Amsterdam si prepara per le feste e il suo centro storico, le case lungo i canali, le vie dei negozi sono più illuminate che mai! E’ il momento ideale per fare un po’ di shopping tra i negozi caratteristici della città o nei grandi magazzini storici come il Bijenkorf e il Magna Plaza, bevendo poi qualcosa in uno dei tanti accoglienti “Bruine Café”.

 Offerte volo, hotel, volo+hotel

Per tutto il mese di novembre su lastminute.com speciali offerte per Amsterdam! Prenota subito il tuo weekend di cultura e shopping ad Amsterdam!

Hotel da 34 euro!
Volo/Hotel 3/4 notti da 202 euro!
Autonoleggio da 29 euro!

Freddo? Amsterdam ti scalda!

Visitate Amsterdam nel periodo natalizio e vi ritroverete in una bella scena secentesca di uno dei dipinti di Hendrick Avercamp. L’atmosfera è la stessa: calda, accogliente, allegra, festosa! Il ponte dell’8 dicembre è il momento perfetto per un po’ di shopping natalizio, da abbinare ad una delle belle mostre del programma Holland Art Cities.

Mostre ad Amsterdam inverno 2009/2010:

dal 21 nov al 15 feb 2010: Avercamp e la piccola era glaciale al Rijksmuseum

fino al 18 aprile 2010: Sguardo sull’Oman nella Nieuwe Kerk

fino al 3 gennaio 2010: Le lettere di Van Gogh al museo Van Gogh

fino al 31 gennaio 2010: Alla corte Russa al Hermitage Amsterdam

Condividi

Dal 21 novembre 2009 –al 15  febbraio ad Amsterdam, il Rijksmuseum  dedica una mostra a Hendrick Avercamp intitolata La Piccola Era Glaciale, con una selezione dei 20 suoi più bei dipinti e 25 migliori disegni, provenienti da collezioni quali la norvegese Billedgaleri, il Museum of Fine Arts di Boston e la National Gallery di Londra.

Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1643) è il principale pittore di paesaggi invernali olandesi del XVII secolo ed è stato il primo artista olandese a concentrarsi su dipinti di paesaggi invernali caratterizzati da personaggi che si divertono sul ghiaccio.

Oggi, dopo 400 anni, l’immagine della vita nei freddi inverni del Secolo d’Oro continua ad essere dominata dalle scene sul ghiaccio di Avercamp.

Si tratta di scene invernali popolate da coppie di pattinatori, eleganti gentiluomini, slitte trainate da vigorosi cavalli, bambini che giocano con palle di neve e malcapitati che ruzzolano su lastre di ghiaccio: particolari che documentano lo straordinario talento di Avercamp per la narrazione aneddotica.

In occasione della mostra il Lloyd Hotel di Amsterdam ha creato un pacchetto per 2 persone che comprende:

Una notte in una stanza 3 stelle del Lloyd Hotel

Tassa cittadina

Colazione

Biglietto d’ingresso al Rijksmuseum

Un dolce benvenuto invernale con un cioccolata calda

Calze lavorate a maglia per scaldare il freddo inverno olandese

 Dal freddo dei dipinti di Avercamp alla calda atmosfera del Lloyd Hotel, uno degli hotel del ventunesimo secolo più prestigiosi d’Olanda. Il luogo ideale per rilassarsi circondati dallo straordinario design di artisti quali Claudy Jongstra, Joep van Lieshout e Richard Hutten.

Il Rijksmuseum è aperto tutti i giorni dalle 9.00 alle 18.00, venerdì dalle 9.00 alle 20.30.

Il pacchetto è valido dal 20/11/2009 al 15/02/2010(escluso il periodo  che va dal 29/12/2009 al 02/01/2010), Ulteriori informazioni: www.lloydhotel.com/avercamp

Condividi

Vingboons map of Manhattan, 1664. National Archives, The Hague

Het Centrum voor Internationale Erfgoedactiviteiten (CIE) presenteert op maandag 9 november de derde lezing in de reeks Lloyd Time on Mondays. De lezing, ‘Dutch origins of Manhattan‘, wordt gehouden door Martine Gosselink (hoofd geschiedenis bij het Rijksmuseum). Martine Gosselink is als conservator en auteur breed georiënteerd op het terrein van de Nederlandse kunst en geschiedenis. Haar specialisme richt zich op beeldcultuur van het overzeese en koloniale verleden.

Projecten op het gebied van internationaal erfgoed zijn er al decennia. Maar de kennis die tijdens zo’n project wordt opgedaan, kwam voorheen nergens samen. Intussen zijn er diverse organisaties en netwerken die zich hiermee bezighouden. Zoals Erfgoed 2.0, waar niet alleen actualiteiten worden besproken, maar ook projecten (zie de LinkedIn groep) en waar erfgoedinstellingen inmiddels ook kunnen aankloppen voor advies en conceptontwikkeling.
Maar dus ook het CIE, dat in 2006 werd opgericht. Ook het CIE geeft advies en begeleiding bij lopende en nieuwe projecten op dit terrein, werkt aan een database van erfgoedactiviteiten, onderhoudt een netwerk van internationale experts, en streeft ernaar het onderwerp ook voor een breder publiek op de kaart te zetten. Daarnaast haakt het CIE aan bij concrete lokale projecten in landen als Australië of Sri Lanka.

Maandag 9 november
Start 20:00
Toegang: gratis
Locatie: Lloyd Hotel & Culturele Ambassade
Oostelijke Handelskade 34
1019 BN Amsterdam
tel. 020- 5613636
www.lloydhotel.com

Volgende lezing is op 16 november: ‘Selling Manhattan: Dutch Anglo picturing of New Netherland and New
York’ door Frans Blom.

