MAG Utrecht #28: May & June 2021 by magutrecht

MAY & JUNE 2021

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Exploring forts, nature & literature YOUR GUIDE TO THE CITY’S HOTSPOTS AND ITS CULTURAL EVENTS

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MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Welcome to Utrecht We’ve all been longing to go to theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and movie nights, so let’s hope the COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted by now. We’ve also listed ten of the most exciting authors with a link to the city, as Utrecht has been picked by Unesco as one of its Cities of Literature. So even if some of the restrictive measures are still in place, you can always buy yourself a book and find a good spot to read in one of Utrecht’s parks. You can also take a break from the hectic city life by venturing further afield. Our five tips will take you to beautiful spots in the region where you are surrounded by unspoiled, natural diversity. One of them is the former Soesterberg airbase. Until 2008 fighter jets landed here, but the area is now inhabited by a huge diversity of birds, insects and rare plants. In addition, we’ve lined up five places in an around town where you have enough space for enjoying a drink and a bite to eat with the people you haven’t seen in real life for far too long. Let’s hope we’re able to go there!

Photography Anne Hamers

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

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40 Explore Escape to nature 44 Dutch Water Lines Bike rides, green fields & concrete bunkers

EAT & DRINK

EXPLORE

Theatre, art, music & more SPRING Performing Arts Festival Music Faradays & great gigs Theatre Mindfulness on speed Exhibitions & Museums Mary Magdalen & more Movies Modern fairy-tale Festivals & Events Dutch Harp Festival Literature A celebration of Utrecht, City of Literature Outside art Strange snipe

SHOPPING

What’s happening Things to do & places to go Spotlight The forts, flora & fauna of Lunetten The local’s favourites Q&A with Astrid Meijs

CULTURE

Contents

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

What’s happening? THINGS TO DO & PLACES TO GO

OPEN-AIR ART

Wall formula

This painting on a wall along the railway line on Burgemeester Reigerstraat shows Buys Ballot (1817-1890), professor at Utrecht University. In 1845, he was the first person to demonstrate the Doppler effect. You hear this effect when, for example, an ambulance or police car drives past: the sound of the siren seems lower once the vehicle has passed. The Austrian physicist Christian Doppler predicted this effect in 1842. Three years later, Buys Ballot decided to test the theory in an experiment. He arranged a group of horn-players in an open train carriage, which then travelled past a group of observers in Utrecht at high speed. This scene is depicted on the wall. It was painted by the Utrecht artists’ collective called De Strakke Hand. > wall on Burgemeester Reigerstraat 9

May & June

UPSIDE DOWN

Utrecht Philosophy Day

Top philosophers from Utrecht and around will enrich you with insights that will turn your world view upside down. How does it work? Together with a host and a small group of people, you will embark on a tour along three different programmes. You don’t know who is on stage, but what you do know is that you will leave the building wiser than when you entered. Tickets for the tours will be available three weeks before the start. The English edition starts at 16:00 in the afternoon. > 13 June from 16:00, Utrecht University Hall sg.uu.nl/agenda/2021/ utrechtse-dag-van-defilosofie-2021

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

LOOKING FOR LETTERS

Scavenger hunt

For kids from 6 to 12 years old, there’s nothing quite like a scavenger hunt. The ‘Molen de Ster’ windmill will be hiding letters around its grounds on both Mother’s Day (Sunday 9 May) and Father’s Day (Sunday 20 June). Pick up a form at the Molencafé and off you go! Once you’ve guessed the sentence, hand in your form and there’s a nice surprise for the mums and dads. The picturesque grounds are also the perfect spot for a picnic, which is available from the outdoor bar. > 9 May and 20 June, Molen de Ster molendester.nu

Photography Jurjen Drenth, Christopher Sardegna/Unsplash, James Wainscoat/Unsplash, Het Utrechts Archief

THE PICTURESQUE GROUNDS OF MOLEN DE STER ARE PERFECT FOR A PICNIC, AVAILABLE FROM THE OUTDOOR BAR DISCOVER THE REGION

Hole-dwellers

Amerongse forest is one of the oldest forests on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug hills. It is home to both deciduous trees and conifers, some of which are thought to be 230 years old. Many of them have holes in the trunks, which are gratefully occupied by woodpeckers and bats. The Utrechts Landschap information centre in a monumental tobacco warehouse in Amerongen is the starting point for several signposted walks. The ‘Hoog en Laag’ route (6 km) takes you across the top of the Amerongse Berg and the lower-lying Bovenpolder, and past a viewing platform. The ‘Over de Top’ route (3.4 km) goes to the top of the 69-metre-high Amerongse Berg. > Starting point at Veenseweg 8, Amerongen utrechtslandschap.nl

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

What’s happening? POLYPHONY

International chain poem

> follow the evolution of the chain poem via the social media of Utrecht City of Literature (#WPDUtrecht) cityofliterature.nl

MUST-DO

Flutterby butterfly

Once the COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed, why not plan an escape to the green oasis in the Botanic Gardens of Utrecht Science Park? These gardens are among the oldest of their kind in the Netherlands, having been planted around the 19th-century Fort Hoofddijk. As well as admiring the unusual trees, flowers and plants, you can also pop into the hothouses to see beautiful tropical butterflies like the iridescent blue Morphos and the enormous Atlas moths that are bigger than your hand. You’ll also see some fantastic caterpillars and cocoons, which look more like jewellery than actual creatures. > daily, Budapestlaan 17 uu.nl/en/utrecht-botanic-gardens

Photography Gaby Jongenelen, Victor M. Lansink/Het Utrechts Archief, Marcel Jongejan

these are waiting days I dropped a weck jar what a bang shrill red pomegranate seeds azure rustle bass tones and dissonants broke out and out of the glass rolled over the cold tiles under kitchen cabinets tables chairs On 21 March, these lines by the Utrecht poet Yentl van Stokkum kicked off an international chain poem to celebrate World Poetry Day. On the 21st of each subsequent month, one of the 39 UNESCO Cities of Literature (which include Utrecht) will add their lines to the poem on the theme of ‘polyphony’. The poem will travel the world, with new verses (translated into English) being added at regular intervals. How will poets from different cultures react to each other, what will get lost in translation, but most importantly, what happens when we take time to listen to each other?

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

MUST-SEE

Singing statues

Every year, Cultuur19 organises several dance shows next to the seven imposing statues in Máximapark. On 30 May, you can watch a mix of professional dance companies and local, novice dancers, including Illusionary Rockaz Company, SHIFFT|Jasper van Luijk, Serióós, Nina van der Zouwen, Dansatelier 42 en DC 1|| high, Amadeus Lyceum en De Dansers, and KLUB19. The shows can be watched on location and online. > 30 May, Máximapark zingendebeelden.nl cultuur19.nl

May & June

MADE IN UTRECHT

Unique furniture design

by Manon Marijs Willem and Vanessa (aka Wi and Va) share a passion for making furniture that adds a creative twist to your interior. ‘About seven years ago, Vanessa decided to start making furniture for our home’, explains Willem. ‘The furniture in the shops was all very much the same and we wanted something different. Our first creation was a table.’ Friends started taking an interest in their designs and the ball soon started rolling. And so WiVa Design was born, and more chairs, sidetables, coffee tables and TV cupboards followed. Most of them feature a hint of Scandinavian retro combined with modern, abstract corners. Their furniture is generally manufactured from solid wood, and to avoid waste, Willem and Vanessa use the offcuts to create smaller pieces of furniture and accessories. > Visit the WiVa Design showroom at Life’s a Peach focacceria (Hardebollenstraat 9) or look online: wivadesign.nl

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

SPOTLIGHT

THE CHIRRUPING OF BLACKBIRDS, TITS AND FINCHES DIMS THE ROAR OF THE MOTORWAY TO BACKGROUND NOISE

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

forts, flora & fauna of Lunetten The

IT’S NOT SOMEWHERE YOU’D THINK TO GO IF YOU DIDN’T LIVE THERE, BUT YOU’D BE MISSING OUT! NO OTHER DISTRICT IN UTRECHT MANAGES TO COMBINE NATURE AND HISTORY QUITE LIKE LUNETTEN. YOU PASS ANCIENT FORTS, UNIQUE FLORA AND FAUNA, AND ARCHITECTURE THAT TAKES YOU BACK TO THE 1970S AND 80S. By Pam van der Veen

ucked away in the furthest south-east corner of Utrecht, neatly framed by Waterlinieweg, the railway and the A12 motorway, Lunetten was built in the 1970s as an overspill after the Hoograven, Kanaleneiland and Overvecht districts. Once the worst of the housing shortage had been resolved, it was time to think about how to organise the public space and social cohesion in this new neighbourhood. To ensure a diverse population, various types of housing were built, ranging from rooms and apartments to duplex houses and terraced properties. Residents were even invited to plan the lay-out of some of the houses – consultation was ‘in’ in those days. The fact that they could claim to live in the Carpathians, the

Shetlands, the Dolomites or the Philippines (the Dutch street names in Lunetten largely refer to mountain ranges or island groups), made things even more fun.

CAULIFLOWER

Lunetten is a good example of the type of ‘cul-de-sac’ neighbourhoods that were built at that time. The ring roads (Simplonbaan, Furkabaan and Brennerbaan) with labyrinths of culde-sacs and closes on either side, determine the basic structure of the neighbourhood and restrict the flow of traffic. If you look at a map of the neighbourhood, you can see that it resembles a cauliflower, which explains the Dutch name for this type of housing estate (bloem koolwijk).

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

SPOTLIGHT

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As was the way in the 1970s, new housing estates like this had plenty of space for parks, water, playgrounds and canals with bridges. The village-feel is still in evidence, despite being just 15 minutes from the centre of Utrecht by bike. The nice thing about walking through Lunetten is the way that the design of the houses matches the original landscape and the historical fortifications that still exist. The New Dutch Water Line, the Netherlands’ largest national monument, runs straight through Lunetten. The forts which the neighbourhood was named after, Lunet III and Lunet IV, play a prominent role as a childcare and scouting facility, and as a venue for events and hospitality. The historical inundation canal, built by Napoleon in the early 19th century to transport water from the Vecht and Kromme Rijn rivers to the forts, still plays an important part by linking the northern Beatrixpark with the southern De Koppel Park. An idyllic footpath runs alongside it.

It’s called Temple of Boom and is the ultimate proof that you’ve arrived in Lunetten. From this orientation point, we walk towards Oude Liesbosweg, which takes us along a leafy path beside the inundation canal, past wooden suspension bridges and the Utrecht-Zuid allotment complex, which was there long before Lunetten was built. 2 The canal comes to a dead end at the A12 barrier, but the path bends eastwards through the woods in De Koppel Park. 3 The chirruping of blackbirds, tits and finches dims the roar of the motorway to background noise. Pass the De Kuil playground and you’ll see De Koppelsteede urban farm 4 , where you can visit the animals. An old orchard serves as a reminder of Lunetten before it was built on.

URBAN FARM

STREET ART

We start at the ‘main entrance’ to the neighbourhood, at the foot of Rob Birza’s work of art, which has been welcoming residents and visitors since 1999. 1 It is shaped like an enormous mushroom, and stands on a plinth that looks like a temple.

Koppeldijk is a long narrow lane with poplars on either side. It takes us to the residential part of Lunetten. The path ends in Goeree, with a work of art called De Dam (The Dam) by Bas Maters, dating from 1982. 5 He designed a mini

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

Photography Rob Birza, D.C. Goosen/HUA,Wybren de Jong, Beumer

SPOTTING KINGFISHERS

landscape of grey stone corners and points, fanning out to a canal. The water could be cleaner, but De Dam is a popular spot for playing. Follow Liemers to Graaf schap 47, where the Utrecht street-artist JanIsDeMan left one of his famous wall paintings: de woordzoeker. 6 It consists of a collection of words from stories recounted by local residents. You can read more about these stories and the work of art on the muurschilderinglunetten.nl. website. We walk back to the water and head for Hondsrug, which is the Lunetten shopping centre. It looks a bit neglected, despite the best efforts of a picture called Een berg voor Lunetten by the artists Krijn Christiaansen and Jelske de Beer. 7 You’ll find plenty of places for take-away food and drink here, such as the new vegan supermarket VMarkt. If the weather’s nice, you can take your spoils and have a picnic in Beatrixpark, our next destination.

