Jack and I took a much-needed, far too brief. A trip to Amsterdam Museum in September 2023, during a break between L7 tours. Our plan was simple: capitalize on the off-season’s affordable airfare and hotel rates and leisurely stroll through Vondelpark. When the inevitable cold and rain set in (which it did), our idea was to seek refuge in a museum. Despite our trip lasting only four days, during which we even managed to enjoy two different dinners with two sets of friends. Our Amsterdam museum explorations were worth the hustle and hassle. I’m excited to share some of the highlights of the Amsterdam Museum Trip with you.
First and foremost, and undoubtedly not the weirdest idea I have ever had, was our attempt to figure out the Van Gogh Museum’s collaboration with Pokémon, titled ‘Van Gogh x Pokémon.’ As someone who is not particularly a fan of either, I imagined (yes, I still engage my imagination) that I could launch my Pokémon app and catch a Van Gogh-inspired Pikachu. Along with other neglected characters I haven’t paid attention to since 2013. Unfortunately or fortunately, that was not how it worked (though I still think that would have been a fantastic marketing strategy). The collaboration is actually a card with name “Pikachu with a Grey Felt Hat,.” And the museum bailed on distributing the card a few days before our arrival due to “overwhelming frenzied” crowds. So, lowering our expectations, we moved on.
Nan Goldin and Martin Wong
Two exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum were the next port of call, and unlike the Van Gough, they did not disappoint (although the day ended weirdly). A full expo of Martin Wong’s life work called Malicious Mischief was a truly amazing collection of this artist’s work, room after room. I had seen Wong’s work before, but I had never seen many of these pieces in one place. That was enough to fill the day, but also featured just one floor below was a collection of five of Nan Goldin’s works called “This Will Not End Well.”
I have seen two of the works. For those who don’t know, Nan is a photographer who curates her work as projected slide shows accompanied by my music and voice-over. As a viewer, you sit and watch, usually in a dark room. In this case, five unique spaces created in a large warehouse-like room. Each presentation is about 20 minutes long, and although there is a story arch, people can come and go throughout the showings.
As a long-time fan, seeing Wong’s expansive collection was way more than I expected and blew my mind. Meanwhile, I knew going into space to see five Nan Goldin installations would blow my mind. As we moved between floors, rooms, and collections, we got herded around security guards in suits. The Amsterdam Museum was slowly transitioning into a private party, and the guests were showing up extremely well-dressed. The museum workers would politely ask us if we were “in the group.” I would nod yes, and Jack (unable to lie – even for art – would stare until we were politely escorted to the exit – which was kind of the real “performance.”
MOCO Museum – A Contemporary Art From A Private Collection and Jammed Into A Cool Old House.
On the contrary, the MOCO stayed open late and was actually kind of refreshing. In its approach to putting the most well-known contemporary artists into one dusty (feeling actual dust) old house. Even the wood stairs creaked as we ascended the three flights. If one were to build out a checklist of not. Just which artists would feature but what kind of art, the MOCO would be oddly perfect in its curation. It is the Fantasy Football of contemporary art. Between infinity mirrors, spraypaint canvases, pop-culture parody sculptures, and VR interactive works – it was almost too perfect. Like me, most of the attendees were there because of the later hours. Others (even more so like me) were very much down to insert themselves into the “experience of seeing art.” Via the constant action selfies and image-making of the image making (of the image making).
Rijksmuseum – An Ode to the Dutch Masters and one Mistress (?)
The Rijks is a great summary of the Amsterdam Museum Trip – not so much in the art. It is all the great masters and well, it is pretty cool seeing the Rembrandts” that are on every art history PBS style special. I have seen it since I was a kid, but more so the people’s collection seeing the art. Where the Stedelijk was full of finance bros and MOCO filled with zesty young 30s creating content. The Rijks is full of families, tourists, people from all countries, and all shapes and expressions that come on a trip. It was loud. It was crowded. We could barely get through the crowds to see The Night Watch (1642), but it was by far the most fun experience, being with the world and being with art. No one was crowding around the Judith Leyster painting.