Mede mogelijk gemaakt door: Nieuw Amsterdam Uitgeverij

bron: Heritage Inspiration Concepts groep op Linkedin

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the day when the Dutch explorer Henry Hudson turned right at Mannahatta Island and was floored to discover a river named after him. To celebrate that boat trip, the curators of the Met — having already rejected the idea of an exhibit of plaster garden statues of the little Dutch boy and little Dutch girl kissing — asked the curators of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam if they could borrow Vermeer’s famous painting The Milkmaid for a couple of months.

Next thing you know, there I am standing “on line” (as they say in the East) waiting to get into an entire exhibit built around the display of this one painting. Don’t let the photo above mislead you as to the actual size of The Milkmaid. Pointy Hand A indicates the kind of wall-sized enlargement so beloved of exhibit designers. Making the unwashed public feel tiny seems to be as much a goal of museum directors as it is a delight to us, the hoi polloi. Give us an enlarged molecule to stand in, or a capillary to slide through, and we’ll call it a day well-spent. The actual painting is only about 13 inches wide.

As Pointy Hand B tells us, though, no picture-taking was vouchsafed the herd. We had only to drink in the Dutch beneficence in gratitude and shuffle off to the next silk-screened wall-ful of explanatory text in 2-inch type. The Met had turned one painting into a four-gallery affair by bunging in four of their own Vermeers (one was left upstairs for good luck) and other flotsam by contempory painters which we all ignored.

At the show’s entrance, the curators had very cleverly covered a vast wall with repros of all 36 known Vermeers in more-or-less chronological order. I counted the ones I’ve seen in Washington, at the Frick, at Norton Simon, and here at the Met and was surprised to learn I’d seen 13 of the entire bunch. Mrs NiceWork told me of an acquaintance who had made it her life’s goal to see every Vermeer. She planned her vacations accordingly. I thought –I even made that “hmm” sound signifying thought — Vermeer trekking wasn’t such a bad idea, and noted the locations of the other 23.

Also, considering the rapid, ongoing Islamification of the Europe and the fate of the Bamiyan Buddhas under Muslim rule, I wondered if maybe I ought to push the schedule forward a bit.

If you think the Middle Ages were boring and dark, you are wrong. Circa 800, Dorestad was a city that was bustling, swarming with people and merchants. It was on the Rhine, where Wijk bij Duurstede now lies. At the exhibition ‘Dorestad. Medieval Metropolis’, you can personally experience the heydays of Dorestad. You can walk through the decor of the city and harbour. You can see which people lived in this metropolis of the early Middle Ages and what they did.

Our Living History group Dorestad 825 is showing a household of the year 825 at the exhibition ‘Dorestad. Medieval Metropolis’. At The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) in Leiden, Holland.

On 4 days until 16:00 hrs: Sunday 18th, wednesday 21st, sunday 25th and wednesday 28th of october and november 1st.

• Dorestad exhibition review by the Economic History Blog. (english,  2009.10.10)

Artists impression of Dorestad in the Middle-Ages, from a birds perspective.

While Dan’s parents visited last week, we spent three days in Amsterdam. We explored several museums, toured the city on our own and with a guide, and took a bus tour to the Alkmaar Cheesemarket & to see some windmills. I think it was a good trip and with some adjustments, it could be a great one for others.

This Amsterdam trip is best suited for adults since it includes a trip to the House of Bols and a walking tour of the Red Light District. It is pretty casual so you have plenty of time to pack in more museums if you want.

Day One

Historical Museum Entrance

On the first day, it’s nice to just walk around and get to know the city. We used a Rick Steve’s book walking tour to explore the center of Amsterdam, but you can find free and cheap self-guided tours of Amsterdam both online or at the VVV.

Along your tour, you might find the Nieuwe Kerk & the Amsterdam Historical Museum. The church isn’t very interesting unless you like to visit historical churches, but it is a good place to pick up a Museumkaart (no line). Its also located on the famous Dam square where the first Amstel Dam was built. The Historical Museum, on the other hand, is very through, has English translations, and is worth a good visit. Give yourself an hour (more if you don’t have the Museumkaart) to explore before walking down to the Bloemenmarkt.

The Bloemenmarkt is a flower street market and the best place to buy tulip bulbs in Amsterdam. Most shops will close up by 5 pm, but a few will be open a bit later. After the Bloemenmarkt, enjoy the dinner of your choice.

Day Two

The Original "Secret" Recipe for Bols Jenever.

After dinner, wrap up the evening with a walking tour of the red light district. The Randy Roy’s Red Light District Tour is lead by an American woman who has been living in Amsterdam for 20 years and will run you 12,50 euros per person. It was an interesting tour, but rather awkward with the In-laws along. If this isn’t your thing try one of the museums in the evening or try visiting a café with live music.

Day Three

The cheese runners on the last day of the Alkmaar cheesemarket.

After you return from your tour (bring snacks, we didn’t have time to lunch & got back around 2 pm), you can visit the Anne Frank Museum. The museum has restricted entry, so it is advisable to purchase advance tickets online through their website. Don’t try to do it through the VVV (like we did); they only have tickets available after 6 pm.

To kill time we visited the Woonboot (Houseboat) Museum. For about 3,75 euros you can tour this small private museum on an actual houseboat. It was neat, but I don’t know if I would pay for it; at least not again. They don’t take the Museumkaart, but do take the Holland Pass.

Some times during your visit, it is worth taking a canal tour. Lover’s has been recommended to me, but I haven’t tried them. Look for one with smaller boats and real tour guides to avoid getting a canned recording in six different languages.

Have you visited Amsterdam? Share your favorite attractions and activities in the comments.

We had originally planned to do day trips out of Amsterdam, same as we had in Brussels, but Keith and I soon came to realize that we didn’t want to wake up early to catch any more trains.  Instead, we leisurely made our way around the city each day.

