessions, such as jewellery, dresses, and other fine artefacts, help to unravel her decadent life. Hermitage Amsterdam, until 15 Jan

ing comparison between contemporary photographer Carla van de Puttelaar and Maria Austria, a pioneer of photography as an artform in

HIROSHI SUGIMOTO: BLACK BOX Celebrated Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto has been compared to Mark Rothko for his abstract images, which frequently have a meditative quality. His seascapes and compositions of animals use atmospheric natural light in beautiful and unexpected ways. The exhibition 'Black Box' presents an overview of his artistic style. Foam, until 8 Mar

DE STIJL AT THE STEDELIJK Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum joins in a nationwide celebration of 100 years since the birth of the art movement known as De Stijl, filling six galleries with works by Piet Mondrian, Gerrit Rietveld, Theo van Doesburg and a host of artists who were influenced by those iconic primary colours and geometric shapes. What's more, the exhibition explores the relationships between the original De Stijl works and many other artists. Stedelijk Museum, until 21 May

UNDER THE SPELL OF HERCULES SEGERS One of the lesser-known artists of the Dutch Golden Age went on to inspire generations of artists and printmakers. Hercules Segers is renowned for his experimental ‘printed paintings’ that pushed the boundaries of classical techniques. In homage to the great artist, an exhibition detailing his influence on Rembrandt is on at Rembrandt House Museum, while the Rijksmuseum presents a complete retrospective of his works. Rembrandthuis, until 8 Jan

highly prized by art lovers and artists in his own time. Rembrandt owned no less than eight painted works by Segers. The ‘modern’ character of his art and its enormous rarity has earned Segers an almost mythical status amongst connoisseurs. Here the Rijksmuseum will exhibit works from its own collection as well as items on loan from the Netherlands and abroad. Rijksmuseum, until 8 Jan

MONDRIAN

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

ED VAN DER ELSKEN: CAMERA IN LOVE As one of the early adopters of street photography, Ed van der Elsken offered an unrivalled glimpse into the streets of Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo, and especially the real people who inhabited them. The photographer had the rare ability to draw the viewer into his scenes of everyday life, his photographs always making a very personal connection with the most interesting personalities on the city streets. Stedelijk Museum, 4 Feb-21 May

the Netherlands. Delve into Amsterdam’s fascinating history alongside a contemporary perspective of this artform. Amsterdam City Archives, until 5 Feb

Shown alongside photos and film clips, you'll discover an intimate view of this female icon, both in and away from the camera’s gaze. De Nieuwe Kerk, until 5 Feb

90 YEARS MISS MONROE In the year that would have marked her 90th birthday, this biographical exhibition opens up Marilyn Monroe’s world – the successful and glamorous external appearance as well as her often lonely inner world.

AMSTERDAM 1900 Walk the streets of Amsterdam in 1900. An exhibition of more than 300 photographs by the likes of George Hendrik Breitner, Jacob Olie and Bernard Eilers presents a fascinating insight into the city’s history

during the advent of photography. Step back in time and visit the bustling streets, the busy ports, the homes of the wealthy and slums of the poor. Amsterdam City Archives, until 5 Feb THE FOUR SENSES Rembrandt’s earliest known paintings, 'The Four Senses', a set of four small panels representing sight, hearing, smell and touch, can currently be seen in the Rembrandthuis. The works date from around 1624 and were painted in Leiden when Rembrandt (1606-1669) was around 18 years old. The paintings show the young artist in the throes of development. Rembrandthuis, until 12 Feb GOOD HOPE? SOUTH AFRICA & THE NETHERLANDS FROM 1600 Exhibition taking a critical look at the relationship between the Netherlands and South Africa over the past 400 years. From Dutch colonisation, through to the Boer War and Apartheid, it documents several significant and disturbing issues through photographs, paintings, film clips and artefacts. Highlights include Robert Jacob Gordon’s landscape panoramas and portraits by South African photographer Pieter Hugo. Rijksmuseum, 17 Feb-21 May HARLEY WEIR BOUNDARIES A solo exhibition by the London-based photographer. Harley Weir has a background in fashion photography and has shot campaigns for brands such as Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney and Maison Martin Margiela. This is the upand-coming artist’s first solo exhibition in Amsterdam and promises to inspire viewers with an engaging collection of youth-focused, intimate and at times, risqué images. Foam, until 19 Feb ‘BRUSHES’ AWARD WINNERS IN THE RIJKSMUSEUM The Rijksmuseum's annual exhibition of original prints by the winners of the 'Penselen' (Brushes), the 'Paletten' (Palettes) and the 'Vlag en Wimpels' (Flag and Pennants) awards. These awards honour the most beautifully illustrated children's books of the past year. Rijksmuseum, until 19 Feb MUSIC AT HOME A collection of antique pianos, flutes, violins and lesser known musical instruments that once provided the main source of entertainment in homes is on display at the Rijksmuseum. See exquisite examples of these important status symbols, including a harp linked to Marie Antoinette, and gain an insight into domestic life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Rijksmuseum, until 26 Feb

jan & feb 2017

ROYAL BAGS See a collection of handbags that were once carried by royalty. Among the highlights are the Hermès Kelly bag designed for Princess Grace, pieces from Queen Elizabeth’s private collection, Louis Vuitton trunks that travelled with Empress Eugénie of France and three bags that Queen Máxima personally selected for this exhibition. Museum of Bags and Purses, until 26 Feb THEO BAART & CARY MARKERINK A treasured, leather-bound photo album produced in the 19th century by French photographer Édouard Baldus was the inspiration for this contemporary photo series by Theo Baart and Cary Markerink. This exhibition showcases recreations of Baldus’ work along with modern-day interpretations as they follow in his footsteps. Huis Marseille, until 5 Mar JEAN TINGUELY – MACHINE SPECTACLE Swiss artist Jean Tinguely is famous for his playful, boldly kinetic machines and explosive performances. Twenty-five years after his death, the Stedelijk Museum mounts the largest ever Dutch retrospective of the artist's work, including machine sculptures, films, photos, drawings and archive materials. Stedelijk Museum, until 5 Mar MARINUS BOEZEM Marinus Boezem, renowned for bringing conceptual art to the Netherlands in the 1960s, will transform the Oude Kerk, the oldest church and oldest building in Amsterdam, into an interactive installation. Visitors can see the space from new perspective (and heights, if they dare) and appear and disappear within it. Oude Kerk, until 26 Mar MASTERPIECE 2017 Each year De Nieuwe Kerk presents a singular major masterwork from a world renowned artist that's inspired by a religion. Previous artworks showcased were by Rembrandt, Warhol, Bacon, Tristan and Chagall. And by focusing on only one major work per year, the museum aims to recreate the experience of a pilgrimage for visitors as they absorb it wholly. This year, attention is shone on El Greco's 'Pentecost', a 400-year-old altarpiece showing the 12 apostles and Mary as a dove looks down on them from heaven. De Nieuwe Kerk, 18 Feb-9 Apr BÉLA TARR Enter the world of Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, regarded worldwide as one of the most important and influential film authors of the past 30 years. Tarr is a master of the long take, of wonderfully shot, lan-

guid, melancholic films that express the human condition. Here he's developed an exhibition that is a cross between a film, a theatre set and an installation, aiming to give a voice to the vast numbers of migrants who have been left stranded in Europe over the past two years. EYE Filmmuseum, 21 Jan-7 May 100 YEARS OF SCHIPHOL: READY FOR TAKE-OFF On 19 September 1916, a small plane landed for the first time in muddy pasture by some wooden farm sheds in Haarlemmermeer. One hundred years later, where can Amsterdam Airport Schiphol expand to next? Play air traffic control games, see a WWII bomb and figure out the future of Schiphol at this special centenary exhibition. Amsterdam Museum, until 7 May STAR-VU TEN YEARS OF PHOTO ACQUISITIONS THANKS TO BAKER & MCKENZIE The Rijksmuseum showcases photographs from its collection by iconic 20th-century photographers, purchased during the past decade through support by law firm Baker & McKenzie. These works include internationally renowned artists like Man Ray, William Klein, Lisette Model, André Kertész and Saul Leiter. Rijksmuseum, 17 Feb-21 May FOOD IN WARTIME Between 1940 and 1945 the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. Five Dutch chefs have taken on the challenge of creating dishes using only ingredients that were available during the occupation. 'Food in Wartime' offers an exclusive insight into daily life during this time. Dutch Resistance Museum, until 28 May THE STATE COACH IN THE NETHERLANDS The Van Loon Family travelled in style. See the spectacular golden carriage, which has recently been restored, in the coach house at Museum Van Loon. The exhibition continues through the historical home and includes paintings, archival documents and other glimpses into Amsterdam’s past. Museum van Loon, until 30 Jun DRIVE: 100 YEARS OF COLLECTING If you've been pondering why your cupboards are overflowing with Tupperware, this exhibition explores the reasons why we collect and showcase objects. Sometimes it's by people who want to show off their wealth, other times they simply have an urge to hoard. A collection can make you feel immortal, or even create a unique microcosm. Naturally, a maritime theme recurs through the exhibition,

including an exclusive peek at Reinier Nooms' 1664 painting 'Gezicht op het IJ met 's Lands Zeemagazijn' – which the museum recently purchased – a life jacket from the Costa Concordia and a letter signed by Dutch naval hero Michiel de Ruyter. The National Maritime Museum, until 2 July 2017 ROMANOVS & REVOLUTION Travel back in time to St Petersburg 1917, the ultimate turning point in Russia’s history. This exhibition marks 100 years since the beginning of the Russian Revolution. See paintings, clothing and precious objects that belonged to Russia’s last imperial family on display. Hermitage Amsterdam, 4 Feb-17 Sep

PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS ANNE FRANK HOUSE Prinsengracht 263 is where Anne Frank lived in hiding with her family for more than two years during World War II. Now converted into a museum, it contains a sobering exhibition about persecution. BODY WORLDS After captivating visitors the world over, the oftcontroversial exhibition of human specimens, including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices, features an extensive selection of authentic human specimens.

exotic plants. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. HOUSEBOAT MUSEUM Located in the Hendrika Maria, a former freighter moored on the Prinsengracht, the Houseboat Museum gives a fun insight into life on Amsterdam’s canals – a uniquely Dutch way of life. VAN KROT TOT WONINGWET These specialists of the Amsterdam School architecture movement examine the living situation of workers in the Netherlands. ONS’ LIEVE HEER OP SOLDER (OUR LORD IN THE ATTIC) This clandestine church in a 17th-century canalhouse attic dates back to the Reformation, when Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith in public. REMBRANDTHUIS (REMBRANDT HOUSE) 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 his contemporaries. RIJKSMUSEUM 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.

EYE FILM MUSEUM Cinematography museum with an internationally renowned collection of films covering the whole history of cinema.

HET SCHEEPVAART MUSEUM (NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM) The National Maritime Museum comprises a series of small exhibitions exploring various elements of maritime life. Moored outside is the Amsterdam, an exact replica of a famous Dutch East India Company ship.

ENERGETICA This new outdoor exhibition on the roof of NEMO invites you to experience the ways in which it is possible to generate energy from the wind, water and sun, using special sculptures and installations to demonstrate techniques.

KONINKLIJK PALEIS (ROYAL PALACE) The Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) on Amsterdam’s Dam Square is one of three palaces still in use by the Dutch royal family. When the palace is not being used by the royal family, it is open to the public.

GEELVINCK HINLOPEN HOUSE A decadent canal-side mansion showcasing 17th-century patrician wealth. Highlights include ornamental gardens and sumptuous themed salons.

STEDELIJK MUSEUM The museum’s permanent collection is on display in the beautifully restored historical building. Half of the ground floor is reserved for the design collection.

