The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam proudly presents "To Breathe – Mokum," a compelling site-specific installation by artist Kimsooja. This exhibition invites visitors to reflect on universal themes of migration, belonging, and shared identity within the historic church setting. Engage with significant textile bundles and witness how refracted sunlight transforms the space into a meditative experience.
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The Oude Kerk presents a site-specific installation by artist Kimsooja, titled To Breathe – Mokum. The exhibition features iconic textile bundles filled with clothing from Amsterdam communities and transparent film across the church's windows that refracts sunlight into rainbow colors, offering a meditative experience on coming home.
The Oude Kerk is hosting "To Breathe – Mokum," a significant site-specific installation by internationally acclaimed artist Kimsooja. This exhibition delves into themes of migration, the longing for home, and shared identity, utilizing the historic church as its canvas. Central to the installation are Kimsooja's iconic "bottari," traditional Korean textile bundles filled with clothing donated by diverse Amsterdam communities, reflecting the city's rich history as a place of arrival and departure. These bundles are placed across the church's centuries-old gravestone floor, resonating with the multicultural fabric of Amsterdam, a city representing over 170 nationalities. Furthermore, Kimsooja has transformed the Oude Kerk's interior by covering its 44,000 window panes with transparent film. This film acts as a massive prism, refracting sunlight into a spectrum of rainbow colors that shift throughout the day, illuminating different architectural elements and creating a dynamic, meditative environment. This 'living light' intervention reimagines the church not as a static monument but as a vibrant body of light, connecting globally through its use of light, color, and reflection. The exhibition title itself, "Mokum," a Yiddish term for "city" or "safe haven," underscores the deep connection to Amsterdam's history as a migration city, particularly its old harbour district which has long been a point of arrival and departure for various communities throughout centuries.
Tickets are available for this exhibition. Visitors can book their tickets in advance via the provided link for entry to the Oude Kerk and its exhibitions.
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