Monday
Had breakfast at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels.  Three trains later — whoever said there were nonstops running from Bruxelles Nord is a liar — checked into Amsterdam’s Mövenpick Hotel overlooking the IJ, Centraal Station and the city.  After lying facedown on the bed for a while, roused ourselves to find dinner because apparently the Dutch don’t eat late.  Wandered down through the Old Centre, which was overflowing with drunken American, English, German and Irish tourists reeking of pot, and ended up at Brasserie De Roode Leeuw on the New Side, where I ate the most amazing piece of fish and Keith devoured veal meatballs, potatoes and these gorgeous little peas into which he mixed curries and compotes.  Finished the night with beers at Gollem, a tiny bar only slightly larger than my apartment’s bathroom.

Tuesday
Slept in a bit then found some lunch at Festina Lente in the Jordaan: taleggio, tomatoes and salami on a toasted wheat* ciabatta.  (If I lived here, I would come to Festina Lente once a week just to eat through their sandwich menu.)  Admired the café’s cat.  Commented how much the Dutch seem to love sandwiches… like me.  Drifted around the Jordaan.  Watched candy get made at Papabubble, then bought several Euro’s worth.  Checked out the clothes sold at Sprmrkt, all of which made me feel very fat and very uncool.  Smelled soaps at La Savonnerie and realized Amsterdam is quite beautiful once you get away from the sleazy bits.  Beer break at Café Brakke, where non-patrons have to pay €0.50 to use the toilet but petting the cat is free.  Hopped a tram to the Pijp for dinner at District V.  Happened to be “National Restaurant Week,” so ate the set menu of salmon wrapped in pasta with a tomato cream sauce; “friander kalfsoester” with potatoes, ratatouille and a delicious marsala potato gratin studded with rosemary; and a citron ice cream with lemon sauce and a brownie full of ground almonds.  (If you come here, check out the not-as-cheesy-as-it-sounds chandelier made of cutlery, sieves and serving spoons.)  Trammed back to the hotel.

Wednesday
Had prebooked tickets to the Anne Frank House; showed up fifteen minutes early so we could grab ham-and-cheese croissants and coffee next door**.  Wrestled between depression, interest and anger while going through the house.  Ignored Keith completely afterwards at Broodje Bert, where I ate a toasted salami, onion and cheese sandwich (for barely over €5.oo) while I scribbled in my journal.  Shopped the Nine Streets.  Bought a rad bag at Margareth Mackenzie on Oude Spiegelstraat.  Helped Keith pick out a wallet at Hester Van Eeghen on Hartenstraat.  Scribbled more at Café de Pels while Keith drank beer.  Chilled out at the hotel for an hour or two before a dinner of snacks at Van Dobben, where the friendliest people work and recommend crazy-amazing things to eat like kroket sandwiches and a stack of salted beef and liver piled in between bread.  Ogled two  customers’ two massive dogs, then walked back to the hotel.

Thursday
Caught the water taxi to city hall, then walked to De Tokoman for some sensational Surinamese sandwiches and mango juice.  Still couldn’t believe how much the Dutch love sandwiches, and how much I love the Dutch for loving them.  Walked over to the Dutch Resistance Museum, also known as the coolest museum in the city and where we spent three hours.  Poked through Rembrandt’s house, which is set up to appear as though the artist just popped out for a sandwich (he was Dutch, you know).  Quick detour in the Bloemenmarkt, the flower market.  Beers at Café van Leeuwen.  Heard the weather was going to turn for the cold and windy, so conned Keith into shopping for a jacket.  More beers at Gollem, where I met the bar’s cat, then a traditional Dutch dinner at Moeders before catching our last tram of the night.  Beer at the hotel bar, then bed.

Friday
More awesome sandwiches and frites, this time at Morning Star, which just might be the cutest place ever.  Windy windy windy cold weather, so I wore my new jacket.  Visited the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, where Keith had to tear me away from the computer-generated map of the city’s growth over the past eight hundred years.  After cookies (koekjes) and appelflaps (kind of like  an apple turnover) at Lanskroon, trammed to the Pijp for beers at the other branch of Gollem with another cat before walking to the Van Gogh Museum, which is open late on Friday nights for film screenings, concerts and lectures.  Dinner at Burgermeester.   In spite of torrential rain, all the local bars were packed so we headed to the hotel bar for one last beer.

Saturday
Glumly trekked through the sunny morning and the Red Light District to get to the Museum Amstelkring and its spectacular church hidden in the attic, then to the Oude Kerk, the only cathedral I’ve ever seen with a wooden ceiling.  Trammed to the Albert Cuypmarkt in the Pijp.  Spent hours exploring the miscellaneous stalls and eating more Surinamese food, frites, cookies and an astounding raw herring sandwich.  Beers at Kingfisher before walking to the in-the-process-of-renovation Rijksmuseum, home to works by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Bruegel.  Indonesian dinner at Bojo, before beers at ‘t Arendsnest.  Trammed in the pouring rain back to the hotel to pack and sleep.

* The Dutch call wheat bread brown bread. I don’t think I can pull it off.
**Getting advance tickets online is a must. If you aren’t able to, plan on buying a snack next door at Bagels and Coffee; customers can use their computer and printer gratis, and therefore avoid the hours-long line at the Anne Frank House.

It’s quite extraordinary but some of the radio and audio productions I have produced are available to purchase from the luminaries at the BBC.  So, in the spirit of wanting to make some cash to pay for the cats’ food, I thought I might introduce you to some of these rather wonderful audio products, and offer you links to where you can buy them…please buy them, many many of them, and then buy some more for your friends and families…all the oney goes to a good cause (well, the BBC and then a little to me, sort of!)