HET GRACHTENHUIS (MUSEUM OF THE CANALS) A tribute to the Canal District, with multimedia exhibitions showing how the engineering marvel was built on swampland during the 17th century. HORTUS BOTANICUS For nearly four centuries, Amsterdam’s Hortus Botanicus has regaled visitors with its lush greenhouses and

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 has a remarkable collection of Golden Age art and silverware. ADDRESSES Amsterdam City Archives Vijzelstraat 32 stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl Amsterdam Museum Kalverstraat 92 www.amsterdammuseum.nl Anne Frank House Prinsengracht 263-267 www.annefrank.org Museum of Bags & Purses Herengracht 573 www.tassenmuseum.nl Body Worlds Damrak 66 www.bodyworlds.nl De Appel Arts Centre Prins Hendrikkade 142 www.deappel.nl EYE Filmmuseum IJpromenade 1 www.eyefilm.nl FOAM Keizersgracht 609 www.foam.org Geelvinck Hinlopen House Keizersgracht 633 www.geelvinck.nl Van Gogh Museum Paulus Potterstraat 7 www.vangoghmuseum.nl Het Grachtenhuis (Museum of the Canals) Herengracht 386 www.hetgrachtenhuis.nl Hermitage Amsterdam Amstel 51 www.hermitage.nl Hortus Botanicus Plantage Middenlaan 2A www.dehortus.nl Houseboat Museum Prinsengracht 296K www.houseboatmuseum.nl Huis Marseille Keizersgracht 401 www.huismarseille.nl Madame Tussauds Dam 20 www.madametussauds.com De Nieuwe Kerk Dam Square www.nieuwekerk.nl Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40 www.opsolder.nl Oudekerk Oudekerksplein 23 www.oudekerk.nl Rembrandt House Museum Jodenbreestraat 4 www.rembrandthuis.nl Rijksmuseum Jan Luijkenstraat 1 www.rijksmuseum.nl Royal Palace Amsterdam Dam square www.paleisamsterdam.nl Het Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum) Kattenburgerplein 1 hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl Stedelijk Museum Museumplein 10 www.stedelijk.nl Tropenmuseum Linnaeusstraat 2 www.tropenmuseum.nl Willet-Holthuysen Museum Herengracht 605 www.willetholthuysen.nl

PART IV THE A-LIST

STAGE THEATRE, DANCE & COMEDY SHOT OF IMPROV Shot of Improv sees the entire Boom Chicago cast take to the stage, so the laughs are guaranteed to keep on comin’. Completely different each week, it’s a show that starts big and never slows down. every Sat, Boom Chicago, 22:30, €15 EASYLAUGHS This international comedy group performs a hilarious, hi-octane, completely improvised show at the CREA Café every Friday night. There’s also an early bird show, guest performers from around the world, various formats, themes and open podiums. every Fri, Crea Café, 20:00 & 21:00, €5-€10 THE FOUNTAINHEAD Toneelgroep Amsterdam tackle Ayn Rand’s bestseller, a dramatic story of the breath-taking feud between the young and brilliant architect Howard Roark, who pursues his ideals without compromise, and his rival Peter Keating, a man who opts for commercial success and social status. Performances are in Dutch, but with English surtitles on these dates. Thur 5 & 12 Jan, Stadsschouwburg, 19:30, €22.50-€ 39.50 VR WINTER WONDERLAND The Boom Chicago improv comedy team get seasonal with a show that's inspired by the 'Year of VR'. You won't technically have to strap anything over your eyes to have a fun night out (unless that's your personal fetish). Jan & Feb, Boom Chicago, various dates, times and prices COPPELIA One of ballet’s best-loved comedies, returns to the stage for the festive season with a few modern alterations and fabulous ‘retro-futuristic’ costumes. Sun 1 Jan, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, 14:00, €19€92 SILVER 'Silver' explores the increasing digitisation of our society, through mechanical movements and robotic dance techniques. This moving portrayal of a dystopian future is the creation of Dutch choreographer Nanine Linning, who is currently achieving great success in Germany. Linning has an imaginative and experimental approach, which has inspired collaborations with top artists and designers such as Iris van Herpen. Wed 11 Jan, Stadsschouwburg, 20:30, €10-€42.50 DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL Mozart’s brilliant ‘Die Entführung aus dem Serail’, about an abduction from a harem, was written when the compos-

er was 25 years old. Fri 13-Thur 26 Jan, various dates & times, €23-€176

Choice theatre

Sat 18 & Sun 19 Feb, Meervaart, various times, €15€20

FLAMENCO BIENNIAL The Flamenco Biennial showcases the rich flamenco tradition, interspersed with modern dance performances and intimate song recitals. 13-29 Jan, various locations, www.flamencobiennale.nl

OPERATHRILLER Pocket Opera, an operatic trio (plus pianist), throw their hearts and voices fully into this murder mystery opera with lots of fantastic music. Sun 19 Feb, Meervaart, 15:00, €15-€20

ZOE LYONS & FIN TAYLOR Comedytrain presents British comedians Zoe Lyons and Fin Taylor. A regular panellist on TV show 'Mock the Week', Lyon's wit, sharp material and high-energy performances have solidified her as one of the funniest ladies in comedy. Sun 15 Jan, Toomler, 20:30, €16.50

ISABELLE BEERNAERT NE ME QUITTE PAS Acclaimed choreographer Isabelle Beernaert, of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ fame, brings her passionate style to the stage at Schouwburg Amstelveen. Sun 19 Feb, Royal Theatre Carré, 14:00, €17-€35

PARA | DISO REVISITED A modern dance performance that explores concepts of paradise and the journey to the afterlife. Mon 16 & Tue 17 Jan, Meervaart, 20:15, €10-€20 WHAT DO WE KNOW GrossDanceCompany explores issues faced by asylum seekers and links them to the works of Kafka. Tue 17 & Wed 18 Jan, Theatre Bellevue, 20:30, €17.50 RATS This dynamic contemporary dance piece juxtaposes the moves of eight urban dancers against one classically trained dancer. Sat 21 Jan, Frascati, 20:00, €15 TOSCA The Charkov State Opera & Ballet Theater tackle Puccini's iconic opera, about a diva, a sadistic police chief and idealistic artist. Sat 21 Jan, Schouwburg Amstelveen, 20:00, €44-€45 SLEEPING BEAUTY The Bolshoi Ballet’s portrayal of the fairytale classic is brought to the big cinema screen direct from Moscow. Sun 22 Jan, Pathé Tuschinski, 16:00, €5-€18.50 FIGURE A SEA Sweden’s prestigious Cullberg Ballet performs a new piece choreographed and composed by two of New York’s leading dance professionals, Deborah Hay and Laurie Anderson. The concept of an endless sea of possibilities is explored through intricate technique, as 21 dancers glide across the stage, dissolving and re-emerging like waves on the shore. Sun 22 & Mon 23 Jan, Stadsschouwburg, 20:00, €20-€37.50 SWAN LAKE Tchaikovsky’s tragic story of love, vengeance and betrayal is brought to life by State Opera of Tatarstan in Amsterdam this January. Tue 24 Jan, Meervaart, 19:00, €17.50-€35

THE ILLUSIONISTS In 'The Next Generation of Magic' show, seven of the world's best illusionists will share one stage. The Illusionists have performed their selection of incredible stunts and mind-boggling illusions together in over 200 cities in 25 counties – even becoming a fixture on Broadway. The cast on this tour includes Luis de Matos, Krendle, Yu Ho Jin, Raymond Crow, Enzo, The Clairvoyants and Ben Blaque. These world-renowned performers combine the skillfulness of Houdini and theatricality of David Copperfield with the latest magic-based technology and costumes. Expect flying, mind-reading, knife-throwing, escapology and disappearance acts throughout this eclectic magic show. Wed 11-Sun 15 Jan, AFAS Live, various times, €29-€59 HUSBANDS AND WIVES Having premiered at Holland Festival 2016, the small stellar cast return to the Amsterdam stage for another look at the human condition. Performances are in Dutch with English surtitles only on Thursdays. On 2 Feb, Amsterdam Salon members can also enjoy a backstage tour afterwards. Thur 26 Jan & 2 Feb, Stadsschouwburg, 20:00, €21€33.50 TRUE COLORS This thought-provoking performance takes you on a journey through art from Rembrandt to Banksy, exploring concepts of identity and illusion. With hip-hop choreography by Alida Dors and spoken word by Akwasi. Fri 27 & Sat 28 Jan, Theater Bellevue, 20:30, €11-€17 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Texan rock 'n' roll performer Ted Neeley, who played the role of Jesus in the original 1973 film, is returning to the stage at the age of 73 to tour this international rock opera through the Netherlands one last time. (Performed in English) Tue 31 Jan-Sun 5 Feb, RAI Theater, various times, €59-€89 HOUSE DANCE FOREVER This international dance battle pits top talents from the urban and hip-hop dance scenes against each. Sat 4 & Sun 5 Feb, Paradiso, www.summerdanceforever. com KRISZTINA'S KEUZE This year Hungarian choreographer and company director, Krisztina de Châtel has selected Nina Certyn, Sabine

Miller, Loïc Perela and Connor Schumacher, who breathe new life into the dance genre with their individual styles. The four parts of the performance are distinctive in their stories, style and inspiration. Tue 7-Thur 9 Feb, Theater Bellevue, 20:30, €11-€17 MUSICALS IN CONCERT LIVE ON TOUR A combination of Broadway’s best-loved show tunes in one unforgettable performance. The talented line-up of singers are accompanied by live music from Bernd van den Bos. Sun 12 & Mon 13 Feb, Royal Theatre Carré, 20:00, €20€54 INTRODANS - HOERA VOOR HANS With 'Hoera voor Hans', Introdans hope to introduce young audiences to one of the Netherlands' most important choreographers, Hans van Manen, who turns 85 in 2017. Sun 12 Feb, Schouwburg Amstelveen, 15:00, €12.50€16.50 ASHTON BROTHERS ENFANTS TERRIBLES! This slapstick comedy troupe have been responsible for a fantastic run of elaborate shows throughout the past decade. The not-actual brothers' energetic combinations of acrobatics, magic, music and general clowning about are open to all ages and cultures. Thur 16 Feb, Schouwburg Amstelveen, 20:00, €28.50 JUNIORS GO DUTCH Young dancers who have pliéd and pirouetted their way through the Dutch National Ballet Academy have their time in the spotlight in Juniors Go Dutch.

HOME Through 13 dancers and live music composed by Michel Banabila, Home explores concepts of community, belonging and where the heart is. Tue 21 & Wed 22 Feb, Stadsschouwburg, 20:30, €10-€35 CESAR MILLAN LIVE! Cesar is undoubtedly the most well-known professional in his field, largely due to the long-running success of his TV show: 'Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'. His return to Amsterdam is in support of his new 'Once Upon a Dog' show, in which he'll take the audience through all the life stages of our canine companions. Fri 24 Feb, AFAS Live, 19:30, €35-€95

ADDRESSES Boom Chicago Rozentheater Rozengracht 117 020 423 0101 www.boomchicago.nl Crea Café Nieuwe Achtergracht 170 020 525 1423 www.crea.uva.nl Dutch National Opera & Ballet Amstel 3 020 625 5455 www.operaballet.nl Melkweg Lijnbaansgracht 234A www.melkweg.nl Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8 www.paradiso.nl Royal Theater Carré Amstel 115/125 0900 2525255 www.carre.nl Stadsschouwburg Leidseplein 26, 020 624 2311 www.stadsschouwburg amsterdam.nl Theater Amsterdam Danzigerkade 5 www.theateramsterdam.nl Theater Bellevue Leidsekade 90 020 530 5301 www.theaterbellevue.nl Toomler Breitnerstraat 2 020 670 7400 www.toomler.nl Ziggo Dome De Passage 100 www.ziggodome.nl

jan & feb 2017

FESTIVALS & EVENTS FESTIVALS EVENTS AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL The Amsterdam Light Festival returns to Amsterdam this festive season, (literally) putting the beautiful city centre and its canals in the limelight. until 22 Jan, various locations, www.amsterdamlightfestival.com

ancient flamenco art and unite tradition and experimentation in extraordinary concerts and performances that include jazz, contemporary dance and music, and baroque. One of the main highlights is set to be 'caída del cielo' at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ on 28 Jan. 13-29 Jan, various locations, www.flamencobiennale.nl

PARADISO CHOIR DAYS It may be a modern-day pop temple but Amsterdam’s Paradiso was originally a church. So DUTCH ICE SCULPTURE it’s fitting that every year, the FESTIVAL entire venue gets turned over to every type of choir imaginable. One of the Netherlands’ most spectacular winter events comes The Paradiso Choir Days are an annual tradition that attract a to Amsterdam this year. Taking broad mix of choirs and audithe theme ‘Music Inspires’, 42 leading international ice artists ence members into the hallowed pop venue. Expect around 140 will transform 550,000 kg of performances throughout the ice and snow into a breathtakweekend, featuring amateur ing frozen landscape, creating singing groups of all ages and magical worlds and spectacular all genres. music-themed sculptures up to six-metres high. Alongside the Sat 14 & Sun 15 Jan, Paradiso, 11.30, €3 ice sculpture festival, guests can also enjoy a pop-up music museum in the Event Plaza at Arena AMSTERDAM HOTEL NIGHT Boulevard, with winter beverag- Residents can experience Amsterdam through the eyes of a es, food, fairground attractions tourist by enjoying an overnight and family activities. stay in a local hotel. A prountil 5 Feb, Arena Park, www. gramme of culinary, creative ijsbeelden.nl and cultural events once again TANGOTRAIN adds additional sparkle, with Get a dose of fiery tango passion many of the participating hotels at one of the many TangoTrain putting on special dining events. dance performances and work- Later in the evening, guests can party, socialise and discover new shops around Amsterdam. It experiences during the event doesn't just take two to tango: whether you’re there to partici- programme. Keep in mind that pate or just watch, this event has while the discounted rooms are explicitly available to locals only, something for everyone. it is possible to purchase Hotel until 1 Jan, various locations, Night event tickets that are valid www.tangotrain.com for only the event programming. CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 14 & 15 Jan, various locations, www.hotelnacht.nl Devoted to the enchanting world of chamber music, this FOR REAL festival is the brainchild of Rembrandt and Vermeer led the Dutch cellist Ella van Poucke and her brother, pianist Nicolas way with figurative and realistic van Poucke. It once again unites art, and the genre remains just as relevant in the Netherlands international musicians to celetoday. The FOR REAL art fair brate this centuries-old style of (formerly known as Realisme) classical music performance. showcases works by Dutch and 1 Jan, Amstelkerk, www. international artists, ranging kamermuziekfestivalamsterfrom well-established artists to dam.com new talents who are reinterpretFIBER X THE REST IS NOISE ing this important genre. The people behind the FIBER 19-22 Jan, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, www.realisFestival collaborate with the meamsterdam.com Rest is Noise programmers for an all-encompassing audio-viDJANGO FESTIVAL sual event. The line-up sees ambient producer Paul Jebanasam The Django Festival celebrates team up with Dutch artist Tarik the birthday of legendary gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Barra to present 'Continuum'. Expect professional workshops, The second duo of the night is quirky jam sessions and a Scott Monteith (Deadbeat) with line-up of world-class gypsy visual artist Rainer Kohlberger, jazz performers at this festival, together presenting the new including Fapy Lafertin, Paulus album 'Qawwali Quatsch'. 6 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Schafer and Holland’s own Stochelo Rosenberg. www.muziekgebouw.nl Fri 20-Sun 22 Jan, Tobacco FLAMENCO BIENNIAL Theatre, www.tobacco.nl The Flamenco Biennial brings WHISKY WEEKEND the vanguard of contemporary AMSTERDAM flamenco to the Netherlands evPeaty, oaky, creamy, smoky – ery two years. It showcases the those are just a few words to rich flamenco tradition, interdescribe whisky like a pro at spersed with modern dance performances and intimate song re- this annual whisky event. 20 & citals at various locations across 21 Jan, Posthoornkerk, www. whiskyamsterdam.nl the city. In sparkling rhythms and passionate song and dance, IMPRO AMSTERDAM a new crop of flamenco makers Featuring world-class improv explore the boundaries of the

