Meredith Monk, Ana Navas and Navid Nuur at the Oude Kerk

Meredith Monk: Calling
“Music legend Meredith Monk’s retrospective exhibition in Amsterdam is a ‘transitory experience’” (Volkskrant, 30 October 2023)

Meredith Monk: Calling showcases Meredith Monk’s (New York, 1942, lives and works in New York) entire body of work since the 1960s. The exhibition goes beyond a retrospective and represents a meaningful endeavour to connect her audiovisual oeuvre and the church. As such, Monk transforms the church space into a singing body, enveloping the audience in a unique sensory experience designed especially for the Oude Kerk. Due to its success and acclaim by critics and visitors alike, the exhibition is extended until 14 April 2024.

Meredith Monk – Calling is a co-presentation of the Oude Kerk Amsterdam and Hartwig Art Foundation. Curated by Beatrix Ruf, director of the Hartwig Art Foundation, the exhibition has been developed in close collaboration with Meredith Monk and The House Foundation for the Arts, New York.

Ana Navas – A veil as a glaze

In her exhibition, A Veil as a Glaze, artist Ana Navas (Ecuador, 1984, lives and works in Rotterdam) presents a series of glass works in three of the Oude Kerk’s side chambers. On view from 25 May, these works employ a technique reminiscent of stained glass, which has been frequently utilised in churches since the Middle Ages.

By removing objects from their context, Navas plays with the relationship between form and function, as well as the dynamic between original and copy. ‘I often see my practice as going behind the traces of an object’s genealogical tree. What do “ancestors” look like[JC1] , what influences has the object undergone, and in what new contexts might it reappear?’

While exploring the Oude Kerk, Navas became intrigued by the Mirror Room’s painted wallpaper adorned with colourful floral vines and birds. The presence of Rembrandt van Rijn lingers in the room where he registered his marriage to Saskia van Uylenburgh, who was not allowed to be present. In Navas’ quest to find portraits of Saskia, she happened upon one depicting her as Flora, the Roman goddess of spring, which Rembrandt painted in 1634. In this presentation, spanning three adjacent rooms, Navas explores how forms and images penetrate collective memory while also examining the intertwining of concepts of power and women’s identity.

Ana Navas participated in the 3Package Deal 2022/2023. This initiative, led by the AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts) and Bureau Broedplaatsen (Bureau for Cultural Spaces) of the City of Amsterdam, establishes coalitions among esteemed art institutions to mentor talented artists for a year. The Reinwardt Academy, H401, Museum Van Loon and the Oude Kerk comprise the Inter-historicity coalition.

Navid Nuur - When Doubt Turns into Destiny

From 7 September 2024 to 9 February 2025/2125, the Oude Kerk presents a new large-scale, context-specific exhibition by Navid Nuur (Tehran, 1976, lives and works in The Hague). Nuur peels away the dynamics of time at the Oude Kerk to create physical experiences related to earth, water, air, scent, form and touch. A large bellows exhales air, a suspended translucent fabric diffuses sunlight, and a pile of pebbles dwindles. Nuur invites visitors to immerse themselves in a sensual experience of the Oude Kerk, prompting reflection on human existence in the world. When Doubt Turns into Destiny embodies the notion that humans, despite all their knowledge and skills, are transient beings whose non-existence far exceeds their lifespans.

A pivotal aspect of the exhibition will only conclude in 2125. Starting in 2024, Nuur will spend several months crafting a series of 100 vases at the Oude Kerk. He’ll prepare the clay by blending it with soil and debris from across Amsterdam. These vases will then be stored in the Iron Chapel, which was the city’s vault from 1515 to 1892. Annually, a vase will exchange hands in return for a financial or other contribution. Nuur will also leave a message in the Oude Kerk for people living 100 years in the future. Only in 2125, after a century has passed, will all the vases have departed the church, completing When Doubt Turns into Destiny.

Contemporary and historical music programmes at the Oude Kerk

Contemporary and classical music are again in the spotlight in 2024. Among those presenting new compositions in the monthly Silence
morning concert series are UpSammy on 5 April and percussionist Vernon Chatlein on 7 June. The Oude Kerk also continues its collaboration with Sonic Acts Biennial, featuring Charlemagne Palestine on 1 March, and Dekmantel Festival, showcasing Kali Malone on 30 June. Additionally, a contemporary organ project by Sound Rebellion in collaboration with Orgelpark debuts on 8 June.

On 1 March, we celebrate the 50th instalment of the successful series of early morning concerts with an organ recital by Charlemagne Palestine. Since 2016, the Oude Kerk has been programming the monthly Silence concert series on early Friday mornings. Forward-thinking musicians are invited to create electronic and sonic works for the Oude Kerk. Additionally, the Oude Kerk presents the Monuments concert series, focusing on tradition and innovation in organ culture.

Highlights of the - to the rhythm of the city - programme:

9 March – Saskia Breakfast
23 March – Queer History Month, Walk
5 May – Liberation Day: Organ Afternoon
21 June – The Longest Day: The Red Window Conversation
22-23 June – 'Wallen Festival'
27 October – Amsterdam 750

The Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest building, is a space dedicated to contemporary art. Invited artists create new site-responsive works, blending historical context with visions of the future. The Oude Kerk nurtures and embraces cultural practices that unite diverse perspectives on the present. In 2024, the Oude Kerk’s programming receives support from entities such as the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Mondriaan Fund, AMMODO and private donors.