We return to nature via Gaasterland, walking towards the ash trees, willows, oaks, hazelnut trees and blackthorn bushes. Above the sound of traffic on the adjoining Waterlinieweg, you can sometimes hear woodpeckers high up in the trees. Fort Lunet III is in the north-west corner of the park, surrounded by a ‘moat’ 8 . The banks are inhabited by grass snakes, frogs and water voles. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a kingfisher or an orchid. We veer southwards, and the path takes us past Fort Lunet IV and De Smaak van Lunet lunch café. 9 . A path across the fort gives a great view of the historical fortifications. We now go under the bike and pedestrian tunnel, admiring the ceramics made by young people from the neighbouring Hoograven district 10 , and continue along the water towards our starting point. And there it is, the huge mushroom, looming up like a beacon for the neighbourhood we’ve just left behind us. Cross the Lunettenbrug, onto ’t Goyplein, and we’re 1 back in the hustle and bustle of the city, far from the peace of ‘village life’.

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

THE LOCAL’S FAVOURITES

Q&A WITH ASTRID MEIJS By Merel van ‘t Hooft

She is a visual and performance artist, certified urban planner and founder of the Clothing Asylum (Kledingasiel): a place where people can donate or adopt beautiful hand-me-downs. Astrid Meijs has a knack for connecting people, both through art and fashion. In less difficult times, you might have spotted her walking around festivals as a kind of living arts-and-crafts-cabinet (inviting people to create their own masterpieces), or hosting swap parties for hundreds of people (including drinks, DJ’s and dance-offs). These days, she can often be found in her studio at De Havenloods, which doubles as the rapidly growing shelter for unwanted items of clothing. If not there, Astrid is probably organising events for Stadsschouwburg Utrecht through Club Nu, or rehearsing with her own theatre collective. Time to ask this creative polymath about her favourite spots in Utrecht. @kledingasiel

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

hosted some performances, which was great. There’s a theatre/music stage, and they often organise crafts markets or exhibitions in the tiny gallery EXboot, located in a former sex workers’ boat.’

Go-to meeting place ‘My number one coffee place in Utrecht has to be Koffie Leute (Westerkade 30). I’ve been coming here for ages and know the founders, who are lovely. I still remember them selling coffee from a little stand during Cultural Sundays, and have watched them grow. They serve fantastic coffee, and it has become my go-to meeting place with friends.’

Preloved items Secret courtyards ‘There are many little courtyards (‘hofjes’) hidden in the city centre of Utrecht, which make for a great walk. At the VVV tourist office you can get a map with the so-called Hofjesroute, which lets you explore many of these secret yards. I really enjoy strolling through them because it’s so relaxing. I hope to live in one someday.’

Photography Tanimara Layla, Jasper Timmermans

Community feeling ‘Moira (Wolvenstraat 10) is one of my favourite places in Utrecht. It serves as a communal living facility, but they run a bar, event space and exhibition room as well. I used to bartend here during open mic nights, or host big clothing swap parties with over a hundred people. Many internationals come here, too.’

Cultural meeting spot ‘My studio in De Havenloods is right next to De Nijverheid (Nijverheidskade 15), a cultural meeting spot and workplace for artists. Their art café is usually bustling, and even during the pandemic they still

‘FRIS is a second-hand clothing market that used to take place in different venues around town. I’ve sold my clothes here before. It’s really fun for people who love the IJ-Hallen (the biggest flea market of Europe in Amsterdam - red.), but then on a smaller scale. They’ve gone online since the pandemic, so now people can sell preloved items via their Instagramaccount (@fris.utrecht). A great way to continue this good cause.’

Fris

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

SPRING PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL For ten whole days, international top-class artists will be pushing back the boundaries at various venues throughout the city, with due respect for the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions. Theatre makers Dries Verhoeven and Julian Hetzel have transformed their work into an ongoing experience, Katja Heitmann turns Motus Mori into an intimate oneon-one encounter, and Schweigman& will treat us to Spectrum, a theatrical light show that brings you closer to your inner self by appealing to all of your senses. Afterwards, you can return to everyday life feeling refreshed. Exactly what we need in the current era of sensory and information overload! > 20 to 29 May, various locations springutrecht.nl

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

CULTURE

Theatre, art, music & more

Photography Leontien Allermeersch

AFTER AN EXCEPTIONALLY TOUGH PERIOD, THE CULTURAL SECTOR IN UTRECHT WILL GRADUALLY BE COMING BACK TO LIFE. SO NOW’S PROBABLY THE TIME FOR ONE OF THOSE INTIMATE THEATRE SHOWS, INSPIRING EXHIBITIONS OR LIVE GIGS THAT YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR ALL THESE MONTHS.

The History of Korean Western Theatre

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Under the spell of gamelan THE UTRECHT BORN-AND-BRED KARINDRA PERRIER IS A MUSICIAN AND A PHYSICIST. WORKING AS FARADAYS, SHE COMBINES INDONESIAN GAMELAN MUSIC FROM HER YOUTH WITH THE CONTEMPORARY SOUND OF HER BAND. ‘BUT IT’S GOING TO BE A FULL-ON POP PROJECT. JUST WAIT AND SEE!’ By Machiel Coehorst

Music-lovers probably know you by the name Femme Vanille. Why did you change your stage name to Faradays? ‘As Femme Vanille, I drew inspiration from jazz and French music. This name suited my music. Nowadays, my songs are more electronic and contemporary. The name Faradays refers to a process in physics. In a storm, you’re safe from lightning in a car because the outside of the vehicle conducts the electrical current. We call this a Faraday Cage. But the cage also prevents other signals from reaching you, such as internet and

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

telephone. You are shut off from the outside world. This reminds me of the bubble I’m in when I’m making music and writing songs. I withdraw into my own little world.’ You could say that your name symbolises the current era… ‘Yes, but I miss performing live. It really struck home when I was allowed to give two COVID-proof shows last year. I’m quite happy writing music at home at the moment, but I miss the casual encounters. They give you fresh impetus, different trains of thought. As a musician, I’m mainly inspired by life, but there’s not much going on at the moment.’ Yet you managed to find the inspiration for a musical project last year, which earned you an incentive grant of € 10,000. What does this project involve? ‘My mother used to play cassettes with gamelan music, traditional music from Indonesia. I’d heard it while I was growing up, but I’d almost forgotten. I found her old music cassettes recently and I was spell-bound! The melodies are enchanting. I want to echo them, and combine it with my personal style. So I mix samples of this Indonesian music with Faradays music.’ How would you describe gamelan music? ‘It consists of long, repetitive melodies that almost put you into a trance. It is meditative, a little bit sinister and mysterious. You’re

Music

supposed to dance to it: you have court dances at the palaces, with beautiful costumes, make-up, saris and scarves. The dancers flow from one pose into another, using their hands and their eyes. Classical composers such as Ravel and Debussy were inspired by gamelan, but it has had very little influence in the world of pop music. I’m working with an Indonesian dancer for my project, someone who danced as a court dancer as a child and now does modern and urban dance. I’m lifting elements of gamelan music to the present day. But it’s going to be a full-on pop project. Just wait and see!’ A very personal project too, by the sound of it. ‘Yes, gamelan is music that I haven’t really listened to since my youth. I wrote pop music for a long time, trying to find my voice within the Western pop scene like everyone does. Now that I know what I’m doing, I feel the urge to add my own colour to that pop music.’

‘GAMELAN MUSIC IS MEDITATIVE, A LITTLE BIT SINISTER AND MYSTERIOUS’

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Dekoor audio trail

Music

ZIMIHC Sessions

This spring, the Utrecht Dekoor Close Harmony, comprising 30 young musical students, will make your visit to the Utrecht Botanic Gardens even more memorable. Using your smartphone and headphones, follow the route that has been marked out, listening to songs, spoken word and other audio clips made by Dekoor. COVID-19 restrictions permitting, the choir will also perform in TivoliVredenburg on 13 June. > until 30 May, Utrecht Botanic Gardens dekoor.nl

Various ZIMIHC theatres are organising intimate sessions until the end of May. The sessions are an opportunity for aspiring singer-songwriters and bands, spoken-word artists and musical innovators to showcase their talent. On 13 May, singer-songwriters Mercy James and Potman Jr. will perform in ZIMIHC Wittevrouwen Theatre. On 27 May, it’s the turn of indie folk duo Francis & Bacon and the four-person folk formation Siberian Oxygen, who will perform in the ZIMIHC Stefanus Theatre. Admission is free, but a donation to the artists is highly appreciated.

Olga Vocal Ensemble

The four singers of the Utrecht-based Olga Vocal Ensemble are Dutch, Icelandic, English and Russian-American. They started small in 2012 with a show at the Icelandic embassy in Brussels. Since then, they’ve recorded four albums, toured Europe and the United States and performed in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Harpa in Reykjavík and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The new show Aurora features music from Iceland, Estonia, Russia and Georgia, with songs that explore death, loss, rebirth, hope and joy. Mercy James

> 25 June, Pieterskerk pieterskerkconcerten.nl

Photography Willem Jan de Bruin

> 13 and 27 May, ZIMIHC Wittevrouwen and Stefanus Theatres zimihc.nl

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

MINDFULNESS ON SPEED

Photography Benning&Gladkova

> 2, 3, 4 and 5 June, De Paardenkathedraal theaterutrecht.nl

Theatre

CULTURE

PAIN AGAINST FEAR

After the success of the theatrical concerts based on the work of Sarah Kane (The SK Concert, 2018) and Heiner Müller (The HM Concert, 2019), PERMANENT DESTRUCTION switches direction. Whereas the first two parts of the trilogy revolved around hate (selfhate, hatred of women, hatred of men and hatred of life), in the third part, theatre maker Naomi Velissariou and sound producer Joost Maaskant try to settle up with the fear that is feeding this hate. Are you brave enough to immerse yourself in the mix of techno, trap, hardcore and punk, and take part in a rave designed to exorcise your fears and celebrate pain?

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Mary Magdalene,

a woman of extremes COURTESAN, SAINT, FEMINIST, WIFE OF JESUS. MARY MAGDALENE’S REPUTATION IS AS INCONSISTENT AS IT IS DIVERSE. FROM THE END OF JUNE, MUSEUM CATHARIJNECONVENT IS HOSTING AN EXHIBITION SHOWING HOW THIS MYSTERIOUS WOMAN HAS CONTINUED TO INSPIRE MANKIND FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS. By Sarah-Mie Luyckx

Who was Mary Magdalene? There’s no simple answer to this question, says Lieke Wijnia, curator of the exhibition of the same name in Museum Catharijneconvent. Even the four gospels of the New Testament (the earliest sources of information about the life of Jesus) paint different pictures of this woman. ‘The basic story is that Jesus healed her by exorcising seven devils, after which she became his most

loyal disciple. She was present during the most important moments in Jesus’ life: his journeys around Galilee, the crucifixion, the entombment and the resurrection. At the resurrection, he gave her an all-important task: he instructed Mary Magdalene to proclaim his resurrection to others. This is why she is referred to as the apostle to the apostles.’ As history progressed, this role gradually became forgotten. In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I officially designated her a ‘fallen woman’. Mary Magdalene was held up as a role model to sinners, along the lines of: if you repent enough, you can get close to Jesus no matter how wicked your life has been. Over time, she was assigned all kinds of characteristics, says Lieke. ‘In the thirteenth century, she was labelled a recluse, whereas in the Golden Legend (accounts of the lives of saints living in that era) she allegedly travelled to the South of France to convert the King and Queen to Christianity. Her name was not cleared until much later. In 1969, Pope Paul VI declared that her reputation as a sinner had

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

David LaChapelle, Mary Magdalene receives the holy spirit, 2018, Studio David LaChapelle, Los Angeles

CULTURE

Exhibitions & Museums

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Marlène Dumas, Magdalena (1995)

Pierre Puvis de Chavanes, La Madeleine au désert (1869)

‘MARY MAGDALENE FITS PERFECTLY WITH THE CURRENT ZEITGEIST AND VISUAL CULTURE’

been unjustified. And four years later, 22 July (her name day) became an official liturgical holiday. She was finally back on an equal footing with the other, male, apostles.’