Choice festivals

NATIONAL TULIP DAY It’s as synonymous with the Netherlands as windmills and cheese: National Tulip Day brings some much-needed cheer to a cold January weekend, with visitors invited to experience a huge temporary tulip garden on the Dam Square, where they can even pick their own beautiful bloom. The special theme for 2017 is 'Mondrian to Dutch Design', to celebrate 100 years of De Stijl art. 21 Jan, Dam Square, www.tulpen.nl

CHINESE NEW YEAR In 2017, Chinese New Year falls on 28 January, ushering in the year of the rooster. Festivities traditionally take place around the historic Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood, so look out for impromptu parades, fireworks and hot and tasty Asian foods. In recent years, extra celebrations have also taken place on the Dam Square and in the neighbouring De Bijenkorf department store. 28 Jan, various locations, www.iamsterdam.com

HOUSE DANCE FOREVER actors from all over the globe, this international improvisation This international dance battle theatre festival returns for the pits top talents from the urban 22nd time. Alongside the main and hip-hop dance scenes performances, there are lateagainst each. The Saturday night shows, workshops, IMprogramming is followed up by PRO talks, an open stage and an the Juste Debout Holland dance afterparty to top it all off. battles on the Sunday. 21-28 Jan, Compagnietheater, Sat 4 & Sun 5 Feb, Paradiso, www.impro-amsterdam.nl www.summerdanceforever. com JUMPING AMSTERDAM NEONSPLASH This international event is an annual highlight on the Dutch Big on beats and top DJs, Neonequestrian calendar that never splash is one of the country's fails to draw the world’s best biggest paint parties. Alongside riders, including Olympic chamthe DJs and dancing, some pions! The event includes show 15,000 litres of washable paint jumping and dressage compeare set to bring colour to the titions (including FEI World night. Cup events), shows, evening 4 Feb, AFAS Live, www.neonsentertainment, an exhibition plash.com area and a host of bars and DESIGN ICONS restaurants. 26-29 Jan, RAI Amsterdam, This industrial space in Amsterwww.jumpingamsterdam.nl dam Noord houses more than 60 traders during the weekend MERCEDES-BENZ event, with objects from the FASHIONWEEK AMSTERDAM 1930s to 1980s (and everything The winter edition of this utterly in between). From Eames to fashionable festival features an Mies van der Rohe and chic industry programme and vari- Italian design, the fair features a ous public elements that turns huge range of styles, and all the the city’s streets into a catwalk items are for sale. and the bars into glamorous 11 & 12 Feb, Kromhouthal, parties, showcasing the finest in www.design-icons.com fresh European style. Find out STUKAFEST AMSTERDAM what's going on with the world's top designers and tap into new This annual festival sees stutalents via the innovative Fashdent’s rooms transformed into ion LAB programming. mini-theatres, hosting live 26-29 Jan, Westergasfabriek, music, shows, poetry, cabaret www.fashionweek.nl and dance performances. Please note that much of the drama/ MONO JAPAN spoken word programming will Mono Japan is a cultural exhibe in Dutch. bition and fair specialising in all 15 Feb, various locations, things Japanese. Look out for www.stukafest.nl/amsterdam the likes of ceramics, textiles, WONDERLAND FESTIVAL clothing, teas and sakes, while the cultural programme inPut the romance of Valentine's cludes a host of workshops and Day behind you as the Wonderlectures. land Festival instead invites you 2-5 Feb, Lloyd Hotel, www. to follow the white rabbit and monojapan.nl serves up a menu of rumbling

house and techno beats for those with a passion for dance music. 18 Feb, Thuishaven / Warehouse Elementenstraat, www. verknipt.org PLEINVREES ON TOUR Pleinvrees kicked off in 2010 as a small-scale Queen's Day party in Amsterdam. Six years later, the event now draws in thousands of revellers across the major cities of the Netherlands. Originally driven by a love for melodic house music, the festival has since branched out to include other electronic-related genres. In this intimate indoor version look out for the likes of Lee Burridge, Bedouin and Max Morel. Sat 18 Feb, Paradiso, www. pleinvrees.net HOMEMAKERS' FAIR Having sprung into life as an opportunity to sell various homewares to Dutch housewives, the modern-day version of the Homemakers’ Fair has thankfully diversified beyond vacuum cleaners and kitchen aids. These days, fashion, beauty, food & drink and entertainment all play leading roles at this huge event. 18-26 Feb, RAI Amsterdam, www.huishoudbeurs.nl FITC AMSTERDAM X FITC stands for future, innovation, technology and creativity, and this event is geared towards those working or interested in the fields of design and technology and the numerous areas where they overlap. 20 & 21 Feb, Pakhuis de Zwijger, www.fitc.ca NINE MONTHS FAIR For five days each February, Amsterdam’s cavernous convention centre is transformed into a paradise for (prospective) parents. The Nine Months Fair welcomes parents from all walks of life as they look for baby-related inspiration, from nursery decorating ideas to baby clothes and more. 22-26 Feb, RAI Amsterdam, www.negenmaandenbeurs.nl SONIC ACTS ACADEMY This experimental festival brings together scientists, artists, theorists, musicians and composers for a series of performances, exhibitions, debates, masterclasses and other events exploring the dark universe we inhabit. The programme covers all the bases, with loads of live music performances, DJ sets, lectures, workshops and installations, lectures by leading lights in the scientific world and installations. 23-26 Feb, various locations, www.sonicacts.com CHOCOA FESTIVAL Just like wine, chocolate has nuances that can be learned through serious tasting. Head to the Chocoa Festival to learn how to ‘slow’ taste and learn all about the history of chocolate. Also look out for chocolate workshops organised by chocolate makers and other experts. £25 & 26 Feb, Beurs van Berlage, www.chocoa.nl£

PART IV THE A-LIST

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ KONRAD KOSELLECK BIG BAND An accomplished jazz pianist RUFUS WAINWRIGHT & and graduate of both HilverAMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA sum and Amsterdam conservaAmerican-Canadian singtories, Konrad Koselleck brings er-songwriter Rufus Wainhis passion, energy and humour wright and Amsterdam Sinfo- to the fore as bandleader of the nietta are joining forces. Rufus Konrad Koselleck Big Band. built his career on baroque pop, Their frequent adventures in prompting him and the orchesAmsterdam's Bimhuis throw tra to create an extra-special up everything imaginable: jazz, programme. Expect to hear cabaret, musicals, pop, rock, music from his back catalogue, funk, Latin and even classical some unreleased material, and music. even a number of operatic arias Mon 16 Jan, Bimhuis, by Verdi, Puccini and Berlioz. 20:30, €16 Thur 5 Jan, Royal ConcertgeDRAKE bouw, 20:15, €25 Is Drake the biggest rapper on HAN BENNINK & CATS ON the planet? That may well be KEYS the case. He's having to camp The Bimhuis always likes to out for four nights in Amsterkick January off in style. This dam to satiate fan demand year's New Year concert feafor this 'The Boy Meets World tures drummer Han Bennink Tour'. The best tickets can be with Cats on Keys. The latter hard to come by, but be sure to is actually code for a host of only use official merchants and special guests who'll perform resellers. with him as duos throughout Wed 18, Fri 20-Sun 22 Jan, the evening. Of course, Bennink Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €49-€98 is a fitting fire starter: not only YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX does he turn 75 this year, but the renowned Instant Compos- Self-proclaimed musical sorcerers Pool also turns 50. ers Young Gun Silver Fox are a Thur 5 Jan, Bimhuis, 20:30, two-man pop group consisting €18 of Andy Platts and Shawn Lee. The voices and talents of the MAKAYA MCCRAVEN duo complement each other Self-proclaimed beat scientist perfectly as they fine-tune their Makaya McCraven's drums, musical cocktail of '70s-style beats and grooves are well-espop and soul. Their two nights tablished in the music world. in Bitterzoet are in aid of new The artist has performed as a album 'West End Coast'. drummer for acclaimed jazzists Wed 18 & Thur 19 Jan, Bitteracross the world, while his band zoet, 21:00, €11 has even opened for the likes of SONS OF KEMET Wu-Tang Clan and 50 Cent. Thur 12 Jan, Bimhuis, 20:30, Not your run-of-the-mill jazz €15-€18 band. This British four-piece draw inspiration from everyTRIO PETER BEETS: where: Caribbean folk, hard STANDARDS & ORIGINALS rock, African music and even Dutch jazz pianist Peter from brass bands! This eclectic Beets found his international inspiration – along with the breakthrough when he released band's musical acumen and the his 2001 album, 'New York fact that there are two drumTrio', but the jazz virtuoso mers – makes for quite the hasn't forgotten his roots, often musical experience. returning to his home turf to Thur 19 Jan, Bimhuis, 20:30, wow Dutch audiences. €15-€18 Peter Beets – together with JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ WITH drummer Gijs Dijkhuizen and THE STRING THEORY bassist Marius Beets – boasts a night filled with innovative Swedish-born indie singtakes on classics, as well as er-songwriter José González compositions from his extencaptivates audiences with his sive discography. folk-infused vocals and guitar Fri 13 Jan, Royal Concertgemelodies. Along with his enbouw, 19:30, €28 semble, The String Theory, he has crafted a unique sound that PARADISO CHOIR DAYS is heavily influenced by bossa It may be a modern-day nova, classical music and folk. pop temple but Amsterdam’s Fri 20 Jan, Melkweg, 19:30, Paradiso was originally a €33 church. So it’s fitting that evDJANGO FESTIVAL ery year, the entire venue gets turned over to every type The Django Festival celebrates of choir imaginable. The the birthday of legendary Paradiso Choir Days are an gypsy jazz guitarist Django annual tradition that attract Reinhardt. Expect professional a broad mix of choirs and workshops, quirky jam sessions audience members into the and a line-up of world-class hallowed pop venue. Expect gypsy jazz performers at this around 140 performances festival, including Fapy Laferthroughout the weekend, featin, Paulus Schafer and Holturing amateur singing groups land’s own Stochelo Rosenberg. of all ages and all genres. Fri 20-Sun 22 Jan, Tobacco With that in mind the audience Theatre, www.tobacco.nl can enjoy new music every LEROY SANCHEZ 15 minutes or so. Sat 14 & Sun 15 Jan, Spanish pop singer Leroy Paradiso, 11.30, €3 Sanchez first captivated fans

Choice pop & jazz

POP & JAZZ

AVENGED SEVENFOLD The latest project by undeniably one of the biggest modern metal bands on the planet right now. The Californian crew’s concerts are notorious for their explosive pyrotechnics and bombastic staging. And with the addition of a new drummer – Bad Religion alumnus Brooks Wackerman – this tour is set to be one of the band's most explosive yet. Their 2016 release, The Stage, showcases Brooks’ technical ability and rhythm innovation as they mix up classic metal sounds of yesteryear (think the fast, melodic riffs of Iron Maiden) with modern-day prog rock and even a dash of Balkan horns. Sat 18 Feb, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €36-€47.50

CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA These two string players put out one of the best records of 2013. Clychau Dibona was a gentle, emotional collection of songs and rapid-fire improvisations, so in tune with each other that you couldn’t tell where Catrin Finch’s classical harp stopped and Seckou Keita’s African kora began. From strummed melodies to intense rhythmic hooks and intensely plucked solos, there’s no hint of culture clash, simply musical empathy and a shared love of their own stringed ‘harps’. While both musicians have embarked on a number of creative and successful projects in recent years, they still enjoy reuniting on stage. Fri 10 Feb, Bimhuis, 20:30, €17-€20 on-screen with his YouTube covers, but now the young star entertains screaming crowds on-stage at his sold-out shows. Since he started back in 2010, Leroy has worked with a number of high-profile producers and songwriters. Fri 20 Jan, Melkweg, 20:00, €15 BLUES HARP EXPLOSION! The Blues Harp Explosion

TEENAGE FANCLUB Drop back in time to the early '90s and Teenage Fanclub were hotly tipped to be Scotland's answer to Nirvana, if only for embracing the fuzzy slackerdom of that era. Kurt vociferously supported the group, but their songs were always rooted in '60s and '70s pop, from The Byrds to Big Star, rather than racking up the angst and crunch of grunge. Twenty-five years on, the Fanclub sound is cleaner and brighter, but they still wear their hearts and influences on their sleeve. Which is precisely why Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley continue to bash out close-knit harmonies and the pure guitar pop of tracks like 'I'm in Love'. Tue 7 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, €20 20:00, €36-€47.50 show is a celebration of all things blues harmonica, so it's only natural that the concert is featuring three of the world's most popular blues harmonica masters. It features performances from Magic Dick (The J. Geils Band), James Harman and Giles Robson (The Dirty Aces). Sat 21 Jan, North Sea Jazz Club, 21:00, €20

