Wallen Festival: Guided Tours

5 July – 6 July 2025

Learn more about the exhibition To Breathe – Mokum by artist Kimsooja.

Invite someone along

On Saturday 5 July and Sunday 6 July, the historic city centre celebrates the third edition of the Wallen Festival. On presentation of the festival programme booklet, admission to the Oude Kerk is free on both days. Programme booklets are available at the entrance to the Oude Kerk, at the Wallen Festival stall on Nieuwmarkt, and at other participating venues.

We are offering a special series of guided tours focusing on the current exhibition, To Breathe – Mokum by artist Kimsooja. Read more about the exhibition here.

Tour start times:
14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 (each tour lasts approximately 30 minutes)
Admission:
Free, but please register at the entrance of the Oude Kerk.
Language:
Dutch

Oude Kerk Kimsooja opening 009 low res foto Maarten Nauw

About the Wallen Festival
On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July, cultural and social organisations, local entrepreneurs and residents in the Wallen and Nieuwmarkt neighbourhoods will open their doors to the city. Stroll along the picturesque canals and through charming alleyways, enjoy live music, sample local delicacies, take part in a mini workshop, and visit one of the many remarkable historic sites. More than 70 venues are taking part, offering programmes as varied and colourful as the neighbourhood itself.

more about the festival and the programme

About the exhibition
Korean artist Kimsooja has gained international acclaim for her poetic installations exploring themes of migration, displacement, longing for home, and identity.
Especially for the Oude Kerk, she has created her most extensive series of bottari: iconic textile bundles inspired by traditional Korean wrapping cloths, filled with clothing donated by Amsterdam’s diverse communities. She has also covered the church’s 44,000 windowpanes with transparent film that refracts sunlight into rainbow colours. To Breathe – Mokum offers a meditative experience on the meaning of home—and what we carry with us or leave behind.

more about the exhibition