Mary Magdalene is still a relevant figure, Lieke continues. ‘She fits in perfectly with the current zeitgeist and visual culture, in which image plays such a big part. Another good reason for dedicating an exhibition to her is the fact that we are currently shining the spotlight on many other previously unheard voices. Take the growing interest in minority female artists, or the dark pages in colonial history. Mary Magdalene fits into this development: for many years, she was known as a sinner, but from the 1900s onwards, she was considered a role model for religious leadership. A feminist icon.’ The exhibition shows the many facets of Mary Magdalene. Juxtaposed historical and contemporary art emphasise just how topical this subject is. Lieke: ‘We have 11th-century ivory carvings of

Egbert Modderman, Misunderstood (2020)

three women at the site of Jesus’ empty tomb alongside some very new work. Mary Magdalene is still an important source of inspiration for artists today. There’s a painting by Marlene Dumas, and work by the photographer David LaChapelle showing the American reality star Kim Kardashian posing as Mary Magdalene. She is depicted as a strong woman holding up her finger to bless the viewer, just like Jesus.’

SHOCKED REACTIONS

On arrival, visitors are confronted with scenes

Photography Peter Cox, Art Revisited, Todd-White Art Photography

FEMINIST ICON

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

CULTURE

Exhibitions & Museums

Francesco Bianchi Buonavita, Mary Magdalen with the Ointment Jar (ca. 1600-1650)

Kiki Lamers, no title (2020)

Alfred Stevens, Mary Magdalen (1887)

from The Da Vinci Code, based on the bestseller by Dan Brown, in which Mary Magdalene has a child with Jesus. At the end of this wide-ranging exhibition, you have an opportunity to reflect and think about which image of Mary Magdalene strikes home with you. A special room has been set up for this. It has just one picture, in which Mary Magdalene looks straight at you with a questioning look in her eyes. ‘This was painted by the Belgian artist Alfred Stevens in the late 19th century. Mary Magdalene is depicted as a sensual recluse dressed in a simple robe, with a mysterious,

tearful expression. At the time, the painting sent shockwaves through the public, but nowadays, we see it as a beautiful romantic portrayal. This sums up what has happened to the image of Mary Magdalene quite nicely’, explains Lieke. ‘We hope that people will recognise the different images in the exhibition, and will leave with a feeling of: wow, I hadn’t seen that side of Mary Magdalene before.’ > from 25 June, Museum Catharijneconvent catharijneconvent.nl

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

LIVING LAB

RAUM DER LUSTEN

> until 29 August, RAUM raumutrecht.nl

RESILIENCE AND VULNERABILITY

NATALIA OSSEF

Artist Natalia Ossef (1983) was born in Syria and lives in Utrecht. Her work is exhibited in two places in town. In the exhibition Reflecting Reflections in Centraal Museum, Ossef shows works in which the resilience and vulnerability of the individual in the landscape plays the leading role. In Movement Exposed Gallery Space, you can watch her performance video Before it Stirs the Surface, which consists of an endless repetition of a movement that has existed since ancient times: breaking open the ground. > until 26 June, Movement Exposed Gallery Space and until 4 July, Centraal Museum me-galleryspace.com centraalmuseum.nl

Photography Pieter Kers

This open-air exhibition on Berlijnplein in the Leidsche Rijn district forms an exciting alternative to the predictable way that we usually organise our public spaces. If we arranged our urban squares differently, would we also behave differently? This exhibition is a voyage of discovery and experience: from playful walks to podcasts, film screenings and wild picking tours. The concept is based on the legendary painting The Garden of Eden by Hieronymus Bosch. Like the painting, the exhibition comprises three landscapes (Paradise, the World and Hell), with appropriate works of art and programmes that visitors can take part in.

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY

SYMBIOSE IMMACULÉE

In association with the Centraal Museum, where Voices of Fashion is currently running, IMPAKT is organising a solo exhibition by Tabita Rezaire (1989), a French artist with Guyanese and Danish roots. Rezaire makes colourful video installations and performances, in which she searches for cross-fertilisation in scientific ideas, technology and spirituality. Her work is on display in both the Centraal Museum and in IMPAKT. The virtual version of the exhibition is also available online until 24 May. > until 24 May, IMPAKT and Centraal Museum impakt.nl centraalmuseum.nl

BLACK COUTURE, BEAUTY AND STYLE

VOICES OF FASHION

Photography Xxxxx

Exhibitions & Museums

Centraal Museum is the first art museum in the Netherlands to investigate the role of black designers in the fashion industry. Voices of Fashion shows how ‘the white perspective’ still defines the fashion world to this day. In this exhibition, fashion curator Ninke Bloemberg and co-curator and founder of Diversity Rules Janice Deul are exploring the impact that black designers have had on the world of fashion, and on what is widely considered to be fashionable. The title of the exhibition also refers to the more than seventy models, designers, lenders and artists from all over the world with whom the museum collaborated. > until 15 August, Centraal Museum centraalmuseum.nl

28 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021 Undine

The world of the historian Undine falls apart when Johannes leaves her for another woman. Soon after, she starts a passionate affair with the diver Christopher. Undine is a modern fairy-tale, based on the myth about the mysterious water nymph of the same name, who could only appear in human form if her lover remained faithful. If he were to stray, she had to kill him and return to the sea. The film has English subtitles.

Movies

> 6 May, Central Library Neude hoogt.nl

The Father

> from 20 May, Kinepolis and Pathé kinepolis.nl pathe.nl

The Kingmaker, Imelda Marcos

The name of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, is etched into our collective memory as the woman with over a thousand pairs of shoes. Acclaimed film maker Lauren Greenfield follows this eccentric glamour queen on her mission to reclaim power, while pretending to have the interests of the fatherland at heart. > until 4 June, online film platform Picl picl.nl

Photography Lauren Greenfield, Sean Gleason

Anne (Olivia Colman) is looking for a caregiver because she wants to make sure her father (Anthony Hopkins), who is suffering from dementia, is being cared for whenever she’s not around. But her father refuses all help and is slowly losing his grip on reality. This heart-breaking film is co-written and directed by Florian Zeller, and based on his own play Le Pére. Hopkins was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, Coleman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the film landed a Best Picture nomination. And they might have won them by the time you read this.

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

CULTURE

PLANET HARP

DUTCH HARP FESTIVAL

Photography Nick Helderman

Although we are desperately hoping that live audiences will be welcome in TivoliVredenburg, whatever else happens, this year’s Dutch Harp Festival will be livestreamed in its entirety. Led by the festival’s founder and harpist Remy van Kesteren, the best harpists from around the world will come together to perform online. They include Lavinia Meijer, Gyneth Wentink and Tom Monger (the harpist from the rock band Florence and the Machine). We’d also recommend the international improvisation collective Orchestra Elastique, who play live music to accompany the 1933 film classic King Kong, and the eighty(!) young harpists who go to make up the Harp Leerorkest. > 15 and 16 May, online/ TivoliVredenburg harpfestival.nl

Festivals & Events

30 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Literature

A celebration of Utrecht, City of Literature UTRECHT HAS BEEN PICKED BY UNESCO AS ONE OF ITS CITIES OF LITERATURE, JOINING THE LIKES OF KAFKA’S PRAGUE AND ROBIN HOOD’S NOTTINGHAM. WE’VE LISTED SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING AUTHORS WITH A LINK TO OUR CITY. By Beatriz Negreiros

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CULTURE

LITERARY SENSATION

Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Photography Albert Stephens/Unsplash

Much ink has already been spilled on literary sensation Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. The author garnered critical praise for their 2018 debut, The Discomfort of Evening. The book nabbed them and their translator, Michele Hutchinson, the International Booker Prize - making them the first Dutch person to ever win it. Besides their stunning debut, they have also published their fair share of poetry, and, this year, their second novel, which awaits English translation. Born and raised in rural North Brabant, they relocated to Utrecht at age nineteen and live in the city to this day.

A CLASSIC

Arthur Japin

Before producing what is deemed by many to be a classic of Dutch modern literature, 1997’s The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi, Haarlem born Arthur Japin led a sometimes exciting, other times tragic life. Following a difficult childhood, he moved to Amsterdam to become an actor; he later tried a career as an opera singer. He finally settled for writing - be it books, plays or even television shows. He has published a vast array of works, ranging from novels to travel stories. He currently lives in Utrecht with his American partner, fellow writer Benjamin Moser.

32 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

BIOGRAPHIES

MAVERICK

Benjamin Moser was born in Texas, but lived and worked in several European cities before nesting in Utrecht with his partner, Dutch author Arthur Japin. He is perhaps best known for penning masterful biographies of women in the arts, ranging from Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector to American writer Susan Sontag. His 2019 book on the former, Sontag: Her Life and Work, won him a Pulitzer; judges called it ‘an authoritatively constructed work told with pathos and grace’.

Isabelle de Charrière (1740 1805), also known as Belle Van Zuylen, took an interest in society and politics in a time where these topics were mostly shelved for men only. This, combined with the poignant observations she gathered in several letters, pamphlets and plays, gave way to later comparisons to fellow female literary maverick Jane Austen. But Van Zuylen, born in Zuylen Castle, just outside of Utrecht, was very much in a league of her own - academics believe the work she produced during the French Revolution revealed a brilliance often ignored by historians.

Benjamin Moser

LIVELY BUSTLE

Belle van Zuylen

Ellen de Bruijn

If you’ve had the chance to indulge in visiting a bookshop pre-lockdown, Ellen de Bruijn’s colorful Utrecht certainly must have caught your eye. This illustrated guide to the city captures its lively bustle in a delightful manner, thanks to de Bruijn’s charming visuals and Brigitte Nieubuur’s lyrical contribution, in the form of fun and interesting facts about everything that makes it so very special from the high flats of Overvecht to the smallest house of Oudegracht.

BELLE VAN ZUYLEN WAS VERY MUCH IN A LEAGUE OF HER OWN

LITTLE WHITE BUNNY

Dick Bruna

Millions of children around the world probably learned how to roll out their first words with the help of an adorable cartoon bunny called Miffy. The author and illustrator first came up with the character after telling his eldest son a bedtime story about a little white bunny, back in 1955. The rest, as they say, is history. Dick Bruna sadly passed away in 2017, in the city where he lived all his life - Utrecht.

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

Rutger Bregman

The world’s coolest punk historian, Rutger Bregman, has closer ties to Utrecht than you might imagine. Despite being born in the village of Renesse, Bregman concluded his studies at Utrecht University and was recently voted the university’s alumnus of the year. For good reason; the disruptive author has been making waves since the release of his 2016 bestseller, Utopia for Realists, which argued for a universal basic income and got him to bump heads with conservatives worldwide. His latest book, Humankind: A Hopeful History was released last year to much critical acclaim.

WORDSMITH

Ingmar Heytze Literature

EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

Photography Leon Seibert/Unsplash

Dirkje Kuik

Writer, poet and artist Dirkje Kuik led an extraordinary life - most of it in Utrecht. Born in 1929, she started her career as William Kuik; in 1979, she transitioned and changed her first name. Her experience as a transgender woman fed a lot of her work; she was also particularly interested in the concepts of past, present and decay. Besides writing perhaps, most notably, her 1969 collection 45 Poems - she also worked as a visual artist and art critic. She passed away in 2008, aged almost eighty; her former home was turned into the Dirkje Kuik Museum, which has sadly closed since then.

Ingmar Heytze has spun many plates throughout his long career. One of the most exciting voices in modern Dutch poetry, the erratic wordsmith was born in Utrecht and often makes the cathedral city his muse. He began performing in unexpected places in his university days, by reciting his poetry in city buses and busy bars. He makes a palpable mark on Utrecht’s literary climate, as some of his works can be found in the city’s streets. He also writes cookbooks and has a weekly column in AD newspaper.