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF American folk-blues band from New Orleans. Singer Alynda Segarra's commanding voice complements their folk-rooted musical style that's big on authenticity. Breaking through into Europe around the same time as Alabama Shakes, the Hurray for the Riff Raff show isn't quite as bombastic (heavier on fiddle and banjo) but equally memorable. Tue 24 Jan, Paradiso, 20:00, €12.50 CAGE THE ELEPHANT Shimmering mainstream indie and rock from the British alternative group. On the go now for more than a decade, their most recent releases have found them working with the likes of Alison Mosshart (The Kills) and Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys). Tue 24 Jan, Paradiso, 20:30, €22.50 DROPKICK MURPHYS Dropkick Murphys are a band that need no introduction in the world of rock. Their punch-drunk sound combines elements of hardcore punk and folk music, so expect speedy guitar riffs, bagpipes and catchy Irish-inspired melodies as they revisit older hits and reveal some new tunes. Wed 25 Jan, AFAS Live, 20:00, €37.50 KEVIN DEVINE AND THE GODDAMN BAND Brooklyn singer-songwriter Devine is driving through Europe once more to showcase his latest album, 'Instigator'. It showcases the politically and socially charged acoustic and melodic style that initially launched this indie rocker's global career. Fri 27 Jan, Melkweg, 19:30, €13 CRAIG TABORN SOLO Craig Taborn is revered within jazz circles: his commitment to the field and artistic vitality are up there with the all-time greats of jazz and his improvisations and pure musical control of the piano are renowned. Always a Bimhuis favourite no matter the configuration of the band, this time he takes to the stage to perform solo. Fri 27 Jan, Bimhuis, 20:30, €18 BIG, BLACK AND BEAUTIFUL Singers Michelle David, Rocq-E Harrell and Lucretia van der Fleet – along with a talented band – promise a night packed with uplifting, soulful music with a feel-good vibe. Expect everything from gospel to blues to uptempo pop from this multi-talented trio. Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jan, Meervaart, 20:15, €15-€30 ROYAL CANOE Canadian indie pop group Royal Canoe have seen success in the US, Europe and beyond with their zany take on indie pop. Armed with sharp vocals, bouncy guitars, head-bopping drum beats, tambourines

jan & feb 2017

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ and their epic six-keyboard super-weapon, the boys are currently on tour to promote their latest album, 'Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit'. Sat 28 Jan, Sugarfactory, 20:30, €7.50 THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN The New Jersey mathcore quintet are revered for their jazz-inspired time signatures, their adrenaline-fuelled performances and their versatile approach to metal. Sadly, the band recently announced that they'll be splitting after this tour, so this will probably be your last chance to see them in the Netherlands (until they reform). Sat 28 Jan, Melkweg, 19:30, sold out DEWOLFF This Dutch rock trio has quietly amassed a decent international following since they first formed in the uncharacteristically hilly Dutch province of Limburg. They've won over these worldwide fans with a blend of rock that can best be described as a psychedelic love letter to the 70s' blues scene. Sun 29 Jan, Melkweg, 19:30, €17 SABATON Swedish power metal band Sabaton are known for songs inspired by historical battles and war, culminating in high-speed riffs, flying hair and histrionics. The band's massive 2016/17 European tour is promoting their latest album, 'The Last Stand'. Sun 29 Jan, AFAS Live, 20:00, €39 BEACH SLANG This modern American indie punk band have been making bigger waves of late. Despite arriving less than a year after their debut album, the band's latest offering, 'A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings' has gained plenty of traction thanks to the band's unrelenting energy, slacker vibe and glistening shoegazey guitars. Sun 29 Jan, Bitterzoet, 21:00, €12 THE 1975 Since releasing their first EP in 2012, Brit rockers The 1975 advert

HUSBANDS AND WIVES

26 JAN, 2 FEB | SURTITLED IN ENGLISH

MARTYN JOSEPH and Sara Quin have been dishing up alternative pop since Starting from humble beginthe late ’90s, initially focussed nings in Wales more than 30 on an indie guitar sound. No years ago, folk singer Joseph longer underdogs, on record has now released a remarkthey’re unafraid of creating able 21 original studio albums energetic commercial pop that and 11 live albums. He's often sits comfortably beside anycompared to the likes of Billy thing else on mainstream radio. Bragg, and it's easy to see why: Last summer they unveiled throughout his career, Joseph their new album 'Love You To has campaigned for a variety of Death', which sees them consocial and political causes, covtinue further along their synth ering many tough, controversial GREEN DAY pop path. topics and pouring his heart Punk rockers Green Day need Wed 8 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, into every word. no introduction in the world of €25 Sat 11 Feb, Tolhuistuin, 20:30, rock 'n' roll. 2004's 'American €10 CHATHAM COUNTY LINE Idiot' propelled the band into THE WHO'S 'TOMMY' global superstardom and they This four-man American blueLIVE IN CONCERT haven't looked back since. grass group integrate a variety Catch them showcasing their of traditional instruments into The Who's 1969 double album latest album 'Revolution Radio'. their music, including banjos, 'Tommy' is a 24-track rock opTue 31 Jan, Ziggo Dome, harps, mandolins, fiddles – the era that tells the story of Tom20:00, sold out list goes on. Course, what truly my – a deaf, dumb and blind distinguishes them from the boy who faces difficult trials BOBBY BRADFORD folky Americana crowd is their and tribulations throughout QUARTET spectacular vocal harmonies as his life. Catch the Classic Rock Revered trumpeter, cornettist they gather round the central Show's rendition of the rock and composer Bobby Bradford microphone. opera, which includes 'Pinball needs no introduction in the Wed 8 Feb, Paradiso, 20:00, Wizard' and 'I'm Free' tributes. world of jazz. His work with €15 Sat 11 Feb, Schouwburg Amsaxophonist Ornette Coleman stelveen, 20:00, €27.75-€28.75 THE HANDSOME FAMILY and clarinetist John Carter are INFLOYD - THE PINK FLOYD some of the biggest inspirations The husband-and-wife duo TRIBUTE SHOW for artists in the genre. The make eclectic alternative-counlegend will be playing in his try music that is a fusion of Infloyd is a Dutch Pink Floyd all-star international quartet, Americana, bluegrass and tribute band that has managed which includes composer Vinny murder ballads. They've have to emulate the sound and stage Golia, double-bassist Bernard amassed a loyal following over presence of one of the world's Santa Cruz and drummer Paal the past two decades, and the most influential rock groups. Nilssen-Love. respect of countless artists who You can expect all the classics, Thur 2 Feb, Bimhuis, 20:30, love to cover their haunting such as 'Wish You Were Here' €17-€20 songs. The track 'Far From Any and 'Another Brick in the Road' was even used as the title Wall', but Infloyd are known to SKUNK ANANSIE song for recent HBO drama showcase entire albums in their Skunk Anansie were one the 'True Detective'. sets too. highest-profile British rock Thur 9 Feb, Bitterzoet, 21:00, Sat 11 Feb, AFAS Live, 20:00, bands during their initial '90s €14 €47-€75 run, balancing fiery political LADIES OF SOUL JULIA JACKLIN rage with melodic ballads. The band split up in 2001 but Following a string of sold-out Australian singer-songwriter reformed in 2009. They've reshows in recent years, the Jacklin, who is inspired by leased three albums since, pullLadies of Soul are back. The Doris Day, Björk and Billy ing off a powerful mix of indie, Dutch stars Trijntje OosterhuBragg, creates folk-inspired punk and feminist influences, is, Edsilia Rombley, Glennis alt-country with just a guitar including their 2016 offering Grace, Berget Lewis and Candy and her distinctive voice. Her 'Anarchytecture'. Dulfer are the ladies who'll be first singles, 'Pool Party' and Thur 2 Feb, AFAS Live, 20:00, revisiting a broad selection of 'Coming of Age', and her debut €39 soul and pop classics over two studio album, 'Don't Let the nights. Special guest is Oleta Kids Win', have really caught THE BLUES GIANTS Adams. on around the world so far, This blues supergroup is comFri 10 & Sat 11 Feb, Ziggo following a trend of new rootsy prised of five high-calibre, Dome, 20:30, €35-€65 songstresses coming out of New talented blues artists. Singer Zealand and Australia. MEMPHIS MANIACS Sugaray Rayford, guitarists Sat 11 Feb, Bitterzoet, 21:00, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, The Memphis Maniacs, the €12 drummer Jimi Bott and bassist self-proclaimed 'Masters of AMARAL Willie J. Campbell promise a the Mash-up', promise a night night of blues-filled goodness. of high-octane frenzy with It's safe to say that pop rockers The group have even written explosive mash-ups of killer Amaral are one of the most exclusive material that you can hits fused from wildly different successful Spanish artists of only hear live in concert. musical genres. The five-strong recent years, selling more than Fri 3 Feb, North Sea Jazz Club, collective is intent on working 4 million albums worldwide. 21:00, €24-€28 you into a sweaty mess of masWith Eva Amaral singing and sive musical nostalgia. Juan Aguirre on guitar, this duo COLIN BLUNSTONE Fri 10 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, infuse Latin rhythms, folk rock AND BAND €17.50 and synths into their global English singer-songwriter mélange. DR. LONNIE SMITH Colin Blunstone rose to fame Mon 13 Feb, Melkweg, 20:00, in the '60s as the frontman of Dr. Lonnie Smith is something €17.50 rock band The Zombies. His of a living legend in the jazz VALENTINE'S DAY WITH smooth, distinctive voice led world. This self-taught organist SAZZ LEONORE him to embark on a long, suchas been honing in on his craft cessful solo career. Since 1969, for over 50 years, gaining leDutch vocalist Sazz Leonore's he has released 13 solo albums gions of fans and winning sev- captivating voice takes the best and collaborated with some eral awards along the way. The bits from jazz, soul and pop, of the industry's most pivotal artist was recently selected as and fuses them together flawnames. a 2017 NEA Jazz Masters Fellessly. The artist is well-known Mon 6 Feb, Royal Concertgelow – the most prestigious jazz in the Dutch jazz scene – parbouw, 20:15, €24 award in the United States. ticularly in Amsterdam. Her Sat 11 Feb, North Sea Jazz previous shows in the Dutch TEGAN AND SARA Club, 21:00, € 24-€27 capital have seen her debuting Canadian twin sisters Tegan a new album and paying homhave achieved much more success than they ever expected. Their mix of rock and pop – coupled with their relatable lyrics – has propelled the band into international stardom. Their 2016 album 'I Like It When You Sleep...' even made number one on the Billboard 200 and the UK album chart. Tue 31 Jan, AFAS Live, 20:00, €40

age to Michael Bublé, so expect big things from her upcoming Valentine's Day show. Tue 14 Feb, North Sea Jazz Club, 21:00, €16-€20 THE NOTWIST These German indie rockers have made some wild and unexpected musical decisions throughout their 27-year career. They've dabbled in everything from indie to electronica to heavy metal. The band just released their 16-track live album, 'Superheroes, Ghostvillains & Stuff ', which features hits from their extensive catalogue. Wed 15 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, €20 THE WONDER STUFF British alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff enjoyed a number of hits in the UK and beyond – such as 'The Size of a Cow' and 'Dizzy' with comedian Vic Reeves – before they split in 1994. However, they reunited at the end of 2000 to play a oneoff concert, which turned into a slew of sold-out shows; so well-received that these snowballed into a full-on reformation, and the rest is history. The Wonder Stuff recently released the album '30 Goes Around the Sun' to mark their 30-year anniversary. Fri 17 Feb, Tolhuistuin, 21:00, €15 THE CHAINSMOKERS American DJ duo The Chainsmokers were blasted into the public eye with their hit 2014 single '#Selfie'. Since then, they have amassed a large following across the globe – mostly thanks to their cool blend of music that bridges the gap between pop, indie and dance. Fri 17 Feb, AFAS Live, 20:00, €31.90 QUINTESSENTIAL LOUIS HAYES 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION BAND Louis Hayes celebrates his dazzling career as a drummer for, among others, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Swing and bop remain fresh and innovative in the hands of the percussionist, who celebrates his 80th birthday with a wonderful band. Sat 18 Feb, Bimhuis, 20:30, €18-€22 THE DIVINE COMEDY Comedic orchestral pop band The Divine Comedy's 25-year career has seen them release a whopping 11 albums, including their most recent effort, 2016's 'Foreverland'. The band's creator and frontman, Neil Hannon, is perhaps best-known for writing the themes for iconic UK sitcoms 'Father Ted' and 'The IT Crowd', as well as the group's biggest hit 'Something For the Weekend'. Sun 19 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, €22.50 CYMBALS EAT GUITARS New York-based indie rock band Cymbals Eat Guitars were formed in 2007 by guitarist Joseph D’Agostino and drummer Matthew Miller. Ten years later,

PART IV THE A-LIST.