The Brightonomicon 7 CD box-set

THE BRIGHTONOMICON by Robert Rankin

13 half hour episodes / full-cast audio drama / award winning production / as heard of BBC Radio 7

starring David Warner, Andy Serkis, Rupert Degas, Sarah Douglas, Martin Jarvis, Jason Isaacs & many more

written by Elliott Stein & Neil Gardner / music by Jeremy Paul Carroll / edited, produced & directed by Neil Gardner

a Ladbroke Productions / Hokus Bloke co-production for BBC Audio

“A stellar cast including David Warner, Rupert Degas, Andy Serkis, Mark Wing-Davey, Michael Fenton-Stevens & Martin Jarvis bring Robert Rankin’s extraordinary fantasty tale to life! This is the tale of two incredible people – one who knows he is incredible and the other who learns to be incredible. Set in 1960 in Brighton, self-styled guru and magus Hugo Rune rescues a young man from drowning and persuades him to become his assistant and partner in solving 12 mysteries. Rizla (for such is the young man’s assumed name) agrees to help as he has lost his memory and has nowhere else to go. There then follows 12 of the most baffling, surreal, exciting, head-scratching and downright far-fetched mysteries ever written…all based in and around the suburbs of Brighton. Across the mysteries Rizla and the audience learn about the Brighton zodiac, the chronovision, time travel, centaurs, a dastardly plot where the NHS kidnap vagrants for body parts, space pirates, the real history of Victorian Britain, Brighton pirates and the fate that awaits mankind should Hugo Rune fail in his task. And of course, there’s a very bad man involved indeed – Hugo Rune’s arch-nemesis of the ages, Count Otto Black – who wants to rule the world (what else!) You will never hear anything else quite like this in your lifetime. Yet another slice of far-fetched fiction in the Rankin tradition.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM THE BBC SHOP

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes

________________________________________________________________________

The Stuff of Nightmares

DOCTOR WHO: HORNETS’ NEST (1): THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES by Paul Magrs

1hr 12mins enhanced reading

starring Tom Baker & Richard Franklin

recorded & edited by Neil Gardner / produced & directed by Kate Thomas

a BBC Audio production

“Tom Baker reprises the role of the Fourth Doctor in the first of five thrilling brand new audio adventures, with Richard Franklin as Mike Yates. ‘Wanted: retired army Captain for light household duties and fireside companionship. Must tolerate mild eccentricity and strong scientific advice. Knowledge of Giant Maggots, Super Intelligent Spiders and Prehistoric Monsters a positive boon.’

Responding to an advert apparently worded for him alone, Captain Mike Yates (retired) is reunited with a ghost from the past. But why has the Doctor, that mysterious traveller in Time and Space, sent for his former UNIT acquaintance? Trapped by a horde of vicious creatures in an apparently innocuous English country cottage, the two old friends are on the brink of an enormous adventure. As the Doctor relates his recent escapades, it becomes clear to Mike that they – and the Earth at large – are facing an enemy of unimaginable power and horrific intent.

The nightmare is only just beginning… With Tom Baker as the Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey and Daniel Hill as Percy Noggins, The Stuff of Nightmares is the first of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM THE BBC SHOP

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

The Dead Shoes

DOCTOR WHO: HORNETS’ NEST (2): THE DEAD SHOES by Paul Magrs

1hr 05 mins enhanced reading

starring Tom Baker & Richard Franklin

recorded & edited by Neil Gardner / produced & directed by Kate Thomas

a BBC Audio production

“Tom Baker reprises the role of the Fourth Doctor in the first of five thrilling brand new audio adventures, with Richard Franklin as Mike Yates. What is so special about a pair of ballet shoes on display in Cromer’s Palace of Curios? When the Doctor meets Ernestina Scott there in 1932, they discover the horrific truth together. The second of five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs, The Dead Shoes also features Susan Jameson, Clare Corbett and Christian Rodska.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM THE BBC SHOP

________________________________________________________________________

The Year of the Flood 14 CD box-set

THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD by Margaret Atwood

14hrs 30 mins unabridged reading

read by Lorelei King

recorded, edited & produced by Neil Gardner

a BBC Audio production

“Adam One, the kindly leader of the God’s Gardeners – a religion devoted to the melding of science and religion, the preservation of all species and the tending of the Earth – has long predicted the Waterless Flood. Now it has occurred, obliterating most human life. Two women have avoided it: the young trapeze-dancer, Ren, locked into the high-end sex club; and former SecretBurgers meat-slinger turned Gardener, Toby, barricaded into a luxurious spa. Have others survived? And what are the odds for the human race? By turns dark, tender, violent, thoughtful and uneasily hilarious, The Year of the Flood is Atwood at her most effective.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM THE BBC SHOP

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

6000 Postcards radio feature

6000 POSTCARDS

27mins 30secs radio documentary / as heard on BBC Radio 4

presented by Chris McManus

produced by Richard Bannerman / executive produced by Neil Gardner

a Ladbroke Radio production for BBC Radio 4

“Chris McManus uncovers the secrets of a collection of 6000 dusty old postcards that turned up in a forgotten cupboard in the Psychology Department of University College London. It started with two medium-sized cardboard boxes. When Richard Rawles of the Department opened them, he found the cards, with postmarks dating from August 1953. They were addressed to the BBC Television Service, and the search was on to find out how they came to be there and what information they contained.”

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

Bridging The Gap radio feature

BRIDGING THE GAP

27mins 30secs radio documentary / featured on “Pick of the Year” / as heard on BBC Radio 4

presented by Simon Fanshawe

produced by Tamsyn Challenger / executive produced by Neil Gardner

a Ladbroke Radio production for BBC Radio 4

“Simon Fanshawe visits an ambitious community project in Bridging the Gap at 1100 on Monday 7th August. The gap in question is the cavernous void between young and old that breeds mistrust and anxiety. Pat Stewart and Rob Burley run the On the Streets project in Gorton, Manchester. Their aim is to develop in young teenagers a sense of their community and show them there is more to life than spiralling from ASBO to serious crime.In the programme, the 15- and 16 year-olds talk frankly about a life they feel has little to offer them – with few or no facilities, threats from gangs, and nothing to occupy their time.The programme attends an events day run by Pat and Rob at the Angel Community Centre, where one highlight is the hand massage session that not only gives the over-60s a chance to relax and enjoy a bit of pampering, but more importantly, a chance for young and old to talk and exchange stories from their very different lives.The campaign itself has won awards for breaking down barriers and helping to develop communication and common interest across generations, and Pat and Rob are determined to “take young people out of the thug mode and elderly people out of the victim mode”. As one of the documentary’s producers, Tamsyn Challenger, says, “To hear a 14-year-old talking about 80-year-old Lou on his estate is heartening when there is little positive coverage of 14-year-old Manchester lads living in depressed areas.” Simon Fanshawe discusses the project both with the scheme’s leaders and also with the police, and guides us through the On the Streets story.”

