The Amsterdam Compagnietheater hosted the Amsterdam Prize of the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts awarded. A 020 party, then, where 'tout art and culture' festively dressed up to put their own cultural gems in the limelight. The biblical downpour outside by no means stopped AFK director Clayde Menzo from sketching a sunny future picture of Amsterdam's cultural life in 2020.
Old grunts win incentive award
Lucas de Man, with New Heroes Foundation nominated in the 'Incentive Award' category, spoke in his introductory video about 'giving neighbourhoods in Amsterdam a village character.' At this, the evening's sparkling master of ceremonies, import-Amsterdammer Andrea van der Pol, immediately addressed him. After all, 'hadn't she fled the province because the capital is precisely NOT a village!' These kinds of witty one-twos gave the award ceremony a pleasantly light-hearted character, even though all the nominees still had the winning or not of no less than 35,000 euros hanging over their heads.
Fellow nominee, rapper Akwasi, spoke of his ambition to become mayor of Amsterdam, mischievously nodding at deputy mayor and alderman for culture Kasja Ollongren. The Stimuleringsprijs eventually went to the cultural sanctuary Splendor, where anyone who wants to do something with music can go. Old hands winning an incentive prize, nice to see that there was no age discrimination among the jury. However, it was disappointing to see that the nominees in all categories this year were male, male or male. When Van der Pol stated that next year it should only be women, she received loud applause from the audience.
Cross-border art
In the 'best performance' category, Swedish theatre-maker Jakop Ahlbom, composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven and visual artist Renzo Martens competed. What is interesting about these three gentlemen is that they work across disciplines and genres and do not shy away from abrasive contradictions.
For example, Merlijn Twaalfhoven worked in Cyprus, with refugees in Jordan and here in the Netherlands with musicians who had fled from Syria, and he also recently contributed to Duncan Sutterheim's farewell on Sensation White at the Arena. When Van der Pol asks why he didn't run away screaming at this event, he quips that running away screaming happens in Aleppo these days and not in the Netherlands. Thus implicitly making it clear that distinguishing 'low and high culture' is a luxury we can afford in the Netherlands.
The eventual winner, Renzo Martens, was described by jury president Clairy Polak as follows: "The work of visual artist Renzo Martens provokes, confronts and fascinates. Renzo shakes us up, literally and figuratively opens our eyes to what we don't want to see."
Versweyveld put in the spotlight
It was already known that Ivo van Hove and Jan Versweyveld of Toneelgroep Amsterdam won in the 'proven quality (hors concours)' category. Van Hove is adored nationally and internationally, but was clearly moved that now finally his partner in work and life was also put in the spotlight, after 35 years of cooperation. After the final applause, people could either head back into the downpour or towards the bar.
The choice was quickly made.
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