This morning we visited the Rijksmuseum, I have visited it every time I’ve been in Amsterdam. I love looking at the large Rembrandt paintings notably the night watchmen which happens to be getting restored this time around. However each time I have visited there has been something new and different and this time was no different.
The first exhibition we wandered through was a combination of Rembrandt and Velazquez, these two important figures were presented for the first time in dialogue with each other, and alongside some other important Dutch and Spanish painters from the 17th century such as Frans Hals, Bartolome Murillo, Johannes Vermeer and Francisco Zurburan. The Dutch and Spanish paintings were paired together around a single theme or concept. It was an interesting exhibition that showcased the works of two of the greatest painters of the age who whilst they never met had introduced comparable innovations to the world of painting.
We then wandered through the annual photography exhibition, ‘Document Nederland’. This year the museum invited Martin Van de Griendt to photograph the contemporary consumer society, in which everything seems to revolve around looks and likes. The theme for the exhibition is that today, many people are permanently switched on – constantly active, beautiful, accessible, online and alert, conscious of the camera, their appearance and self image. On the other hand, other people go searching for places where they can just turn off.
In this exhibition Van de Griendt exposes the extent to which we are in the clutches of mobile phones and social media and asks us to decide ourselves what we see, are the people photographed on or off? Can you ever completely turn yourself off anymore – do you actually want to be on all the time?
It found this exhibition very interesting, particularly some of the quotes that accompanied it such as…
”The more we do our best to distinguish ourselves, the less we are ourselves, whatever that may entail” Arnon Grunberg
”Everyone who is ‘on’ is connected to someone, but they don’t share the same space with them, they are ‘on’ somewhere else.” Connie Palmen
”If others don’t view us, well view ourselves – even if only in the hopes that others will still see us via the detour of social media.” Arnon Grunberg
“I witnessed a world we’re permanently on, we produce an infinite number of images of ourselves, preoccupied by how others might see us.” Martun Van de Griendt
Maybe it was this exhibition, or maybe just the book I’m reading, Meta Human, but I have made a conscious effort to just be in the moment and kind of switch off for the rest of the trip. As a result I’m writing this blog from Doha, a couple of days later. But reflecting on the last couple of days I am feeling much more content, centred, grateful and happy for the experiences we have enjoyed over the last month.
I had ideas of writing in a cafe this afternoon but instead we just roamed around, enjoying a drink at some of our favourite spots and just watched people and the world go by and it was awesome.