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

Giants On Our Hands radio feature

GIANTS ON OUR HANDS

27mins 30secs radio documentary / featured on “Pick of the Week” / as heard on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service

presented by Adam Fowler

produced by Adam Fowler & Anna Scott-Brown / executive produced by Neil Gardner

a Ladbroke Radio production for BBC Radio 4/WS

“For 5,000 years and more, elephants have served humanity, as a living tractor, pile driver, fork-lift, tank, and 4WD. But the working elephant is now at the end of its economic usefulness. Adam Fowler explores the plight of thousands of captive elephants in Asia and their historic and changing relationship with man.”

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

Rembrandt 400 radio feature

REMBRANDT 400

43mins 30secs radio documentary / as heard on BBC Radio 3

presented by Neil MacGregor

produced by Richard Bannerman / executive produced by Neil Gardner

a Ladbroke Radio production for BBC Radio 3

“Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, marks the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt’s birth. He visits Amsterdam, where Rembrandt made his home for the major part of his creative life, and where he painted the masterpieces that hang in galleries around the world. Rembrandt’s birthday is on July 15, and Amsterdam has marked the year with all kinds of events, from a new musical on Rembrandt’s life to exhibitions looking at every aspect of the artist’s work, from the epic painting of The Night Watch to small-scale etchings and drawings. Neil MacGregor, a longtime enthusiast for Rembrandt’s work, begins the programme in the house where Rembrandt lived in Amsterdam from 1639 to 1658, when bankruptcy in his later years forced him to move. Here, from the basement to the attic, are the everyday objects that Rembrandt would have known, from his box-bed to the huge collection of antiques and curios from all corners of the Dutch-traded world, which Rembrandt made use of to bring the excitement of the exotic into his work. Nearby in the Rijksmuseum, an exhibition puts Rembrandt’s major paintings against those of his slightly earlier Italian counterpart Caravaggio, showing the play of light and dark which gave both artists’ work that gleaming, arresting quality, and which lent a powerful drama to the Biblical or classical scenes they often depicted. In Rembrandt’s case, he turned away from images of beauty or flattery to depict people in all their human frailty – their tenderness, uncertainty, pain, and mortality. It is these qualities, as Neil MacGregor says, that make his paintings reach out so directly to us today, as well as impressing the spectator with their mastery of skill and often dazzling richness.”

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

________________________________________________________________________

The Forever Trap 2 CD exclusive

DOCTOR WHO: THE FOREVER TRAP by Dan Abnett

2hrs 20mins reading / exclusive adventure from the BBC

read by Catherine Tate

recorded & edited by Neil Gardner / produced & directed by Kate Thomas

a BBC Audio production

“Catherine Tate reads this exclusive thrilling story, in which the Doctor and Donna are imprisoned on the Edifice – and become neighbours to a terrifying assortment of aliens.  When the TARDIS is invaded by a holographic marketing scam, the Doctor and Donna find themselves trapped on the Edifice, a purpose-built complex of luxury apartments in space. Their new environs leave much to be desired: millions of beings from across the Universe have been gathered to live side by side in similar apartments. Instead of creating neighbourly affection, it’s led to terrible battles being waged in the corridors and on the stairwells.   The Doctor and Donna must cross the paths of deadly alien mobs as they search for the Edifice’s ultimate authority. Who – or what – lies at the heart of the incredible complex? What destructive scourge is eating away at the Edifice itself? And are the Doctor and Donna trapped forever in this living hell?   The Forever Trap features the Doctor and Donna, as played by David Tennant and Catherine Tate in the hit BBC Television series Doctor Who. Written specially for audio by Dan Abnett, it is read by Catherine Tate.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY FROM THE BBC SHOP

CLICK THE ICON TO BUY & DOWNLOAD FROM iTunes 

Veee geldik beni en çok etkileyen şehirlerden birine.. Amsterdam ! .. Bir turist için görülebilecek en etkileyici şehirlerden biri.. İrili ufaklı yüzlerce enteresan müze var; Hollanda’lı ressam Van Gogh’un resimlerini, Rembrandt’ın eserlerini veya Anne Frank’ın Nazilerden saklandığı evi görebileceğiniz gibi; seksin ve işkencenin tarihçesini acaip objelerle anlatan müzeleri de gezebilirsiniz..  Kurabiye görünümlü, kanalların etrafına konuşlanmış şeker gibi evleri seyretmeye doyamadım.. Tabi Red Light’ı görmeden Amsterdam’dan dönmek olmazdı, ama ot kokan daracık sokaklarda vitrinlerin arkasındaki kadınları görünce bir hatun olarak içim ürperdi.. Neyse bu apayrı bir konu..

Delft tam anlamıyla bir üniversite şehri diyebilirim, gençlerin ağırlıkta olduğu ufak bir şehir, görülebilecek pek fazla enteresanlık yok.. TU Delft (Technische Universitaet Delft) Hollanda’nın en iyi teknik üniversitesi olarak anılıyor..

Rotterdam Avrupa’nın en büyük limanını bünyesinde barındıran bir şehir olması sebebiyle Hollanda’nın ticari kalbi diyebilirim.. Orada pek fazla vakit geçiremediğim için hakkında çok fazla yorum yapamayacağım; kaldığım 3-4 saat boyunca şakır şakır yağmur yağdığından alel acele bir yemek, şehir merkezinde kısa bir tur ve ardından Erasmus Köprüsü’ne kısa bir bakıştan sonra Delft’e geri döndüm.. Bir dahaki sefere sindire sindire gezerim umarım:)

Bij het nieuwe ochtendprogramma Espresso van Klara kunnen pendelaars een miniconcert aan boord van hun wagen winnen. Presentator Thomas Vanderveken ontving gisteren de dames van Encantar. De Klara-luisteraar met het origineelste fileverhaal kreeg een liveconcert van het stemmenkwartet. In zijn wagen, om met hun zoete samenzang het fileleed te verzachten.