MUSIC/POP & JAZZ CLASSICAL

JACOB WHITESIDES American pop singer-songwriter Jacob Whitesides first came to the public's attention when he appeared on the second season of 'The X Factor' (USA). Since then, his cover-based YouTube channel has blown up, and the young singer is touring the globe promoting his first all-original full-length album, 'Why'. Wed 22 Feb, Melkweg, 19:30, €20 THE WEEKND Canadian alternative-R&B artist Abel Makkonen Tesfaye – better known as the The Weeknd – first appeared on the music industry's radar in late 2010, when he anonymously uploaded tracks to YouTube. Since then, the artist has released three mixtapes and three increasingly popular studio albums, including 2016's 'Star Boy', which features guest appearances from the likes of Daft Punk and Kendrick Lamar. Fri 24 Feb, Ziggo Dome, 19:00, €35 SURVIVE This Texas-based electronica group consists of Adam Jones, Kyle Dixon, Mark Donica and Michael Stein, all active members of the thriving synthesizer community in Austin. During their early career (2009-2014), the group slowly ground out a cult following. However, it was Stein and Dixon's recent soundtrack for Netflix's wildly popular 'Stranger Things' that exposed the band to the wider public. The group's latest album 'RR7349' follows on in that digitally haunted lo-fi electronic template. Fri 24 Feb, Bitterzoet, 21:00, €13 RAQUEL TAVARES Portuguese fado singer Raquel Tavares is one of the biggest names in the contemporary fado scene. Traditionally, fado is all about mournfulness, gloom and melancholy, but Raquel does things a little differently: she often takes a more positive, optimistic approach to the genre. She will be promoting her latest album, 2016's epony-

JAZZ ORCHESTRA OF THE CONCERTGEBOUW The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw is arguably one of the most passionate jazz groups in the Netherlands. Since 1996, the Concertgebouw has hosted countless events with the Jazz Orchestra, aiming to provide a stage for the best homegrown Dutch jazz musicians and soloists. The guests for this show are singer Hiske Oosterwijk, pianist Sebastiaan van Bavel, saxophonist Maarten Hogenhuis and horn player Morris Kliphuis. Each artist will present their own compositions and will perform with the coveted orchestra. Fri 24 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 20:15. €22-€27.50 KARL BLAU Karl Blau is something of an American DIY indie legend. He releases his eclectic folk/ indie rock music, along with his own cover art, directly from his home in Anacortes, Washington, through a subscription service called the Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society. His latest album, 'Introducing Karl Blau', revisits the Nashville hits of the 1960s and ’70s and makes them all his very own. Mon 27 Feb, Bitterzoet, 21:00, €12.50

Choice classical

NIEUW ENSEMBLE: TRANSFORMATIONS The Nieuw Ensemble is performing three world premieres of new work by the German composer Carola Bauckholt, renowned for her highly original and often humorous compositions. One of the works is a collaboration with audio artist Christina Kubisch. Together, yet each in their own way, Bauckholt and Kubisch use underwater microphones, special sensors and other equipment to explore previously unheard sounds, electromagnetic waves and ultrasound. Thur 9 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €31 ANDRÉ RIEU World-famous Dutch violinist André Rieu is back on his home turf with his 60-piece waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. The tone of this concert ranges from emotional romantic ballads to the immersive waltzes that defined André's 30-year career. Sat 7 Jan, Ziggo Dome, 20:00, €55-€95

©SIMON FOWLER

BONOBO Bonobo, the stage name of British DJ Simon Green, first broke through to the mainstream with the release of his 2010 album, 'Black Sands' – although he'd created some cracking dancefloor fillers in his earlier works on Ninja Tune. Ever since, he has been captivating the electronic world with his vibrant tunes and downtempo bass grooves that draw inspiration from all corners of the globe. Mon 20 Feb, Paradiso, 20:30, sold out

mous 'Raquel', at her upcoming show. Fri 24 Feb, North Sea Jazz Club, 21:00, €19-€23

they now have four albums under their belts and a driving guitar sound that's a bit more crunching than the emo scene they're often connected to. Mon 20 Feb, Paradiso, 20:00, €12.50

IAN BOSTRIDGE: LOVE UNDER THE SHADOW OF DEATH The highly acclaimed British tenor performs a very English programme – from historic to modern – featuring a selection of Britten’s Purcell Realisations, his settings of John Donne sonnets, five of Haydn’s English Canzonettas, and songs from Michael Tippett's The Heart's Assurance. The audience always holds its breath when Bostridge arrives in Amsterdam. For this concert Julius Drake accompanies on the piano. Wed 11 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €40 TIN HELMCHEN – EMPEROR CONCERTO Pianist Helmchen joins the orchestra for a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, plus Brahms’ rarely performed Serenade no. 2. Marc Albrecht conducts. Mon 9 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €23-€54

IVES ENSEMBLE – COMPANION PIECES Tonight’s programme centres on the Riflessi, a work in progress by the Dutch composer Richard Rijnvos. In this series of ‘companion pieces’, Rijnvos reflects on famous compositions; tonight, it’s the turn of Kazimierz Serocki’s Swinging Music. The rest of the programme is heavily influenced by the ‘companion’ idea and includes musical commentary on works by Brahms and Schubert. Thur 12 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €31 CUARTETO QUIROGA & VERONIKA HAGEN The adventurous Spanish string quartet is joined by the renowned viola player Veronika Hagen of the Austrian Hagen Quartett for Mozart’s String Quintet no. 3 in C major, striking a balance with works by Bartók and Kurtág. Fri 13 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €34 ENSEMBLE MODERN – REICH, NAS AND ADAMS At this concert by the renowned ensemble from Frankfurt, works by minimal music pioneers Steve Reich (Pulse and Runner) and John Adams (Son of Chamber Symphony) form the framework for a new work, No Reason to Panic, by the Dutch composer Mayke Nas. Sat 14 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 14:15, €33/€38

PIOTR ANDERSZEWSKI Last year’s Amsterdam concert by the Polish pianist received rave reviews; now he is back CLASSICAL with a programme of works by Mozart, JanáÐek and plenty of Chopin. WISHFUL SINGING: HAPPY ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN Sat 14 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan NEW YEAR! THE FIELDS & JOSHUA BELL ’t IJ, 20:15, €37 RONALD BRAUTIGAM AND The a-cappella quintet hosts a Bell, music director ENSEMBLE SCALA – BLAST DIE KÖLNER AKADEMIE morning of New Year’s carols, of the world-famous orchestra, FROM THE PAST WITH MOZART with songs ranging from Irish conducts the Academy SCALA performs works comtraditionals through works by The orchestra is joined by as well as playing the solo posed for the ensemble in its Scarlatti and Ligeti to the Beat- Ronald Brautigam on the forte- violin in Mendelssohn’s Violin six-year-long history, plus les’ Yesterday. piano for performances of MoConcerto. new work by percussionist/ Sun 1 Jan, Royal Concertgezart’s lively and forceful Piano Tue 10 Jan, Royal Concertgecomposer Arnold Marinissen bouw, 11:00, €20-€26 Concerto no. 22. The Akademie bouw, 20:15, €34-€90 and rediscovered microtonal also performs the composer’s NETHERLANDS WIND compositions. Serenade no. 9, known as the DANIEL BEHLE & SCHNYDER ENSEMBLE: NEW YEAR’S TRIO – WINTERREISE Sun 15 Jan, Muziekgebouw ‘Posthorn Serenade’. It was CONCERT 2017 aan ’t IJ, 11:00, €12.50 written for the often chaotic Tenor and composer The renowned wind ensemble celebrations of the end of the Daniel Behle makes his MUSIC BY THE CANAL – hosts a New Year’s Concert with academic year in Salzburg, Amsterdam GEELVINCK SALON AT THE the theme of ‘Gimme the Blues’. which were characterised by debut with the much-loved CROMHOUTHUIS Sun 1 Jan, Royal Concertgemusic being performed everySchubert work, performed in The young pianist Matteo Mijbouw, 14:00 & 17:00, €20-€55 where. In the general turmoil, his own version for piano trio. derwijk plays classical and jazz some conspicuous features Tue 10 Jan, Royal JORDI SAVALL AND in the splendid surroundings of could never fail – hence the Concertgebouw, HESPÈRION XXI the stately canal house. post horn. 20:15, €30-€47 Sun 15 Jan, Cromhouthuis, The Catalan conductor Jordi Sat 8 Jan, Royal ConcertgeROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW 16:00, €18/€21 Savall has been exploring the bouw, 11:00, €20-€26 ORCHESTRA – LE SACRE DU history of European music CONCERTGEBOUW PRINTEMPS JEAN RONDEAU – for years. In this matinee, he ORCHESTRA PERFORMS GOLDBERG VARIATIONS Chief conductor of the RCO approaches one of the contiDVORÁK’S ‘FROM THE Daniele Gatti leads his orchesBach’s famous Goldberg Varinent’s dark sides: slave trade. NEW WORLD’ tra through three works that ations are performed on the Savall is joined by his ensemble, The orchestra performs are not only connected by a harpsichord – the instrument Hespèrion XXI, for folk music DvoÐák‘s famous Ninth Symnature theme, but that also are they were originally written for. by descendants of slaves which phony, titled ’From the New exemplary for the great musi- Tue 17 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan echoes the memories of slavery; cal transformations of the fin ’t IJ, 20:15, €31 songs from West Africa, Brazil, World‘. It is joined by solo viode siècle: Debussy’s Prélude à Mexico and the Caribbean; and linist Lisa Batiashvili, and Anworks by European composers, tonio Pappano conducts.<br /> l’après-midi d’un faune and La NETHERLANDS BACH SOCIETY – PISENDEL’S VIOLIN mer, and Stravinsky’s Le sacre including Mateo Flecha, Gaspar Sun 8 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 14:15, €33-€141.90 du printemps. The Netherlands Bach Society Fernandes and Diego Durón. Sat 7 Jan, Royal ConcertgeWed 11 & Thur 12 Jan, Royal performs cantatas and fugues NETHERLANDS PHILHARbouw, 14:15, €39/€45 Concertgebouw, 20:15, €33that Bach in all likelihood wrote MONIC ORCHESTRA & MAR€141.90 with Johann Georg Pisendel

jan & feb 2017

MUSIC/CLASSICAL in mind – one of the greatest violinists of his time. One of Pisendel’s own works is also on the programme. The ensemble is accompanied, as would have been usual in Bach’s and Pisendel’s time, by the church organ. Fri 20 & Sat 21 Jan, Waalse Kerk, 20:15/14:30, €tbc

VERDI CONCERT CHOIR JAPAN & KCOV AMSTERDAM – VERDI REQUIEM Verdi’s magnificent requiem is performed, poignantly, on the anniversary of the composer’s death. Fri 27 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €59.50/€69.50

IGOR LEVIT – BEETHOVEN Tonight’s concert presents a great chance to catch the pianist in the Concertgebouw’s intimate Recital Hall. Levin performs Beethoven‘s Diabelli variations, plus the popular Moonlight Sonata. Fri 3 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €27-€44

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF EUROPE & ALINA IBRAGIMOVA Conducted by Bernard Haitink, the orchestra performs Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, plus the composer’s Third Violin Concerto and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. Fri 20 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €43-€114

KAMERMUZIEK IN DE HOOP The pianist performs works by Federico Mompou, Eric Satie, Arvo Pärt and Peteris Vasks – all composers that tried to find something new. Sun 29 Jan, De Hoop, 15:00, €14

BAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & WALTRAUD MEIER Mariss Jansons, formerly of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and now principal conductor in Munich, returns to his old home in Amsterdam with a work by one of his favourite composers: Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder. The moving songs are sung by mezzosoprano Waltraud Meier; Rachmaninoff and Vladimír Sommer are also on the programme. Tue 7 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €52-€138

JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET This highly acclaimed string quartet can look back on a 70-year-long history and numerous influential recordings. Tonight, it performs Beethoven’s unusual String Quartet no. 13, plus Mendelssohn’s String Quartet no. 2 and new work by Mario Davidovsky. Sat 21 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €37

ORCHESTRA OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY – FIDELIO Beethoven’s only opera took him three attempts until both composer and audiences were happy with the result. Jonathan Darlington conducts the Orchestra of

Choice classical

SEVERIN VON ECKARDSTEIN This critically acclaimed pianist has so far eluded stardom. Tonight, he performs Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit as well as works by Brahms, Schumann and Nikolai Medtner. Sun 22 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €43.50-€54 COLLEGIUM 1704 – VIVALDI’S STABAT MATER The baroque ensemble from Prague performs three concertos and two motets – Stabat Mater and Nisi Dominus, by Vivaldi. The soloists are Lucile Richardot (alto) and Xenia Löffler (oboe). Sun 22 Jan, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €37 MUSIC BY THE CANAL – GEELVINCK SALON AT THE CROMHOUTHUIS Pianist Artem Belogurov, on the Erard grand from 1892, joined by cellist Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde for music by Grieg, Chopin and Franck. Sun 22 Jan, Cromhouthuis, 16:00, €18/€21

CECILIA BARTOLI IN LA CENERENTOLA This season marks 20 years since Celine Bartoli first performed at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. This Italian mezzosoprano recitalist is a huge voice and giant personality in the opera world, balancing her own talent with a star-studded cast of vocalists and musicians (on this occasion that includes Les Musiciens du Prince and Chœur de l’Opéra de Monte-Carlo). She celebrates her Concertgebouw anniversary with a performance of one of her favourite – and most popular – roles in La Cenerentola, Rossini’s version of Cinderella, which is comical and dramatic at the same time. Wed 15 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 19:30, €68-€180

FREIBURG BAROQUE ORCHESTRA & PHILIPPE JAROUSSKY The acclaimed German orchestra and the famous countertenor perform cantatas by Bach and Telemann. Wed 25 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €35-€79.50

the Eighteenth Century and soloists David Wilson-Johnson, Wiebe Pier Cnossen, Arnold Bezuyen, Katrin Kapplusch, Michael Tews, Laetitia Gerards and Fabio Trümpy. Tue 31 Jan & Wed 1 Feb, Royal Theatre Carré, 20:00, €20-€76

NETHERLANDS CHAMBER CHOIR The choir performs works by Glass, Pärt and Thomas Jennefelt; Peter Dijkstra conducts. Wed 25 Jan, Royal Concertgebouw, 21:00, €23-€36

ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER Anne-Sophie Mutter plays violin works from the French canon: Poulenc, Ravel and Saint-Saëns. Wed 1 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €30-€78