HEYTZE MAKES A PALPABLE MARK ON UTRECHT’S LITERARY CLIMATE

CULTURE

DISRUPTIVE

34 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

snipe

Strange

BROOS, Weidsheid, De Hemelgeit, 2020, Berlijnplein

ANYONE WHO’S WALKED PAST THE CAR PARK ON BERLIJNPLEIN CAN’T HAVE FAILED TO NOTICE IT: AN ENORMOUS MEADOW BIRD, PERCHED HIGH ABOVE LEIDSCHE RIJN. WHAT’S THE IDEA BEHIND THIS BIRD ON THE HORIZON? By Marjolein Sponselee

strange bird has landed on Berlijnplein. A onemetre-tall snipe looks out across the square from the roof of the car park. But that’s not all: the bird appears to have brought the polder landscape onto the roof edge with it. This is the work of the artist duo BROOS, the name used by Zeger Reyers and Pietertje van Splunter when working on commissions for public spaces. They each have their own portfolio too. BROOS creations always manage to link the past with the present of the location in question. And that’s what’s going on here. The snipe refers to, and even reinstates, the meadowland that was sacrificed to build the Leidsche Rijn housing estate. New nature in a hard, stone setting.

GRASS AND IRISES

Zeger: ‘The typical Dutch polder landscape of my childhood is gradually disappearing. The spaciousness, the way that the land meets the sky, the line of the horizon; they are unique to the Netherlands. And so is the roof edge of this car park.’ The horizon has been elevated onto the roof, as it were,

including the meadow bird and plants that replicate the polder landscape, Zeger continues. ‘In the winter, the grass will be cut short, but the flowers and plants will grow in the spring. There are a total of 2,500 bulbs in the ground and lots of ornamental grass, so the roof edge will change as the plants rotate throughout

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

rounded by high grass and face-to-face with the bird. Zeger: ‘We chose the snipe carefully. It used to be a very common species, but it is now endangered.’ The snipe emits a strange bleating call, and is sometimes known as the ‘flying goat’. Very fitting in view of its position on the roof. This name (De Hemelgeit in Dutch) has also been given to one of the exits on the roof level of the car park, the other one being Weidsheid, which refers to the vast expanse of the polder landscape.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE

BROOS, Weidsheid, De Hemelgeit, 2020, Berlijnplein

THE SNIPE EMITS A STRANGE BLEATING CALL, AND IS SOMETIMES KNOWN AS THE ‘FLYING GOAT’

the year. The irises are the first to flower in early spring.’

BLEATING NOISE

The work of art was designed to be viewed from the ground and from the roof. If you look up at it from Berlijnplein, it’s like looking at a distant horizon. If you’re on the roof, it’s like being in the polder, sur-

To the Dutch, the snipe is the bird that used to feature on one hundred-guilder banknotes. This is not a coincidence. Project developments like this housing estate are renowned money-spinners. So the work of art is a subtle double entendre: a polder of the roof edge, and money beckoning on the horizon. But most of all, it forms a poetic, unexpected image standing tall between the concrete buildings on Berlijn plein. A striking contrast between the sharp lines of the roof and the softness of the plants growing above it. A distant memory of times gone by. And of course, the bird standing boldly on the roof, surveying ‘its’ territory. brooswerk.net www.pietertje.net www.zeger.org

CULTURE

Outdoor art

36 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

5× local & fresh

NOTHING BEATS SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. WE’VE LISTED FIVE GREAT PLACES TO SOURCE YOUR LOCAL GROCERIES - FROM LOCALLY GROWN FRUIT AND VEG TO CHEESE AND ARTISAN BREAD, CAKES AND OTHER SWEETS.

May/Jun 2021 —MAG Utrecht

SHOPPING

Photography iStock Pixdeluxe

Our tip

Don’t miss ou t on the cher ry season that starts ar ound the end of May. You will find plen ty of stalls by the side of th road around e Utrecht that sell the swee plumpest an test, d most delic ious cherries. For example, try cherry orchar d > De Knapschi nkel (Konings laan 7D, Bunnik) or De Achterdijk (Achterdijk 25 , Bunnik).

38 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

GOATS

GEERTJE’S HOEVE

This farm close to De Haar Castle is a great place for kids to get a taste of real farm life. They can give the lambs a bottle of warm milk, feed the goats, ride a pony, cuddle the animals, play on a straw circuit or drive a toy tractor around the farmyard. The old barn has been converted into a restaurant. The farm shop sells local and artisanal products, such as meat, dairy, eggs and cheese. Geertje’s Hoeve is famous for the products they make using the milk of their own goats, such as the many different varieties of goat cheese, goat milk, goat ice cream and feta cheese. > Thematerweg 5, Haarzuilens geertjeshoeve.nl/engels 2

URBAN AGRICULTURE

KONINGSHOF

A great trip to the eastern edge of the city: on Saturdays you can head over to Koningshof, an urban agriculture initiative. From a market stall, they sell fresh products from their own garden and greenhouse. To ensure nothing is lost, what is left of the harvest will be processed in jams, juices and chutneys. Besides Koningshof’s own products, you can also buy other tasty stuff from local initiatives, such as the syrups by Roze Bunker, dried sausages made by Buitengewone Varkens, fresh eggs from Biohof, cheese from Bioboerderij Miltenburg, fruit juice from De Slagmaat, ice cream made by NICE and lots more. > Koningsweg 135A koningshof-utrecht.nl 4

ONLINE SHOP

FARM SHOP

You could best describe this initiative by Landhuis in de Stad in Oog en Al park as an online neighbourhood supermarket. De Parkwinkel aims to provide a platform for the local food chain, make responsibly produced food more accessible to everyone and pay the producers a fair price. In the online shop you will find, among other things, Zwamsap’s kombucha, fruit from the Nieuw Slagmaat farm, wine by Wijn van Jaap, Wilder Land tea, Fungi Factory’s oyster mushrooms and beer brewed by the Hommeles brewery.

It’s a great bike ride or walk in itself: the journey to the Nieuw Slagmaat farm, close to Fort bij Vechten and Nieuw Wulven forest. Here, they do not only grow kiwis, apples, pears, plums, cherries, red currants, kiwi berries, peaches and nectarines, but they also have a large vegetable patch with beets, pumpkins, courgettes and other veg. All the fresh products are sold in the farm shop, alongside meat, dairy, cheese, eggs, jams and fruit juices (without additives) they make from their own fruit and lots of other locally sourced products. Feel free to check out the animals on the farm and have a cup of coffee, tea or juice while admiring the view.

DE PARKWINKEL

deparkwinkel.nl

THEY GROW KIWIS, APPLES, PEARS, PLUMS, CHERRIES, RED CURRANTS, KIWI BERRIES, PEACHES AND NECTARINES

NIEUW SLAGMAAT

> Marsdijk 5, Bunnik nieuwslagmaat.nl

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SHOPPING

GROCERY STORE

LOCALS UTRECHT

It started as a pop-up store, but Locals Utrecht is now certain of a shop on Vismarkt until the end of this year. So this platform for local Utrecht makers, where you can order weekly parcels of delicious local food, now has a physical base. They sell fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, eggs, meat, traditional bread, cakes, sweets and biscuits, and alcoholic and soft drinks made by Fungi Factory, Roze Bunker, Twisted Jams, De Koekfabriek, Mesjokke, Keen Coffee, Brouwerij Eleven and De Veldkeuken. What’s more, the initiators Mart and Daan will be there armed with hot coffee and freshly made rolls. > Vismarkt 2 localsutrecht.nl

Or try: FARM SHOP DE HOOIJERIJ Local meat and organic produce > Universiteitsweg 1, De Bilt

DE VELDKEUKEN Artisan bread, pastries and cakes > Koningslaan 11, Bunnik

FARM SHOP GOES Vegetables, fruit, potatoes and other local products > Groenedijk 8, De Meern

Find it on the map See page 64

DE MOESTUIN Veg garden and café > Laan van Maarschalkerweerd 2

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WINDING PATHS

ZUIDERHEIDE

Just over the provincial border - between Hilversum and Laren - you’ll find Zuiderheide, a fabulous area for walking and biking. The best time to go there is August, when the heather is in full bloom, but it’s beautiful all year round. If you fancy coffee and cake, a pancake or quick lunch, try Theehuis ’t Bluk, which is the meeting point for most of the walks and bike trails. Sitting on the terrace between the rustling trees (COVID-19 permitting), you can look out at the winding paths crisscrossing the vast expanse of heathland. Perfection.

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nature THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH WALKING OR BIKING WITHIN A FEW MILES OF UTRECHT, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE WORTH EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS. HERE ARE FIVE TIPS THAT TAKE YOU TO BEAUTIFUL SPOTS SURROUNDED BY UNSPOILED, NATURAL DIVERSITY.

EXPLORE

Escape to

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

BUNKERS AND BEES

PARK ON SOESTERBERG AIRBASE

Fighter jets landed at the former Soesterberg airbase until 2008, but it’s now an area of natural beauty inhabited by a huge diversity of birds, insects and rare plants. A 5-km trail has been marked out, starting at the National Military Museum and taking you through the old munitions depots. Hidden between the trees, you’ll see reinforced concrete bunkers which were used to store thousands of kilos of ammunition. Although much of the huge runway is closed during the breeding season, a small part is still accessible. After your walk, grab a to go or a seat (COVID-19 willing) at Soesterdal caférestaurant, on the perimeter of the airbase.

MEADOW BIRDS

EEMPOLDER

On a sunny day, nothing beats walking or biking through the open polder landscape along the banks of the Eem, a river that flows from Amersfoort to the Eemmeer lake. It’s a haven for meadow birds, including lapwings, godwits, oystercatchers and redshanks. The Theetuin in Eemnes is a great place for a pitstop. It’s also the starting point for an 8-km walk through the polder. Alternatively, try the Klompenpaden (clomp trails), which take you through farming land. But beware: parts of the trails are closed until 15 June because of the breeding season. Diversions are usually indicated!

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

WATER BIRDS AND PLANTS

VECHTPLASSEN

The Vechtplassen area is located between the Utrecht Hill Ridge and the River Vecht. This 3,000-hectare wetland area consists of several nature reserves, more or less joined together, ranging from Ankeveen in the north to the Tienhovense fens in the south. As well as walking or biking along the countless trails marked out around the water, you can also canoe your way through the maze of fens and canals, past meadowland, corn fields and marshy woodland. You might even spot some water birds such as common terns or reed warblers, or aquatic plants such as water lilies or spadderdock.

Photography Renk Ruiter, Dieuwke de Boer, Jaleel Akbash/Unsplash

CANOE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MAZE OF FENS AND CANALS, PAST MEADOWLAND, CORN FIELDS AND MARSHY WOODLAND

See page 64

PRIVATE ESTATE

DEN TREEK-HENSCHOTEN Nestled between Amersfoort, Leusden, Woudenberg, Maarn and Zeist, you’ll find the Den Treek-Henschoten estate. The landscape in this 2,200-hectare area gradually changes from the dry ground of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug to the wetter ground of the lower-lying Gelderse Valley. In other words, it’s very diverse: woodland, heathland, country estates, sand dunes, fens and boggy marshland. Den TreekHenschoten is owned by the descendants of Willem Hendrik de Beaufort, who bought the estate in 1807. So it’s private land, but luckily for us, walking, biking and horse riding are allowed. The Treeker Info Point, next to the Bergzicht pancake restaurant in Woudenberg, has information about routes and trails.

EXPLORE

Find it on the map

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Bike rides,

green fields

concrete bunkers

The Defence Line of Amsterdam (Stelling van Amsterdam) and the New Dutch Water Line (Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie) are jointly known as the Dutch Water Lines. Together, they form two hundred kilometres of defence lines that run from Edam in NoordHolland to the Biesbosch in Zuid-Holland. The advent of fighter planes made the Line redundant as a defence strategy and it fell into decline in the 1950s. Open green spaces with fields and meadows emerged around the Lines, because building was not permitted on areas that had been flooded. These days, most of the edifices are still intact and have been given a new lease of life. To make the most of your bike ride, you could opt for an organised cycling tour which will take you past the highlights of the

Dutch Water Lines. On Saturday 19 June, you can cycle a 40 or 60-kilometre route past various forts that make up the Amsterdam Defence Line (Stelling van Amsterdam) or the New Dutch Water Line. Take a guided tour of one fort, drink a cup of coffee at the next and go for a walk with a forest ranger in another. The next day, on Sunday 20 June, it’s the turn of the racing bikes. Routes of 100 kilometres (from Utrecht), 200 kilometres (from Abcoude) or 300 kilometres (from Purmerend) have been set out, taking you through different landscapes and past forts, castles, windmills, rivers, dykes and bunkers to the finish line in Gorinchem. For more information, go to hollandsewaterliniesfietstour.nl.

