When I was going through immigration at Schipol airport, the young woman leafing through my passport looked up at me and asked, what are you in Amsterdam for? My first thought was, isn’t everyone here…to get a little high? Do a little dance…make a little love…you know, get down tonight? I then thought to try and give her the short version of the truth - which is that I live in Belgrade and my future husband lives in Paris and we occasionally like to spend a weekend somewhere where neither one of us has to do the dishes. We’re not married yet, but I’m fairly certain I’ve already figured out that one of the great secrets to a happy marriage is a third person who does the housekeeping.
But what’s the short version? By this point I’m overcome with panic. I’m one of those people who is inclined to believe they’re guilty of something whenever approached by someone in uniform. Quick! Say something, say anything. (Except for tourism. You are actually a tourist, but everyone hates tourists, and you need to be liked by everyone everywhere so you cannot admit to being a tourist.) And so I blurted out the noblest, most concise, and most above-board response I could think of. One word, three letters, I didn’t even bother putting it into a sentence. ART.
Incidentally, when I was going through immigration on my way out five days later, the young man leafing through my passport just looked up at me and said, did you have a good time? Oh yes sir, I did. I had a great time. I ate all the things, bought all the things, saw all the art, and saw all the other people who were also in Amsterdam to look at art. Here are the photos to prove it.
Images 01-06 / Credits
01 / Book in the shop at Stedelijk Museum; 02 / Photograph of young Indonesian boy holding map by Cas Oorthuys, exhibited at the Stedelijk; 03 / Entrance to the Stedelijk; 04 / Book in the shop at the Stedelijk; 05 / Rhythm, by Nicolaas Warb, exhibited at the Stedelijk; 06 / Visitor gazing at the work of Carlijn Jacobs at the photography museum FOAM.
Images 07-11 / Credits
07 / The shop at the Stedelijk; 08 / Vertical Thinking by William Kentridge, postcard in the shop at the Stedelijk; 09 / Exhibition room at the photography museum FOAM; 10 / Arches at the Rijskmuseum; 11 / Self portrait in the mirror cube in front of the Stedelijk
Images 12-16 / Various scenes from the Rijksmuseum; 17 / Paper display at Vlieger paper; 18 / Self portrait in the mirror at Cartier
Images 19-27 / Credits
19 / Book in the shop at the Stedelijk; 20 / Images by Tina Modotti at the photography museum FOAM; 21 / Books in the shop at the Stedelijk; 22 / The ceiling at Rijksmuseum; 23 / Visitor watching video installation at Moco Museum; 24 / Carlijn Jacobs exhibition at the photography museum FOAM; 25 / Book in the shop at the Stedelijk; 26 / Visitors watching video installation at Moco Museum; 27 / Stolpersteine, or “stumbling stones” commemorating Holocaust victims in front of their last freely chosen residence, Herengracht Street.
A few of my favorite addresses…
The Museums | Stedelijk | Rijksmuseum | FOAM
The Restaurants | De Kas | Kaagman & Kortekaas | Bambino | Little Collins | Bakkerij Wolf | Bussia
The Bars | Cafe de Klepel | Soho House | Pulitzer’s Bar
The Paper Shop | Vlieger Paper
And the BEST massage in the world…at Cowshed Spa, Soho House.