CAPPELLA MARIANA – CANTICUM CANTICORUM The Czech vocal ensemble presents a programme around the biblical Song of Songs, which inspired renaissance composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Nicolas Gombert, Jacobus Clemens non Papa and Josquin des Prez. Wed 8 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €34 AMSTERDAM SINFONIETTA – VISIONS AT SEA The British violinist Anthony Marwood conducts and joins the Amsterdam Sinfo-

nietta for this concert, which also sees the renowned pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout play with the ensemble for the first time. On the programme are works by Stravinsky, Mozart and the world premiere of a new string orchestra version of Visions at Sea by the young Dutch composer Joey Roukens. Fri 10 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15; €37 NJO & CAPPELLA AMSTERDAM – NIXON IN CHINA The NJO – the national youth orchestra of the Netherlands – and Cappella Amsterdam perform John Adams’ first opera. Kevin John Edusei conducts, and the soloists are David Wilson-Johnson, Robin Adams, Peter Sidhom, Michael Weinius, Evanna Lai, Nancy T'ang, Rosanne van Sandwijk, Helena Rasker, Janis Kelly and Yun-Jeong Lee. Sat 11 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 13:00, €52/€59 NETHERLANDS CHAMBER CHOIR – BRITTEN: SACRED AND PROFANE Conducted by Peter Dijkstra, the choir performs a programme around some of humanity’s timeless topics, such as the search for life’s meaning and the balance between the earthly and the spiritual, as sung about in Britten’s beautiful choral work. Sun 12 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 15:00, €31 ISABELLE FAUST & ALEXANDER MELNIKOV Violinist Faust and pianist Melnikov form a much-lauded duo, having recently received a Diapason d’or, the most important accolade for classical recordings, at home in France. To the Muziekgebouw, they bring a programme angled around two violin sonatas by Fauré, which also features works by Karol Szymanowski, Jean Françaix and George Antheil. Fri 17 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €34 THE TALLIS SCHOLARS The British choral ensemble balances 16th-century lamentations by Dominique Phinot with contemporary ones by Matthew Martin. Works by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Josquin des Prez, Costanzo Festa and Cristóbal de Morales are also on the programme. Wed 22 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €37 HET COLLECTIEF & PSALLENTES The Belgian chamber music quintet Het Collectief and the choral ensemble Psallentes, which specialises in plainchant and polyphony, dedicate an evening to two female composers: Hildegard von Bingen and the

Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya. There might be nearly a millennium between them, but there are certain similarities – a strong urge to create, often ecstatic sounds – which the musicians aim to accentuate. Thur 23 Feb, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, 20:15, €31 ERARD ENSEMBLE – WINTERREISE The Erard Ensemble, comprised of musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and other ensembles, and specialising in romantic classical music performed on period instruments, play Schubert’s much-loved classic in the beautiful church on the Amstelveld square. The ensemble is joined by baritone Henk Neven. Sun 26 Feb, Amstelkerk, 15:00, €19.50 FAZIL SAY & NICOLAS ALTSTAEDT Cellist Nicolas Altstaedt and pianist Fazil Say play works by JanáÐek and Debussy, as well as a piece that Say wrote specifically for Altstaedt: Four Cities, an energetic and emotional musical journey through four Turkish towns. Mon 27 Feb, Royal Concertgebouw, 20:15, €30-€48

ADDRESSES Amstelkerk Amstelveld 10 www.amstelkerk.net Bimhuis Piet Heinkade 3 www.bimhuis.nl Bitterzoet Spuistraat 2 www.bitterzoet.com De Duif Prinsengracht 756 www.deduif.net 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 North Sea Jazz Club Pazzanistraat 1 www.northseajazzclub.com Paradiso Weteringschans 6-8 www.paradiso.nl Royal Concertgebouw Concertgebouw 10 www.concertgebouw.nl Royal Theatre Carré Amstel 115 /125 https://carre.nl Sugarfactory Lijnbaansgracht 238 www.sugarfactory.nl Tolhuistuin IJpromenade 2 www.tolhuistuin.nl Ziggo Dome De Passage 100 Y www.ziggodome.nl

PART IV THE A-LIST.

CLUBBING/NIGHTLIFE CLUBBING

MR SCRUFF An all night long set by widely diverse long time Ninja Tune signee Mr. Scruff. Expect a mix of house, hiphop and breaks. Sat 14 Jan, De Marktkantine, 23:00-05:00, €15

dio’s Mino Abadier. Fri 3 Feb, Shelter, 23:00-07:00, €12.50

show. Tue 7 Feb, De School, midnight, €13.00

BREAKFAST CLUB IS BURNING The afterparty of all afterparties happens at this aptly chosen raw TRENTEMØLLER LIVE warehouse location in Amsterdam’s West this year. DJs obvi- Danish electronica Don Anders ously play banging house and Trentemøller has die hard fans techno to keep you moving on with backgrounds in a wide your burning feet. In good tra- spectrum of genres. How come? dition, free breakfast is served His genius approach to producbetween 9 and 12. ing genre-defying music is at once unique, experimental and Sun 1 Jan, Warehouse Element- accessible. There’s something in enstraat, 09:00-18:00, €25 it for everyone although we still wouldn’t recommend bringing AWAKENINGS NEW YEARS your mum. Tonight sees TrenDAY SPECIAL temøller perform tracks off his The last one in a series of three fourth studio album ‘Fixion’ consecutive party nights thrown alongside a four piece live band. at you by the old giant veteran Thu 19 Jan, Melkweg, 19:30of techno events. Awakenings is 23:00, €22.50 not merciful in any sort of way MORE BOUNCE because after what happened last night you’ll have to dance DJ Rob Manga plays a mix of again to the beats of some of everything soulful and jazzy the most punishing names in whether that be house, hiphop WONDERLAND FESTIVAL INDOOR DAYTIME the scene: Speedy J collaborator or disco. A small but decent techno line-up headlined by Paula TemChris Liebing, Len Faki, Sam Fri 20 Jan, Canvas, ple, one of the toughest and hardest DJs in the scene. Fans Paganini and Dasha Rush. 23:00-04:00, €15 Sun 1 Jan, Gashouder, 20:00of Jeff Mills should definitely come along for a boogie, if X-QLUSIVE: RAN-D 06:00, €49.50 you can call it that. Hard-hitting Swede Gary Beck, known As one of the more exclusive for his releases on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode label, is another HOTEL TROPIQUE scenes in electronic music, must-see today. Lesser Gods on the bill are Juan Sanchez, Good job Philou Louzolo left hardstyle has its own stars, ANOTR, Cuartero and Raffa FL. Rotterdam for Amsterdam a few DJs whom – unlike Tiësto and Sat 18 Feb, Thuishaven, 13:00-23:00, €39.50 (€49.50 for day/ years back as his afro-infused Afrojack – your grandmother night combi ticket) house and disco works extremehas never heard of. One of the ly well in Canvas where Hotel biggest is RAN-D, who is set to Tropique is his own residency DJ a good chunk of night. Besides his DJ-ing, Louzolo is also a producer, his edit Sat 21 Jan, Heineken Music of Marlena Shaws ‘Woman of Hall, 22:00-07:00, €50 the Ghetto’ being one of your NGHTDVSN nightlife editor’s personal favourites. Search for ‘Philou Louzolo’ For this evening, British sciand ‘Marlena’ for a foretaste of entist-cum-minimal techno this soulful feast for the soul. wonderboy Max Cooper was Fri 6 Jan, Canvas, 23:00offered a six hour slot to execute 04:00, €15.00 a freestyle deep techno set without any conditions; obviously UNLEASHED AMSTERDAM: something he couldn’t refuse NEW YEAR FETISH RAVE as marathons are right up his It’s time to dust off your faalley. We love to see DJs who vourite latex and rubber outfit don’t moan and say 90 minutes LEFTO PRESENTS ONE NATION UNDER A because tonight is going to be is long enough. Malbetrieb, Olaf YUSSEF KAMAAL TRIO GROOVE kinky. Expect a night of sexual Stuut and Love Over Entropy freedom including many per(live) play in the second room. & DUKE HUGH An excellent night of house, formances that will make you It’s a relatively new concept disco and other funky stuff blush. Sexy music comes from Fri 27 Jan, Melkweg, 24:00in clubland: a renowned DJ is with 3 Chairs members Marlegendary local jock of Club 06:00, €21.50 appointed to curate a night. cellus Pittman and Rick WilRoXY fame Dimitri Kneppers. Tonight Belgium’s genhite headlining. Coming from THUISHAVEN Beware of the door bitch: WINTER CIRCUS re-defying selector of global the same scene as their more punters who dare to show up in streetwear will be sent home. The fifth in this series where sounds, DJ Lefto, invites famous pals Moodymann Sat 7 Jan, The BOX, 22:00house and techno DJs play monthe hotter than hot Yussef and Theo Parrish, Pittman 05:00, €45.00 strous 10-hour sets in a daytime Kamaal Trio, a jazz combo and Wilhite share the same environment with DJ Karotte mixing jungle, broken beat aesthetics, where borders NOOFILTER out of Germany. When was the and grime with more tradibetween genres don’t matNoofilter is the club night by last time you raved around the tional sounds. Looks amazing ter as long as the records on Mike Risk, large scale promoter clock and felt good on Monday? on paper, and the paper ain’t the turntable (and they will from back in the day who’s tak- It’s a fresh experience we highly ing it slightly easier these days. recommend. gonna lie tonight! Support likely be actual records) are Headlining tonight is British Sun 29 Jan, Thuishaven, from the very jazzy DJ Duke full of soul. Also spinning are: deep house producer Jimpster. 13:00-23:00, €15.00 Hugh from Groningen. Lupe and Alex Salvador. Sat 7 Jan, Canvas, 23:00Sun 22 Jan, Tolhuistuin/ Fri 27 Jan, RADION, 23:00CARTEL 04:00, €15.00 Paradiso Noord, 23:00-7:00, 7:00, €15 One of the best nights so far in €15 DE BOVENKAMER this new club inside the AmsterAn eight (!) hour set by legdam Tower north of the river IJ. TOMMY GENESIS OUWE STIJL IS BOTERGEIL endary RoXY resident Dimitri. New York’s king of dubby techno Dubbed ‘the internet’s most You can’t get your club nights Expect his signature ‘hi-tech Levon Vincent headlines while rebellious underground rap more raw and Dutch than this. soul’ sound; a beautiful blend head honcho of Rotterdam’s of melodic house and techno. Clone Records Serge Verschuur queen’ by Dazed and Confused, Ouwe Stijl Is Botergeil specializListen to one of the volumes in is expected to play a mix of the Vancouver’s Tommy Genesis will es in high speed gabba-inspired no doubt shake up your Tuesday underground genres such as his ‘Static Tracks’ and ‘Spiritual various styles he sells in the with her tougher than tough hardcore, terror and rave. Apac, Tracks’ series to get in the mood. shop: US and Dutch electro, Leviathan, Clarkee, Enforcer, Sat 14 Jan, RADION, 23:00italo disco plus a wide range of danceable beats and raps. Forget about MIA, check out Tommy The Irritainer and MC Hibou 07:00, €15 American house and techno. and make sure not to miss this are all on the bill. Also spinning is Red Light Ra-

Choice clubbing

Sat 11 Feb, Dhoem Dhaam Warehouse, 22:00-08:00, €20.00 VITALIC LIVE One of the first to release on DJ Hell’s International Deejay Gigolo label, French artist Vitalic was also part of the electroclash scene, a hip phenomenon where artists took elements from 80s electro and Drexciya’s mid-90s raw techno punk and combined it with glamrock esthetics, much to the disgust of Dutch electro purists such as Ferenc van der Sluijs (I-f ). Come down if you (like us) wish to see whatever happened to this electroclash veteran. Thu 16 Feb, Melkweg, 19:3022:00, €19.00 THE CHAINSMOKERS The first Dutch headline show for this American DJ and production duo who rose to fame at a dazzling speed after their 2014 chart hit ‘Selfie’ and a couple more massive hits. Get ready for a profoundly unsophisticated night out. Fri 17 Feb, AFAS Live, 20:00, €29 RADION Almost nothing is known about Redshape, the man who never takes his shiny red mask off when he DJs. What we do know is that he lives in Berlin, that he must have listened to a lot of Detroit techno, by the sound of his records on Delsin, Music Man and Styrax - and that his live shows usually bring down some walls. For fans of techno with an authentic futuristic edge. Sat 18 Feb, RADION, 23:0007:00, €15 WONDERLAND FESTIVAL INDOOR NIGHTTIME The nocturnal extension of the daytime edition of this techno-heavy festival. DJs include Gary Beck (Drumcode Records, also on the daytime bill), Fatima Hajji, Benny Rodrigues and Buurman & Buurman. Sat 18 Feb, Warehouse Elementenstraat, 23:00-08:00, €24.50 (€49.50 for day/night combi ticket) BONOBO LIVE The biggest name on the Ninja Tune roster plays a live set – usually full of lush breaks and melodies – in support of his sixth studio album ‘Migration’. Mon 20 Feb, Paradiso, 19:0022:30, €29 RADION One of the very first house tunes to chart massively was Lil’ Louis’s ‘French Kiss’, possibly because of the intense female orgasm that’s happening halfway through the song (it is an extremely amazing song though). Tonight sees the man Chicago – who at some point thought he would never be able to DJ again, after suffering hearing loss when a raver in Manchester set an air horn off right next to his ear – play a rare European set. Welcome back Louis! Sat 25 Feb, RADION, 23:0007:00, €15

jan & feb 2017

GAY & LESBIAN REGULAR EVENTS GAY MOVIE NIGHT Every first Wednesday of the month Pathé de Munt shows a special gay classic movie. The reception - with a welcome drink - usually starts at 20:30, the movie itself starts at 21:00. Check the Pathe website for movie and time. www.pathe.nl/event/gaynight GARBO FOR WOMEN A special women-only dance party every third Saturday of the month. Club Lite, www.garboforwomen.nl

SPORTS

19:00, €19.50, under 26 €10, men only.