Photography Abe Jonker, Luuc Jonker, Martin van Lokven

YOU’LL SEE THEM DOTTED ALL AROUND THE UTRECHT COUNTRYSIDE: ANCIENT FORTS AND CONCRETE BUNKERS, CASEMENTS AND HIDEOUTS. TOGETHER THEY FORM A DEFENCE LINE THAT WAS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE NETHERLANDS FROM HOSTILE ATTACK. THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE IS GREAT FOR A BIKE RIDE, ESPECIALLY ON 19 AND 20 JUNE.

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EXPLORE

Ode to the Dutch Water Lines 2021 revolves around an Ode to the Dutch landscape. The Dutch Water Lines are a big feature of this special year, with organised fort safaris, bike routes, walks, pop-up restaurants and art events. For more information, go to: odeaandehollandsewaterlinies.nl

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

PARADISE

FORT DE BATTERIJEN Spread out your picnic blanket somewhere in the two acres of nature, with the calming sound of trees rustling and brooks bubbling in the background. It sounds like paradise, and it is. Fort de Batterijen, a monumental fort that is part of the former New Dutch Water Line, opens its very special outdoor terrace every Sunday. You can buy drinks at the bar, but you have to take your own bites. > Overeindseweg 25, Nieuwegein fortdebatterijen.nl

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5×

Lots of space EAT & DRINK

WE’VE BEEN STUCK WITH THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, AND KEEPING OUR DISTANCE HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE. HERE ARE FIVE PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR A RELAXED DATE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IN REAL LIFE FOR FAR TOO LONG. LET’S HOPE WE’RE ABLE TO GO THERE IN MAY AND JUNE!

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LOCAL RESTAURANT

VENSTER

A restaurant, community canteen, local café or something in between: there always a good vibe at Venster on Berlijnplein. This spot is part of RAUM urban lab, so you can even decide to visit an outdoor exhibition or event before settling down here. They’re into good food and drink at Venster. You can expect good, honest food made from locally sourced ingredients. > Berlijnplein 520 vensterutrecht.nl

5× Lots of space 3

TOASTING LIFE

> Burgemeester Fockema Andreaelaan 13 dekwekerijutrecht.nl

Find it on the map See page 64

Photography C. Eeftinck Schattenkerk, Studio Anne Post

DE KWEKERIJ In the last place you’d expect it, you’ll find De Kwekerij: a flourishing green terrain amidst a concrete jungle. There’s plenty of room here, both inside and out, so sit back and relax on a lounge sofa or deckchair and toast life with a nice glass wine or a cocktail and a delicious sandwich or funky bar food. Oh, how we’ve missed this...

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

‘PILED’ SEATING

CAFÉ KEET

> Kanaalweg 30 cafekeet.nl

100% HOMEMADE

KARIBU

Everything at Karibu is 100% homemade. These days, the breakfast and lunch café, which started life in the LOU Oudenoord creative hotspot, is on the ground floor of the Hooghiemstra collective business hub, close to Griftpark. The interior is now even brighter and more inviting than ever, and the menu includes world dishes varying from Mexican burritos and Moroccan couscous, to Asian dumplings and Italian pasta. Vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free – nothing is too much trouble here. > Hooghiemstraplein 55 karibueat.nl

EAT & DRINK

The Merwede canal was built in the late 19th century by so-called ‘polder boys’. They lived together in temporary houses, also known as keten (sheds). A keet matron lived in the keet too; she cooked for the boys and did the housework. Evenings were apparently great fun. Café Keet is the name of the café/restaurant in the creative hotspot Kanaal30, located on the Merwede canal to the south-west of the city. You can go for coffee, lunch or a drink. If it’s too cold or wet to sit on the spacious terrace, you can easily find a spot inside because the interior has been corona-proofed: the seats are arranged and ‘piled up’ so that there’s always enough distance between you and other people.

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INTERNATIONAL UTRECHT

New Locals the

LUKAS FROM GERMANY & MON FROM THAILAND

A FILM MEETUP IN MENEER SMAKERS, A SIMILAR TASTE IN MUSIC AND A BUS RIDE TO LEIDSCHE RIJN. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY OF LUKAS AND MON, WHO ARE SHARING THEIR KNOW-HOW AND ADVICE AS EXPERIENCED UTRECHTERS ON HOW TO GET MOST OUT OF THE CITY, AND HOW UTRECHT - AND WITHIN THAT LEIDSCHE RIJN - BECAME THEIR HOME. By Anita Nánási

Lukas: ‘I’m an organiser of the movie MeetUp Group. One time we were going to see a movie I was not really interested in, but I really wanted to have a burger before. So we met with the group at Meneer Smakers. At some point, Mon showed up. I think she was a bit late.’ Mon: ‘Yes, I texted the group if they could wait for me in front of the restaurant, but no one did.’ Lukas: ‘Mon sat down next to me. I was surprised she opted for a huge burger. We went to see the movie and had some drinks afterwards. On the way home, we realised that we live quite close to each other in Leidsche Rijn and that we could catch the same bus. We exchanged numbers and she invited me to a Garbage concert a week later.’ Mon: ‘That was our first date.’

FEELING LIKE HOME Mon: ‘I went back to Thailand to visit my family and when I came back here, I opened the door of my apartment and thought: “Finally, I’m home”. Many expats don’t have that feeling anywhere anymore. After admitting that to myself I decided to look for a house to buy. One day I walked past Haarrijnseplas around sunset and, seeing how pretty that was, I thought: “Why would I wanna leave this place?”. That’s how I settled in Leidsche Rijn.’

DIRECT DUTCH Lukas: ‘When you go to a party with your Dutch friends where they know everyone and you don’t, they don’t introduce you. I found that strange and even a bit rude. In Germany, the people who bring friends will

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

Mon’s and Lukas’ favourites WORLD CUISINE FoodExplore in The Wall is very good. All you can eat, freshly prepared food from all types of cuisine, from Mexican and Italian to Vietnamese and Japanese. The concept is similar to a food festival, with many small food stands. introduce them to the group. Here, you have to take the initiative and introduce yourself.’ Mon: ‘I never experienced any funny incidents relating Dutch culture, because I would normally ask what is expected of me before attending a special occasion. You can also read the Unduchables before going, as this funny book helps you prepare for the real hardcore Dutch gatherings. I do think people are a lot more used to foreigners these days, because there are so many of us now.’

Photography Jurjen Drenth, Aafke Holwerda, Unsplash/Mahmoud Fawzy

SAY IT OUT LOUD Lukas: ‘What I wish I would have done when I arrived? Just go out and explore! Don’t stick to the bar or restaurant you get to know in the first weeks. There are so many great options!’ Mon: ‘Learn a bit of Dutch if you have the time. It makes life and communicating so much easier. Because Thai people are not really to the point in communication, they are afraid to hurt other people’s feelings and don’t want to say things out right. That was something very difficult that I had to adjust to in the beginning. If you want something or have an opinion, just say it out loud. Dutch people appreciate it.’ In collaboration with the International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region (IWCUR). For practical information about what this ‘expat’ centre can do for you and when it is open, check page 63 of this magazine or go to welcome.utrechtregion.com

ROMAN FORTRESS The café of Castellum Hoge Woerd is special because it’s located in a modernised roman fortress. There also is a small museum with free entrance, various events, a good selection of beers and surprisingly good pizza.

‘UTRECHT DEFINITELY IS OUR HOME’

TERRACE The Key West café next to Haarrijnseplas is very tranquil, especially before lunchtime. It’s very nice to sit on the terrace and just look at people on the beach. MEETUP The best event app to meet new people. Everyone can choose according to a topic they like, and it’s also great to meet Dutch people.

THROWBACK

Fig trees, 1978 ferns & palms

Photography Het Utrechts Archief / Fotodienst GUA

52 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

For centuries, merchants from far and wide came to the streets and squares of Utrecht to trade their goods. You could find fish, wine, corn, salt and linen markets. The advent of shops and department stores during the course of the last century put an end to many of these markets, and only the street names remain to remind us of what used to go on there. The famous Utrecht flower market is an exception. This market, which started in 1837, is still held today on Janskerkhof. Forty years ago, advanced plans to turn the square into a car park were (fortunately!) abandoned. So now, the plants that were in huge demand in the late 1970s (such as fig trees, ferns and palms) are still very much in evidence in our urban jungles today. > In collaboration with Het Utrechts Archief. Visit them at Hamburgerstraat 38 hetutrechtsarchief.nl/english

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

May & June

Gunda

The Russian director Victor Kossakovsky has been a vegetarian since early youth. Gunda is the fulfilment of a long-held wish to make a film about pigs. His intention is to engender empathy and respect for the animals, without commentary and without sentimental music. The film follows a sow called Gunda and her piglets as they grow up on an idyllic farm, until the last ten minutes, when their fairytale lives are cruelly disrupted by harsh reality.

> 20 May, Hoogt on Tour in Central Library Neude hoogt.nl

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

CALENDAR

Cultural Events Calendar

56 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021 This cultural events calendar has been composed with the utmost care. All the information was correct (as well as COVID-proof) at the time of printing, but as we all know, the situation can change in a drop of a hat. So wherever you go, always check the website or social media of the place you’re heading for the most up-to-date information, always observe the hygiene rules issued by the Dutch Institute for Public Health (RIVM) and follow instructions given by staff/volunteers on the spot. And stay at home or in your hotel if you or anyone in your household develops health problems.

7 Friday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ ACU > Shopping [20:30] This DIYsupergroup from the UK is known for its kinetic, minimalistic dance-punk. EKKO > Juniore [20:30] A mix of indie, surf and French pop. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

8 Saturday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Livestream:

Quator pour la Fin du Temps [20:00] Violinist Pieter van Loenen (Dutch Classical Talent competition) plays work by Messiaen. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

9 Sunday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Livestream: Eric Vaarzon Morel [16:00] Flamenco guitarist plays his own work and that of Paco de Lucía. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sat 1.

Thursday of the month you can enjoy live music by ambitious artists in an intimate and informal atmosphere. This time, singer-songwriters Mercy James and Potman Jr. will perform. LECTURES DE KARGADOOR > Utrecht in Dialoog [19:30] ‘Utrecht in Dialoog’ builds bridges between all kinds of different people. In small groups you will talk about themes that concern us all. Also for people who speak English.

14 Friday CLASSICAL MUSIC PIETERSKERK > Ode to Sweelinck [20:15] This year it’s four hundred years ago that Sweelinck died. Camerata Trajectina is celebrating this Sweelinck year with a tribute to the ‘Orpheus of Amsterdam’. MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DE NIJVERHEID > Samira’s Blues + Kush Collective [20:30] De Voorkamer is an open space in Utrecht where people come together to meet other cultures. The first edition of the collaboration between EKKO and De Nijverheid is all about the music of the desert. The Kush Collective from Sudan and Samira’s Blues from Morocco will meet and connect through traditional North African Gnawa music. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

1 Saturday

11 Tuesday

MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > EKKO &

MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Tim Akkerman [19:30 and 21:30] More than twenty years ago, musician Tim Akkerman started playing in a rock bandand years later followed his own path through musical productions such as Tommy - The Who - and The Buddy Holly Story. In this who, he will bring an ode to rock music.

CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. Dom organist Jan Hage will perform ‘Symphony no. 5’ by Louis Vierne. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

12 Wednesday

16 Sunday

MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Faun (acoustic) [19:00] Pagan folk from Germany.

MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Sunday

TivoliVredenburg present: Price [19:30 and 21:15] Sound inspired by early garage and hyperactive post-punk.

GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] Join the English speaking local guides for a free (tip-based) walking tour through the city. In two hours, they will tell you about the history and hidden gems of Utrecht and provide you with tips on where to go next. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] The guides show you the most beautiful spots of the historic centre. Book (kids/U-pas €4/adults €8, 1½ hour) in advance.

5 Wednesday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DE KARGADOOR > JazzKelder [19:30] The wharf cellar on Oudegracht will be transformed into a real jazz café in which te focus is on improvisation.

6 Thursday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Livestream: John Smith [20:30] Melodious folk music.

13 Thursday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Nana Adjoa [19:15 and 21:45] Nana Adjoa made her double EP ‘Down At The Root’ in 2017 and 2018. After that, success came step by step through charming performances, soft indie with soulful influences and beautiful, subdued lyrics. TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Livestream: Parker Millsap [20:30] Combination of blues, country and folk by singersongwriter. ZIMIHC THEATRE WITTEVROUWEN >

ZIMIHC Sessions: Mercy James & Potman Jr. [20:00] Every second

15 Saturday

Afternoon Jazz Online: Jasper Blom ZILT [16:00] One of the most influential saxhophone players from the Netherlands performs with ZILT. PERFORMING ARTS THEATER KIKKER > Pilot PC [19:00 and 21:00] How do we practice being active in our culture? How do we change behavior in society? With his alter ego ‘The Fool’, Connor Schumacher will bring you into an immersive space where we, from wherever you are and whoever you are, will build the skills to progress towards a new ‘Physical Culture’. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 2.

19 Wednesday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DE KARGADOOR > JazzKelder [19:30] See Wed 5. TIVOLIVREDENBURG > EKKO/

Doomstad & TivoliVredenburg present: Patrick Walker (40Watt Sun) [20:15] Unique solo performance by doom metal act 40 Sun Watt’s frontman Patrick Walker.

20 Thursday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > De Helling &

TivoliVredenburg present: Thijs Boontjes Dans- en Showorkest [19:00 and 21:15] Dutch rock ‘n’ roll with a twist. Lyrics in Dutch.

21 Friday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DUMSTAD > UJazz local club concert: Trio Q-Leap [20:30] Q-Leap is a new collaboration between clarinettist Steven Kamperman, pianist Albert van Veenendaal and violinist Oene van Geel. Three musicians who manage to turn their experience with various music styles and love for improvisation into intriguing music. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fr 5.

22 Saturday

23 Sunday GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 2.

26 Wednesday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Stef Kamil Carlens [19:30] With his first solo album, Stef Kamil Carlens (founder of

27 Thursday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ ZIMIHC THEATRE WITTEVROUWEN >

ZIMIHC Sessions: Francis & Bacon and Siberian Oxygen [20:00] Every second Thursday of the month you can enjoy live music by ambitious artists in an intimate and informal atmosphere. This time, indie folk duo Francis & Bacon and the five musicians of Sibirian Oxygen will perform.

30 Sunday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Eefje de Visser [16:00 and 20:30] The first two albums of Dutch artist Eefje de Visser were poetic and subdued songs. On the albums she released after that, she explores a more electronic sound. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 2.

PERFORMING ARTS PODIUM HOGE WOERD > Sweet Like Chocolate [20:30] A woman dances with her shadow, alter ego, companion and voyeur. It follows her, guides her, dances and fights with her. Balancing between love, trust, female sexuality and violence, this performance exposes existential questions.

June

28 Friday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Wulf [19:45] The summer hit ‘Summer On You’ by Sam Feldt x Lucas & Steve in 2016 marked the breakthrough of this Dutch artist. The ambitious Wulf has now started a successful solo career with his catchy songs with lyrics about hope, persistence and never giving up. He released his debut album ‘This Is Wulf’ in 2019 and new music is on the way. DE KARGADOOR > Utregticana [20:00] A whole evening of Dutch music in the wharf cellar of De Kargadoor. Host Van Piekeren will open the evening and will present a new artist every months as the main act. PERFORMING ARTS ZIMIHC THEATRE WITTEVROUWEN > One-on-one Sessions [19:00] Never before has experiencing art been more intimate. Close to art, but from a safe distance. In one route, you will walk past six performances consisting of improv, comedy, music and exhibitions. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

29 Saturday CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. This time, Dom organist Jan Hage and soloists will bring you a programme revolving around composer Louis Vierne. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

2 Wednesday PERFORMING ARTS DE PAARDENKATHEDRAAL >

Permanent Destruction: Pain Against Fear [20:00] In the third instalment of Permanent Destruction, Naomi Velissariou confronts both herself and the audience. Pain Against Fear is ‘mindfulness on speed’; a musical attempt to outright square up with the fear that feeds hatred.

3 Thursday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > I Am Oak [20:30] This Utrecht alt-folk formation is the project of Thijs Kuijken, an artist who prefers to explore rather than reveal. When Kuijken was at home last year due to a certain pandemic, he decided to re-record 50 songs from his rich catalogue. The 25 best reinterpretations (and a new song) are on the new album ‘Odd Seeds’. PERFORMING ARTS DE PAARDENKATHEDRAAL >

Permanent Destruction: Pain Against Fear [20:00] See Wed 2.

4 Friday PERFORMING ARTS DE PAARDENKATHEDRAAL >

Permanent Destruction: Pain Against Fear [20:00] See Wed 2. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] Join the English speaking local guides for a free

CALENDAR

CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. This time, soloists ensemble Cantores Martini will be performing the Maria motets by Josquin Desprez and motets by Pierre de Manchicourt. MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Livestream: Lena Chamamyan [20:00] Syrian singer, also known as the Jasmin voice of Damascus. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Sat 1.

Zita Swoon and dEUS) made his successful return to the pop circuit as a solo artist in 2017. n his solo shows he sometimes works with up to seven instruments at the same time, so it sounds like a whole band is playing.

58 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021 (tip-based) walking tour through the city. In two hours, they will tell you about the history and hidden gems of Utrecht and provide you with tips on where to go next.

5 Saturday CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > 3JS: Heroes of

Music Unplugged [19:15 and 21:30] Acoustic show by this folk pop threesome from Volendam. EKKO > EKKO & TivoliVredenburg present: La Loye [20:00] Singersongwriter Lieke Huisinkveld from Amsterdam describes her music as unconditional loving indie folk and we couldn’t agree more. Live, the five musicians of La Loye manage to portray themselves as both unpolished and modest. PERFORMING ARTS DE PAARDENKATHEDRAAL > Permanent Destruction: Pain Against Fear [20:00] See Wed 2. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

6 Sunday GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] The guides show you the most beautiful spots of the historic centre. Book the tour (kids/U-pas €4/adults €8, 1½ hour) in advance.

9 Wednesday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DE KARGADOOR > JazzKelder [19:30] In the heart of Utrecht you will find the best kept jazz secret in the city: the jazz cellar of De Kargadoor. The wharf cellar on Oudegracht will be transformed into a real jazz café in which te focus will be on improvisation.

10 Thursday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Merel

Vercammen & Maya Fridman [19:00 and 21:00] Violinist Vercammen and cellist Fridman received the key to the Nicolai Church in May 2020 and were able to play together again for the first time in two months. Their goal was to record a programme that would reflect the uncertainty and reflection we all felt. In TivoliVredenburg, Vercammen and Fridman will create music

through improvisation as well, as a reflection on yet another new and unique moment in time. MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Ruben Annink [20:15] Acoustic Neder pop with songs about life and love. LECTURES DE KARGADOOR > Utrecht in Dialoog [19:30] ‘Utrecht in Dialoog’ builds bridges between all kinds of different people. In small groups you will talk about themes that concern us all. This dialogue is also for people who speak English, so please join if you live in Utrecht and would you like to get in touch with others.

11 Friday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Vunzige

Deuntjes: Bizzey [19:00 and 21:00] Get into the vibe at a table and/or in a comfy seat with the smooth tunes of Bizzey and the DJs of Vunzige Deuntjes. The dress code is ‘marble white’. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

was first captured in the debut album ‘Manoir de mes Reves’. The trio will take you on a route along French chansons, subtle Americana and the best of master Django Reinhardt. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 6.

14 Monday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Van Swieten Society [time tba] In eighteenthcentury Vienna, the Dutch baron Van Swieten was an important cultural benefactor. He inspired friends like C. Ph.E. Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, supported them financially and organised concerts. The Van Swieten Society honours the colourful namesake with an appropriate, diverse programme.

18 Friday GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

12 Saturday

19 Saturday

CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. This time, Dom organist Jan Hage will perform ‘Symphony no. 6’ by Louis Vierne. TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Calefax [18:30 and 21:00] Calefax was founded 35 years ago at an Amsterdam gymnasium as the world’s first reed quintet. This season, this ‘classical ensemble with a pop mentality’ likes to show the audience what life is like as modern interpreters of classical music. They do this in accompanying videos in which they explain what the pieces mean to them. DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

CLASSICAL MUSIC DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. Dom organist Jan Hage and soloists will bring you a programme revolving around composer Francis Poulenc. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

13 Sunday MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Philip Catherine,

Paulo Morello & Sven Faller [20:15] Guitarist Philip Catherine has been at the forefront of the European jazz scene since the 1960s. His collaboration with greats such as Chet Baker, Stéphane Grappelli, Charles Mingus and Dexter Gordon. He will perform together with guitarist Paulo Morello and bass player Sven Faller. The chemistry of this trio

20 Sunday GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 6.

23 Wednesday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Amsterdam Sinfonietta & Fazil Say 20:15] The Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say leads the audience to his personal highlight of the evening. From Arensky’s ode to his friend Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich’s trumpet to Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade’. MUSIC / POP, WORLD, JAZZ DE KARGADOOR > JazzKelder [19:30] See Wed 2.

25 Friday GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

26 Saturday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Dominic Seldis - Music, Maestro! [20:15] As a double bass player, conductor and presenter, Dominic Seldis does not miss an opportunity to promote classical music to the widest possible audience. With ‘Music, Maestro!’ he will take you on ‘an entertaining and spectacular musical journey’ with his orchestra. Expect a show full of funny personal stories, stunning video images and of course beautiful music. DOM CHURCH > Saturday afternoon concert [15:30] Enjoy a free classical concert in the church on Domplein. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4.

27 Sunday CLASSICAL MUSIC TIVOLIVREDENBURG > Hannes Minnaar [13:30] Talented young Dutch pianist, who will be playing Schubert, Zuidam and Ravel’s ‘Gaspard de la Nuit’. GUIDED TOURS DOMPLEIN > Free Walking Tour Utrecht [13:30] See Fri 4. IN FRONT OF THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE > Gilde Utrecht guided walking tour [14:00] See Sun 6.

Kids

of Miffy and her friends [permanent] Ten rooms, each dedicated to a different subject, invite young children to discover the world around them step by step. MUSEUM HOGE WOERD > ArcheoHotspot [permanent] Archaeology comes to life in Museum Hoge Woerd. Contribute to the ongoing research by helping the (voluntary) archaeologists. RAILWAY MUSEUM > eduTRAINer (all ages) [permanent] The EduTRAINers are on hand every day to tell you all about our trains, the turntable, signal box and train dispatch centre. Keep an eye out for them; you can recognise

All events listed in this calendar are subject to change. Check the website of the venues for the most up-to-date information. The Online Museum of the University Museum Utrecht offers the possibility to start research at home. Check umu. nl/museum-online.

5 Wednesday (May) VARIOUS MOLEN DE STER > Children’s Garage Sale [14:00 - 17:00] In the yard of Molen de Ster, children can put down their rug to sell things. While the parents get a nice cup of coffee at the Molencafé, the children can browse through the things and find themselves some new toys.

9 Sunday (May) VARIOUS MOLEN DE STER > Mother’s Day

Scavenger Hunt [10:00 - 18:00] Letters are hidden all over the yard of Molen de Ster. Can you find them all and make the sentence? Hand in your form at the Molencafé to receive a surprise for mum. For kids between 6 and 12.