Ik vind het een goed voorbeeld van prima marketing. En dat nog wel uit de zachte sector. Meteen moest ik denken aan Jan Willem Sieburgh, zakelijk directeur van het Nederlandse Rijksmuseum. Hij werd in Nederland dit jaar verkozen tot marketeer of the year. Wat de man presteerde, is niet mis. Van de verbouwing van het museum maakte hij een opportuniteit: hij besloot enkel een kleine selectie van topwerken te vertonen uit één periode, de Gouden Eeuw: van meer dan 4.000 werken naar slechts 400. Ook de beschikbare oppervlakte was slechts een tiende van de normale oppervlakte. Toch trok de tentoonstelling massaal veel bezoekers aan. Sieburgh toverde nog meer opmerkelijke marketingtrucs uit zijn hoed: een samenwerking met Hema, een stunt met Damien Hirst, een magazine, een klein museum op Schiphol…

De jury was onder de indruk: “Het merk wordt bestuurd vanuit de gedachte dat het allemaal anders kan. Marketing maakt de zaak hier spannender en aansprekender en dat is toch de cruciale taak die elke marketeer in deze lastige tijden moet spelen. De marketeer moet inspireren. En dat doe Jan Willem Sieburgh als geen ander.” (Tijdschrift voor marketing, juni 2009, blz. 18)

Het is maar goed dat Drees sr. dit niet meer mee hoeft te maken! De kostbare “maansteen” die hij aan het Rijksmuseum schonk blijkt slechts een versteend houtje van vijf tientjes te zijn.

De steen van Drees

Het Rijksmuseum houdt “de steen van Drees” in de collectie. Als rariteit. Want er kleeft nu een heel intrigerend verhaal aan. Een verhaal dat de waarde van de steen fors doet toenemen. Het zal me niet verbazen wanneer de verzekeringswaarde gewoon op een ton blijft staan.

Een paar gebruikte schoenen van ene Henk van Blijderveen vertegenwoordigen geen waarde. Zelfs de gek heeft er niets voor over, omdat de zweetlucht hem alle kooplust beneemt.
De schoenen van Michael Jackson vertegenwoordigen daarentegen een kapitaal. Omdat hij dood is en er levendig mee heeft gemoonwalkt. Maar pas op wanneer u deze maanstappertjes voor een miljoen wilt overnemen van de erven van Michael! Leer de les van de steen van Drees.

Deze steen laat zien hoe kritiekloos we zijn wanneer mensen met “autoriteit” ons iets vertellen. Dan wordt er niet meer nagedacht. En zo worden ons knollen voor citroenen verkocht, versteend hout voor maanstenen geschonken en … ordinaire Blijderveenschuiten voor authentieke moonwalkertjes aangesmeerd!

Het is zaak om zelf te blijven nadenken. Maar ja, dat valt niet mee. De eigen visie toont nogal wat gebreken. Daarom is het ergste wat je kan overkomen, dat je je eigen autoriteit wordt. Dat je je schaart bij de waarheidsvinders die delven uit de eigen groeve. Dat je je eigen subjectieve ijkpunt punt wordt. Het kwetsbare ik als middelpunt van het universum.

Ik hou het bij de leefregels en beloften uit Gods Woord en de leiding van God in het dagelijks leven. Omdat Hij mij beter kent dan ik mijzelf ken. Het geeft rust om verankerd te zijn in deze volkomen God. Het voorkomt dat je verstrikt raakt in een web van eigen gedachtespinsels.

Henk van Blijderveen

I totally forgot that when my parents came to visit last weekend we did this while my mom was in the bathroom during our visit to the Rijksmuseum.

I just found it in my junk email box of an email address that I hardly ever use anymore.  I didn’t know that it was recording sound as well, otherwise I wouldn’t have sounded like such a dork.

Nevertheless, a pleasant little surprise.

Another city I’ve fallen for is Amsterdam. You simply cannot resist it. I mean, it’s like the father of all cities of the Netherlands. It has everything for everyone. Too many museums if you ask me, but hey, these Dutch really had it with art and such. The first thing that we could have visited was the Rijksmuseum, the most famous one. We didn’t, because it was like 10 euro and they didn’t even let us take pictures. And I’m not an art person, so we gave up and walked through the city instead.

We had to be careful, mum and I, not to cross with the people riding a bike. Man, these people won’t grant you the right to walk on their track. A lady almost got hit by one. After people got out of the Rijksmuseum, we went to a Diamonds Museum. Yep, they have one for diamonds. They must have one for everything lol. It was close to the Rijksmuseum, that’s why they call this place Museum Place/Square, probably the most famous and photographed, you’ll see below why. We had a diamond presentation (in Romanian!!!) and it was awesome to see those little stones that value probably more than anyone of us could afford.

The thing I enjoyed to the full was the boat trip around the canals. Impressive. Not too long, about an hour or so, but very relaxing. People were even waving at us as we glided by. Especially turists that were anxious to try the same experience.

I could live in this city. If it weren’t for the bike-people. I don’t know how to ride a bike, that’s my problem.

Kävin tänä kesänä Amsterdamissa; kanavien halkomassa kaupungissa, johon ihastuin jo ensimmäisellä kerralla 1980-luvulla. Syy reissuuni oli tosiasiassa pako. Täytin vuosia, mutta juhlien järjestäminen ei tuntunut mielekkäältä ajatukselta. Niinpä päätin olla reippaasti itsekäs, pakkasin mukaan rennot vaatteet, lenkkarit ja aiemmilla reissuilla testatun joviaalin matkakumppanin ja suunnistin yhteen Euroopan mukavimmista paikoista.