EVENTS

NAKED SWIMMING The Marnixbad pools contain much less chlorine than most – which is good news since you’ll be exposing your sensitive bits. Every Tue, Marnixbad, 21:15, various prices.

AJAX Upcoming home league matches include: ADO Den Haag (29 Jan), Sparta Rotterdam (12 Feb), Heracles Almelo (26 Feb). Jan & Feb, Amsterdam ArenA, www.ajax.nl

SAUNA NZ Every Tuesday is "No Towel Night" (totally naked) at Sauna NZ. You will get a normal towel to dry yourself off and a small towel to sit on and to pat yourself dry. Come and check out the sexy vibe from 18:00 till 00:00. Every Tue, Sauna NZ, www.saunanieuwezijds.nl

FRIDAY NIGHT RUN Organised by the Phanos athletics association every second Friday of the month, this free group running event is open to both recreational and more serious sportsters. 8 Jan, 12 Feb, Olympic Stadium, www.fridaynightrun.nl

(Z)ONDERBROEK HORSEMEN & KNIGHTS Guys: Every Friday night Horsemen and Knights is the and every first Saturday of big willy gay play and cruise the month, drop all your party, taking place in the afternoon every third Sunday pretences and dance without pants at Club Church in Amof the month. Dress code: sterdam. The dress code is naked or underwear. strictly enforced: briefs and Door open 15:00-16:00 jocks are welcome; swimEagle, www.horsemen.nl ming trunks, boxers, sports MELLOW MONDAY shorts or going commando are also permitted. Board Recharge after your busy shorts, Bermudas or other weekend with free foot and streetwear prohibited. shoulder massages, free Every Fri night & first Sat snacks, free detox scrubs, of the month, Club Church, and dry and steam saunas. 22:00-05:00, €10. Every Mon, Sauna NZ,

APOLLO BASKETBAL Catch Amsterdam's premier basketball team at the Apollo Hall in Amsterdam Zuid. Upcoming home ties against other Dutch teams take place on 7 & 21 Jan, and 4 & 16 Feb. Jan & Feb, Apollohal, www. apollobasketball.nl ICE SKATING AT JAAP EDEN If you're serious about your ice skating, the Jaap Eden IJsbaan is the city's main ice rink, hosting daily skate sessions from October through March. As well as an indoor arena, there's a 400-metre outdoor track. Plus there's a fever burning

every Saturday night for the weekly disco skating sessions. Jan & Feb, Jaap Eden IJsbaan, www.jaapeden.nl ICE*AMSTERDAM Embrace the season as ICE*Amsterdam presents a unique ice skating experience on Amsterdam's Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum as a phenomenal backdrop! Jan & Feb, Museumplein, www.iceamsterdam.nl NEW YEAR SWIM If you’re feeling the effects of the New Year’s Eve celebrations, there might be no better cure than a swim in the freezing North Sea waters at Zandvoort aan Zee. Even those who prefer to stay on dry land can join in the fun and enjoy a hot cup of pea soup. 1 Jan, various locations, www.nieuwjaarsduik.info DUTCH CHAMPIONSHIP SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING The cream of the nation's speed skating crop are heading to Amsterdam in hope of becoming the Dutch champion. 7 & 8 Jan, Jaap Eden IJsbaan, www.schaatsen.nl JUMPING AMSTERDAM This international event is an annual highlight on the Dutch

ic super mar ket

100 % organ

equestrian calendar that never fails to draw the world’s best riders, including Olympic champions! 26-29 Jan, RAI Amsterdam, www.jumpingamsterdam.nl INDOOR AMSTERDAM Both seniors and juniors compete in this indoor athletics contest. Events include the 60m sprint, 60m hurdles, long jump, high jump and triple jump. 27 & 28 Jan, Sportcentrum Ookmeer, www.indooramsterdam.nl VONDELPARKLOOP The Vondelparkloop weaves through the famous park in Amsterdam, following the main pathways to distances of up to 10km. Part of the charm of the event is its accessibility, so even if you don’t fancy a run, come along and support those taking part! The special 10km ‘Light the Night’ also makes an appearance on the eve of the main event. The Vondelparkloop is the first (and iciest) event in the ‘Rondje Mokum’ (Amsterdam Circuit) – a series of seven running competitions held at various spots in Amsterdam throughout the year that will keep you fit and show you all sides of the city 14 & 15 Jan, Vondelpark, www.vondelparkloop.nl

A-LIST. PART IV THE A-LIST

GALLERIES CURATED BY AMSTERDAM ART. FOR A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS AND WEEKLY TIPS VISIT WWW.AMSTERDAMART.COM.

1. LUCY SKAER

Lucy Skaer will present two solo exhibitions, running simultaneously at both of Grimm’s exhibition spaces, with some of her most iconic pieces to date and the monumental installation ’Sticks and Stones’ (2013-2015). Skaer is often drawn to ancient objects that seem to have lost their context and story.



14 JAN – 25 FEB Grimm Frans Halsstraat 26 & Keizersgracht 241

2. NIEUW AMSTERDAMS PEIL: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

A bold new initiative will be launched on 13 January, with six galleries in the Jordaan coming together to function as one expanded exhibition space.



13 JAN – 25 FEB Annet Gelink Gallery, Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Galerie Fons Welters, Stigter Van Doesburg & Martin van Zomeren

3. ALI KAZMA

Kazma is fascinated by human activity in labour: his films capture the precise and particular specialisations of a range of professions, performed by people who have developed an enchanting fluency in their task. 28 JAN – 11 MAR Akinci Lijnbaansgracht 317

4. GEORGES ADÉAGBO AND OTOBONG NKANGA

West African artist Georges Adéagbo creates a relationship between his own personal history and the cultural and political history and current events related to the place where he is working. Alongside Adéagbo, Otobong Nkanga presents her ongoing multimedia investigations. UNTIL 22 JAN The Merchant House Lijnbaansgracht 314

5. THE WORKS DON’T GEL

’The Works Don’t Gel’ by Nicholas Riis functions as a display system, a sculpture and an installation at the same time. A visit to the exhibition will make you feel like you're stepping onto a stage and emerging yourself in the artist’s world. UNTIL 4 FEB Juliette Jongma Gerard Doustraat 128 A

FILM FAVOURITES THE FOUNDER

Failed door-to-door salesman Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton at his slimiest) knows an opportunity when he sees one: the fast-food formula of the hamburger joint owned by the brothers McDonald would be ideal for franchising. And if the official founders don’t agree, he’ll be more than happy to just take the name…and all the credit. Directed by John Lee Hancock. January 5 release.

BRIMSTONE

‘Grimstone’ would probably have been a better title for this bleak exploration of lust and religion, the first English-language venture by Dutch director Martin Koolhoven. From the moment mute midwife Liz (a very good Dakota Fanning) lays eyes on the new reverend (Guy Pearce), she knows her family is in great danger. Emilia Jones and Carice van Houten co-star. Directed by Martin Koolhoven. 12 January release.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

One of the saddest and best films of the year (and a big Oscar contender): When his brother (Kyle Chandler) dies from chronic heart failure, handyman Lee (Casey Affleck) gets custody of his 16-year-old nephew (Lucas Hedges). But is he up for it? The performance by Michelle Williams – as Lee’s ex-wife – will break your heart. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan. 19 January release.

BÉLA TARR EXPOSITION

Master director Béla Tarr always felt that the film The Turin Horse (2011), about the end of the world, would be his last. But for the special exposition at the EYE – part film, part theatre set, part installation – which he created himself, he will once again pick up his movie camera. From January 21 at the EYE. www.eyefilm.nl

PERSONAL SHOPPER

The title of Olivier Assayas’ latest feature may be somewhat misleading. Yes, Kristen Stewart, as in her previous collaboration with Assayas, again plays a personal assistant. But it’s also a Parisian ghost story about a medium (with a heart condition) who is trying to reach out to her dead twin brother. Directed by Olivier Assayas. January 26 release.

JACKIE

Regardless of quality, a film about First Lady Jackie Kennedy (Nathalie Portman) in the wake of the death of her husband is surely to catch the Academy’s eye. Thankfully for us, it’s also pretty darn good, with great performances all-round, from Peter Sarsgaard as Bobby Kennedy to Beth Grant as Lady Bird Johnson. Directed by Pablo Larraín. February 16 release.

PATERSON & MORE JIM JARMUSCH

Jim Jarmusch junkies, eat your heart out. Together with the release of his excellent latest feature, Paterson (with a superb Adam Driver as a bus driver named Paterson who also lives in Paterson), the EYE will rerelease six of his older classics, from Permanent Vacation and Stranger Than Paradise to Dead Man. Directed by Jim Jarmusch February 9 release. www.eyefilm.nl

SILENCE

For even more Adam Driver, watch Martin Scorsese’s latest feature about two 17th-century Jesuit priests (Driver and Adam Garfield) who travel to Japan to propagate Christianity and to find their lost mentor (Liam Neeson) who purportedly fell from his faith. The Japanese are…less than welcoming. Also with Ciarán Hinds, Tadanobu Asano and Issei Ogata. Directed by Martin Scorsese. February 9 release.

jan & feb 2017

KIDS & FAMILY VENUES AMSTERDAM DUNGEON The Amsterdam Dungeon brings 500 years of dark history to life with 11 shows and seven actors in one terrifying experience! Rokin 78, www.the-dungeons.nl. Open daily 11:00-17:00 (last tour); €22, ages 4-15 €18. AMSTERDAMSE BOS This huge park and forest is one of Amsterdam’s super secrets despite being three times the size of New York’s Central Park. Visitor Centre, Bosbaanweg 5, Amstelveen, www.amsterdamsebos.nl. Various times & prices. ANNE FRANK HOUSE This is the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her diary during World War II. Features quotations from the diary, photographs, films and original objects – including the diary itself. Suitable for children over 10. Prinsengracht 263-267, www.annefrank.org. Open Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00, Sun 9:00-21:00; €9, ages 10-17 €4.50. ARTIS ROYAL ZOO Admire the tropical fish in the Aquarium and travel through time in the Planetarium. See giraffes grazing amongst the zebras and wildebeests. Surround yourself with hundreds of fluttering butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion, or stroll through the historical park with its centuries-old trees and a multitude of plants. Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, www.artis.nl. Open daily 9:00-18:00; €20.50, ages 3-9 €17. BLEEKMOLENS RACE PLANET Burn off some steam and rubber at this indoor go-karting track, for ages 8 and up. Helmets and protective clothing are included. There’s also a large playground, bowling alley and restaurant. Herwijk 10, www.raceplanet.com. Open Mon-Fri 13:00-23:00, Sat & Sun 12:00-23:00; various packages available. COBRA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART In addition to interesting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, the museum also offers a free Children’s Studio. Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen, www.cobra-museum.nl. Open Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00; adults €9.50, ages 6-18 €6. Children’s Studio Sun 11:00-14:00; free. HORTUS BOTANICUS A refuge from the bustle of the city, highlights include a palm and a butterfly greenhouse, four beehives, temporary exhibitions

and a café. Plantage Middenlaan 2A, www.dehortus.nl. Open Mon-Sat, 10:00-17:00; €8.50, ages 5-14 €4.50. HET TWISKE This nature reserve and recreational area is situated north of Amsterdam, between Zaanstad and Purmerend. You can rent canoes, row or pedal boats, and sailboats. www.hettwiske.nl. KINDERKOOKKAFÉ The ‘Kids Cook Café’ is a delightful and unique restaurant located in the Vondelpark. Children (ages 5 to 12) do everything to help run the restaurant. Vondelpark 6b, www.kinderkookkafe.nl. Open daily 10:00-17:00; various prices. DE KLIMMUUR Rock climbing in the centre of Amsterdam. Dijksgracht 2, www.deklimmuur.nl. Various times & prices. LOVERS POWERZONE Strike it big at one of the six glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes, or pit yourself against the enemy in the laser-tag arena. De Ruyterkade 153, www.loverspowerzone.nl. Various times & prices. MADAME TUSSAUDS AMSTERDAM The collection of wax figures includes Brad Pitt, the outrageous Lady Gaga and the brilliant Einstein. Dam 20, www.madametussauds.nl. Open daily 10:00-18:30; €22, ages 5-15 €18, under 5 free. MIRANDABAD SWIMMING POOL A subtropical swimming complex with a beach, palm trees, several indoor pools and wave machines. Amenities include squash courts, a solarium and a restaurant. De Mirandalaan 9, www.mirandabad.nl. Various times & prices. PANCAKE BOAT A cosy boat, all-you-can-eat pancakes and a view of Amsterdam’s waters make the Pancake Boat a great activity for all ages. Ms van Riemsdijkweg www.pannenkoekenboot.nl. Various times & prices. HET SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM (NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM) This nautical museum has a variety of exhibitions designed just for kids. Kattenburgerplein 1, www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl. Open daily 9:00-17:00; €15, ages 5-17 €7.50, under 5 free. SCIENCE CENTER NEMO NEMO introduces young and old to science and technology. Oosterdok 2, www.e-nemo.nl.

