Description: Visited Feb 12, 2006, along with the Amstelkring Museum, Oude Kerk (Old Church), and Het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt's House).
The Stedelijk museum exhibits works by contemporary artists. While its permanent home in the Museumplein next to the Van Gogh museum is being refurbished, exhibits are temporarily housed in an old building previously used by the post office east of the central train station. It's a short 10-minute walk past a boat turned into a hotel (the Botel) and a floating Chinese restaurant.
Currently on display until February 26, 2006 are a series of large portraits by Rineke Dijkstra. Some series portray changes over time. The Almerisa series, for example, shows how an anxious young Bosnian refugee transforms into a fashionable Dutch woman. Her other works include beach portraits, mothers and bullfighters, children in a park, Israeli soldiers, and a (rather monotonous in my opinion) video of adolescents at English and Dutch discos.
While Rineke's work was the highlight for me, I was also pleasantly surprised by "Zarin," a film shot in Morocco by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat in 2005. This is the story of the psychological breakdown of a young prostitute, which is somewhat fitting to be seen in a city where prostitution is legal.
Other exhibits on display at the time of my visit included "De Rijke/De Rooij," Mandarin Ducks and Paradocs II, but they were not of interest to me.
I highly recommend viewing Rineke's work. Shirin's film was an unexpected bonus.
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