About Open Archive

Discover the monument Oude Kerk

Oude Kerk is next to being a museum, a church, and a young contemporary art institution also a national monument. The museum is the oldest building of Amsterdam and has been the main church of the city for a long time, playing an important social role throughout the ages. The Oude Kerk was Roman Catholic at first, as it also functioned as a cemetery and archive. However, after the Alteration of 1578, it was converted into a Protestant church. Over the last century, the Oude Kerk became one of the landmarks of the city and central to the redlight district of Amsterdam.

Contribute to the archive

As archives become more and more open in current day society, it is also important to look at who is making and filling the archive. Because Oude Kerk finds it important that this ‘ownership’ is shared, we believe in people contributing to the archive. Interested in contributing? We are currently working on a manual/tools to assist visitors in doing exactly this. They will become available soon.

Discover the artistic interventions in the church

The artistic interventions are central to Oude Kerk's existence as a contemporary art institution. Providing artists from diverse international backgrounds the opportunity to interact with the space of the church and its histories creates unique site-specific works and installations that each add new layers of meaning. Here, the concept of ‘slow curating’ is crucial, as the conversations between artists and the curator, in combination with the artist’s research, develop into a unique project. Additionally, the time provided by this method creates space for dialogue and considered decision-making. Curious about the artistic interventions in Oude Kerk? Click here!

Jump into some controversy

The current-day artistic interventions and contemporary art projects in the Oude Kerk have not always been greeted with praise. Especially in the cases of Anastasis and Poems for Earthlings, there was a lot of controversy leading up to the exhibition. Additionally, a permanent work by Calo — a red window in the Heilig grafkapel — has even been met with lawsuits. These projects are examples of instances in which contemporary heritage (both tangible and intangible) collides with historical heritage, and conflict emerges. To learn more about these topics, please take a look at Anastasis, Poems for Earthlings, or the highlights of the Symposium – Here Is Where We Meet: Art and Resistance.

Explore art and resistance connected to the oude kerk

Art and resistance are two themes that are connected in many ways. To create a dialogue and provide new insights on these topics, Oude Kerk organized a symposium. Part of this evening were presentations and a panel consisting of individuals who approached the themes from different angles, such as academics, curators, museum directors, and artists. Interested? Please search the archive for the Symposium – Here Is Where We Meet: Art and Resistance.

Over the last centuries, an estimated 60.000 people have been buried in the Oude Kerk. Some of these individuals are well-known, were portrayed or there is documentation that proves their existence.

Many others, however, have been (almost) forgotten, as not much proof of their presence on earth has survived. And so, important stories have been lost. Stories that would have told us about daily life in Amsterdam throughout the ages, and how this developed over the last centuries. Oude Kerk believes that these accounts are highly important and therefore we want to emphasize the immense blind spots that the archive contains.