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

Highlight kids

TROPENMUSEUM JUNIOR The Tropenmuseum is renowned for its Junior building's interactive exhibitions introducing children to new cultures in a playful way. Linnaeusstraat 2, www.tropenmuseum.nl. Open Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Mondays during public & school holidays 10:00-17:00; €12.50, ages 4-18 €8, under 4 free. TUNFUN An indoor paradise for children under 12. Kids can enjoy hours of fun in a huge 4,000 m2 indoor playground. Mr Visserplein 7, www.tunfun.nl. Open daily 10:00-18:00; ages 1-12 €8.50, accompanying adults free. VERZETSMUSEUM JUNIOR A Junior wing shows young visitors (9-14 years) how four peers lived during wartime. Verzetsmuseum, Plantage Kerklaan 61, www.verzetsmuseum.org. Open Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00; Sat-Mon 11:00-17:00; €8, ages 7-15 €4.50, under 7 free. WOESTE WESTEN PLAYGROUND An outdoor playground where kids can explore, dig, climb, play in the sand, and check out the frogs and bugs. Westerpark, www.woestewesten.nl. Playground supervisor present Mon & Tue 12:00-18:00, Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00.

EVENTS I AM ART: DUTCH MASTERS This exhibition at one of Amsterdam’s most fun and interactive attractions allows you to literally step inside the masterpieces of Dutch Masters like Piet Mondrian, Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt van Rijn. permanent, Madame Tussauds, www.madametussauds. com/Amsterdam ENERGETICA This outdoor exhibition on the roof of NEMO invites you to experience the ways in which it is possible to generate energy from the wind, water and sun, using special sculptures and installations to demonstrate the techniques. These interactive exhibits include apparatus such as sundials, windmills and solar panels. Even better, access to 'Energetica' is free. permanent, NEMO Science Museum, www.nemosciencemuseum.nl NEIGHBOURFOOD MARKET Follow your nose and discover some of the tastiest food and delicious drinks in Amsterdam at the NeighbourFood Market, which stops off at the Westergasfabriek on every third Sunday of the month. It's great

ICE*AMSTERDAM Embrace the season as ICE*Amsterdam presents a unique ice-skating experience on Amsterdam's Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum as a phenomenal backdrop! Whether you're young or old, a twirling ice dancer or a first-timer staying upright by willpower alone, you'll love the atmosphere of this rink, as tourists, couples, friends and families mix together. Stop off for skating lessons, take part in group ice games, or dare to try the human curling (or just regular curling). Jan & Feb, Museumplein, www.iceamsterdam.nl. No reservations required.

fun for all the family and there's a wealth of healthy produce and snacks to discover. Jan & Feb, Westergasfabriek, www.neighbourfood.nl ‘BRUSHES’ AWARD WINNERS IN THE RIJKSMUSEUM The Rijksmuseum's annual exhibition of original prints by the winners of the 'Penselen' (Brushes), the 'Paletten' (Palettes) and the 'Vlag en Wimpels' (Flag and Pennants) awards. These awards honour the most beautifully illustrated children's books of the past year. Rijksmuseum, until 19 Feb HET NEDERLANDS MARIONETTENTHEATER A charming marionette theatre with performances for children aged 4 to 10 (sometimes to 12). Puppets bring magical tales like 'Rumpelstiltskin', 'Pinocchio' and 'The Magic Violin' to life. Productions are in Dutch but the music and visuals ensure that language is no barrier. various dates Jan & Feb, Het Nederlands Marionettentheater, www.nederlandsmarionettentheater.nl COPPELIA One of ballet’s best-loved comedies, returns to the stage for the festive season with a few modern alterations and fabulous ‘retro-futuristic’ costumes. Sun 1 Jan, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, 14:00, €19-€92 CIRCUS ZANZARA Circus Zanzara specialise in a mix of traditional circus acts, street theatre, performance and live music. Expect fun for all the family in their classic circus tent.

until Sun 8 Jan, Westergasfabriek, www.circuszanzara.com WORLD CHRISTMAS CIRCUS Featuring only the crème de la crème of the circus world, the internationally renowned World Christmas Circus returns to this former circus theatre for another magical seasonal run. Highlights in 2017 include the return of circus icon Freddy Knie Jr with his enchanting horse carousel, two Golden Clown winners from the Great Chinese State Circus Beijing, and a Russian swing act featuring eight young women. until Sun 8 Jan, Royal Theatre Carré, various times and prices INTRODANS HOERA VOOR HANS With 'Hoera voor Hans', Introdans hope to introduce young audiences and parents to one of the Netherlands' most important choreographers, Hans van Manen, who turns 85 in 2017. Aimed at audiences six and over, bask in sumptuous performances of 'Squares', 'In and Out' and 'Black Cake'. Sun 12 Feb, Schouwburg Amstelveen, 15:00, €12.50-€16.50 PINOKKIO DE SPROOKJESMUSICAL Step into a world of fantasy in this retelling of the classic 'Pinocchio' fable by an award-winning stage cast. Unsurprisingly this family-friendly performance is in Dutch, but is probably ideal if your wee ones understand more Dutch than you. 26 Feb, Royal Theatre Carré, www.carre.nl

beyond amsterdam

CLOSING

BEYOND

EVERY BAD SITUATION IS A BLUES SONG WAITING TO HAPPEN.

A’DAM

AMY WINEHOUSE

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

text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

DELFT BLUES FESTIVAL It makes total sense that the city renowned for its blue ceramics would throw a blues music festival. With over 70 performances representing all blues styles from Jump ’n’ Jive to Boogie Woogie and including both acoustic and amplified music, the festival croons its way through 33 different pubs across town. The three-day event also features films and tons of social opportunities such as a brunch, a late-night after-party, and the infamous yearly Blues Quizz. For a bit of extra fun, register for the harmonica workshop on 18 February – the fee includes a nice new instrument to take home to keep those lips limber. 17 – 19 February www.delftblues.nl

GETTING THERE: There are several direct trains to Delft from Amsterdam Central every hour. Travel Time: 1 hour

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM 12 days, 2,000 film professionals, and hundreds of movies from 60 different countries: that’s the International Film Festival Rotterdam in a nutshell. For the 46th time Rotterdam will turn into film heaven by offering a broad array of feature films, documentaries, short films, exhibitions, performances and more, including exclusive premieres. After some movies you can even enjoy drinks and snacks, while you pitch some sharp questions at filmmakers and actors during Q&A sessions, and join mind-blowing debates. End an inspiring and entertaining night by busting a move on the dance floor during the daily after-parties, and register for the grand finale closing party at the Grand Hall of De Doelen. 25 January - 5 February De Doelen & various locations in Rotterdam www.IFFR.com

GETTING THERE: Trains to Rotterdam Central run very regularly from Amsterdam Central. Travel Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

OOGST To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Volkskrant Fine Art Prize (a prestigious recognition of artistic craftsmanship and accomplishment for rising stars), the Stedelijk Museum of Schiedam is putting together a special exhibition, ’Oogst’ (or ‘Harvest’) showing the winners and public favourites of the past 10 years. These include the black-and-white kaleidoscopic tapestries of Nik Christensen, Femmy Otten’s wooden sculptures and the colourful installations of Anouk Kruithof. Until 22 January Stedelijk Museum Schiedam Hoogstraat 112, Schiedam www.stedelijkmuseumschiedam.nl

GETTING THERE: From Amsterdam Central, hop on a train to Rotterdam or Schiedam then transfer to trams 21 or 24. Travel Time: 60-90 minutes

WHAT I LOVE THE MOST IS GETTING ON THE ICE AND JUST POPPING IN A FABULOUS CD AND SKATING – ALL BY MYSELF, THE RINK COMPLETELY EMPTY, JUST ME AND THE MUSIC. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST. WHAT YOU PLANT NOW, YOU WILL HARVEST LATER.

MICHELLE KWAN

OG MANDINO

PARAD-ICE If you’ve skated to your heart’s content around ICE* Amsterdam on Museumplein and want to give your blades a run for their money while enjoying breathtaking views and fresh nature, check out natuurijs.ekkel.com. The website has a map of all the spots where it’s safe to skate on ponds, lakes, canals and polders – just follow the green dots! It takes a cold winter for the ice to form and reach safe levels: more than four days at subzero temperatures. But while Amsterdam’s canals may not get cold enough this year, most winters will bring a slew of these frosty days outside of the city and Natuurijs will tell you exactly where to go without risking ending up as an ice cube. natuurijs.ekkel.com

WINTERPARADE

DESIREE DOLRON This exhibition by one of the Netherlands’ most talented photographers is really worth a quick hop on the train to Laren. This retrospective of Dolron’s striking, eerie work includes photographs from her travels in India, Thailand, the Philippines and Morocco; her magical underwater shots with ghost-like melancholy figures; and her most famous series, ’Xteriors’ – austere and otherworldy portraits of fierce-looking, porcelain-skinned women that will follow you long after you’ve left the exhibition. From 17 January Museum Singer Laren Oude Drift 1, Laren www.singerlaren.nl

GETTING THERE: From Amsterdam Central, take the train to Hilversum and transfer to bus 108 to the stop Brink in Laren. Travel Time: 40-60 minutes

Much like the medieval feasts of centuries gone by, the Winterparade takes over the Grote of St. Bavokerk on 6 and 7 January with its 120metre-long banquet-style table, upon which stroll a parade of performers. Dance, music, theatre, acrobatics, poetry – the minstrels are plenty and the mood festive. For many acts the language barrier should not impair the fun (such as Yorick Heerkens’ choir or the virtuoso violin duo); only the risk of seeing your bread stomped on. Of course it wouldn’t be a feast without vats of mulled wine and beer, and a lavish abundance of foods – catered by De Nieuwe Garde. Chefs and waitresses also parade on the tables, along with a cohort of Candy Girls, and the night ends with disco dancing. 6-7 January Grote of St. Bavokerk, Haarlem www.tafelvandeidee.nl

GETTING THERE: It’s a quick 10-15-minute ride from Amsterdam Central to Haarlem, with many trains leaving every hour; then a short 10-minute walk to get to the Church. Travel Time: 25 minutes

CLOSING

THEN AND NOW

then & now

AMSTERDAM 1900 PICTURES IN COLOUR Tracing the city’s history, one image at a time. text Marie-Charlotte Pezé

jan & feb 2017

NEXT ISSUE

THE FOOD ISSUE Everything you need to know about Amsterdam's culinary scene

WITH FLYING COLOURS

MARIETJE ZEEGERS BY JAN ZEEGERS CA 1912

10 years of collecting iconic 20th-century photography

Rijksmuseum Until May www.rijksmuseum.nl

KING'S DAY

KEUKENHOF The world's most famous flower garden reopens for tulip season

From 23 March www.keukenhof.nl

Celebrating everything orange for the King's birthday 27 April

NOORDOOST

3-8 JANUARY & 24-29 JANUARY Amsterdam City Archives Vijzelstraat 32 www.stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl

STAR VU

Colour photography was actually born much earlier than we realise: the Lumière brothers invented the autochrome in 1903, a very ingenious process which used dyed potato starch on coated glass plates to act as colour filters. But if the new technique was awe-inspiring for many photographers, it remained too expensive and limiting (requiring sixty times more light than black and white and extremely long exposures) to be used widely. It was also impossible to print on paper or in books, rendering it utterly useless for newsprint or magazines. Nonetheless, many amateurs of the medium didn’t let these drawbacks stop them, and the Amsterdam City Archives has an enchanting collection of autochromes by such eminent photographers as Olie Breitner, Eilers and their comtemporaries. Because the dyes are so fragile, the originals will only be displayed twice, sealed in special lowoxygen enclosures: from 3 to 8 January and 24 to 29 January – two very rare opportunities to admire the very first life-like colour photography from Amsterdam.

MAR & APR 2017

Where urban Amsterdam meets the rural Northern villages on the IJmeer

CLOSING

ON THE WAY

OUT

We asked people leaving Schiphol Airport for their Amsterdam advice.

text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé

on the way out

GINGER JAIRALA, 26, FROM ECUADOR, WORKS IN ADMINISTRATION ‘The best shopping district is not the central Kalverstraat with all its chain stores, but in the Nine Streets right around the corner, where you’ll find a lot of wonderful, small, independent boutiques.’

MARIA KUZMANOVIC, 23 AND ANNA STEFANNI, 29, STUDENTS FROM CROATIA ‘Just walk around the city – what’s amazing about Amsterdam is its liberal spirit, and you can feel it everywhere on the streets. It’s a city of freedom.’

HELGA BERGFELD, HR MANAGER FROM LEIDEN ‘Find a spot on the terrace of a café on Leidseplein and enjoy some people-watching; there’s often performers on the square, too, like jugglers or capoeira dancers. It’s a lot of fun.’

JOHN RUWE, 40, FROM BARCELONA, WORKS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ‘During the winter, there are few things as great in Amsterdam as skating at ICE* Amsterdam on Museumplein.’

NAIM & MONTA 25 AND 29, FROM TUNISIA ‘It may sound like an obvious one, but the Red Light District is very special. Not because of what you think, but because it’s surprisingly quiet and beautiful – the historical architecture, the atmosphere, the people. It makes for a really nice stroll.’

editor-in-chief Bart van Oosterhout art director & basic design Loes Koomen designer Zlatka Siljdedic deputy editor Marie-Charlotte Pezé proofreader Elysia Brenner contributors Elysia Brenner, Lauren Comiteau, Karin Engelbrecht, Lily Heaton, Catalina Iorga, Bregtje Schudel, Mark Smith, Imke Walenberg, Monique Wijbrands/Saltystock listings EdenFrost (Tamar Bosschaart, Steven McCarron, Sarah Gehrke, Alison McGarry & Rhys Elliott), Christiaan de Wit cover illustration Leendert Masselink

The card that offers more than you can visit (but you can try)

iamsterdam.com/citycard

Book online. Skip the line.

Van Gogh engages you.

www.vangoghmuseum.com

Vincent van Gogh, Zelfportret met grijze vilthoed, 1887, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Stichting)

Want to meet Vincent?