“Ei kannata ahnehtia liikaa”, opasti ystäväni herra kirjailija lähdön hetkellä, ja samaa mieltä olin itsekin. Olin etukäteen merkinnyt must do -listaani vain kaksi museota, Amsterdamin Historiallisen Museon ja Rijksmuseon. Jälkimmäinen oli remontissa, mutta turisteja varten oli Philips-siipeen pystytetty The Masterpieces, todellinen crème de la crème -näyttely. Kokemus oli ikimuistoinen, suorastaan hengästyttävä, kun katse poimi taidemaailman mestareiden parhaimpia teoksia yhden toisensa jälkeen. Huh-huh!

Rijksmuseon tunnetuin maalaus lienee eittämättä Rembrandtin vuonna 1642 valmistunut Yövartio, ja kieltämättä se on vaikuttava teos. Valitettavasti netissä olevat kuvat eivät koskaan kykene toistamaan alkuperäisiä värejä yhtä häikäisevällä tavalla. Vuonna 2003 valmistunut elokuva Tyttö ja helmikorvakoru (Girl with a Pearl Earring) nosti maailmanlaajuisesti esiin Johannes Vermeerin teokset, joita niin ikään oli otettu mukaan The Masterpieces -näyttelyyn. Löysin kokoelmista myös uuden ihastuksen, Rembrandtin aikalaisen Jan Steenin, jonka maalaukset ovat häikäiseviä, taiturimaisesti tehtyjä ja täynnä tarinoita. Olisin voinut katsoa ja tutkia niitä tuntikausia. Kannattaa silmäillä linkin takaa löytyvän sivuston aarteita, kuvat avautuvat parilla klikkauksella suht suuriksi.

Het Rijksmuseum heeft naar aanleiding van de in bruikleen verkregen oudste foto in Suriname (anno 1846) een expositie van haar koloniaal fotomateriaal.

Maria Louise de Hart (geb. 1826) en Johannes Ellis (geb. 1812)

In de periode 18 augustus 2009 t/m 5 oktober 2009 is niet alleen de oude foto van het echtpaar Ellis – de Hart van dichtbij te bekijken ook ander materiaal uit Suriname en Curacao.

Enkele thema’s van de expositie zijn het plantageleven rond 1910, en de bauxietwinning in Suriname en Curacao tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Tarief bedraagt € 11, -
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl

Youda Legend Amsterdam (100 MB download)
Explore the beautiful city of Amsterdam on a guided tour full of mysteries in Youda Legend: The Curse of the Amsterdam Diamond! Get drawn into the hidden object mystery – combine clues and solve puzzles as you pass by famous places like the Rijksmuseum and the Flower Market. Find the greatest diamond you have ever seen!

Kunst: respectabel populisme vs elitair gedoe

Wie Amsterdam versus Rotterdam ter sprake brengt, heeft het vaak over de laatste stand van de eredivisie van het betaald voetbal. Maar hoe zit het met de prestaties op kunstgebied?

Door Dan

Vorig jaar maakte Wim Pijbes de transfer van de rebelse Rotterdamse Kunsthal naar het deftige Rijksmuseum. Onder Pijbes’ leiding kwam de Kunsthal tot grote bloei. Dat kwam mede door ‘verrassende combinaties van hoge kunst met alledaagsheid’. Van tentoonstellingen van lingerieontwerpster Marlies Dekker tot de sciencefictionserie Star Trek en voetbalclub Feyenoord. ‘Respectabel populisme’, zo was te lezen in een recent interview dat Pijbes eind juni met Elsevier had. Is de Kunsthal kenmerkend voor de Rotterdamse kunstmentaliteit?

De Kunsthal, Rotterdam

Nee, zegt ‘art watcher’ Ilana Ifrah. Zij studeerde aan de Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam en blogt op de website www.no4cubic.wordpress.com over kunst en architectuur in Rotterdam. “De Kunsthal is gevarieerder qua aanbod, waardoor het misschien aantrekkelijker is voor ‘dagjesmensen’. Maar het mikt dus niet per se op de kunstliefhebber. De echte hedendaagse tentoonstellingen vind je in het Museum Boijmans van Beuningen”.
Het museum werd in 1841 opgericht, toen een gedeelte van de privécollectie van de Rotterdamse kunstverzamelaar Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans er werd ondergebracht. Die collectie ging voor een deel verloren bij een brand in 1864, maar werd in de jaren daarna steeds uitgebreid. De huidige naam ontstond doordat de collectie van Daniel George van Beuningen in 1958 werd toegevoegd.

Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Kunst is er bij Ifrah met de paplepel ingegoten; het was in dat museum waar ze als driejarige peuter aan de hand van haar opa al kwam. De collectie van het Museum Boijmans van Beuningen bestaat uit oude, moderne en hedendaagse schilderskunst. Er zijn werken te zien van Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Piet Mondriaan, Salvador Dali en Andy Warhol. Hoewel Rotterdam in de Tweede Wereldoorlog door Duitse bombardementen verwoest werd en de stad door veel nieuwbouw de enige Nederlandse stad met een échte skyline is, gaat de museumgeschiedenis toch ruim 150 jaar terug in de tijd. Het Rijksmuseum is ouder, maar niet het oudste museum van ons land; dat is het Telyer Museum in Haarlem dat uit 1784 dateert.