20 Sunday (Jun) VARIOUS MOLEN DE STER > Father’s Day

Movies

Check the websites of the movie theatres for the most up-to-date film programme. LOUIS HARTLOOPER COMPLEX >

hartlooper.nl/en SPRINGHAVER > springhaver.nl/en HOOGT ON TOUR > hoogt.nl HOOGT ON TOUR AT CENTRAL LIBRARY NEUDE 6 MAY > Undine [time tba] Undine

CALENDAR

EXHIBITIONS, MUSEUMS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES MIFFY MUSEUM > Step into the world

them by their vests covered in railway buttons and insignias. RAILWAY MUSEUM > Tech lab (4+) [permanent] How do electric trains get their power? Why can pigeons sit on overhead wires without getting electrocuted? What keeps trains from derailing all the time and how do train brakes work, anyway? This practical learning lab has answers to all these questions. RAILWAY MUSEUM > Trial by fire (12+) [permanent] A tour that ends with a real trial by fire. Do you dare? Narrator Rutger Hauer guides you on a journey through railway history. Experience what it was like to be an engine driver in the old days. SONNENBORGH MUSEUM & OBSERVATORY > Bringing far away close by [permanent] Climb the stairs to the observatory and wonder at the starry heavens. Learn all about the stars in de sky and the weather in one of our exhibitions, tours or lectures. Or take a virtual journey through the universe in the planetarium. SONNENBORGH MUSEUM & OBSERVATORY > Stargazing nights for kids [every Friday evening] See with what gas nebulae, planets and the moon surface look like up close. SONNENBORGH MUSEUM & OBSERVATORY > Sun on Sunday [every Sunday afternoon] Do you fancy watching a star during the day? In clear weather you can study the sun with your own eyes. The largest solar telescope in the Netherlands will then be aimed at the sun. In clear weather you can see the sunspots and gas clouds on the solar surface. DE VRIJSTAAT > Flower Power [until 28 Nov every Sunday and in school holidays between 12:00 and 17:00] In the Flower Power exhibition we zoom in on the power of nature, together with artist Jolanda Schouten. You can imagine you’re in a flower garden between her large paintings, go on a journey through time with scents in the Fragrance Lab and try to capture nature yourself with your brush in the Garden Studio. Weather permitting, you will conquer the outdoor space by means of Guerrilla Gardening. DE VRIJSTAAT > KunstKeet [Wednesdays from 15:30 to 16:45 from 12 May to 16 Jun] Are you looking for a place where your child (6-8 years old) can experiment with art, discover different techniques and materials and be inspired by professional artists? Then register your child for the KunstKeet, a series of six lessons given by a professional art teacher. UTRECHT UNIVERSITY MUSEUM ONLINE > Become a real researcher!

60 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021 works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development. But when the man she loves leaves her, the ancient myth catches up with her. Undine has to kill the man who betrays her and return to the water. 20 MAY > Gunda [time tba] Documentary that zooms in on the daily life of a pig and its farm animal companions: two cows and a onelegged chicken. HOOGT ON TOUR AT DE NIJVERHEID 27 MAY > CineArt [20:30] Every month, Hoogt on Tour organises CineArt evenings full of film and art at De Nijverheid. The films are in English or subtitled in English, so that they are also accessible to the international residents of our city. The title will be announced later.

Festivals & Events

DUTCH HARP FESTIVAL – 15 AND 16 MAY ONLINE/TIVOLIVREDENBURG > [various times] The best harpists in the world come together virtually under the leadership of festival founder and harpist Remy van Kesteren. Almost all performances are world premieres, and the festival programmes cross all styles and genres: pop, classical, jazz, electronic, world music and improvisation will all be present. SPRING PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL – 20 - 29 MAY VARIOUS LOCATIONS > [various times] International top artists will experiment and push the boundaries of performing arts, of course within the rules of what is allowed at that time. ART MARKET – 24 MAY MOLEN DE STER > [11:00 - 17:00] The yard is filled with stalls selling art made by Utrecht artists. A perfect place to source a beautiful and unique work of art for yourself or someone else. ZINGENDE BEELDEN – 30 MAY MÁXIMAPARK/ONLINE > [various times] Check out seven different dance performances at the seven imposing statues in the Máximapark. Enjoy a mix of professional companies and local dancers, including Illusionary Rockaz Company, SHIFFT |

Jasper van Luijk, Serióós, Nina van der Zouwen, Dansatelier 42 and DC 1 || high, Amadeus Lyceum and De Dansers and KLUB19. You can also watch the performances online. DEKOOR CLOSE HARMONY IN UTRECHT BOTANICAL GARDENS – UNTIL 30 MAY UTRECHT BOTANICAL GARDENS > [various times] Listen to Dekoor Close Harmony via your phone, as you take a walking tour through the wonderful gardens. With songs, spoken word and other sound recordings, Dekoor grants you a unique and joyful experience. SIB KNOWLEDGE FESTIVAL 2021: ME VS. THEM – 19 JUN LOCATION TBA > [10:00] SIB-Utrecht presents: Me vs. Them - The Power of Unity in an Individualistic World. During this Knowledge Festival, individualism and collectivism at local, national and international level will be discussed. How is society becoming increasingly individualistic? What effect do personal changes have on the climate? And how will digitalism change business? Through various talks, workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions these and other questions will be answered.

Exhibitions & Museums

CENTRAAL MUSEUM UNTIL 21 MAR > Collector’s Item Pieter and Marieke Sanders started collecting contemporary art by both young and upcoming and more (inter)national artists, in the early 1970s. Their collection therefore forms a splendid reflection of the art made during the past few decades, as curated by Dutch museum-level galleries. It comprises paintings, drawings, sculptures, small objects, installations, video work and artist’s books. The collection mainly consists of early work by artists such as Marlene Dumas, Babs Haenen, Hans Wilschut, Navid Nuur, Monali Meher, Driessens & Verstappen, Otobong Nkanga, Hannah van Bart, Katja Mater and many more. UNTIL 27 JUN > Utrecht Lokaal: Natalia Ossef The work of Natalia Ossef (1983) is characterized by the tension between history and current events, between the individual and the collective. In her

early collages and paintings, Ossef refers to her memories of her native Syria. Since then she has expanded her palette with performance videos, photos and installations, which she will now be showing for the first time. UNTIL 15 AUG > Voices of Fashion. Black Couture, Beauty and Styles A fashion history focusing on black designers, models and sources of inspiration. UNTIL 15 AUG > Annex: Tabita Rezaire During Voices of Fashion, the Annex is taken over by Tabita Rezaire (1989), a French artist with Guyanese and Swedish roots. Rezaire makes video installations and performances in which she critically and playfully connects her artistry to alternative world views, healing methods and spirituality. PERMANENT > Lights on Wood Interactive lighting installation on the Utrecht Ship. PERMANENT > Rietveld and Van Baaren collection The French and Dutch paintings from the Van Baaren collection are juxtaposed with furniture pieces by Gerrit Rietveld. PERMANENT > The World of Utrecht This exhibition is as wide-ranging as the title suggests. It not only draws liberally from the museum’s extensive collection, but the exhibition themes date back to the start of the Common Era and stretch all around the world. All disciplines rub shoulders: modern art, city history, fashion and costumes, old art and applied arts. PERMANENT > Studio Dick Bruna Dick Bruna’s studio (he’s the creator of Miffy) has been moved from its location in Utrecht’s inner city to Centraal Museum. The studio now has a new and permanent place on the top floor of the museum, which exudes the same atmosphere as Bruna’s studio at present. DOM CHURCH PERMANENT > Visit the church The cathedral is open to the public 7 days a week. PERMANENT > Dutch Museum Churches Discover the hidden treasures of the Dom Church with an English audio tour. DOM TOWER PERMANENT > Tour of the Dom Climb the steps of the Dom Tower and learn everything about its history. There’s also a lift that takes you to the top to admire the beautiful skyline of the city. DOMUNDER PERMANENT > Secrets of Domplein Discover 2,000 years of history underneath the Domplein square. Explore the archaeological findings, dating back to the Roman Castellum ‘Trajectum’, with an interactive flashlight. EXBOOT MONDAYS TILL FRIDAYS > Monthly

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht MUSEUM CATHARIJNECONVENT FROM 25 JUN > Maria Magdalena Mary Magdalen is a woman of extremes and that has given rise to a multiplicity of interpretations: a wealth of representations, conspiracy theories and controversies. This special exhibition will introduce the visitor to the rich, paradoxical and constantly evolving imagery surrounding this mysterious biblical figure. From the time of the New Testament to the present day, Mary Magdalen has proved to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists. PERMANENT > Museum collection Get an insight into the Christian art and cultural history of the Netherlands and its influence on Dutch society. PERMANENT > Rembrandt and the Golden Age Meet Rembrandt’s predecessors, followers and contemporaries through 16th- and 17th-century masterpieces from the museum’s collection of bible paintings. MUSEUM HOGE WOERD PERMANENT > Visit the castellum Discover everything about Castellum Hoge Woerd, a contemporary reconstruction of the Roman fortress that once stood here. Audio tours are available in English and several other languages. MUSEUM SPEELKLOK UNTIL 7 JAN 2022 > Straatbeeld Get to know the many different types of fairground organ figures and discover the work of artist Peter Demetz, who makes lifelike, unpainted dreamy, wooden images, inspired by the age-old organ figures. PERMANENT > The musical tour This tour takes you to the wonderful world of self-playing musical instruments, surprising you with cheerful tunes from all corners of the museum. EVERY TUE TO SUN > Musical tour with live music Tour that will take you through the wonderful world of selfplaying musical instruments. Let yourself be surprised by the cheerful tunes from all corners of the museum. NEDERLANDS VOLKSBUURTMUSEUM PERMANENT > Museum collection The Dutch museum of backstreets and working class neighbourhoods will show you the two hundred yearhistory of the day-to-day life of the man in the street. RAILWAY MUSEUM UNTIL 5 SEP > Track of Imagination This exhibition revolves around 150 years of Dutch railway posters and tells the history of railway travel in beautiful and colorful posters. The 120 posters, some of which have never been exhibited before, are an exceptional display of the development of design styles over

All events listed in this calendar are subject to change. Check the website of the venues for the most up-to-date information. the years. PERMANENT > The great discovery After descending 150 metres in a lift, you’ll step out into the early 19th century, a world filled with soot and steam. You’ll see De Arend (the eagle), the very first steam locomotive in the Netherlands. Listen to the special audio tour to hear all the stories. PERMANENT > Loaded trains In this exhibition, the museum remembers the forced transport of Jews, Roma and Sinti to extermination camps during World War II. This ongoing exhibition has been permanently installed in and around a baggage car found in Romania. PERMANENT > Trains through the years In the central hall, you’ll find the most important trains from the history of the Dutch railway. From antique steam locomotives and wooden coaches to modern electric trains. RAUM UNTIL 29 AUG > RAUM der Lusten This open-air exhibition offers an exciting alternative to the generally unsurprising layout of our public space. Would we behave differently if we would treat squares differently? The exhibition includes (new) work by well-known visual artists such as Maarten Baas, Atelier Van Lieshout and Andrea Hasler, as well as work by emerging makers. PERMANENT > RAUM Exhibitions Come and visit RAUM city lab, the biggest playground for design, art and technology in Utrecht. You’ll discover amazing art objects and installations built on the biggest town square of Utrecht. RIETVELD SCHRÖDERHUIS WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY > Visit the Rietveld Schröderhuis Utrecht architect Gerrit Rietveld designed this whole building along the lines of the Dutch artistic movement De Stijl, known for its geometric shapes and primary colours. Reservation is compulsory. SALON VAN WELEER PERMANENT > Salon van Weleer Visit the Salon van Weleer for the Tearoom of Yesteryear (a unique Salon, live games Scriptorium, Purgatorium and Reliquiarium. SLOT ZUYLEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY > Visit Slot Zuylen This castle is situated on the river Vecht in the tiny village of OudZuilen near Utrecht, The Netherlands. Whilst retaining many of its medieval

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changing exhibitions of upcoming artists EXboot used to be a boat for window prostitution, in Utrecht formerly known as ‘het Zandpad’. Nowadays, it is transformed into an exhibition space for art, located at De Nijverheid. Every month the boat is filled with new art, performances, installations and other expressions made by upcoming talents.  EXBUNKER SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND EVERY 2ND, 3RD AND 4TH FRIDAY OF THE MONTH > Monthly changing exhibitions of upcoming artists EXbunker used to be a bunker during World War II. Nowadays, it is an exhibition space for art. Every month the bunker is filled with new art, performances, installations and other expressions made by upcoming talents. DE HAAR CASTLE 1 MAY – 30 JUN > Visit De Haar Castle De Haar Castle is the biggest and most luxurious castle in The Netherlands. A visit will take you back to the glory days of the castle and will show you the splendour that surrounded the international rich and famous in the early 20th century. IMPAKT UNTIL 15 AUG > Tabita Rezaire: Symbiose Immaculée Solo exhibition in collaboration with Centraal Museum. For her colourful video installations, Tabita Rezaire starts from the cross-pollination between scientific ideas, technology and spirituality. From the very beginning of her artistry she focused on decolonizing technology and the effects of technology on people, on identity, sexuality, health and spirituality. MIFFY MUSEUM PERMANENT > Step into the world of Miffy and her friends Ten rooms, each dedicated to a different subject, invite young children to discover the world around them step by step. MOLEN DE STER EVERY SATURDAY > Visit the mill This mill in the Lombok district is a traditional working sawmill. The volunteers put the mill into action and explain its history. Free admission. MOVEMENT EXPOSED GALLERY SPACE MAY > Before it Stirs the Surface With this solo exhibition, visual artist Natalia Ossef shows various works that mark the transition to a new creation process with objects, photography, a performance video and an installation. Focusing on the body as a language tool, Ossef draws gestures and elements from her ancestors’ movements and actions to find a personal narrative in their renewed performance.