De tijdelijke locatie van het Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

“De tegenhanger van het Boijmans van Beuningen is het Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Een museum met interessante exposities en moderne kunst. Daar kom ik dan ook graag, hoewel dat tijdelijk in een gebouw naast het Centraal Station zat”.
Dat laatste lijkt het probleem van Amsterdam te zijn. Een aantal musea wordt nu tegelijkertijd verbouwd, zijn in aangepaste vorm open of zelfs helemaal gesloten. Het Stedelijk Museum gaat in 2010 open. Een gedeelte van de collectie is opgeslagen in een gebouw in Sloterdijk. Nu tourt het museum met het project Stedelijk in de Stad! tot eind 2009 door verschillende locaties in Amsterdam. Het Rijksmuseum zal, na een vertraagde en problematische verbouwing, in 2013 haar deuren weer volledig voor het publiek openen.
Maar een duidelijke vergelijking maken tussen de twee steden vindt Ifrah lastig.
“Amsterdam heeft meer internationale allure en aantrekkingskracht op toeristen. Maar Rotterdam heeft ArtRotterdam, de beurs die inmiddels zijn naam gevestigd heeft binnen Europa en daarbuiten. Bij de Amsterdamse tegenhanger ontbreekt dit nog, de kwaliteit is minder.
Rotterdam geniet ook op architectonisch gebied wereldkundige bekendheid door de stad zelf en het Nederlands Architectuurinstituut”.

Het Rijskmuseum, Amsterdam

Ifrah zegt wel goed zicht te hebben op de zogenaamde ‘gallery scene’, omdat haar vriend kunstenaar is. Het is in die wereld waar aankomende kunstenaars de kans krijgen om hun werk te exposeren. Maar dan moeten ze wel eerst de houder van een kunstgalerie overtuigen. Zij vervullen een belangrijke rol en zijn onderdeel van een veel groter netwerk, waar bijvoorbeeld ook kunstkenners en museumdirecteurs zich in bevinden.

In de gallery scene zijn de verschillen tussen de twee steden volgens Ifrah wel merkbaar. “Rotterdam is een broeinest van nieuw talent, waar iedereen welkom is. Amsterdam is wat meer gevestigd, hautain en gesloten. Een plek waar je als buitenstaander veel moeilijker tussenkomt omdat de scene daar uit alleen maar Amsterdammers bestaat”.

De in Amsterdam woonachtige digitaal kunstenares Edskea Beijlsmit-Verhoeff vindt ook dat de hoofdstedelijke kunstscene redelijk gesloten is. “Er is zeker een groot verschil tussen de Amsterdamse en Rotterdamse kunstwereld. Waar Rotterdam veel meer kunst en platforms biedt, blijft men in Amsterdam hangen in dogma’s als ‘wat is kunst?’ Er is een redelijk beperkte incrowd, die zichzelf continu afvraagt wat nou cultureel verantwoord is. In Rotterdam wordt meer vanuit de Amerikaanse visie van wat het publiek wil gedacht”.

Beijlsmit-Verhoeff maakt met haar bedrijf Ed-Art digitale schilderijen en doet naast allerlei kunstprojecten vooral performance en videokunst. Met ‘Body as tool’ exposeerde zij in 2007 in een Rotterdamse galerie. Op wat quasi grappige opmerkingen na, kreeg zij daar nagenoeg geen commentaar van haar Amsterdamse collega’s. Ze ziet zichzelf dan ook als global citizen, iemand die niet gebonden is aan een stad, regio of land.

Maar ook zij is van mening dat de Rotterdamse kunstscene meer broeit en minder bureaucratisch is. “In Amsterdam is altijd veel gedoe over subsidies en de commissies die daarover gaan. Je ziet veel arrogantie tussen kunstenaars onderling in het gevecht om de verdeling daarvan. Het wordt nog erger als er overheidsopdrachten worden uitgedeeld. Die bureaucratie is niet echt bevorderlijk voor de kunst”.
Hoe het er precies in de galerieën aan toe gaat, weet Beijlsmit-Verhoeff niet. Ze zit niet zo diep in die wereld, zegt ze.

De ’nieuwe’ directeur van het Rijksmuseum vindt ze in ieder geval een welkome aanwinst voor de stad. Het zou volgens haar eigenlijk helemaal niet om Amsterdam versus Rotterdam moeten gaan. Ifrah is het daar mee eens. “Een kunstenaar die uit Amsterdam naar Rotterdam zou komen, wordt hier gegarandeerd met open armen ontvangen”.

Is de overstap van Rotterdam naar Amsterdam moeilijker dan andersom? Ifrah vindt van wel: “Een vriend van ons is een redelijk gevestigde kunstschilder. Hij is recent verhuisd naar Amsterdam en al een hele tijd bezig om zijn werk daar in een galerie te krijgen. Maar het lukt gewoon niet. Het blijft ons kent ons”.
Iemand die een tegengeluid laat horen is Cokkie Snoei. De Rotterdamse galeriehoudster opende in april een galerie in de Jordaan.  Zij vindt dat het kunstklimaat en de aantrekkingskracht van Rotterdam op kunstenaars juist minder is geworden. “Dat komt deels door de Lijst Pim Fortuyn. Onder die partij werd er niet echt een lange termijn visie op kunst ontwikkeld.  Ik zie veel jonge kunstenaars nu de stad verlaten”.
Snoei is pas de tweede Rotterdammer met een galerie in de hoofdstad, Ron Mandos ging haar voor. Maar dat was uit ruimtegebrek: hij kon een groter pand in Amsterdam krijgen. In het geval van Snoei speelde teruglopende bezoekersaantallen in haar galerie aan de Mauritsweg een rol. Ze zegt het te moeten hebben van het establishment en dat is in Amsterdam beter vertegenwoordigd.
Het openen van de galerie ging vrij soepel; ze liet doorschemeren dat ze op zoek was naar een locatie, waarop een collega haar tipte. Ze vindt het echter lastig om iets te zeggen over verschillen tussen de twee steden. “Ik werk met nationale en internationale kunstenaars. Wel heeft Amsterdam een betere infrastructuur en grotere aantrekkingskracht op mensen uit het buitenland” Snoei vindt geslotenheid niet iets typisch Amsterdams, maar iets dat in elke subcultuur plaatsvindt. “Je moet op zoek naar je plekje en soms moet je je daarbij eerst bewijzen”.

Dit is Dan’s eerste gastblog op No4Cubic, wil je meer van hem lezen? Kijk dan op zijn blog.