62 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021 castle-like features it was converted into a country mansion in the 18th century. SONNENBORGH MUSEUM & OBSERVATORY PERMANENT > Bringing far away close by Climb the stairs to the observatory and wonder at the starry heavens. Learn all about the stars in de sky and the weather in one of our exhibitions, tours or lectures. Or take a virtual journey through the universe in the planetarium. EVERY FRIDAY EVENING IN MAY AND JUN > Stargazing nights See with your own eyes what gas nebulae, planets and the moon surface look like up close. EVERY SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN MAY AND JUN > Sun on Sunday Do you fancy watching a star during the day? In clear weather you can study the sun with your own eyes. The largest solar telescope in the Netherlands will then be aimed at the sun. In clear weather you can see the sunspots and gas clouds on the solar surface. HET UTRECHTS ARCHIEF PERMANENT > Utrecht starts here! The exhibition takes visitors on an interactive journey through the city’s history, based on accounts given by residents.

UTRECHT BOTANIC GARDENS UNTIL 1 DEC > Tropical Butterfly Festival Admire lots of spectacular tropical butterflies such as the beautiful iridescent blue Morpho butterflies, the huge Atlas moths, which are bigger than your hand, and many more.

All events listed in this calendar are subject to change. Check the website of the venues for the most up-to-date information.

MAG Utrecht Editor in chief Dieuwke de Boer Editorial board Dieuwke de Boer, Pam van der Veen and Ronald Besemer Design & cover design Flowdesign.nl Designers Merel Brouns, Saskia Janssen, Rosa Mathijssen and Linda Sier Contributors Machiel Coehorst, Merel van 't Hooft, Sarah-Mie Luyckx, Anita Nánási, Beatriz Negreiros and Marjolein Sponselee Translations Caroline McNeal Listings Dieuwke de Boer and Merel van 't Hooft Deadline for listings Edition Jul/Aug: 10 May at the latest and edition Sep/Oct: 5 Jul at the latest via redactie@magutrecht.com Advertising Carsten van Rossen T 06 52 62 11 06 c.vanrossen@utrechtmarketing.nl Suzanne Baerends T 06 10 63 33 96 s.baerends@utrechtmarketing.nl

Publisher Utrecht Marketing Address Ganzenmarkt 1, 3512 GC Utrecht T 030 232 30 80 Printing Pijper Media, Groningen Distribution Distribution is provided by Flyerman. Available in cultural and social institutions, restaurants, cafés and hotels. For inquiries about distribution, contact Flyerman via info@flyerman.nl or 06 45 73 41 38.

MAG Utrecht is published 6 times per year with a circulation of 25,000 copies. Editors and publisher strive for complete and accurate representation of received information. Editors nor publisher can be held responsible for any erroneous entries.

> MAG Utrecht Jul/Aug 2021 will be published in week 26.

may in any way be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright holder. Online & social media www.magutrecht.com Facebook: facebook.com/ magutrecht Instagram: @magutrecht

This publication is made possible by cultural and social organisations and the City of Utrecht.

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

The IWCUR is there to help

Local presents

Practicalities Tourist Information Centre

> open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, Domplein 9

Getting around BY BIKE > Cycling is the easiest and fastest way for getting around town. There are several

Must-sees & must-dos

For more tourist information, must-sees, and must-dos in Utrecht, go to visit-utrecht.com

bike renting spots in the city centre and around the station. Bikes are also for rent at the Tourist Information Centre. BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT > The U-OV day ticket (Dagkaart) is valid for one day (€ 6,20), 2 days (€ 9,25) or 3 days (€ 11,85) on all buses and trams. Buy your ticket at the U-OV Service Store in the main hall of Utrecht Central Station. Children up to the age of 4 can travel for free on U-OV buses and trams. THE OV-CHIP CARD (OV-CHIPKAART) is a public transport card which is accepted by all operators in the Utrecht region. You can buy an anonymous card for € 7,50 at the ticket vending machines in the main hall of Utrecht Central Station. You can also get one at the Tourist Information Centre. Please note that it’s mandatory to wear a face mask in all buses, trams and trains. THE UTRECHT REGION PASS provides access to the entire public

New in town?

The International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region (IWCUR) is located on the second floor of the Stadskantoor (Utrecht municipal offices). The staff helps international newcomers and residents with all their questions and paperwork regarding their move to the region, including formalities with the municipality and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The IWCUR also provides information about housing, education, job opportunities, health care and more. For opening hours, check welcome.utrechtregion.com. You can also contact the IWCUR by phone and email

transport system in the Netherlands. You can book the travel pass online, collect it when you arrive in town (at the Tourist Information Centre, for example) and start travelling straight away. Check utrechtregionpass.com for more information.

Free tours Free walking tours, such as Utrecht Free Tours and Free Walking Tours Utrecht, provide you with inside information you won’t find in a guide book. Most of these tours start on Domplein. The Tourist Information Centre also organises walking tours in English.

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Photography Jurjen Drenth

At the foot of the Dom Tower, you’ll find the Tourist Information Centre. They are more than happy to help you book tickets for heading up the Dom Tower, tours or bikes to get around the city. Of course, they can also tell you about everything you can do in and around Utrecht.

Visit the store of the Tourist Information Centre for all kinds of presents made by local producers

MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

EAT & DRINK

EXPLORE

SHOPPING

CULTURE

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1 Utrecht Botanic Gardens Budapestlaan 17 2 ZIMIHC Wittevrouwen Theatre Bouwstraat 55 3 ZIMIHC Stefanus Theatre Braziliëdreef 2 4 Pieterskerk Pieterskerkhof 5 5 De Paardenkathedraal Veeartsenijstraat 155 6 Museum Catharijneconvent Lange Nieuwstraat 38 7 RAUM Berlijnplein 520 8 Movement Exposed Gallery Space Buurkerkhof 7 9 Centraal Museum Agnietenstraat 1 10 IMPAKT Lange Nieuwstraat 4 11 Central Library Neude Neude 11 12 Kinepolis Jaarbeurs Utrecht Jaarbeursboulevard 300 13 Pathé Utrecht Leidsche Rijn Berlijnplein 100 14 Pathé Rembrandt Utrecht Oudegracht 73 1 Geertje’s Hoeve Thematerweg 5, Haarzuilens 2 De Parkwinkel Park Oog in Al 1 3 Koningshof Koningsweg 135A 4 Nieuw Slagmaat Marsdijk 5, Bunnik 5 Locals Utrecht Vismarkt 2

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Zuiderheide Park Soesterberg airbase Eempolder Vechtplassen Den Treek-Henschoten

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1 Fort de Batterijen Overeindseweg 25, Nieuwegein 2 Venster Berlijnplein V l e u520 tense weg 3 De Kwekerij Burgemeester Fockema Andreaelaan 13 4 Café Keet Kanaalweg 30 5 Karibu Hooghiemstraplein 55

Tivoli Vredenburg

Vreden burg

Hoog Catharijne 2

Central Station

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

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Map of Utrecht

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All locations

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66 MAG Utrecht — May/Jun 2021

Check out online Central Library Utrecht bibliotheekutrecht.nl/english Centraal Museum centraalmuseum.nl Dom Church domkerk.nl Dom Tower (VVV Tourist Info) domtoren.nl/en DOMunder domunder.com/en Dutch Harp Festival harpfestival.nl EXboot exboot.nl EXbunker exbunker.nl Free Walking Tour Utrecht freewalkingtourutrecht.com Gilde Utrecht gildeutrecht.nl/english De Haar Castle kasteeldehaar.nl/english Hoogt on Tour hoogt.nl IMPAKT impakt.nl De Kargadoor kargadoor.nl Louis Hartlooper Complex hartlooper.nl/en Miffy Museum nijntjemuseum.nl Moira moira-utrecht.nl Molen de Ster molendester.nu Movement Exposed Gallery Space movementexposed.com Museum Catharijneconvent catharijneconvent.nl/english Museum Hoge Woerd museumhogewoerd.nl Museum Speelklok museumspeelklok.nl Nederlands Volksbuurtmuseum volksbuurtmuseum.nl/visitorinformation De Nijverheid denijverheid.com Ode to the Dutch Water Lines odeaandehollandsewaterlinies.nl Pieterskerk pieterskerkconcerten.nl

Podium Hoge Woerd podiumhogewoerd.nl Railway Museum spoorwegmuseum.nl RAUM raumutrecht.nl Rietveld Schröderhuis centraalmuseum.nl/en/visit/ locations/rietveld-schroder-house Salon van Weleer salonvanweleer.nl Slot Zuylen slotzuylen.nl/english Sonnenborgh Museum & Observatory sonnenborgh.nl/english SPRING Performing Arts Festival springutrecht.nl Springhaver springhaver.nl/en Stadsschouwburg Utrecht stadsschouwburg-utrecht.nl Studium Generale sg.uu.nl Theater Kikker theaterkikker.nl TivoliVredenburg tivolivredenburg.nl Tourist Information Centre visit-utrecht.com Het Utrechts Archief hetutrechtsarchief.nl Utrecht Botanic Gardens uu.nl/en/utrecht-botanic-gardens

Utrecht University Hall uu.nl/en/organisation/utrechtuniversity-hall Universiteitsmuseum Utrecht universiteitsmuseum.nl/english De Vrijstaat devrijstaat.nl Zimihc zimihc.nl Zingende Beelden zingendebeelden.nl

May/Jun 2021 — MAG Utrecht

TOP NOTCH

THE NOX HOTEL

Next time? SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY CENTRE, BUT AWAY FROM THE CROWDS. STEP INSIDE THE DARK-BLUE, MYSTICAL WORLD OF THE NOX, A BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN A UNIQUE 17TH-CENTURY BUILDING CLOSE TO THE DOM TOWER. THEIR INITIAL SPARK OF INSPIRATION SINCE DAY ONE? NOX, LATIN FOR NIGHT.

This small-scale hotel is housed in the Polman’s Huis, a neoclassic building on the corner of Keistraat and Jansdam. It has a colourful past, having been a posh gentlemen’s club, a society building, an evangelical church and a grand café/restaurant. The names and furnishing in the rooms are inspired by the phases of the moon: New Moon, Crescent Moon, Full Moon and Honey Moon. The last one is obviously the pick of the bunch, featuring a roof-top terrace with loungers and a view of the Dom. Foodies will appreciate the Hemel & Aarde restaurant on the ground floor, where top chef Vito Reekers bases his creative, tasteful menus on the seasons.

Photography Tanne de Lange

> Keistraat 8 thenoxhotel.com

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